US 7,609,452 B2Granted

3D gauge face for vehicle dashboard

AssigneeGuardian Industries Corp.

InventorMatthew Zabiega

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Abstract

A system and/or method that displays images in a vehicle dashboard area that appear, to an operator of the vehicle, to float above and/or below the vehicle's gauge face in a three-dimensional manner. In certain example embodiments, a system and/or method is provided wherein a gauge face includes a first sheet (e.g., vinyl sheet) having images laser-etched therein based on a design template, and a second sheet (e.g., polycarbonate sheet) to which the first sheet is applied. In certain example embodiments, when light from a dashboard backlight shows through the gauge face, the one or more of the laser-etched images appear to float above and/or below the gauge face in a three dimensional manner. In certain example embodiments, the images can be used in combination with and/or in place of conventional digital and/or analog gauges.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of making a vehicle dashboard including a gauge face, the method comprising:

providing a first sheet including a microlens array;
laser-etching a designed pattern into the first sheet, the designed pattern comprising at least first and second images;
applying the first sheet to a second sheet;
connecting at least one vehicle sensor to a plurality of light sources, the at least one vehicle sensor being operable to measure a status and/or parameter associated with the vehicle;
locating the first and second sheets in a dashboard area of the vehicle;
providing at least one said light source at a location in the vehicle to cause the first image to appear to an operator of the vehicle to be floating above and/or below the gauge face when said light source is turned on, said light source being turned on in response to one said vehicle sensor connected thereto, and
providing at least two said light sources at locations in the vehicle to cause associated portions of the second image to appear to the operator of the vehicle to be floating above and/or below the gauge face when said at least two light sources are turned on, said at least two light sources being turned on in response to one said vehicle sensor connected thereto.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/450,864Filed 12 Jun 2006
Published: US 2007/0284169 A113 Dec 2007
Granted: 27 Oct 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B60K 35/22
Using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays: display screens
B60K 35/50
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: instruments characterised by their means of attachment…
B60K 35/211
Using visual output, e.g. blinking lights or matrix displays: producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
B60K 35/60
Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles: instruments characterised by their location or relative…

Family

US 2007/0284169 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Dec 2007
US 7,609,452 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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