System, apparatus and methods for data communication between vehicle and remote data communication terminal, between portions of vehicle and other portions of vehicle, between two or more vehicles, and between vehicle and communications network
DCFirst Claim
1. vehicle comprising:
- a tractor and a trailer connected thereto; and
a data communications apparatus connected to said tractor and said trailer to communicate data to and from said tractor and said trailer, said data communications apparatus comprising;
at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and related to the operation of the heavy duty vehicle;
at least one electrical conductor connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle;
a connector connected to the at least one electrical conductor;
vehicle data communications protocol converting means connected to said plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second RF data communications protocol; and
a first RF transceiver associated with said connector and connected to said vehicle data communications protocol converting means to transmit and receive the second RF data communications protocol.
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Abstract
A system, an apparatus, and methods are provided for data communications associated with a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle. A vehicle data communications protocol converter is preferably connected to the plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol such as an infrared, an RF data, an Internet, or other network communications protocol. The apparatus also preferably includes a transceiver connected to the data communications protocol converter for transmitting the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and receiving the data communications protocol from another portion of the vehicle, a remote data communications terminal, another vehicle, or another communications network.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. vehicle comprising:
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a tractor and a trailer connected thereto; and a data communications apparatus connected to said tractor and said trailer to communicate data to and from said tractor and said trailer, said data communications apparatus comprising; at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and related to the operation of the heavy duty vehicle; at least one electrical conductor connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle; a connector connected to the at least one electrical conductor; vehicle data communications protocol converting means connected to said plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second RF data communications protocol; and a first RF transceiver associated with said connector and connected to said vehicle data communications protocol converting means to transmit and receive the second RF data communications protocol. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus for data communications associated with a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one electrical conductor associated with the vehicle; vehicle data communications protocol converting means connected to said at least one electrical conductor for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second RF data communications protocol; and an RF transceiver associated with said vehicle data communications protocol converting means to transmit the second RF data communications protocol and receive the second RF data communications protocol from a data communications terminal. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of data communications associated with a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one electrical conductor associated with a vehicle; converting a first vehicle data communications protocol associated with data communications along the at least one electrical conductor to a second RF data communications protocol; and transmitting the second RF data communications protocol to a data communications terminal. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification