US 4,683,975 A · Vehicle power window control

Abstract

A power window control for a motor vehicle provides express or one-touch movement in response to short activations of a control element and traditional power window movement during activation of the control element for longer periods. The control provides for automatic window closing with activation of a power door lock element, as long as the ignition is off unless the ignition key is in the ignition switch and the driver's door is open. This allows single touch vehicle locking but helps prevents the operator from locking himself out of the vehicle with the key still inside. Window movement, once initiated in the open or close direction, is stopped in response to motor stall when the open or closed limit is reached. It is also stopped in the closing direction and reversed to the opening direction in response to a special impediment sensor comprising a flexible tube with an inner reflective surface adjacent the window closing path which directs light from an oscillator controlled light sending element to a light sensing circuit electronically synchronized with the sending element, when an impediment is pushed by the closing window into the tube to collapse it and block the light communication. Circuitry is disclosed for accomplishing the aforementioned features.

A power window control for a vehicle having a door, a window driveable by an electric motor between open and closed positions, a source of DC electric power, an ignition switch having on and off positions to control access to the source of DC electric power, means for detecting an ignition key in the ignition switch with the vehicle door open and generating a key signal in response thereto and a door lock electrically activatable in response to a lock signal, the control comprising, in combination:

first and second bistable means effective to generate open and close window activation signals, respectively, in a first state and no such signals in a second state;
circuit means responsive to an operator generated close signal to set the first bistable means to its first state and, if the signal is still present after a predetermined time period, to reset the first bistable means to its second state and generate the close window activation signal independently of the first bistable means during continuation of the operator generated close signal;
circuit means responsive to an operator generated open signal to set the second bistable means to its first state and, if the signal is still present after a predetermined time period, to reset the second bistable means to its second state and generate the open window activation signal independently of the second bistable means during continuation of the operator generated open signal;
motor control means responsive to the close window activation signal to activate the motor in the window closing direction and further responsive to the open window activation signal to activate the motor in the window opening direction, the motor control means further including means effective, upon detection of motor stall, to reset both the first and second bistable means to the second state;
circuit means responsive to the lock signal, an ignition off signal and the key signal to reset the first bistable means to its second state and set the second bistable means to its first state to produce automatic window closing when the lock signal occurs, unless the ignition switch is in its on condition or the key is in the ignition switch with the door open;
an obstruction sensor responsive to the blocking of the window by an obstruction in the window closing direction short of the fully closed position to reset the second bistable means to its second state and set the first bistable means to its first state;
power supply means effective to control the connection of the source of DC electric power to all the various circuit means, the first and second bistable means and the motor control means, the power supply means being responsive to a vehicle ignition on signal to so connect the source of DC electric power and to a vehicle ignition off signal to disconnect the source of DC electric power after a predetermined time delay, the power supply means being further responsive to keep the source of DC electric power so connected past the end of the predetermined time delay in response to an open or close window activation signal initiated before the end of the predetermined time delay.

4 more elements

Vehicle power window control

Life of this patent

Vehicle power window control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3