Current carrier tractor-trailer data link

• US 5,142,278 A
• Filed: 11/30/1990
• Issued: 08/25/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Moallemi, Kamran, Butterfield, Daniel K., Weaver, Lindsay A. Jr., Antonio, Franklin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yusko, Donald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEISSMAN, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/620,133
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.06, 340/825.49, 340/538, 340/539, 340/901, 340/902, 340/904, 340/310 A, 340/310 R, 455/343, 364/424.01, 364/424.03, 364/424.05, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 246/2 R, 246/3, 246/7, 246/122 R
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0036 Conductor-based, e.g. using CAN-Bus, train-line or optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/0072 On-board train data handling
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/127 to a central station ; Indicators in a central station

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing communication of information between a truck tractor and trailer via existing truck wiring. At least one transmitter is located in each trailer for generating a unique identification signal representative of trailer identification information corresponding to the trailer in which the transmitter is located, modulating the identification signal, and providing the modulated identification on an existing truck power bus coupling the tractor and trailer. A receiver is located in the tractor for receiving each modulated identification signal on the power bus, demodulating each modulated identification signal and providing each demodulated identification signal to a mobile communications terminal located in the tractor for transmission to a central facility. The system may further include the transmission of trailer status or load status information by the transmitter to the receiver in a similar manner as the identification information.

Claims

1. In a truck having a tractor with a mobile communications terminal and a trailer, said tractor capable of electrical connection to said trailer by a power and control bus which includes a power line for providing power from said tractor to said trailer, said truck having a trailer identification system for providing trailer identification information from said trailer, when connected to said power and control bus, to said tractor for transmission by said mobile communications terminal to a central facility, said trailer identification system comprising:

transmitter means located in said trailer for, when said trailer is coupled to said said tractor by said power and control bus, providing at predetermined times upon said power line of said truck power and control bus a unique identification signal representative of trailer identification information corresponding to said trailer and, wherein said transmitter means comprises;

processor means for, at predetermined instances in time and for a predetermined time period from each instance in time, generating a connect signal, and for during a portion of each time period, generating an identification code;

modulator means connected to said processor means for, during each time period, receiving said identification code, generating a carrier signal, modulating said carrier signal with said identification code, and providing an output of said identification code modulated carrier signal;

energy storage means connected to said processor means for, storing electrical power during each time period and providing stored electrical power to said processor means at times other than during each time period; and

coupling means connected to said power line, said energy storage means, said processor means and said modulator means for, during each time period, receiving said connect signal and in response thereto coupling electrical power from said power line to said energy storage means, said processor means and said modulator means, and coupling said identification code modulated carrier signal as said identification signal upon said power line, said coupling means further for, at times other than during each time period, electrically decoupling said energy storage means, said processor means and said modulator means from said power line; and

receiver means located in said tractor for, receiving and demodulating said identification signal as provided upon said power line, and providing each demodulated identification signal as said identification code to said mobile communications terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least said trailer has a physical parameter monitoring system capable of measuring predetermined physical parameters, said physical parameter monitoring system responsive to an interrogation signal of providing data indicative of said measured physical parameters, and wherein said processor means is further for, during each time period, generating and providing said interrogation signal to said physical parameter monitoring system, said modulator means further for, during each time period, receiving said data from said physical parameter monitoring system, modulating said received data and providing said modulated data to said coupling means, said coupling means further for, during each time period, providing said modulated data as a data signal on said power line.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said receiver means is further for receiving and demodulating said data signal as provided upon said power line, and providing said demodulated data signal as said data to said mobile communications terminal.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor means is further for, during a current time period, computing a time interval between an end of said current time period and a beginning of a next time period.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said trailer has an electrical system coupled to said power and control bus and wherein said system further comprises isolation means disposed in said power line between said transmitter means and said electrical system for isolating said identification signal, as coupled on said power line, from said electrical system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said modulator means comprises:

an oscillator having an output;

a frequency-shift key modulator having a carrier frequency input coupled to said oscillator output, a modulation input coupled to said processor means for receiving said identification signal, and an output; and

a low pass filter having an input coupled to said modulator output, and an output coupled to said coupling means.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising power regulation means for, during each time period, receiving via said coupling means unregulated power from said power line, regulating said power line unregulated power, and providing said regulated power line power to said processor means, said modulator means and said energy storage means, said power regulation means further for, at times other than during each time period, receiving unregulated power from said energy storage means, regulating said energy storage means unregulated power, and providing said regulated energy storage means power to said processor means.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said power regulation means comprises:

a first voltage regulator having a power input coupled to said coupling means and said energy storage means, and an output coupled to said modulator means;

a second voltage regulator having a power input coupled to said coupling means, a control input coupled to said processor means, and an output coupled to said modulator means; and

