Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Aptiv Technologies Limited

Gail M Sylvester

Raymond Lippmann

Ronald Kenneth Selby

Michael E Fye

James Edward Nelson

Mark James Miller

David Kay Lambert

Michael J Schnars

Dwadasi H R Sarma

David Alan Ross

Tim A Kenworthy

Ray Lippmann

Martin Lynn Adams

Chris Ralph Snider

Michel Farid Sultan

Frederick F Kuhlman

Kris R Stark

Kenneth D Perry

Steven A Liburdi

Victor David Kruppa

Thomas R Mueller

Randall J Heidtman

Paul A Uglum

Mark J Clugston

Jeffrey Lynn Shepard

Douglas A Best

Kris A Stark

David L Brooks

Randall Jay Heidtman

Raymond Lippman

Martin L Adams

A contoured display that includes a faceplate configured to propagate an image in a collimated manner from an interface surface of the faceplate configured to receive the image from a display device to a display surface of the faceplate. The display surface is contoured to provide a three-dimensional (3D) contoured surface that provides designers with artistic freedom when designing a display shape, and a convenient way to contour a display surface to reduce the effects of glare on the display surface.

Contoured display

A heads-up display system is configured for use in a vehicle. The system includes a standard vehicle window (i.e. no special coatings), an image projector, and a vehicle dashboard equipped with a faceted reflective surface. The image projector is configured to project an image onto the faceted reflective surface. The faceted reflective surface is configured to reflect the image from the image projector onto a window surface of the standard vehicle window. The window surface is oriented to reflect the image from the faceted reflective surface toward an occupant. The faceted reflective surface may be disposed within a plurality of troughs separated by a plurality of diffuse reflecting partitions. The plurality of troughs may be configured to shield the occupant from extraneous reflections. The faceted reflective surface may include a plurality of electrically controlled facets. The plurality of electrically controlled reflective facets may be an array of electrowetting cells.

Heads-up display system utilizing controlled reflections from a dashboard surface

A display assembly includes a light pipe having re-directing channels defined therein. When a light source is provided in a compartment of the light pipe, light admitted from the light source to the light pipe emits from a front face of the light pipe. In addition, light emitted from reflective surfaces spaced apart from external surfaces of the light pipe combine with light emitted through the front face to provide glow regions of light resulting in symmetric uniform illumination of the display.

Pipe having light-redirecting channels

An holder or support for a backlit component is disclosed which provides display lighting for the backlit component. The holder may be a one-piece holder and may be made from a polymeric material including one or more fluorescing materials and/or diffusing substances. A trim plate for a backlit display is disclosed. The trim plate may have a front face which provides both a solid support for graphic indicia and display lighting for the graphic indicia.

Display apparatus

An illuminated display system is disclosed. The illuminated display system includes a circuit board with a front surface and a rear surface, and a plurality of light-passing holes. At least one light pipe is arranged on the rear surface of the circuit board. The at least one light pipe includes at least one entrance port and a plurality of corresponding facets and exit ports. Each of the plurality of facets, exit ports, and light passing holes are aligned in a corresponding relationship to the location of individual components of a display surface positioned over the front surface of the circuit board.

Illuminated display system

An illuminated indicator is disclosed. The illuminated indicator includes graphics disposed on a rear surface of a lightpipe and a housing that supports the rear surface of lightpipe. The housing defines an outer perimeter light channel. The illuminated indicator also includes a plurality of light sources that are disposed about the outer perimeter light channel. The outer perimeter light channel directs light from the plurality of light sources to an outer perimeter edge of the lightpipe to evenly illuminate the graphics.

Illuminated indicator

A light distribution apparatus includes a light distribution hub and at least one light source a reference light wavelength emission. The light distribution hub includes color converter that is enclosed in a light house and converts the reference light wavelength emission to a converted light emission. The color converter is distributed through an aperture in the light house.

Light distribution hub

A backlit display allowing one or more colors to be properly illuminated. Included in the backlit display is a light source that emits light upon a backside of a substrate. A selectively applied opaque layer prevents light from a light source from passing through at least one selected portion of said substrate. Incorporated into the substrate is one or more fluorescing materials to diffuse the light and/or change the color of the light emitted from the light source.

