Patent ID: 6479908
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: B60R

Abstract:
An ignition switch, comprising:a plurality of contacts arranged on a sensor to make intermittent contact with a movable contact, said plurality of contacts and said movable contact being configured such that a first plurality of outputs are generated by the coupling of said movable contact and said plurality of contacts or the lack thereof, said first plurality of outputs corresponding to the position of said movable contact relative to said plurality of contacts, each of said first plurality of outputs being a discrete circuit combination; and a power mode module for receiving said first plurality of outputs, said power mode module comparing said first plurality of outputs to a state table stored in the memory of said power mode module, said state table providing input information which corresponds to the positioning of a key in an ignition switch, and said power mode module providing a second plurality outputs corresponding to the comparison of said first plurality of outputs to said state table, said state table being configured such that if one of the circuits in said discrete circuit combinations fails to provide an output signal, said power mode module is still able to determine and provide said second plurality outputs.