Patent ID: 7525931

Claim:
An apparatus for communicating messages to control the functioning of devices within a vehicle, comprising: a first module positioned at a first location within the vehicle, said first module including a first wireless control node coupled to a first plurality of said devices that are adapted to perform a predetermined function in response to a selected message from said first wireless control node; a second module positioned at a second location within the vehicle, said second module including a second wireless control node coupled to a second plurality of said devices that are adapted to perform a predetermined function in response to a selected message from said second wireless control node; a virtual network formed of said first wireless control node and said second wireless control node, said virtual network enabling said first wireless control node and said second wireless control node to communicate with each other and to actuate said first plurality of said devices and said second plurality of said devices, respectively; and a third wireless control node positioned external to the vehicle and capable of becoming part of said virtual network so that said third wireless control node can communicate messages to at least one of said first wireless control node and said second wireless control node, said at least one of said first wireless control node and said second wireless control node utilizing such messages to further control the functioning of at least one of the devices within the vehicle, wherein: the vehicle includes at least a driver door and a passenger door, said first location being associated with said driver door, said second location being associated with said passenger door, said first module and said second module further including at least one manual controller coupled to the devices of said door associated with each of said first module and said second module, each manual controller configured to provide messages to control at least a selected one of said associated devices in response to an operator actuating one of said manual controllers, said first module further including a first manual controller coupled to said first wireless control node and configured to provide messages to said first wireless control node in response to the actuation of said first manual controller by the operator, and said messages from said first manual controller being sent by said first wireless control node to at least one other wireless node to control a device coupled to said other wireless node in response to said actuation of said first manual controller.