Trailer signal converter

• US 9,102,267 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cequent Performance Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Chandrakumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US13/470,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 324/504, 324/503, 701/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits

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 bellow 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 microcontroller configured to receive one or more input signals from a first vehicle and output a plurality of output signals to a second vehicle;

wherein said microcontroller is capable of decoding a single input signal containing information related to two or more lights of said first vehicle and outputting a separate output signal for each light to said second vehicle, wherein the single input signal includes a pulse-width modulated signal.

2. The signal converter of claim 1, wherein the one or more input signals include at least one of:

a stop signal, a tail light signal, a left turn signal, and a right turn signal.

3. The signal converter of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle is a towing vehicle and the second vehicle is towed by the towing vehicle.

4. The signal converter of claim 2, wherein the single input includes information related to the stop light and tail light of the first vehicle.

5. The signal converter of claim 4, wherein the tail light information is contained in a pulse-width modulated signal.

6. The signal converter of claim 4, wherein the single input further includes information related to a right turn light of the first vehicle.

7. The signal converter of claim 4, wherein the single input further includes information related to a left turn light of the first vehicle.

8. The signal converter of claim 6, wherein the tail light, stop light, and right turn light information is contained in a pulse-width modulated signal.

9. A signal converter comprising:

a microcontroller configured to receive one or more input signals from a first vehicle and output a plurality of output signals to a second vehicle; and

wherein said microcontroller identifies a pulse-width modulated signal at the one or more input signals and determining what information related to the first vehicle is present in the pulse-width modulated signal.

10. The signal converter of claim 9, wherein said input signals include information related to light signals of the first vehicle.

11. The signal converter of claim 9, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal includes information related to the stop light and tail light of the first vehicle.

12. The signal converter of claim 9, wherein the pulse-width modulated signal includes information related to the stop light, tail light, and left and right turn signals of the first vehicle.

13. The signal converter of claim 9 further comprising a MOSFET.

14. The signal converter of claim 13 further comprising a current sense and a charge pump.

15. The signal converter of claim 14, wherein the charge pump and current sense are integrated with the MOSFET.

16. A signal converter comprising:

a microcontroller configured to receive one or more input signals related to lights of a first vehicle and output a plurality of output signals to a second vehicle;

wherein said microcontroller is capable of decoding a single input signal containing information related to two or more lights of said first vehicle and outputting a separate output signal for each light to said second vehicle, wherein the single input signal includes a pulse-width modulated signal;

wherein the signal converter is configured to enter a sleep mode after the one or more input signals are non-active for a predetermined period of time;

wherein said signal converter reduces power consumption while in sleep mode.

17. The signal converter of claim 16, wherein the signal converter is configured to exit said sleep mode upon detecting activity on one of said one or more input signals.

18. The signal converter of claim 17, wherein the signal converter is configured to poll each input signal at a set rate to determine activity on the one or more input signals.