Glass operation based on temperature input/vehicle speed, final logic decided by customer

• US 9,174,514 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Binfet, Michael T., Borland, Jason S., Peterson, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Jason S
• Application Number:
  US13/967,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20150048764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 296/107.07, 296/107.09, 296/107.16, 296/146.14, 454/75, 236/49.3, 318/283, 318/286
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/17 vertically
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/90 specially adapted for non-fixed roofs, e.g. foldable roofs or removable hard-tops
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/71 responsive to temperature changes, rain, wind or noise
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/414 against high or low temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/508 for convertibles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/542 Roof panels
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows

Abstract

A system and method for operating a window of an automotive vehicle having a convertible top includes at least one powered window selectively driven by a motor. A controller is operatively connected to the motor and sends a signal for positioning the powered window to one of a raised or lowered position in response to lowering of the convertible top. An input or selector is operatively associated with the controller that allows a user to select one of the raised and lowered positions of the at least one powered window in response to lowering the convertible top. Further, a temperature sensor provides a signal indicative of the external temperature and/or a vehicle speed sensor provides a signal indicative of the vehicle speed so that positioning of the window can be temperature dependent and/or vehicle speed dependent.

Claims

1. A system for operating a window of an automotive vehicle having a convertible top, the system comprising:

at least one powered window selectively driven by a motor;

a controller operatively connected to the motor that sends a signal for automatically positioning the powered window to one of a raised or lowered position in response to lowering of the convertible top;

a first sensor and a second sensor operatively connected to the controller, the first sensor monitoring a temperature outside of the automotive vehicle and the second sensor monitoring a vehicle speed; and

an input operatively associated with the controller that allows a user to select one of 3 different, default modes of the raised and lowered positions of the at least one powered window in response to lowering the convertible top including

(i) always lower the at least one powered window as a first default mode

(ii) always raise the at least one powered window as a second default mode

(iii) use outside temperature and/or velocity of the vehicle to raise or lower the at least one powered window as a third default mode.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to default operation of the at least one powered window in response to at least one of a predetermined temperature outside of the automotive vehicle and a predetermined vehicle speed.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the lowered position is a fully lowered position of the at least one powered window.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the raised position is a fully raised position of the at least one powered window.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller signals the motor to at least partially lower the at least one powered window during lowering of the convertible top.

6. A system for automatically positioning power-operated windows of a convertible automotive vehicle in an initial position after a convertible top is lowered, the system comprising:

a convertible top operated by a first motor for movement between a raised and a lowered position;

at least one window operated by at least one second motor for movement between the raised and lowered positions;

a controller operatively interconnected with the first motor and the second motors and configured to operate the at least one second motor to position the at least one window in a desired one of the raised and lowered positions after the convertible top has reached the lowered position;

a first sensor that monitors a temperature outside of the automotive vehicle and provides temperature data to the controller and a second sensor that monitors a vehicle speed and provides vehicle speed data to the controller; and

a user input to the controller that allows a user to choose operation of the at least one second motor to automatically position the at least one window after the convertible top has been lowered among one of user selected default modes;

(i) a temperature-based operation of the at least one second motor relative to a predetermined temperature, and a vehicle speed-based operation of the at least one second motor relative to a predetermined vehicle speed,

(ii) the raised position, and

(iii) the lowered position.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the user input includes a temperature selector for choosing the predetermined temperature for the temperature-based operation of the at least one second motor and a vehicle speed selector for choosing the predetermined vehicle speed for operation of the at least one second motor.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the lowered position is a fully lowered position of the at least one window.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the raised position is a fully raised position of the at least one window.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the controller signals the at least one second motor to partially lower the at least one window during lowering of the convertible top.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the temperature sensor is overridden by the user selection of positioning the at least one window after the convertible top lowering step.

12. A method of positioning powered windows in an automotive vehicle that includes a convertible top, the method comprising:

automatically positioning at least one powered window in either a raised or a lowered position after the convertible top has been lowered; and

selecting one of the raised and lowered positions of the at least one powered window in response to lowering the convertible top, wherein the selecting step includes overriding a user selected default mode and instead automatically positions the at least one powered window based on at least a predetermined temperature and predetermined vehicle speed.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the selecting step includes changing a default selection of the at least one powered window.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the selecting step includes raising the at least one powered window to a fully raised position or lowering the at least one powered window to a fully lowered position.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising lowering the convertible top and partially lowering at least one powered window during the convertible top lowering step.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising sensing of a temperature outside of the automotive vehicle and a vehicle speed.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of selecting the raised or lowered position of the powered window after lowering of the convertible top is based on the sensed temperature and sensed vehicle speed.