Rear zone module and rear zone controller

• US 9,610,956 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Vergin, William E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T
• Application Number:
  US13/837,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20130245885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/03 for supply of electrical power to vehicle subsystems or for circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/583 including wiping devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for

Abstract

Described herein is a rear zone module and rear zone controller that minimizes wire gauge and current draw. The rear zone module shares outputs amongst several functions including rear windshield wiper, heated back window, power liftgate controller and the like. These outputs can be shared because not all functions are required to be active at the same time. For example, a vehicle includes a rear zone module (RZM) that includes at least a power liftgate (PLG) module, heated back window module, and a rear window wiper module. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to selectively control current with respect to at least the PLG module, heated back window module, and a rear window wiper module. The interconnections between the RZM and controller are minimized by sharing the interconnections as the PLG module operates mutually exclusively from the heated back window and rear window wiper module.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

a rear zone module (RZM) that includes at least a power liftgate (PLG) module, heated back window module, and a rear window wiper module;

a circuit in the rear zone module configured to mutually exclusively operate the PLG module from the heated back window module and the rear window wiper module, wherein current flows only in one of the PLG or in at least one of the heated back window and rear window wiper module; and

a controller configured to selectively control the current with respect to the circuit, wherein interconnections between the RZM and controller are minimized by sharing the interconnections.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear window wiper module has multiple on configurations with respect to the PLG module and the heated back window module.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a latch module.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein at most one of the PLG module and the latch module is on.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the PLG module has multiple on configurations with respect to the rear window wiper module and the heated back window module.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein the latch module has multiple on configurations.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the PLG module has multiple on configurations with respect to the rear window wiper module and the heated back window module.

8. A method for controlling vehicle operations, comprising:

providing a rear zone module (RZM) that includes at least a power liftgate (PLG) module, heated back window module, and a rear window wiper module, wherein the PLG module operates mutually exclusively from the heated back window and rear window wiper module and wherein current flows only in one of the PLG or in at least one of the heated back window and rear window wiper module; and

selectively controlling the current with respect to at least the PLG module, heated back window module, and a rear window wiper module, wherein interconnections between the RZM and controller are minimized by sharing the interconnections.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the rear window wiper module has multiple on configurations with respect to the PLG module and the heated back window module.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a latch module.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein at most one of the PLG module and the latch module is on.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the PLG module has multiple on configurations with respect to the rear window wiper module and the heated back window module.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the latch module has multiple on configurations with respect to the rear window wiper module and the heated back window module.

14. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the PLG module has multiple on configurations with respect to the rear window wiper module and the heated back window module.

15. A circuit, comprising:

a rear zone circuit that includes at least a power liftgate (PLG) circuit, heated back window circuit, and a rear window wiper circuit, wherein the PLG circuit operates mutually exclusively from the heated back window circuit and rear window wiper circuit and wherein current flows only in one of the PLG or in at least one of the heated back window and rear window wiper module; and

a control circuit configured to selectively control current with respect to at least the PLG circuit, heated back window circuit, and a rear window wiper circuit, wherein interconnections between the rear zone circuit and control circuit are minimized by sharing the interconnections.

16. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the rear window wiper circuit and the heated back window circuit has multiple on configurations with respect to the PLG module.