Patent ID: 9566896
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: B60K,B60Q,B60W

Claim:
1. An instrument cluster system for a vehicle comprising: an instrument cluster comprising: a control unit in communication with the instrument cluster and constructed and arranged to receive inputs including a speed of the vehicle, and a global positioning system (“GPS”) circuit constructed and arranged to provide a location of the vehicle to the control unit so that the control unit can obtain a posted speed limit of a road on which the vehicle is located, wherein the control unit is constructed and arranged to send processed data to the cluster so that the cluster can control the lights of the speed warning indicator to illuminate in at least two different colors based on the provided posted speed limit, such that lights correlating with speeds below the posted speed limit can be illuminated in a first color and lights correlating with speeds above the posted speed limit can be illuminated in a second color, thereby providing a visual warning to a driver as to whether the vehicle is operating above or below the posted speed limit, wherein the control unit is further constructed and arranged to determine whether the provided posted speed limit will soon be changing to a new posted speed limit and to cause the lights of the warning indicator that correlate with speeds between the posted speed limit and the new posted speed limit to illuminate in a color that is different from the first and second colors.