Patent Publication Number: US-6218740-B1

Title: Integration module for supplemental vehicle controllers

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the art of vehicle security systems or supplemental controllers such as a vehicle convenience system or keyless entry system. More particularly, this invention relates to the new and unobvious integration module that allows the installer to easily integrate a supplemental controller into a vehicle system partially or completely eliminating the need to splice into the wiring or harnesses of a vehicle. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Today&#39;s vehicles are very sophisticated and complex. They combine mechanical state of the art together with electronic controls, monitoring and sensory inputs. One or more processors collect and process information to deliver performance, efficiency and comfort to the user. These processors control fuel delivery, emissions, safety responses, and user controllable functions or appliances (hereafter “functions”) such as, but not limited to, keyless entry, window control, trunk access, climate control, audio systems, video systems, global positioning and/or navigation displays. The list of user convenience features is growing each year. 
     Because not every vehicle is built with every electronic accessory, the market for these accessories is flourishing. Today the consumer has a choice of adding accessories such as security, keyless entry, navigation, telecommunications, computers, audio, and/or video systems to his or her vehicle. These accessories are controlled with a supplemental controller, which often operates the same functions as another controller of the vehicle. For example, keyless entry system controls the power door locks of the vehicle, which function may also be controlled by the body controller of the vehicle. Another example is the trunk release solenoid that is controlled by the body controller and by the security system or keyless entry system. Yet another example is power windows that are controlled by the body controller and the security system or keyless entry system. 
     Prior to the present invention, installers of these systems had to identify and isolate the specific wires stemming from the vehicle controller and splice into these wires. Moreover, installers often had to add additional interface circuitry such as diodes, resistors, relays, inductors, capacitors and/or amplifiers to complete the circuit. This practice is disadvantageous for a number of reasons. Isolation of the right wires is difficult and the wires are often not readily accessible. Splicing into the wires requires careful attention to disassembly and assembly. Wires have to be carefully and professionally isolated so as not to cause sparks, shorts, malfunction or rattles. Additionally, locating, splicing, disassembling and reassembling a vehicle is time consuming and expensive. Therefore, there remains a need for an efficient way to interface supplemental controllers with the existing wiring harnesses of a vehicle to eliminate some or all of the requisite splicing into the existent wiring of a vehicle to control user controllable functions and appliances such as doors, trunk, window, lights, audio, video, security, communications, telecommunications, computers, seat position, climate control and navigation to name a few examples. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an integration module that provides a clean, accurate, efficient and professional installation of one or more supplemental controllers such as a security system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the integration module is matched to the body controller of the specific vehicle or platform. Namely, it has a set of inputs, outputs and a connection for one or more harnesses for a supplemental controller. In the preferred embodiment, if the body controller has three female output connectors connected to the respective male connectors that are a part of wire harnesses, the integration module has a set of respective female inputs and integration wire harnesses having male end connectors on each terminal end. Accordingly, in the example above, the original wire harnesses of the vehicle are disconnected from the body controller, first male ends of the integration wire harness are connected to the body controller and its opposite end are connected to the corresponding integration module inputs. On the output end of the integration module, the original disconnected wire harnesses are connected to the corresponding female connector outputs of the integration module. Accordingly, connection to the control wires of the vehicle is clean and efficient, as the original connectors are unplugged, the integration module is plugged in their place and the connections between the body controller and the original connectors are reestablished by plugging the original connectors into the outputs of the integration module. 
     The input and the output connections through the integration module are maintained through a circuit board. Because the supplemental controller seeks access to certain traces (primary paths), connections to these traces are provided on the circuit board. The select traces are then connected to an output connector, which in turn is connected to a harness leading to the supplemental controller. This, therefore, provides a clean, accurate, reliable, time and cost efficient installation because the installer does not have to isolate the correct wires emanating from the body controller and splice into them. 
     Moreover, circuitry can be placed on the circuit board to isolate the supplemental controller from the body controller or the functions that it controls. As an example, isolation diodes can be placed on the circuit board. Another example is placing light-flash relays on the circuit board. This allows the manufacturer of the integration module to place the circuitry on the board efficiently and error free. 
