Data communications apparatus for tractor/trailer using pneumatic coupler
First Claim
1. In combination with a tractor and a trailer, an apparatus for monitoring various operating conditions of at least the trailer by a driver positioned on the tractor, the apparatus comprising:
- a pneumatic braking system carried by the tractor and the trailer to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer, said pneumatic braking system including at least one pair of air hoses connected to the tractor and the trailer, and a coupler connected to each of said air hoses, said coupler having interconnecting first and second coupler portions arranged to facilitate connecting and disconnecting said respective air hoses, said first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween; and
a data communications system including a respective pair of transceivers connected to said first and second coupler portions and arranged for transmitting and receiving signals representative of monitoring data from the trailer to the tractor over said nonconductive interface so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned on the tractor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In combination with a tractor and a trailer, an apparatus and method are provided for monitoring various operating conditions of at least the trailer by a driver positioned on the tractor. The apparatus preferably has a pneumatic braking system carried by the tractor and the trailer to permit the driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer. The pneumatic braking system preferably includes at least one pair of air hoses connected to the tractor and the trailer and a coupler connected to the pair of air hoses. The coupler has interconnecting first and second coupler portions arranged to facilitate connecting and disconnecting the pair of air hoses. The apparatus also has a data communications system which preferably includes a respective pair of transceivers connected to the first and second coupler portions for communicating signals representative of monitoring data from the trailer to the tractor so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned on the tractor.
188 Citations
42 Claims
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1. In combination with a tractor and a trailer, an apparatus for monitoring various operating conditions of at least the trailer by a driver positioned on the tractor, the apparatus comprising:
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a pneumatic braking system carried by the tractor and the trailer to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer, said pneumatic braking system including at least one pair of air hoses connected to the tractor and the trailer, and a coupler connected to each of said air hoses, said coupler having interconnecting first and second coupler portions arranged to facilitate connecting and disconnecting said respective air hoses, said first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween; and a data communications system including a respective pair of transceivers connected to said first and second coupler portions and arranged for transmitting and receiving signals representative of monitoring data from the trailer to the tractor over said nonconductive interface so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned on the tractor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In combination with a cab-type tractor and a trailer, an apparatus for monitoring various operating conditions of the tractor and the trailer by a driver positioned in the cab of the tractor, the apparatus comprising:
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a pneumatic braking system carried by the tractor and the trailer to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer, said pneumatic braking system including at least one pair of air hoses respectively connected to the tractor and the trailer, and a coupler connected to said pair of air hoses, said coupler having interconnecting first and second coupler portions arranged to facilitate connecting and disconnecting said pair of air hoses, said first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween; and a data communications system including at least one respective pair of transceivers connected to said first and second coupler portions for transmitting and receiving signals representative of monitoring data of the tractor and the trailer over said nonconductive interface so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned in the cab of the tractor. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A data communications system arranged to be carried by a tractor and a trailer for monitoring various operating conditions of at least the trailer by a driver positioned on the tractor, the data communications system comprising:
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first and second controllers respectively carried by a tractor and a trailer for controlling data communications therebetween; interconnecting first and second coupler portions respectively connected to a tractor and a trailer, said first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween, said first and second coupler portions being arranged during interconnection thereof so as to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from a tractor to a trailer; and first and second transceivers respectively positioned in communication with said first and second controllers and respectively carried by said first and second pneumatic coupler portions for transmitting and receiving signals representative of monitoring data from the trailer to the tractor over said nonconductive interface so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned on the tractor. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A pneumatic coupler for a pneumatic braking system arranged to be carried by a tractor and a trailer for monitoring various operating conditions of at least the trailer by a driver positioned on a tractor, the pneumatic coupler comprising:
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first and second gladhand coupler portions arranged to respectively be connected to a tractor and a trailer to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from a tractor to a trailer, each coupler portion having a hollow body arranged to be positioned in fluid communication with a fluid, said first and second gladhand coupler portions joining to enclose a space within said coupler; and first and second transceivers respectively positioned within said hollow body of said first and second coupler portions for transmitting and receiving signals representative of monitoring data from at least the trailer within said space enclosed within said coupler so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned on the tractor. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of monitoring various operating conditions of at least a trailer of a combination of a tractor and a trailer, the tractor and trailer combination having a pneumatic braking system carried by the tractor and trailer to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer, the pneumatic braking system including a pair of air hoses respectively connected to the tractor and the trailer, and a coupler connected to the pair of air hoses, the coupler having interconnecting first and second coupler portions, the first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween, the method comprising:
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positioning a data communications system so as to be carried by the tractor and the trailer, the data communications system including a respective pair of transceivers connected to the first and second coupler portions; interconnecting first and second coupler portions; and transmitting a signal representative of monitoring data from the trailer to the tractor over the nonconductive interface by the transceiver carried by the second coupler portion so as to be displayed to a driver positioned on the tractor.
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40. A method of equipping a tractor and a trailer with a data communications system for monitoring various operating conditions of at least the trailer by a driver positioned within the cab of the tractor, the method comprising:
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providing the tractor and the trailer with a pneumatic braking system to supply braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer by the driver, the pneumatic braking system including at least one pair of air hoses respectively connected to the tractor and the trailer and a coupler connected to the pair of air hoses with the coupler having interconnecting first and second coupler portions arranged to facilitate connecting and disconnecting the pair of air hoses, the first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween; and providing a data communications system including a pair of transceivers connected to the first and second coupler portions for communicating signals representative of monitoring data between the tractor and the trailer over the nonconductive interface so as to in turn be monitored by a driver positioned in the cab of the tractor. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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42. A method of monitoring various operating conditions of at least a trailer of a combination of a tractor and a trailer, the tractor and trailer combination having a pneumatic braking system carried by the tractor and trailer to permit a driver to supply pneumatic braking pressure from the tractor to the trailer, the pneumatic braking system including a pair of air hoses respectively connected to the tractor and the trailer, and a coupler connected to the pair of air hoses, the coupler having interconnecting first and second coupler portions, the first and second coupler portions connecting to define a nonconductive interface therebetween, and a data communications system including a respective pair of transceivers connected to the first and second coupler portions, the method comprising:
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detecting a variance in an operating condition on the trailer; transmitting a data signal representative of the variance from the trailer to the tractor over the nonconductive interface by the transceiver carried by the second coupler portion; and receiving a data signal representative of the variance from the trailer to the tractor over the nonconductive interface by the transceiver carried by the first coupler portion so as to be displayed to a driver positioned on the tractor.
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Specification