IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,049,944
Granted Patent B2
US 7,049,944 · App. 10/369,431 · Granted May 23, 2006

Bicycle display with changing color attributes

Assignee: Shimano, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,049,944
App. No.
10/369,431
Granted
May 23, 2006
Kind
B2
Abstract

A bicycle display apparatus comprises a display unit and a color changing mechanism. The display unit optically displays information corresponding to the characteristic of the bicycling environment, and it includes a background light or a photoemission element that facilitates easy viewing of the displayed information. The color attribute changing mechanism changes at least one of the color, hue, color saturation and brightness of the background light in accordance with the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

Claims (40)

1. A bicycle display apparatus comprising:

a display unit that optically displays information corresponding to a characteristic of a bicycling environment, wherein the display unit includes a background light that facilitates easy viewing of the displayed information corresponding to the characteristic of the bicycling environment; and

a color attribute changing mechanism that changes at least one of the color, hue, color saturation and brightness of the background light in accordance with the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the display unit comprises a liquid crystal display device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the liquid crystal display device comprises segmented character display.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the liquid crystal display device comprises a dot-matrix character display.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the background light comprises a backlight light source.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the backlight light source comprises an LED.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the backlight light source comprises an electroluminescent element.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises information indicating a characteristic of the bicycle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the characteristic of the bicycle comprises a motion state of the bicycle.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the characteristic of the bicycle comprises a state of a bicycle transmission.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises a physical state of the bicycling environment.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises a temporal state of the bicycling environment.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the temporal state of the bicycling environment comprises a time of day.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises a status of a rider of the bicycle.

15. A bicycle display apparatus comprising:

a display unit, wherein the display unit optically displays information corresponding to a characteristic of the bicycling environment, wherein the display unit includes at least one photoemission element used in displaying the information corresponding to the characteristic of the bicycling environment; and

a first color attribute changing mechanism that changes at least one of the color, hue, color saturation and brightness of the at least one photoemission element in accordance with the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the at least one photoemission element comprises an LED.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the display unit includes a background light that facilitates easy viewing of the displayed information corresponding to the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 further comprising a second color attribute changing mechanism that changes at least one of the color, hue, color saturation and brightness of the background light in accordance with the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the background light comprises an LED.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the background light comprises an electroluminescent element.

21. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the at least one photoemission element comprises an electroluminescent element.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein the display unit includes a background light that facilitates easy viewing of the displayed information corresponding to the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 further comprising a second color attribute changing mechanism that changes at least one of the color, hue, color saturation and brightness of the background light in accordance with the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein background light comprises an LED.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the background light comprises an electroluminescent element.

26. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises information indicating a characteristic of the bicycle.

27. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the characteristic of the bicycle comprises a motion state of the bicycle.

28. The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein the characteristic of the bicycle comprises a state of a bicycle transmission.

29. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises a physical state of the bicycling environment.

30. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises a temporal state of the bicycling environment.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the temporal state of the bicycling environment comprises a time of day.

32. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the characteristic of the bicycling environment comprises a status of a rider of the bicycle.

33. A bicycle display apparatus comprising:

a display unit that optically displays information corresponding to a characteristic of a bicycling environment, wherein the display unit includes a plurality of photoemission elements that displays the information corresponding to the characteristic of the bicycling environment;

wherein the plurality of photoemission elements comprise a green photoemission element, a red photoemission element, and a blue photoemission element; and

a color attribute changing mechanism that changes at least one of the color, hue, color saturation and brightness of at least one of the plurality of photoemission elements in accordance with the characteristic of the bicycling environment.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2003
From: UNO, KOUJI
To: SHIMANO, INC.
Reel/Frame 013999/0770 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2002-052098 · Feb 27, 2002 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20030160686A1 · Aug 28, 2003