     It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide an integration module that provides a clean, accurate, efficient and professional installation of one or more supplemental controllers such as a security system. It is the object of the present invention to provide an integration module that is matched to the body controller of a vehicle. It is the object of the present invention to provide an integration module having at least one input and output connector, wherein the input connectors are joined with the output of the body controller and output connector are joined with the wiring harnesses that originally joined with the body controller. It is the object of the present invention to provide a circuit board connecting the input and the output connections through the integration module. It is the object of the present invention to provide connection to select traces/primary paths of the circuit board. It is the object of the present invention to connect the select traces to an output connector via one or more supplemental traces that are connected to a harness leading to the supplemental controller. It is the object of the present invention to provide a clean, accurate, reliable, time and cost efficient installation. It is a further object of the present invention to place circuitry or electronic components on the circuit board between one or more primary pths and supplemental paths to interface with or isolate the supplemental controller and the body controller or the functions that they control. 
     These and other objects of the invention may be found from a fair reading of the description of the preferred embodiment taken along with the drawings appended hereto. The scope of protection sought by the inventors may be gleaned from a fair reading of the claims that conclude this specification. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the integration module connected between the harnesses and the body controller module. 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic of the circuit board of the integration module. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, many vehicles are equipped with a body control module  7 . Body control module  7  controls a number of user controllable functions, including without limitation, door lock and unlock, trunk release, window control, light control, audio control, video control, climate control telecommunications, navigation, computing and the like. Therefore, body control module  7  is connected to the solenoids, motors or electronics that control or operate these vehicle functions. Connected to body control module  7  is at least one output connector  5 . Usually, the output connectors  5  are multi-pin, female connectors, but they can be chosen from many different connectors. At least one corresponding wire harness  21 , terminating in at least one input connector  15 , mates with output connector  5  and provides efficient coupling of a number of wires to and from body control module  7 . As indicated above, the wires in one or more harnesses  21  may be power, ground, window control, trunk control, door control, light control, audio control, video control, seat position control, climate control, navigation control, telecommunications control and/or other controllable functions of the vehicle. 
     In the description of this invention, reference will be made to at least one primary path  9 . Primary path  9  may be any one or more electrical connections/paths/traces to which or from which a supplemental controller  19  requires access to either receive the status of a vehicle function or to control a vehicle function. Accordingly, primary path  9  connects to body control module  7  and runs through output connector  5 , input connector  15  and wire harness  21  to its final destination, such as a door or trunk solenoid (not shown). 
     For purposes of disclosing the preferred embodiment of the invention and with the understanding that the same principles apply to any supplemental controller requiring access to at least one primary path  9 , the remainder of the disclosure herein is described with reference to a supplemental controller  19  that in the preferred embodiment is a vehicle security system or a keyless entry system, although it can be any device that requires access to at least one primary path  9 . 
     Prior to the device of the present invention the installer of supplemental controller  19  had to splice into wiring harnesses  21 . First, he had to locate the correct harness  21  among many other harnesses. Then he had to isolate the correct wire in that harness representing primary path and splice into primary path  9  that supplemental controller  19  was going to control or sense (i.e. ignition as an example). This at times required disassembly of the dash of the vehicle and the professional factory packaging of one or more wire harnesses  21 . Often, the installer was not certain whether or not he had isolated the correct harness  21  or the correct primary path  9 . Trial and error often resulted in a waste of time and unnecessary disassembly of the vehicle. If the installation was less than professional, the spliced connections caused malfunctions. 
