Patent ID: 7509176

Claim:
The method of controlling a plurality of electrically powered functions of a vehicle including a first function and a second function, comprising the steps of: providing a source of electric power having a power terminal and a ground terminal, providing a power line connected to said power terminal and a ground line connected to said ground terminal, connecting all of said plurality of electrically powered functions including said first and second function to said source of electric power by said power line and ground line, providing a first controlling member capable of generating a first coded message where said first coded message includes an identification portion for identifying a source of said first coded message and an instruction portion containing instructions to be carried out by said first function, connecting said first controlling member to said power line and said ground line wherein said first coded message is applied to said power line, providing a first function controller including a first reader and a first operating circuit wherein said first reader is capable of reading only said first coded message in said power line and said first operating circuit is capable of controlling said first function, and connecting said first function controller to said power line and said ground line wherein said first reader will read only said first coded message and said first operating circuit will control said first function to perform in accordance with said instructions portion without a dedicated wire extending between said first controlling member and said first function, said first controlling member further including a signal detector and a message comparator circuit for comparing a message detected in said power line with a message transmitted by said first controlling member, and retransmitting said first coded message if said comparator circuit does not detect that said first coded message was applied to said power line in understandable form.