Method and system for associating a vehicle trailer to a vehicle

• US 9,014,871 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Luebke, Charles J., Anderson, Robert O.
• Primary Examiner(s): MUSTAFA, IMRAN K
• Application Number:
  US11/386,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,317 Days
• Field of Search: 340/435, 340/436, 340/438, 340/431, 701/1, 701/9, 701/32, 701/34, 701/53
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for associating a vehicle and vehicle trailer is described. The system comprises one or more sensors that transmit information wirelessly to a tractor display unit. The tractor display unit determines whether the sensor is associated with a trailer to which it is connected and filters out messages from sensors that are not associated with its trailer. To determine which sensors are associated with its trailer, a processor in the tractor display unit synchronizes the reception of sensor messages with the reception of a synchronizing signal, such as a signal generated by operating an auxiliary power system, turn signal, or brake.

Claims

1. A method for associating a trailer sensor with a vehicle comprising:

transmitting a first synchronizing signal to a processor in response to a synchronization event;

transmitting a first trailer sensor message from a measurement device operably associated with the trailer sensor to the processor in response to the synchronization event;

establishing an association between the trailer sensor and the vehicle by determining whether the first trailer sensor message was received by the processor within a predetermined period of time after the synchronizing signal was received by the processor;

designating the trailer sensor as valid when the first trailer sensor message is received by the processor within the predetermined period of time, and invalid when the first trailer sensor message is received by the processor after the predetermined period of time has expired; and

designating as valid a trailer sensor message transmitted from a measurement device operably associated with a valid trailer sensor and received by the processor after expiration of the predetermined period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first synchronizing signal and the first trailer sensor message are generated by operating a vehicle control.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first synchronizing signal and the first trailer sensor message are generated by modulating power supplied to the measurement device operably associated with the trailer sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is not greater than about 200 milliseconds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first synchronizing signal comprises at least one selected from a turn signal, a brake signal, an auxiliary power system signal, a trailer marker/running light signal, a stop lamp signal, a tail light signal, a license plate lamp signal, a hazard lamp signal, an antilock brake system signal, a clearance lamp signal, and an ID lamp signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device comprises the vehicle trailer sensor, and the method further comprises supplying power to the measurement device when a vehicle control is operated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first trailer sensor message is one selected from a side obstacle sensor message, a temperature sensor message, and a backup sensor message.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a second synchronizing signal to the processor in response to a second synchronization event; and

transmitting a second trailer sensor message from the measurement device operably associated with the vehicle trailer sensor to the processor in response to the second synchronization event, wherein the second synchronizing signal comprises an auxiliary power signal, and the first synchronizing signal comprises one selected from a turn signal and a brake signal.

9. A method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying valid trailer sensors based on the establishing of an association between a trailer sensor and the vehicle; and

communicating sensor messages for valid trailer sensors to the vehicle operator.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first synchronizing signal is generated by operating a vehicle control.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first synchronizing signal is generated by modulating power supplied to the measurement device operably associated with the trailer sensor.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first trailer sensor message comprises trailer sensor identification information, the method further comprising:

receiving a second trailer sensor message after expiration of the predetermined time period, the second trailer sensor message comprising sensed information and trailer identification information; and

communicating the sensed information to the vehicle operator if the trailer identification information in the second trailer sensor message corresponds to the trailer identification information in the first trailer sensor message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first synchronizing signal is generated by operating a vehicle control.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the sensed information is one selected from the group consisting of backup sensor data, temperature sensor data, and side obstacle sensor data.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first synchronizing signal is one selected from the group consisting of a turn signal, a brake signal, a trailer marker/running light signal, an auxiliary power signal, a stop lamp signal, a tail light signal, a license plate lamp signal, a hazard lamp signal, an antilock brake system signal, a clearance lamp signal, and an ID lamp signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first synchronizing signal is generated by modulating power supplied to the measurement device operably associated with the trailer sensor.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising designating as invalid a trailer sensor message transmitted from a measurement device associated with an invalid vehicle trailer sensor and received by the processor after expiration of the predetermined time period.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying trailer sensor messages designated as valid to a vehicle operator.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first synchronizing signal is transmitted from a vehicle control.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising supplying power to the measurement device substantially concurrently with transmission of the first synchronizing signal.

21. A method for establishing an association between a trailer measurement device attached to a trailer and a vehicle used to transport the trailer, the method comprising:

operating a vehicle control to generate a control signal and a synchronizing signal;

transmitting the control signal from the vehicle to the trailer, the control signal configured to cause a trailer measurement device located on the trailer to transmit a synchronizing message to a processor;

transmitting the synchronizing signal to the processor;

transmitting the synchronizing message from the trailer measurement device to the processor in response to the control signal transmitted from the vehicle control to the trailer;

establishing an association between the vehicle and the trailer measurement device by determining whether the trailer synchronizing message was received by the processor within a predetermined period of time after the synchronizing signal was received by the processor; and

designating the trailer measurement device as valid when the trailer synchronizing message is received by the processor within the predetermined period of time, and invalid when the trailer synchronizing message is received by the processor after the predetermined period of time has expired.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein transmission of the synchronizing signal occurs substantially concurrent with the transmission of the control signal.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising designating as valid a trailer message transmitted from the valid trailer measurement device and received by the processor after expiration of the predetermined period of time.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the control signal comprises at least one selected from a turn signal, a brake signal, an auxiliary power system signal, a trailer marker/running light signal, a stop lamp signal, a tail light signal, a license plate lamp signal, a hazard lamp signal, an antilock brake system signal, a clearance lamp signal, and an ID lamp signal.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the processor is located on the vehicle.