Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
JtJU / 1 CA 02697471 2010-02-23
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ERROR HANDLING FOR MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates in general to vehicle information displays and more
specifically to error-handling messages for multi-function vehicle information
displays.
BACKGROUND
Vehicle information displays are installed in dashboards and in other interior
surfaces of vehicles to convey information to vehicle operators. Displayed
information
can include vehicle operating parameters such as vehicle speed, fuel level,
engine
temperature, oil pressure, parking brake engagement, and other information
that would be
of potential interest to a vehicle operator. In addition to informing the
operator of vehicle
parameters, information displays can also display warning signals when the
operating
parameters meet certain predetermined criteria. The displayed warning signals
use icons,
text, or both to alert the operator to the detected condition.
Warnings signals can indicate conditions of varying severity. For example,
some
warning signals, such as "Interaxle Diff Lock Under 25 MPH," "Check Engine,"
and
"Low Coolant," indicate non-critical conditions that do not require immediate
attention.
Other warning signals, such as "Stop Engine," "King Pin Unlocked," and "Park
Brake
While Moving" indicate conditions that require the vehicle operator to take
immediate
action to avoid potentially unsafe operating conditions. In order to
differentiate warning
signals that indicate critical conditions from those that indicate non-
critical conditions,
warning signals are displayed in different colors. For example, critical
warning signals
are displayed in red, while non-critical warning signals are displayed in
yellow.
As vehicles have become more complex, the number of operating conditions of
which operators must be aware has increased substantially. As a result, at any
given time,
it may be necessary to display several warning signals. However, a problem
exists in that
the limitations in the display area size of known displays often precludes the
display of all
active warnings at a given time.
SUMMARY
A vehicle display system is disclosed, wherein the system is capable of
displaying
warning icons related to vehicle operating conditions. Vehicle operating
conditions are
detected by sensors mounted to the vehicle. The sensors transit the conditions
to a
vehicle display controller as electronic signals. The vehicle display
controller also
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receives data bus messages, which are also electronic signals, from various
vehicle systems.
The vehicle display controller receives the electronic signals and determines
the appropriate
warning signals to be displayed on the screen of the vehicle display according
to
predetermined criteria. The vehicle display controller prioritizes the warning
signals and
transmits the prioritized warning signals to the display, which shows the
prioritized warning
signals.
In order to display the warning signals, in embodiments described herein, one
of a plurality of masks is applied to the screen according to the number of
warning signals to
be displayed. The mask determines the size and location of each warning
signal. Critical
warning signals are displayed in a critical warning signal display area, and
non-critical
warning signals are displayed in a non-critical warning signal display area.
Each warning
signal is displayed in a color determined according to the priority of the
indicated operating
condition. The displayed warning signals are arranged within each warning
signal display
area according to priority so that the highest priority warning signals are
displayed first.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle
display system adapted to display one or more warning signals representing
vehicle operating
conditions, the display system comprising: (a) a plurality of sensors mounted
to a vehicle for
sensing vehicle operating conditions; (b) a vehicle display controller in
communication with
the plurality of sensors, the controller being capable of receiving signals
transmitted from the
plurality of sensors and prioritizing vehicle operating conditions indicated
by received signals
according to predetermined criteria; and (c) a display screen adapted to
display warning
signals according to signals received from the vehicle display controller,
each warning signal
indicating a vehicle operating condition, the display screen being adapted to
arrange the
displayed warning signals according to one of a plurality of display masks,
the display mask
being determined by the number of displayed warning signals, wherein the
display mask has a
first warning signal display area for displaying warning signals having
priorities greater than a
predetermined level and a second warning signal display area for displaying
warning signals
having priorities less than the predetermined level.
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According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
=
method for displaying vehicle operating conditions on a display screen, the
method comprising:
(a) receiving a signal from a sensor indicative of a vehicle operating
condition; (b) prioritizing
the vehicle operating condition according to a predetermined criteria; (c)
displaying a warning
signal representing the vehicle operating condition on the display screen, the
warning signal
being displayed in a color according to the priority of the operating
condition, the display screen
having a layout selected from a plurality of layouts, the layout being
determined according to the
=
number of warning signals being displayed and changes as the number of
displayed warning
signals changes, wherein displayed warning signals of a first color are
displayed in a first
warning signal display area of the display screen, and warning signals of a
second color are
displayed in a second warning signal display area of the display screen.
