Fail-safe mode releasing method of a vehicular multi-function switch

• US 20040026997A1
• Filed: 12/23/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Chung-Tae
• Application Number:
  US10/329,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20040026997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1461 Multifunction switches for dimming headlights and controlling additional devices, e.g. for controlling direction indicating lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for releasing the fail-safe mode of a multi-function switch caused by a bad contact of a mono-directional series communication line between the multi-function switch and an in-panel controller, the method comprising the steps of: prompting the in-panel controller to turn into a fail-safe mode, record an error code, and stop the control of the multi-functions if a sleep mode signal is not inputted from the multi-function switch to the in-panel controller while the multi-function switch is in its sleep mode; and prompting the in-panel controller to determine whether the multi-function switch is in its normal status after turning into the fail-safe mode, to release the fail-safe mode if the multi-function switch is in its normal status and to control the multi-functions according to the data input from the multi-function switch.

Claims

1. A method for releasing a fail-safe mode of a vehicular multi-function switch, the method comprising the steps of:

prompting an in-panel controller into a fail-safe mode, recording an error code, and stopping controlling of multi-functions, if a sleep mode signal is not inputted from a multi-function switch to the in-panel controller while the multi-function switch is in its sleep mode; and

prompting the in-panel controller to determine whether the multi-function switch is in its normal status after turning into the fail-safe mode, releasing the fail-safe mode if the multi-function switch is in its normal status and controlling the multi-functions according to the data input from the multi-function switch.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the multi-function switch operates in its normal status based on data transmitted from the multi-function switch to the in-panel controller.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the data for confirming the normal status of the multi-function switch is repeatedly transmitted a preset number of times after transmission of a wake-up signal when the multi-function switch converts from its sleep mode to normal operations.

4. A method for releasing a fail-safe mode of a vehicular multi-function switch, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that a sleep mode signal is not being input from a multi-function switch to an in-panel controller, while the multi-function switch is in sleep mode;

turning the in-panel controller into a fail-safe mode;

ascertaining that the multi-function switch is operating normally;

releasing the fail-safe mode; and

controlling the multi-function switch.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, before said ascertaining, recording an error code.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, before said ascertaining, stopping the control of multi-functions of said multi-function switch.

7. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said ascrtaining is based on data transmitted from the multi-function switch to the in-panel controller.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the data for confirming the normal operation of the multi-function switch is repeatedly transmitted a preset number of times after transmission of a wake-up signal when the multi-function switch converts from its sleep mode to normal operation.