wherein said processor means if further for generating a disable signal at times other than during each time period, said second voltage regulator for receiving at said control input said disable signal and responsive thereto for disabling the providing of power to said modulator means.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said coupling means, upon initial coupling of electrical power from said power line to said energy storage means, is responsive to a predetermined level of energy stored by said energy storage means for decoupling electrical power from said power line to said energy storage means, said processor means and said modulator means, said energy storage means for providing electrical power to said processor means prior to a first predetermined time period.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said modulator means frequency-shift key modulates said carrier signal and wherein said receiver means further comprises:

demodulator means for, receiving and frequency-shift key demodulating said indentification signal, and providing said identification code; and

interface means for receiving from said demodulator means said identification code, buffering said identification code and providing an output of said identification code to said mobile communications terminal.

11. The system of claim 3 wherein said modulator means frequency-shift key modulates said carrier signal and wherein said receiver means further comprises:

demodulator means for, receiving and frequency-shift key demodulating said indentification signal and said data signal, and respectively providing said identification code said data; and

interface means for receiving from said demodulator means said identification code and said data, buffering said identification code and said data, and providing an output of said identification code and said data to said mobile communications terminal.

12. A tractor-trailer data link for communicating information between a tractor and at least one trailer upon a common power line coupling said tractor to each trailer with said tractor providing electrical power to each trailer upon said power line, said data link comprising:

transmitter means for locating in a corresponding trailer for, at predetermined times for a predetermined time period, electrically self-coupling to said power line, receiving electrical power from said power line, storing a portion of said received electrical power, generating a digital identification code indicative of trailer identification information, generating a carrier signal of a predetermined frequency, modulating said carrier signal with said identification code, and providing said identification code modulated carrier signal upon said power line connecting said tractor to said trailer, and for, during time intervals other than during each time period, electrically self-decoupling from said power line and using said stored portion of electrical power as transmitter means operational power; and

receiver means for locating in said tractor for, receiving said identification code modulated carrier signal transmitted upon said power line, detecting the modulation on said identification code modulator carrier signal with the detected modulation corresponding to said identification code, and providing an identification output signal corresponding to said detected modulation and indicative of said trailer identification information.

13. The tractor-trailer data link of claim 12 wherein an apparatus in a trailer is capable of providing trailer and/or load status information in the form of digital data, said transmitter means further for receiving digital data, modulating said carrier signal with said data, and providing said data modulated carrier signal upon said power line;

and

said receiver means further for receiving said data modulated carrier signal transmitted upon said power line, detecting the modulation on said data modulated carrier signal with the detected modulation corresponding to said data, and providing a data output signal corresponding to the detected modulation and indicative of said trailer and/or load status information.

14. The tractor-trailer data link of claim 12 wherein said transmitter means frequency-shift key modulates said carrier signal with said identification code.

15. The tractor-trailer data link of claim 12 wherein said transmitter means frequency-shift key modulates said carrier signal respectively with said identification code and said data.

16. A method for providing trailer identification information to a tractor from a trailer when said tractor is coupled to said trailer comprising the steps of:

electrically coupling, at predetermined instances in time and for a predetermined time period from the occurrence of each instance in time, a transmitter to a power line connecting a tractor to a trailer;

receiving, in said transmitter during said time period, electrical energy from said power line;

storing in said transmitter a portion of said received electrical energy;

generating, in said transmitter during a portion of each time period, a digital identification code indicative of trailer identification indicia corresponding to said trailer;

generating, in said transmitter during each time period, a carrier signal of a predetermined frequency;

modulating, in said transmitter during each time period, said carrier signal with said identification code to produce an identification signal;

transmitting, from said transmitter upon said power line during each time period, said identification signal;

electrically decoupling said transmitter from said power line at times other than during each time period;

powering said transmitter with said stored electrical energy at said times other than during each time period;

receiving, upon said power line at a receiver in said tractor, said transmitted identification signal;

detecting the modulation on said received identification signal; and

providing an output signal corresponding to the detected modulation on said received identification signal wherein the detected modulation corresponds to said identification code.

17. The method of claim 16 for further communicating trailer and/or load status information to a tractor from a trailer comprising the steps of:

receiving, at said transmitter in said trailer, digital data indicative of trailer and/or load status information;

modulating, in said transmitter during a different portion of each time period, said carrier signal with said data so as to produce a data signal;

transmitting, from said transmitter upon said power line during said different portion of each time period, said data signal;

receiving, upon said power line at a receiver in said tractor, said transmitted data signal;

detecting the modulation on said received data signal; and

providing an additional output signal corresponding to the detected modulation on said received data signal wherein the detected modulation corresponds to said data.