It should be appreciated that this summary is provided to introduce a
selection
of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the
Detailed Description.
This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject
matter, nor is it
intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject
matter.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention
will become more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed
description, when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIGURE 1 shows one embodiment of a vehicle information display in
accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;
FIGURE 2 shows characteristics of warning signals displayed by the vehicle
information display shown in FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 3 shows a first exemplary mask for the vehicle information display
shown in FIGURE 1;
FIGURE 4 shows a second exemplary mask for the vehicle information display
shown in FIGURE 1;
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FIGURE 5 shows the vehicle information display of FIGURE 1 as the display
changes from a first state to a second state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A multi-functional vehicle information display 10 (the "display 10")
constructed
in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure is best seen by
referring to
FIGURE 1. The display 10 is adaptable to be mounted in the dashboard or any
other
suitable interior surface of a vehicle. The display 10 is preferably located
in a position
that is visible to the vehicle operator during normal vehicle operation, but
can be located
in other areas of the vehicle interior, such as on the passenger side of the
vehicle or in the
sleeper compartment, if the vehicle is so equipped. The display 10 includes a
screen 12
that has a matrix of pixels therein, wherein the pixels are capable of being
selectively
activated to form various images on the screen 12. Known screens of this type
include,
but are not limited to, screens that use liquid crystal diodes (LCDs), light
emitting diodes
(LEDs), and cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
Still referring to FIGURE 1, the screen 12 comprises first and second display
areas 14 and 16 in which warning signals are displayed. The screen further
comprises
first and second supplemental display areas 18 and 20. Supplemental
information 22
related to the operation of the display 10, such as a display navigation menu,
display
status, and the total number of active warning signals may be shown in the
supplemental
display areas 18 and 20.
The vehicle in which the display 10 is mounted includes a plurality of vehicle
sensors 26. These sensors 26 shown in the block diagram of FIGURE 6 may
include, but
are not limited to, sensors capable of sensing vehicle speed, fuel level,
engine
temperature, oil pressure, parking brake engagement, and any other information
that
would be of potential interest to a vehicle operator. The sensors 26 send
electronic
signals to a vehicle display controller 28. In one embodiment, the vehicle
display
controller 28 receives data bus messages from one or more electronic systems
installed in
the vehicle. These data bus messages can be in addition to or in lieu of the
electronic
signals received from the sensors 26.
The vehicle display controller 28 determines if the operating conditions meet
predetermined criteria that require one or more warning signals to be
displayed. When
the vehicle display controller 28 determines that warning signals are to be
displayed, the
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vehicle display controller 28 prioritizes the warning signals and sends the
signals to the
display 10. The display 10 then displays the appropriate warning signals and
controls the
appearance of the display 10 according to the number, types, and priority of
warning
signals to be displayed.
In several embodiments, warning signals may be prioritized according to
predetermined criteria. FIGURE 2 shows one embodiment of a warning signal
priority
schedule for a heavy duty vehicle, wherein warning signals are prioritized by
the severity
of the indicated condition. In the illustrated embodiment, the "Stop Engine"
warning
signal, which indicates that the vehicle operator should immediately stop the
engine, is
assigned the highest priority. Other critical warning signals, including "King
Pin
Unlocked," "High Exhaust Temperature" while the vehicle is traveling under 10
miles per
hour, "Parking Brake" engaged while the vehicle is traveling over 1.2 miles
per hour, and
"High Exhaust Temperature" while the vehicle is traveling over 10 miles per
hour are
assigned successively lower priorities. Non-critical warning signals include
"Active
Regeneration" of the diesel particulate filter, "Truck ABS" engaged, "Trailer
ABS"
engaged, "Interaxle Differential Locked" while the vehicle is traveling over
25 miles per
hour, "Check Engine," "Low Coolant," "Suspension Dump" when pressurized air is
vented from the vehicle's air suspension, and "Interaxle Differential Locked"
while the
vehicle is traveling under 25 miles per hour. Like the critical warning
signals, these
non-critical warning signals are also prioritized relative to the other
warning signals.
In order to make the critical warnings signals more readily distinguishable
from
the non-critical warning signals, critical warnings signals are generally
displayed in red,
while non-critical warning signals are generally displayed in yellow. It
should be
appreciated that while the color of a particular warning signal generally
corresponds to
the priority of that warning signal, in some embodiments, a critical warning
signal may be
displayed in yellow, or a non-critical warning signal may be displayed in red.
Critical
warning signals may be further emphasized using other means, such as
displaying the
critical warning signals with icons that are larger than those representing
non-critical
warning signals, displaying critical warning signals as blinking icons, and
accompanying
the display of a critical warning signal with a warning sound.
It should be noted that the warning signal priority schedule shown in FIGURE 2
is
illustrative in nature. It should be apparent to those of skill in the art
that the number and
type of warning signals may be varied without departing from the scope of the
disclosure.
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Further, variations in the prioritization and display color of different
warning signals are
also within the scope of the disclosure.
Referring back to FIGURE 1, the vehicle display controller 28 (FIGURE 6) is
capable of changing the layout of the screen 12 according to the number and
type of
warning signals being displayed at a particular time. In the embodiment shown
in
FIGURE 3, when a single warning signal is displayed, the vehicle display
controller 28
signals the first and second display areas 14 and 16 to display information
according to a
first mask 30. In one suitable embodiment, the first mask 30 comprises a
warning signal
display area 32 in which an icon or text representing the warning signal is
displayed. In
one suitable embodiment, the first mask 30 further includes first, second,
third, and fourth
text display areas 34, 36, 38, and 40 in which additional text or images can
be displayed.
The additional text or images may supplement the information displayed in the
warning
signal display area 32 or may provide additional, but unrelated, information.
For
example, if a "Stop Engine" warning signal is displayed, in the warning signal
display
area 32, a reasons such as "Low Oil Pressure" or "High Engine Temperature" may
be
displayed in one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth text display
areas 34, 36,
38, and 40 to supplement the displayed warning signal. Alternately,
information that is
unrelated to the warning signal, such as time or temperature, may be displayed
in one or
more of the first, second, third, and fourth text display areas 34, 36, 38,
and 40.
When more than one warning signal is displayed at a particular time, the
vehicle
display controller 28 signals the first and second display areas 14 and 16 to
display
information according to an exemplary second mask 50. As best shown in FIGURE
4,
one embodiment of the second mask 50 includes first, second, and third
critical warning
signal display areas 52, 54, and 56 in which icons or text representing
critical warning
signals are displayed in red. The second mask 50 further includes first,
second, and third
non-critical warning signal display areas 62, 64, and 66 in which icons or
text
representing non-critical warning signals are displayed in yellow.
In the illustrated embodiment of FIGURE 3, the warning signal display area 32
of
the first mask 30 is larger than any of the critical or non-critical warning
signal display
areas 52, 54, 56, 62, 64, and 66 of the second mask 50 shown in FIGURE 4.
Thus,
because only one warning signal is displayed when the first mask 30 is
applied, the single
warning signal is more prominently displayed. It should be apparent that the
display 10
may include any number of masks to provide for different numbers of warning
signals
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and different combinations of critical and non-critical warning signals. In
addition,
warning signal display areas may be of different sizes and colors in order to
further
emphasize higher priority warning signals and distinguish them from lower
priority
warning signals.
In practice, the display 10 operates to alert the vehicle operator of the
highest
priority operating conditions at any given time. When conditions are such that
only one
warning signal is required, the vehicle display controller 28 signals the
first and second
display areas 14 and 16 to display information according to the first mask 30.
The
warnings signal that represents the operating condition is displayed in the
warning signal
display area 32 of the first mask 30. When the warning signal is a critical
warning signal,
it is displayed in red. When the warning signal is a non-critical warning
signal, it is
displayed in yellow. Additional information regarding the warning signal may
be
optionally displayed in first, second, third, and fourth text display areas
34, 36, 38,
and 40. It should be appreciated that warning signal colors are not limited to
red and
yellow, but may also include any number of additional or alternative colors.
