Trailer communication system

• US 9,499,109 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2015
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peterson Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Peterson Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Armacost, David Shaw, Ham, Steven Brent, Peterson, Rhett Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Tweel, Jr., John A
• Application Number:
  US14/606,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20160214551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 340/431, 340/933, 180/167
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/36 for facilitating connection, e.g. hitch catchers , visual guide means, signalling aids B60D1/465 takes precedence; vehicle signalling in general B60Q; optical arrangements specially adapted for viewing trailer-hitches B60R1/003
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/305 Indicating devices for towed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0231 Circuits relating to the driving or the functioning of the vehicle monitoring tyres B60C23/00; indicating overspeed B60K31/00; for dash boards B60K37/00, B60Q3/10; for indicating emergencies B60Q1/52; brake control systems B60T; registering or indicating the working of vehicles G07C5/00; measuring distance G01C, e.g. combinations of speed and distance G01C23/00; engine indicators G01L; measuring speed or acceleration G01P
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure involve an apparatus and/or method for a modular communication system for use in a tractor trailer to monitor and/or control various components associated within the trailer. In one particular embodiment, the communication system includes encryption/decryption controller boards configured to encrypt/encode messages or signals received at the boards for transmission along a transmission media between the front controller board and rear controller board. Further, one or both of the controller boards may be configured to decrypt/decode messages or signals received at the boards from the other controller board and perform a function in response to the decrypted message. The communication system may also integrate and communicate with several modules within or associated with the trailer, such as sensors, locators, or communication mechanisms.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first controller board located in a trailer configured to be pulled behind a cab vehicle, the first controller board configured to receive an input from the cab vehicle through a connection socket on the trailer comprising an energized conductor connected to the connection socket and convert the received input into an encoded message;

a second controller board configured to receive the encoded message and provide an output to control at least one component of the trailer based at least on the received encoded message; and

a communication media configured to transmit messages between the first controller board and the second controller board;

wherein the first controller board is further configured to transmit the encoded message along the communication media to the second controller board, the second controller board further configured to decode the encoded message and generate the output, wherein the output is a control signal to control the at least one component of the trailer.

2. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one component is an illuminating component of the trailer and the control signal is configured to illuminate the illuminating component.

3. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the at least one component is a braking component of the trailer and the control signal is configured to activate the braking component.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the encoded received input is a controller area network (CAN) bus system type message.

5. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to provide one or more positional inputs to the communication system.

6. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor configured to provide one or more sensor measurement inputs to the communication system.

7. The communication system of claim 6 wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of a cargo temperature sensor, a current monitoring sensor, a tire pressure sensor, a door open sensor.

8. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless transmitter, the wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit one or more messages transmitted on the communication media of the communication system.

9. The communication system of claim 8 wherein the at least one wireless transmitter is at least one of a cellular communicator or a local area wireless communicator.

10. The communication system of claim 8 further comprising an in-cab display device configured to receive at least one of the wirelessly transmitted one or more messages and display a message based at least on the received wirelessly transmitted one or more messages.

11. A method for controlling aspects of a trailer vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving an input at a first controller board located on the trailer vehicle, the trailer figured to be pulled behind a cab vehicle and wherein the input is received at the first controller board from the cab vehicle through a connection socket on the trailer, the input comprising an energized conductor connected to the connection socket;

encoding the received input based on a communication protocol into an encoded message;

transmitting the encoded message on a communication media to a second controller board located on the trailer vehicle;

decoding the encoded message at the second controller board; and

transmitting a control signal from the second controller board to at least one component of the trailer vehicle based at least on the decoded message at the second controller board.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one component is an illuminating component of the trailer and the control signal is configured to illuminate the illuminating component.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one component is a braking component of the trailer and the control signal is configured to activate the braking component.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein encoding the received input comprises converting the received input into a controller area network (CAN) bus system-type message.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving one or more positional inputs from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving one or more sensor measurement inputs from at least one sensor.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one sensor is a least one of a cargo temperature sensor, a current monitoring sensor, a tire pressure sensor, or a door open sensor.

18. The method of claim further transmitting one or more messages transmitted on the communication media to a wireless transmitter, the wireless transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more transmitted messages.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the at least one wireless transmitter is at least one of a cellular communicator or a, local area wireless communicator.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting the one or more messages to an in-cab display device configured to receive at least one of the wirelessly transmitted one or more messages and display a message based at least on the received wirelessly transmitted one or more messages.