METHOD TO IDENTIFY TRACTOR AND TRAILERS AND THE ORDER OF HOOK UP
First Claim
1. A method for use with a plurality of trailers, each having a uniquetrailer identification, sequentially coupled to a tractor having a unique tractor identification comprising:
- coupling the tractor and each of the plurality of trailers in data communication via a power line carrier system; and
identifying the unique trailer identification in the order of coupling of each trailer to the tractor using, part, the power line carrier system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for connected tractor and trailer identifications and the order of hook-up of multiple trailers to a tractor enable the tractor and trailer identification and the order of trailer hook-up to be remotely broadcast from the tractor or trailers. In one aspect, the detection of vehicle identification and the order of trailer hook-up are determined by PLC tags mounted in the trailers or by a PLC Gateway mounted in the tractor or one of the trailers utilizing the PLC system on the tractor/trailers. In another aspect, the vehicle identifications are extracted from electronic modules existing on the tractor and trailers and sent to the PLC Gateway for broadcast from tractor/trailer.op
81 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for use with a plurality of trailers, each having a unique
trailer identification, sequentially coupled to a tractor having a unique tractor identification comprising: -
coupling the tractor and each of the plurality of trailers in data communication via a power line carrier system; and identifying the unique trailer identification in the order of coupling of each trailer to the tractor using, part, the power line carrier system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method to identify the order of a plurality of trailers serially
coupled to a tractor comprising; -
coupling a power line carrier system including at least one power conductor coupled between a tractor and each of the plurality of trailers for communicating data signals over the at least one power conductor between the tractor and each of the plurality of trailers; coupling a power line carrier gateway in one of the tractor and the plurality of trailers to the power line carrier system; mounting a wireless transmitter in the tractor; mounting a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter in each of the plurality of trailers, each transmitter in each trailer containing a unique wireless trailer identification; providing a unique power line carrier trailer tag on each of the plurality of trailers, each tag including a power line carrier identification; transmitting by the power line carrier gateway a message on the power line carrier system containing information identifying the message as coming from the tractor and including the tractor identification; receiving by the power line carrier tag on each of the plurality of trailers the message from the power line carrier gateway; transmitting by the wireless transmitter on each of the plurality of trailers the trailer identification to all of the trailers and the tractor within a signal range of the transmitter; the wireless receiver receiving the message from the transmitters and communicating the vehicle type and identification to the power line carrier tag; determining a match by one power line carrier tag between the wireless tractor identification and the power line carrier tractor identification received by only one of the plurality of trailers to identify the first trailer coupled to the tractor; transmitting by the first identified trailer a signal on the power line carrier system that it is the first trailer coupled to the tractor; and receiving by each of the remaining plurality of trailers the signal from the first trailer and comparing the identification of the first trailer with the identification received by the wireless receiver on each other trailer and determining a match, the match identifying the second trailer coupled to the first trailer. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method to identify a tractor and one or more trailers serially
coupled to the tractor comprising; -
a power line carrier system coupled to at least one power conductor coupled between a tractor and each of the plurality of trailers for communicating data signals over the at least one power conductor between the tractor and each of the plurality of trailers; mounting a power line carrier gateway in one of the plurality of trailers and coupled to the power line carrier system; storing a readable vehicle identification in an electronic control module in each of the tractor and each of the plurality of the trailers; and the power line carrier gateway extracting the vehicle identification from each of the tractor and the trailer electronic modules via the power line carrier system, to identify the serially connected tractor and the plurality of trailers. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification