GM files patent for centralized power-window module
GM's centralized power-window control patent explained
GM files patent for centralized power-window module
GM files patent for centralized power-window controls: one main switch, selectable windows, preset vent gap, plus integrated mirror and lock features.
2025-12-23T17:33:18+03:00
2025-12-23T17:33:18+03:00
2025-12-23T17:33:18+03:00
General Motors has filed a patent for an unconventional power-window control module that could upend the familiar quartet of buttons on the driver’s door. According to the filing, the idea is centralization: instead of a separate switch for each window, there’s one main up/down control and a set of secondary keys that don’t move the glass directly but select which window—or several—will respond to the main control.The logic is straightforward: the driver presses a secondary selector—left front, right front, left rear, or right rear—and then uses the main switch to raise or lower the chosen window. If needed, multiple windows can be selected to operate in unison, handy for a quick airflow refresh by dropping them all at once.The patent also mentions a third level of control: a dedicated function for a preset glass position, essentially a small ventilation gap. GM further describes consolidating more features in the same module, combining window control with mirror adjustment via a windows/mirrors mode switch, plus a window lockout and central locking buttons.What’s the point? In theory, fewer individual buttons bring a cleaner panel and more flexible ways to manage the glass, particularly when working with several windows at the same time. The flip side is a less instinctive interface for those used to the direct one-button-per-window approach; relearning that rhythm may take a moment, but in return the cabin could feel less cluttered and multi-window tasks become simpler.
GM files patent for centralized power-window controls: one main switch, selectable windows, preset vent gap, plus integrated mirror and lock features.
Michael Powers, Editor
General Motors has filed a patent for an unconventional power-window control module that could upend the familiar quartet of buttons on the driver’s door. According to the filing, the idea is centralization: instead of a separate switch for each window, there’s one main up/down control and a set of secondary keys that don’t move the glass directly but select which window—or several—will respond to the main control.
The logic is straightforward: the driver presses a secondary selector—left front, right front, left rear, or right rear—and then uses the main switch to raise or lower the chosen window. If needed, multiple windows can be selected to operate in unison, handy for a quick airflow refresh by dropping them all at once.
The patent also mentions a third level of control: a dedicated function for a preset glass position, essentially a small ventilation gap. GM further describes consolidating more features in the same module, combining window control with mirror adjustment via a windows/mirrors mode switch, plus a window lockout and central locking buttons.
What’s the point? In theory, fewer individual buttons bring a cleaner panel and more flexible ways to manage the glass, particularly when working with several windows at the same time. The flip side is a less instinctive interface for those used to the direct one-button-per-window approach; relearning that rhythm may take a moment, but in return the cabin could feel less cluttered and multi-window tasks become simpler.
