Trailer signal converter

• US 8,179,142 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cequent Electrical Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Chandrakumar, Wells, Joseph B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US12/381,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20090302858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 324/504, 701/69, 701/70
• US Class Current: 324/504
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles

Abstract

A signal converter and method of converting a signal are provided. The converter includes a power supply, microcontroller and current sensor. The microcontroller is connected to a power supply and is configured to receive inputs from a vehicle and output signals to loads of a second vehicle. The sensor is connected to the microcontroller to monitor current flow at the loads. The output channels are configured to stagger activity on the output signals. The microcontroller reduces the duty cycle of the output signals if the current flow rises above a first threshold and resumes the output signal to full strength once the current flow falls below a second threshold. The method includes receiving an input signal, sending an output signal, measuring current flow, measuring temperature, reducing the power of the output signal, and restoring the output signal.

Claims

1. A signal converter comprising:

a power supply;

a microcontroller connected to said power supply, said microcontroller configured to receive a plurality of input signals related to lamp lights of a first vehicle from said first vehicle, and output a plurality of output signals related to one or more vehicle lamp light loads of a second vehicle;

a current sensing device connected to said microcontroller to monitor current flow at said loads; and

wherein, said microcontroller is capable of reducing the duty cycle of one or more of said output signals in response to said current flow rising above a first predetermined threshold.

2. The signal converter of claim 1, wherein said microcontroller is capable of receiving a signal from said first vehicle containing information related to two or more parameters of said first vehicle, decoding the signal, and outputting a signals to said second vehicle related to at least one of said two or more parameters of said first vehicle.

3. The signal converter of claim 2, wherein said signal from said first vehicle containing information related to two or more parameters is a multiplex signal.

4. The signal converter of claim 3 further comprising a temperature sensor connected to said microcontroller to monitor and report the temperature of said signal converter to said microcontroller.

5. The signal converter of claim 4, wherein said microcontroller is capable of reducing the duty cycle of said output signal in response to said temperature rising above a first predetermined temperature and resuming said output signal to full strength once said temperature falls bellow a second predetermined threshold.

6. The signal converter of claim 5, wherein said current sensing device monitors and reports the current level only while said output signal is being sent to said load.

7. The signal converter of claim 6 further comprising a charge pump connected to said microcontroller to drive said output signal.

8. The signal converter of claim 7, wherein said charge pump, said temperature sensor, and said current sensor are each separate circuit components.

9. The signal converter of claim 8, wherein said temperature sensor is a thermister.

10. The signal converter of claim 2, wherein said signal from said first vehicle containing information related to two or more parameters is a pulse-width modulation signal.

11. The signal converter of claim 2, wherein said two or more parameters include a stoplight signal and a taillight signal.

12. The signal converter of claim 1, wherein reducing the duty cycle of one or more of said output signals includes reducing the frequency of one or more of said output signals.

13. The signal converter of claim 1, wherein said microcontroller is capable of resuming said one or more output signals to full strength once the current flow falls below a second predetermined threshold.

14. A signal converter comprising:

a power supply;

a microcontroller connected to said power supply, said microcontroller including a plurality of input channels to receive input signals related to vehicle lights from a first vehicle, and a plurality of output channels to send output signals related to vehicle lamp loads to one or more output devices of a second vehicle;

wherein, said output channels are configured to stagger activity on said output signals.

15. The signal converter of claim 14, wherein said microcontroller is capable of receiving a multiplex signal from said first vehicle containing information related to two or more parameters of said first vehicle, and outputting a discrete signals to said second vehicle related to at least one of said two or more parameters of said first vehicle.

16. The signal converter of claim 15 further comprising a temperature sensor connected to said microcontroller to monitor the temperature of said signal converter.

17. The signal converter of claim 16, wherein said microcontroller is capable of reducing the power of said output signal in response to said temperature rising above a first predetermined temperature and resuming the output signal to full strength once said temperature falls bellow a second predetermined threshold.

18. The signal converter of claim 17, wherein said microcontroller limits the power of said output signal by reducing the duty cycle of said output signal.

19. The signal converter of claim 18, wherein reducing the duty cycle of said output signal includes reducing the frequency of said output signal.

20. The signal converter of claim 17, wherein said microcontroller limits the power of said output signal by turning off said output signal.

21. The signal converter of claim 17, further comprising a charge pump to drive said output channels.

22. The signal converter of claim 14, wherein said microcontroller is capable of receiving a pulse-width modulation signal from said first vehicle containing information related to two or more parameters of said first vehicle, and outputting a plurality of discrete signals to said second vehicle related to said two or more parameters of said first vehicle.

23. The signal converter of claim 14, further comprising a current sensing device connected to said microcontroller to monitor the current drawn by said output devices.

24. The signal converter of claim 23, wherein said microcontroller is capable of limiting the power of said output signals in response to said current draw rising above a first predetermined threshold, and resuming the output signal to full strength once the current draw falls below a second predetermined threshold.

25. The signal converter of claim 23, wherein said microcontroller is capable of staggering the activity on said output signals in response to a short or overload condition on the output channel.

26. A method of converting a signal comprising:

receiving an input signal related to a vehicle light from a first vehicle at an input channel of a microcontroller on a signal converting device;

sending an output signal related to a vehicle lamp light load to an output device of a second vehicle from an output channel of said microcontroller in response to said input signal;

measuring current flow at said load while said output signal is being sent to determine the presence of a circuit fault;

measuring the temperature of said signal converting device;

reducing the power of said output signal in response to a circuit fault or in response to said temperature rising above a first predetermined threshold; and

restoring said output signal to full strength once said circuit fault is removed and said temperature is below a second predetermined threshold.

27. The method of converting a signal of claim 26, wherein said circuit fault includes a short circuit and a current overload.

28. The method of converting a signal of claim 27, wherein the power of said output signal is limited in response to a circuit fault or in response to said temperature rising above a first predetermined threshold by reducing the duty cycle of said output signal.

29. The method of converting a signal of claim 28, wherein the power of said output signal is limited in response to a circuit fault or in response to said temperature rising above a first predetermined threshold by turning said output channel off.

30. The method of converting a signal of claim 28, wherein reducing the duty cycle of said output signal includes reducing the frequency of said output signal.

31. A signal converter comprising:

a power supply;

a microcontroller connected to said power supply, said microcontroller configured to receive an input from a first vehicle related to a vehicle lamp light, and transmit at least one output signal related to a vehicle lamp load to one or more loads of a second vehicle;

wherein said input signal from said first vehicle contains information related to two or more parameters of said first vehicle; and

wherein said microcontroller is capable of decoding said input signal and outputting a signal to said second vehicle related to at least one of said two or more parameters of said first vehicle.

32. The signal converter of claim 31, wherein said two or more parameters include a stoplight signal and a taillight signal.

33. The signal converter of claim 31, wherein said input signal is a multiplex signal.