Method and system for driving an air core gauge with improved pointer resolution
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsJoseph R. Queen, Terry T. Cwik, Charles G. Hellebuyck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for driving an air core gauge whereby pointer resolution of an air core gauge is improved across a full range of motion. The method including the steps of generating a first gauge control signal responsive to a signal, the first gauge control signal having a first duty cycle corresponding to a first pointer position; generating a second gauge control signal responsive to the signal, the second gauge control signal having a second duty cycle corresponding to a second pointer position; and modulating between the first gauge control signal and the second gauge control signal alternating drive periods to drive the gauge pointer to display an average pointer position.
Claims17
A method for driving a gauge having a pointer, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating a first gauge control signal responsive to a gauge measurement signal, said first gauge control signal having a first duty cycle corresponding to a first pointer position;
- generating a second gauge control signal responsive to said signal, said second gauge control signal having a second duty cycle corresponding to a second pointer position;
- and
- modulating between said first gauge control signal and said second gauge control signal alternating drive periods to drive the pointer to display an average pointer position.
A method for driving a gauge having a pointer with a known range of motion to display a measurement, said method comprising:
- dividing the range of motion of the gauge into a plurality of discrete pointer positions;
- determining a desired pointer position corresponding to the measurement;
- generating first and second gauge control signals responsive to said desired pointer position, said first and second gauge control signals each having a duty cycle with first on and off times corresponding to a first discrete pointer position;
- modifying said second gauge control signal to second on and off times corresponding to a second discrete pointer position when said desired pointer position is between said first discrete pointer position and said second discrete pointer position;
- and
- driving the gauge by modulating between said first gauge control signal and said second gauge control signal to alternate drive periods between said first gauge control signal and said second gauge control signal to drive the pointer to said desired pointer position.
A fuel measurement system for displaying a measurement of fuel level in a vehicle fuel tank, said system comprising:
- a fuel level sensor coupled to the vehicle fuel tank for deriving a fuel level signal;
- processing means responsive to said fuel level signal for deriving a desired pointer position;
- a control signal generator responsive to said processing means for generating a first fuel gauge control signal having a first duty cycle corresponding to a first pointer position and a second fuel gauge control signal having a second duty cycle corresponding to a second pointer position;
- a modulator for modulating an output of said control signal generator between said first fuel gauge control signal and said second fuel gauge control signal to provide a modulated gauge control signal to drive the pointer to said desired pointer position;
- and
- a gauge having a pointer responsive to said modulated gauge control signal for displaying the measurement of fuel level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.