Relay control box assembly
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorKyaw Kyaw SOE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical system for a vehicle is provided. The electrical system includes a control unit configured to control operation of one or more vehicle systems. The electrical system also includes a multiplexed data bus communicatively coupled to the control unit, and configured to carry multiplexed signals to and from the control unit. The electrical system also includes a relay control box. The relay control box has one or more relays, and a controller. The controller is communicatively coupled to the multiplexed data bus, and is configured to decode the multiplexed control signals from the control unit to generate one or more decoded signals, and operate the one or more relays according to the decoded signal. A method of retrofitting a motor vehicle relay control box assembly is also provided.
Claims18
An electrical system for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a control unit configured to control operation of one or more systems;
- a multiplexed data bus, communicatively coupled to the control unit, configured to carry multiplexed control signals to and from the control unit;
- and
- a relay control box assembly having a housing defining a housing space, wherein a controller and one or more relays are provided, being configured to receive one or more additional relays, and
- the controller, communicatively coupled to the multiplexed data bus, being configured to:
- decode the multiplexed control signals from the control unit to generate one or more decoded control signals;
- and
- control operation of the one or more relays according to the decoded control signal.
A vehicle relay control box comprising:
- an input configured to receive a multiplexed signal from a control unit;
- a controller configured to decode the multiplexed signal;
- a relay, operatively controlled according to the multiplexed signal;
- and
- a housing, in which the controller and the relay are provided, defining a space configured to receive an additional relay.
A method of retrofitting a vehicle relay control box comprising:
- providing a relay control assembly having:
- a controller, communicatively coupled to an input, configured to decode multiplexed signals received at the input;
- one or more relays communicatively coupled to the controller, operatively controllable according to the multiplexed signals;
- and
- a housing, in which the controller and the one or more relays are provided, defining a space configured to receive one or more additional relays;
- and
- coupling the input to a multiplexed data bus being communicatively coupled to one or more control units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.