Intelligent towing plug

• US 10,068,393 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prairie Innovators LLC
• Original Assignee: Prairie Innovators LLC
• Inventors: Andrus, Paul L.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAN QUANG
• Application Number:
  US15/357,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20170116795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 701 34
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7038 making use of a remote controlled switch, e.g. relais, solid state switch activated by the engagement of the coupling parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

An intelligent towing plug apparatus and software system that performs trailer electrical system testing, diagnostic and monitoring routines as well as towing vehicle plug testing utilizing wireless technology housed completely inside a towing adapter plug or attached towing plug compartment housing that interfaces with any smart phone or towing vehicle on-board computer system that has downloaded or preinstalled the intelligent towing plug mobile application or software compatible with the on-board computer'"'"'s operating system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for testing electrical circuits of a trailer, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a transmission module located within the housing;

a processor located within the housing and in electrical communication with the electrical circuits of the trailer and the transmission module; and

a memory located within the housing and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

execute a testing protocol of the electrical circuits of the trailer upon initiating an electrical circuit of the trailer,

upon executing the testing protocol, terminate a monitoring protocol,

terminate the testing protocol upon completion of the testing protocol,

resume the monitoring protocol of the electrical circuits of the trailer upon termination of the testing protocol, and

transmit, via the transmission module, a result of the testing protocol to an electronic data processing device (EDP),

wherein the apparatus is a component of a smartphone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus does not attach to the trailer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the result using a cellular network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the result using a wireless protocol.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the result includes transmitting the result to a third party.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the result to the memory;

receive a request for the result from a remote computing device; and

transmitting the results to the remote computing device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, where the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the trailer is not in a stationary state; and

when the trailer is not in the stationary state, transmitting a message to the EDP, the message indicating that the testing protocol cannot be performed.

8. An apparatus for testing electrical circuits of a trailer, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a transmission module located within the housing;

a processor located within the housing and in electrical communication with the electrical circuits of the trailer and the transmission module; and

a memory located within the housing and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

execute a testing protocol of the electrical circuits of the trailer upon initiating an electrical circuit of the trailer,

upon executing the testing protocol, terminate a monitoring protocol,

terminate the testing protocol upon completion of the testing protocol,

resume the monitoring protocol of the electrical circuits of the trailer upon termination of the testing protocol, and

transmit, via the transmission module, a result of the testing protocol to an electronic data processing device (EDP),

wherein the apparatus is a component of a towing vehicle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus does not attach to the trailer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the result using a cellular network.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the result using a wireless protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitting the result includes transmitting the result to a third party.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the result to the memory;

receive a request for the result from a remote computing device; and

transmitting the results to the remote computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, where the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the trailer is not in a stationary state; and

when the trailer is not in the stationary state, transmitting a message to the EDP, the message indicating that the testing protocol cannot be performed.

15. An apparatus for testing electrical circuits of a trailer, the apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a transmission module located within the housing;

a processor located within the housing and in electrical communication with the electrical circuits of the trailer and the transmission module; and

a memory located within the housing and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

execute a testing protocol of the electrical circuits of the trailer upon initiating an electrical circuit of the trailer,

upon executing the testing protocol, terminate a monitoring protocol,

terminate the testing protocol upon completion of the testing protocol,

resume the monitoring protocol of the electrical circuits of the trailer upon termination of the testing protocol, and

transmit, via the transmission module, a result of the testing protocol to an electronic data processing device (EDP),

wherein the apparatus is a component of a portable plug, the portable plug transferrable from a first vehicle or trailer to a second vehicle or trailer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the apparatus does not attach to the trailer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the result using a cellular network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmission module is configured to transmit the result using a wireless protocol.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmitting the result includes transmitting the result to a third party.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the result to the memory;

receive a request for the result from a remote computing device; and

transmitting the results to the remote computing device.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, where the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine that the trailer is not in a stationary state; and

when the trailer is not in the stationary state, transmitting a message to the EDP, the message indicating that the testing protocol cannot be performed.