     The device of the present invention provides an integration module  1 . Integration module  1  has one or more first connectors  3  and one or more second connectors  13 . Second connectors  13  are preferably the same gender as each respective output connector  5  to allow input connectors  15  to be plug compatible with second connectors  13 . As an example, if output connector  5  is a female connector, second connector  13  is also a female connector with the same key and pin count (not shown) to accept input connector  15 . To place integration module  1  between input connectors  15  and output connectors  5 , input connectors  15  and associated harnesses  21  are disconnected from body control module  7  and are connected to respective second connectors  13  of integration module  1 . Integration module  1  is then connected to body control module  7  via at least one mating harness  23  having a pair of connectors  25  and  27 . Connectors  25  are selected to be compatible with respective output connectors  5 . Therefore, if output connector  5  is a female connector, connector  25  mating therewith is a male connector with a matching key and pins (not shown). Similarly, connectors  27  are matched to mate with first connector  3 . In the preferred embodiment, connectors  25  and  27  are the same. Although detachable harnesses  23  are the preferred embodiment of the invention, they can be hardwired into integration module  1  overcoming the need of connectors  27  and  3 . 
     Integration module  1  includes a housing  29  enclosing a circuit board  11 . Housing  29  preferably consists of a top cover  33  and a bottom cover  31 . Covers  31  and  33  house circuit board  11  and are secured together by snap-fit arrangement or, as in the preferred embodiment, by one or more screws (not shown) about covers  33  and  35 . When assembled, housing  29  includes three openings: one or more first openings for one or more connectors  3 , one or more second openings for one or more second connectors  5  and one or more third openings for one or more third connectors  49 . In the preferred embodiment, there is a single connector  49 , which is a multi-pin, male connector connecting with an auxiliary harness  35  via connector  37 . Auxiliary harness  35  has at least two terminal connectors  37  and  39  for respective plug compatibility with connector  49  of integrator module  1 , on one end, and fourth connector  41  of supplemental controller  19  on the other end. Therefore, as will be discussed in detail below, one or more supplemental paths  17  provide an electrical connection from one or more primary paths  9  to connectors  41  and  43  of supplemental controller  19 . Supplemental paths  17  run from circuit board  11  through third connector  49 , connector  37 , harness  35 , connectors  39  and  45  and fourth connectors  41  and  43 . Each primary path  9  connected via integration module  1  to supplemental controller  19  eliminates the installation and a splicing that has to be performed by the installer. This reduces time, defects and costs and adds value in a form of a clean, accurate, efficient and reliable installation. 
     Harness  35  of the preferred embodiment may also have a secondary harness  47  terminating in connector  49  on one end and connector  45  on the other. In supplemental controller  19  of the preferred embodiment, connection to and from supplemental controller  19  are segregated in two or more connectors  41  and  43  respectively. Accordingly, an additional connector  45  is attached to the secondary harness  47  that mates with fourth connector  43  of supplemental controller  19 . 
     As disclosed above, integration module  1  includes circuit board  11 , the schematic diagram of which is illustrated in FIG.  2 . It should be further noted that this schematic, as an example, is constructed for one of General Motors&#39; vehicle platforms, however, this invention is not limited thereto. The same concepts can be applied to any vehicle platform. The top three horizontal blocks represent first connectors  3 , and the bottom three blocks represent second connectors  13 . As is evident from this schematic, circuit board  11  provides feed-through coupling/connections between the corresponding pins of respective connectors  3  and  13 . Circuit board  11  further provides the medium necessary to electrically connect/couple one or more primary paths  9  to third connector  49  via supplemental paths  17 . As an example, if an electrical connection to a primary path  9  was required by supplemental controller  19 , the trace on board  1  that is identified as the primary path  9  of interest would be connected to supplemental path  17 , which path  17  would be connected to connector  49  and supplemental controller  19 . As further shown in FIG. 2, electrical components including without limitation relays, diodes, resistors, capacitors, inductors, attenuators, timers, logic gates and the like, may be conveniently integrated onto board  11  between primary path  9  and supplemental path  17 . This further reduces the installation time of supplemental controller  19  and its components and provides for a clean, accurate, efficient and reliable installation. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to a particular, preferred embodiment thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiment of the invention without departing from its true spirit and scope. It is intended that all combinations of elements and steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve substantially the same result, are within the scope of this invention.