Patent ID: 7708437
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: B60K,B60Q

Abstract:
1. In a vehicle having a passenger compartment, an instrument panel system comprising: an instrument panel; a control panel attachable to the instrument panel, the control panel comprising a plurality of switches for use by an occupant in the passenger compartment to control at least one vehicle system; an illumination source for selectively illuminating at least one of the plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of switches is visible to the occupant only when illuminated by the illumination source; a control module in communication with the control panel and the illumination source, the control module for selectively interfacing the control panel with the at least one vehicle systems to be controlled, and for controlling the illumination source to selectively illuminate at least one of the plurality of switches based on the at least one of the plurality of vehicle systems to be controlled; wherein each of the plurality of switches comprises at least one icon for illumination by the illumination source; and wherein the at least one icon comprises a plurality of icons, each of the plurality of icons associated with one of a plurality of vehicle systems.