Power window control apparatus and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016167605-A1
Application number	US-201414572077-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle window system may include a switching mechanism having a plurality of window selector buttons each corresponding to one of a plurality of windows, and a single drive button for receiving input to move one or more of the windows according to statuses of the selector buttons. The window system may also include a controller configured to lock one of the windows in response to an indication that the window selector button corresponding to the one of the windows has been depressed for at least a predefined amount of time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle window control system comprising:
a switching mechanism having a plurality of window selector buttons each corresponding to one of a plurality of windows, and a single drive button for receiving input to move one or more of the windows according to statuses of the selector buttons, and a controller configured to lock one of the windows in response to an indication that the window selector button corresponding to the one of the windows has been depressed for at least a predefined amount of time.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the window selector buttons includes an indicator and wherein the controller is further configured to update the indicator of the window selector button corresponding to the one of the windows in response to the one of the windows being locked.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein updating the indicator includes altering a color associated with the indicator.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein locking the one of the windows includes disabling further control over the one of the windows.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the predefined amount of time is less than 1 second.

6 . A vehicle comprising:
a plurality of windows; a switch; and, a controller configured to, in response to actuation of the switch exceeding a predefined amount of time, open each of the windows a predefined distance.

7 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to open each of the windows at a same time.

8 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the predefined distance is less than a height of the windows.

9 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the predefined amount of time is approximately 0.8 seconds.

10 . The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the switch includes a plurality of window selector buttons each corresponding to one of the windows, and a single drive button for receiving input to move one or more of the windows according to statuses of the selector buttons.

11 . The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the drive button includes a guide portion configured to receive a finger of a user.

12 . A vehicle comprising:
a switching mechanism having a plurality of window selector buttons each corresponding to one of a plurality of windows and including an indicator, and a single drive button for receiving input to move one or more of the windows according to statuses of the selector buttons, and a controller configured to selectively illuminate the indicators based on position data of the windows.

13 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to illuminate the indicators in response to the vehicle being in park or neutral.

14 . The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the indicators, when illuminated, to blink.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Rego Rafael
• Sims Russell Allan
• Skinner Glen D

Classifications

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• B60R16/03 Primary

  for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems {or for (circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00)} · CPC title

• E05F15/695 Primary

  Control circuits therefor · CPC title

• E05F15/689 Primary

  specially adapted for vehicle windows · CPC title

• E05Y2400/85

  User input means · CPC title