Method of manufacturing a cover of a backlit display using fluorescing materials

An apparatus and method sensing the absolute position of a gauge. A pointer having a predefined rotation with a circular travel pattern. At least one light emitting diode that generates an optical signal. An optical sensor placed in a fixed position along the circular travel pattern of the pointer. A pointer driver for driving the pointer.

Pointer position detection using light emitting diodes

The invention adjusts the spectral characteristics of a light emitting diode (LEDs) by placing a filter in the LEDs light emission path. The filter is printed on the lens of the LED or printed on a cap that is later attached to the LED via ink jet printing or another printing method. The specific ink colors selected for the filter depend on the deviation of each LED from a specified tolerance. The filters create a high degree of color and intensity uniformity without requiring labor and cost-intensive binning.

Method and apparatus for correcting optical non-uniformities in a light emitting diode

An apparatus for minimizing angular rotor position errors in an air core gauge includes an air core gauge ( ) having a magnetic rotor ( ) and at least three coils ( and ) wound around the rotor ( ). A probe signal is applied to the first coil ( ), and output signals are developed and detected across the second and the third coils ( ) in response to the probe signal and low-frequency signals applied to one or more of the coils ( and ). The output signals are processed by a demodulation circuit ( ) and a number of DC voltage signals are produced therefrom. A control circuit ( ) is responsive to the number of DC voltage signals to determine an actual angular position of the rotor ( ), and to suitably adjust the low-frequency signals to thereby correct for errors between the actual angular position of the rotor ( ) and the desired angular position thereof. Preferably, the three coils ( and ) are disposed non-orthogonal relative to each other, and the rotor ( ) defines a non-circular cross-section along a plane normal an axis of rotor rotation ( ). The rotor ( ) is further preferably formed of a combination of low and high permeability magnetic materials to thereby optimize a tradeoff between torque production and signal feedback capability.

Apparatus for minimizing angular rotor position errors in an air core gauge

A backlighting system for a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit includes a first number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to produce saturated radiation and a second number of LEDs configured to produce desaturated radiation, wherein the saturated and desaturated radiation is combined to form a resultant desaturated radiation of a target color. In a preferred embodiment, the colors and intensities of the first and second numbers of LEDs are chosen to produce a blue-green color of a typical vacuum fluorescent (VF) display unit, whereby the LCD unit may be used to simulated a typical VF display. By utilizing the concepts of the present invention, known dispersive effects associated with the LCD unit are minimized, and a substantially uniform light output from the LCD unit results regardless of a viewing angle relative to the normal of the viewing side of the LCD unit.

Backlighting system for a liquid crystal display unit

An automotive gauge has a two part housing containing a stepper motor arrangement or other gauge movement which drives a pointer shaft. The front housing part consists of a transparent material for conducting light from a lamp to a facet which reflects light to a pointer for pointer illumination. The lamp is mounted inside or outside the housing. The front housing part includes an aperture for accommodating the pointer shaft and also has integral pins which serve as supports for rotary parts of the mechanism. The housing is mounted on a circuit board or a circuit board may comprise the rear housing part. Another embodiment uses a common light pipe member for the front housing of several gauges.

Integrated gauge mechanism and light pipe

A coil is wound on a bobbin having posts extending from the bobbin body, the end of the coil wire being wrapped on the posts to form wire terminations. The coil is mounted on a circuit board with the coil either above the board or suspended alongside the board edge. The periphery of each post is positioned against a solder pad of the circuit board and the wire termination is soldered to the pad. Each post has a flexible neck portion to relieve stress due to coil thermal expansion. A recess in the side of the post facing the solder pad enhances solder interaction with the wire termination.

Surface mount coil assembly

A high frequency AC probe signal is applied to one coil of a stepper motor to induce a signal on the other coil. The induced signal varies in amplitude according to rotor position. The stepper motor is driven by a microprocessor in microsteps. The position of a mechanical stop is determined by monitoring the induced signal while driving the rotor to the stop. When the induced signal no longer changes in amplitude the number of the last microstep yielding movement is recorded as the rotor position corresponding to the stop position. Also by measuring the induced signal at each microstep over a whole rotor rotation and the signal when the rotor stops, a more precise value of the stop position is determined by interpolation. Alternatively, the flip back position of the gauge and thus the stop position is determined on the basis of the induced signal.

Growing community of inventors

Frankenmuth, MI, United States of America

Gail M Sylvester