Patent ID: 7482912

Claim:
An indicating instrument, comprising: at least one display unit including display segments that are used to represent a currently engaged gear, and a background surrounding each of the display segments; and a control circuit configured to apply a first signal having a first polarity to the display segments and a second signal having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the background such that the display segments and the background have different contrasts to indicate the currently engaged gear, wherein the first polarity of the first signal is a positive polarity so the display segments are displayed as being dark, and the second polarity of the second signal is a negative polarity so the background is highlighted; wherein the display unit is connected to a shift control device that determines an optimal shift time and sends a signal to the control circuit indicating the optimal shift time, and wherein the control circuit reverses the first and second polarities of the first and second signals at or before the optimal shift time so the display segments are highlighted and the background is displayed as being dark.