Patent ID: 8224532

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: a body structure defining a passenger compartment and an access opening; a door assembly associated with the body structure, the door assembly comprising: a door movably coupled with the body structure, the door being moveable between an opened position in which the door facilitates passage of a passenger through the access opening and a closed position in which the door prevents passage of a passenger through the access opening; a power door actuator coupled with the door and configured to move the door between the opened position and the closed position in response to a door control signal; a handle coupled with the door and configured to selectively facilitate opening of the door by a passenger within the passenger compartment; and a handle actuator coupled with the handle and configured to selectively prevent operation of the handle to open the door; a window assembly associated with the body structure, the window assembly comprising: a window being movable with respect to the body structure between an opened position and a closed position; and a power window actuator coupled with the window and configured to move the window between the opened position and the closed position in response to a window control signal; and a control system comprising: a door control device configured for use by a passenger within the passenger compartment to generate the door control signal; a window control device configured for use by a passenger within the passenger compartment to generate the window control signal; and a master control device in communication with the power door actuator, the handle actuator, the power window actuator, the door control device, and the window control device, the master control device being configured to facilitate selection by a driver from among multiple operational modes, the multiple operational modes comprising a first operational mode and a second operational mode; wherein, in the first operational mode, the control system is configured to simultaneously: control the handle actuator to prevent operation of the handle to open the door; prevent the door control device from effecting operation of the power door actuator; and prevent the window control device from effecting operation of the power window actuator; and wherein, in the second operational mode, the control system is configured to simultaneously: control the handle actuator to facilitate operation of the handle to open the door; facilitate operation of the power door actuator in response to the door control signal; and facilitate operation of the power window actuator in response to the window control signal.