Base control module for vehicles

A vehicle keyless access system for highly adaptable functionality with an exterior door handle and a base control module operatively installed in a vehicle comprising:

• a. a proximity sensor in or at the exterior door handle;
• b. a base controller in the vehicle and operatively connected to the proximity sensor, the base controller comprising:
• i. a programmable intelligent controller and controller logic for keyless entry;
• ii. a plurality of basic I/O interfaces;
• and
• iii. a set of pluggable module interfaces comprising:
• A. a standardized connector comprising board-to-board connectors with a plurality of pins;
• B. the pins being reconfigurable by adaptable software associated with the set of pluggable module interfaces;
• c. at least one pluggable module operatively connected to one of the set of pluggable module interfaces, the at least one pluggable module having a user-interface functionality and comprising:
• i. a standardized connector comprising board-to-board connectors adapted for pluggable interfacing with the pins of one of the set of a pluggable module interfaces;
• d. a standardized communication protocol enabled between the base control module and any said pluggable module in one of the set of pluggable module interfaces;
• e. the adaptable software adapted to assign different configurations for the pins of a pluggable module interface dependent upon the user-interface functionality of the pluggable module for those pins, wherein pluggable module capability determined by which said pluggable module is plugged into a said pluggable module interface is indicated on one of the pins or configured on the base module as a part of factory setup;
• f. wherein one of the at least one pluggable module comprises a passive keyless entry user-interface functionality which operates in conjunction with the proximity sensor and door handle.

A method of operating keyless entry to an on-road or off-road vehicle having a base controller comprising:

• a. operatively installing an exterior handle assembly on the vehicle, the exterior handle assembly including a proximity sensor adapted to generate a proximity signal;
• b. operatively connecting a base controller in the vehicle to the proximity sensor, the base controller including a plurality of pluggable module interfaces in operative communication to the base controller, each pluggable module interface adaptable to:
• i. receive a pluggable module having one of a variety of user-interface functionalities with standardized connectors with pins;
• ii. communicate with any pluggable module with a standardized protocol via standardized connectors;
• the base controller including a keyless entry pluggable module installed in one of the plurality of the pluggable module interfaces with pins configured by adaptable software associated with the base controller to monitor the proximity sensor at the exterior handle entry for a proximity signal, wherein pluggable module capability determined by which said pluggable module is plugged into a said pluggable module interface is indicated on one of the pins or configured on the base module as a part of factory setup;
• and
• c. sensing by the keyless entry pluggable module a proximity signal from the proximity sensor and actuating an instruction to unlock the vehicle.