In accordance with one embodiment, the initial display of a warning signal may
include a "warning cycle" during which the warning signal flashes on and off
for a
predetermined period of time. The warning cycle may be accompanied by a
warning
sound to provide an additional indication that a warning cycle has commenced.
After the
warning cycle period has been completed, the warning sound ceases and the
warning
signal is displayed in a continuous state.
The single warning signal is displayed along with the first mask 30 until one
of
several events occurs. One such event is the termination of the condition that
triggered
the warning signal to be displayed. When the triggering condition ends, then
the warning
signal ceases to be displayed. Optionally, the display may require a manual
reset to
remove a displayed warning signal even though the triggering condition has
ended.
A displayed warning signal may also be removed from the display 12 screen by
manually suppressing the warning signal, even though the triggering condition
is still
present. As shown in the embodiment of FIGURE 2, all of the warning signals
can be
manually suppressed when the vehicle is stationary. In contrast, only the
lowest priority
warning signals ("Check Engine," "Low Coolant," "Suspension Dump," and
"Interaxle
Differential Locked" while the vehicle is traveling under 25 miles per hour)
can be
suppressed while the vehicle is moving.
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When conditions are such that multiple warning signals are required, the
second
mask 50 is applied to the screen 12. Referring to FIGURE 2, critical warning
signals are
displayed in critical warning display areas 52, 54, and 56, and are arranged
on the
screen 12 according to priority. When conditions are such that there are more
active
critical warning signals than there are available critical warning display
areas 52, 54,
and 56, only the highest priority warning signals are displayed. The lower
priority
warning signals are not displayed until enough higher priority warning signals
have been
removed or suppressed so that the lower priority signals are among the highest
remaining
signals.
Non-critical warning signals are displayed in non-critical warning display
areas 62, 64, and 66 by priority in a manner similar to the critical warning
signals. That
is, the non-critical warning signals are displayed according to priority. When
there are
more active non-critical warning signals than non-critical warning signal
display areas 62,
64, and 66, only the highest priority non-critical warning signals are
displayed on the
screen 12. Lower priority non-critical warning signals are not displayed until
higher
priority non-critical warning signals have been removed or suppressed.
FIGURE 5 shows a sequence in which a non-critical warning signal is added to
the screen 12. Initially, the second mask 50 is applied to the screen 12, and
one critical
warning signal ("Stop Engine") and one non-critical warning signal ("Truck
ABS") are
displayed. The critical warning signal is displayed in warning signal display
areas 52 in
red, and the non-critical warning signal is displayed in warning signal
display area 62 in
yellow. When a new non-critical warning signal ("Low Coolant") is required,
the
non-critical signal is displayed on the screen 12 so that the warning signals
are arranged
in order of priority. Because the "Low Coolant" warning signal has a lower
priority than
the "Truck ABS" warning signal, the "Truck ABS" warning signal remains in non-
critical
warning signal display area 62, and the "Low Coolant" warning signal is
displayed in
non-critical warning signal display area 64. If the "Truck ABS" warning signal
had a
lower priority than the "Low Coolant" warning signal, then the "Truck ABS"
warning
symbol would be moved to non-critical warning signal display area 64, and the
"Low
Coolant" warning signal would be displayed in non-critical warning signal
display
area 62.
Although lower priority warning signals are not displayed on the screen 12
when
the warning signal display areas are occupied by warning signals having a
higher priority,
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when a lower priority warning signal is added, the display 10 still undergoes
a warning
cycle for each new warning signal during which a warning sound is emitted.
Thus, the
vehicle operator is alerted to the presence of a new warning signal, even if
the warning
signal is not displayed on the screen 12. In one embodiment, the display 10
includes a
manual scrolling feature. The manual scrolling feature allows the vehicle
operator to
view additional active warning signals that are not shown on the display by
selectively
scrolling all active warning signals across the display 10. In one embodiment,
the active
warning signals are scrolled across the display 10 sequentially, according to
warning
signal priority. The scrolling feature may be a dial, one or more buttons,
toggle switches,
a touch screen, or any other suitable means for allowing operator input.
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