Method and apparatus for providing user selectable multi-color automobile instrument panel illumination
DC
First Claim
1. An automobile instrument panel illumination system comprising:
- a plurality of differently colored, electrically powered illumination sources disposed so as to provide illumination to a face of at least one instrument of an instrument panel, each of said illumination sources providing a specific color of illumination to said face of said at least one instrument;
a color selection control system comprising electrical switches controlling an amount of electrical power delivered to said plurality of differently colored illumination sources allowing a user to select a desired color of illumination for said face of said at least one instrument by controlling said amount of electrical power delivered to said differently colored illumination sources.
0 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing user selectable multi-color illumination to automotive instrument panel instruments. In one embodiment, an instrument panel or individual instrument is supplied with a plurality of differently colored illumination sources. The intensity of each color is individually controllable, allowing the user to select both intensity and hue of instrument illumination. In one embodiment, an instrument panel illumination system comprises three light sources that produce nominally white light and three associated diffusing filters, one red, one green, one blue. In another embodiment different colors of illumination are provided by light sources producing different colors of light, such as, for example, a plurality of high intensity red, green, and blue light emitting diodes ("LED'"'"'s"). In one embodiment, a plurality of triplets of red, green and blue high intensity LED'"'"'s are mounted above a white diffusing filter. In one embodiment, a plurality of colored light sources are mounted in an instrument housing behind the instrument'"'"'s bezel.
56 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. An automobile instrument panel illumination system comprising:
-
a plurality of differently colored, electrically powered illumination sources disposed so as to provide illumination to a face of at least one instrument of an instrument panel, each of said illumination sources providing a specific color of illumination to said face of said at least one instrument; a color selection control system comprising electrical switches controlling an amount of electrical power delivered to said plurality of differently colored illumination sources allowing a user to select a desired color of illumination for said face of said at least one instrument by controlling said amount of electrical power delivered to said differently colored illumination sources. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification
-
- Resources
-
Current AssigneeFrank M Weyer
-
Original AssigneeFrank M Weyer
-
InventorsWeyer, Frank M.
-
Primary Examiner(s)Tso, Laura K.
-
Application NumberUS08/964,512Time in Patent Office727 DaysField of Search362/29, 362/30, 362/489, 362/510, 362/543, 362/544, 362/545US Class Current362/489CPC Class CodesB60K 2360/188 Displaying information usin...B60K 2360/33 Illumination featuresB60K 35/29 Instruments characterised b...B60Q 3/12 lighting onto the surface t...B60Q 3/18 for varying the light inten...B60Q 3/85 for manual control of the l...H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of t...
