Claims
- 1. An indicator device for use with a vehicle that includes a power source, comprising:
- a single terminal;
- overdrive switch means, connected to said terminal and having an on-state and an off-state, for selecting an overdrive mode in said on state, and selecting a non-overdrive mode in said off state;
- an overdrive mode indicating element connected between said overdrive switch means and said power source and connected to said terminal, so that said element is energized by said power source when said overdrive switch means is in said on-state, and is not energized when said overdrive switch means is in said off-state; and
- operational means, coupled to said terminal, for controlling a transmission device of said vehicle, including:
- (a) CPU means for controlling said transmission device in accordance with a state of said overdrive switch means,
- (b) trouble detecting means for detecting a trouble occurrence in said transmission device,
- (c) an input buffer, connected to said terminal to receive signals from said overdrive switch means, and
- (d) a trouble indicating circuit having an output connected to said terminal for outputting a trouble detecting signal as a flickering signal when a trouble occcurrence in said transmission device is detected by said trouble detecting circuit;
- so that said overdrive mode indicating element is used for indicatinq a state of said overdrive switch means and also for indicating a trouble occurrence in said transmission device.
- 2. Apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said trouble indicating circuit includes a transistor with one terminal thereof coupled to a terminal of said power supply, and another terminal thereof coupled to said output terminal, so that when said transitor is turned on, an electric current path is formed through said indicating element.
- 3. A controlling and monitoring device for a vehicle, comprising:
- a single terminal;
- an operational state commanding switch, connected to said single terminal, for commanding an operational state of said vehicle;
- operational means, connected to said single terminal, for:
- (a) detecting a commanding state of said operational state commanding switch,
- (b) commanding said vehicle to said operational state in accordance with said commanding state,
- (c) detecting errors in said operational state of said vehicle, and
- (d) producing an error output when said errors in said operational state are detected;
- said operational means including transistor means, having a control input connected to receive said error output and an output connected to said single terminal, for producing an error indicating signal on said single terminal when said error output is produced; and
- an indicator connected to said sinqle terminal, for indicating both: (a) said operational state commanded by said operational state commanding switch, and (b) an error condition when said error indicating signal is produced.
- 4. A device as in claim 3, wherein said operational state of said vehicle is an overdrive state.
- 5. A device as in claim 3, wherein said indicator indicates that said operational state commanded exsists by a continuous lighting operation, and indicates that said error condition exists by a flickering operation.
- 6. A device as in claim 5, wherein said operational state commanding switch provides a power return to one end of said indicator, another end of said indicator being connected to a power source, and said transistor means of said operational means is a transistor connected in parallel to said operational state commanding switch and connected to said one end of said indicator for producing a flickering state of said indicator by intermittently providing a path to said power return, thereby completing a power circuit thereto with a predetermined duty cycle.
- 7. A device as in claim 5, wherein one end of said indicator is coupled to a source of power, one end of said transistor means is coupled to ground and another end of said transistor is connected to the other end of said indicator, and wherein said transistor means is controlled by a CPU means to be continually on to indicate said commanded operational state, and to alternately turn on and off to indicate said error state.
- 8. A device as in claim 5 further comprising a source of power having a first power terminal and a second power terminal such that a current path can be formed between said first and second power terminals, and wherein said indicator has one end connected to said first power terminal and another end connected to said single terminal, said operational state commanding switch having one end connected to said single terminal and another end connected to said second power terminal so that when said operational state commanding switch turns on, it provides said current path through said indicator, and wherein said transistor means has one end connected to said single terminal and another end connected to said second power terminal so that when said transistor means provides a current path between its one and another ends, it produces a current path through said indicator, said operational means driving said transistor means to produce a current path through said indicator with a predetermined duty cycle in response to an error detection, thereby causing said indicator means to light with a flickering operation.
- 9. A controlling and monitoring device for a vehicle, comprising:
- a single terminal;
- an operational state commanding switch having two connecting terminals, one connected to said single terminal, for commanding an operational state of said vehicle;
- operational means, connected to said single terminal, for:
- (a) detecting a commanding state of said operational state commanding switch,
- (b) commanding said vehicle to said operational state in accordance with said commanding state,
- (c) detecting errors in said operational state of said vehicle, and
- (d) producing an error output when said detected operational state does not agree with a commanded operational state;
- said operational means including a transistor, having a control input connected to receive said error output and an output terminal connected to said single terminal, for producing an error indicating signal on said single terminal when said error output is produced;
- a source of power having a first power terminal and a second power terminal such that a current path can be formed between said first and second power terminals;
- an indicator having two terminals, for indicating both: (a) said operational state commanded by said operational commanding switch, and (b) an error condition when said error indicating signal is produced,
- said indicator having one terminal connected to said first power terminal and another terminal connected to said single terminal;
- wherein said operational state commanding switch has one end connected to said single terminal and another end connected to said second power terminal so that when said operational state commanding switch turns on it provides a complete power circuit through said indicator,
- and wherein said transistor has said output terminal connected to said single terminal and another terminal connected to said second power terminal so that when said transistor turns on, a current path is provided through said indicator,
- said operational means driving said transistor to produce a current path through said indicator with a predetermined duty cycle, thereby causing said indicator means to light with a flickering operation.
- 10. A method of controlling and monitoring an operational state in a vehicle using a single terminal to connect signals between an indicator, an operational state commanding switch, and an operational means, said operational commanding switch for commanding an operational state of said vehicle and having two ends, one end for commanding an operational state of said vehicle and connected to said single terminal, and another end connected to a first power terminal, said operational means being connected to said single terminal, and including transistor means, having a control input, and an output terminal connected to said single terminal, said indicator connected to said single terminal and being in series between a second power terminal and said one end of operational state commanding switch such that a commanding state of said operational state commanding switch also connects said first power terminal to an end of said indicator, wherein a current flow between said first and said second power terminals is formed by either of said operational commanding switch being on, or said transistor means being on, thereby enabling said indicator to light, comprising the steps of:
- detecting said commanding state of said operational state commanding switch;
- commanding said vehicle to said operational state in accordance with said commanding state;
- detecting said operational state of said vehicle;
- producing an error indication output and connecting said error indication output to the control input of said transistor means, when an error is detected in said operational state;
- using said transistor means to produce an error indicating signal of a predetermined duty cycle on said output terminal when said error output is produced, said error indicating signal being a power signal connecting said end of said indicator to said first power terminal with said duty cycle; and
- using said indicator, connected to said single terminal, for indicating both: (a) said operational state commanded by said operational comanding switch by a continuous lighting, and (b) an error condition when said error indicating signal is produced, by a flickering lighting.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
57-183335 |
Oct 1982 |
JPX |
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Parent Case Info
This is a division of application Ser. No. 496,668, filed May 20, 1983, which was abandoned upon the filing hereof.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0047807 |
Jul 1978 |
JPX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
496668 |
May 1983 |
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