Pairing a tow vehicle and a trailer

• US 9,595,142 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2014
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Traffilog Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Traffilog Ltd.
• Inventors: Greenberger, Arik
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US14/181,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,122 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/00 Traction couplings; Hitches; Draw-gear; Towing devices devices specially adapted for connection between tractors and agricultural machines or implements A01B59/00; fifth-wheel couplings B62D
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

A method for pairing between a tow vehicle and a trailer, the method may include receiving a tow vehicle event indication and a trailer event indication; wherein the tow vehicle event indication is generated by a tow vehicle monitor that is arranged to monitor the tow vehicle; wherein the trailer event indication is generated by a trailer monitor that is arranged to monitor the trailer; determining, in response to a relationship between the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication, whether the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication are associated with a same event; and pairing the trailer and the tow vehicle is it is determined that the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication are associated with the same event.

Claims

1. A method for pairing between a tow vehicle and a trailer, the method comprising:

receiving a tow vehicle event indication and a trailer event indication;

wherein the tow vehicle event indication is generated by a tow vehicle monitor that is arranged to monitor the tow vehicle;

wherein the trailer event indication is generated by a trailer monitor that is arranged to monitor the trailer;

determining, in response to a relationship between the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication, whether the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication are associated with a same event; and

pairing the trailer and the tow vehicle if it is determined that the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication are associated with the same event; and

wherein

the method comprises determining that the trailer event indication and the tow vehicle indication are associated with the same event if (a) both trailer event indication and the tow vehicle indication are associated with a same type of event, and if (b) timings of the trailer event indication and the tow vehicle indication are proximate to each other.

2. The method according to claim, 1 wherein the pairing is executed by a computerized system that is connected to at least one out of the tow vehicle and the trailer.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

delaying the determining of whether the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication are associated with the same event if a confidence level associated with the determining is below a confidence threshold;

receiving an additional tow vehicle event indication and an additional trailer event indication; and

determining whether the additional tow vehicle event indication and the additional trailer event indication are associated with the same event.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

receiving multiple tow vehicle event indications from a plurality of tow vehicle monitors that monitor a plurality of tow vehicles;

receiving multiple trailer event indications from a plurality of trailer monitors that monitor a plurality of trailers;

determining, in response to relationships between the multiple tow vehicle event indications and the multiple trailer event indication, whether a pair of tow vehicle event indications and trailer event indications are associated with the same event; and

pairing a trailers and a tow vehicle if it is determined that the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer event indication are associated with the same event.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer indication are indicative of a same operation executed by a driver of the tow vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer indication is responsive to a detection of a command conveyed over a communication link.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the tow vehicle event indication and the trailer indication is responsive to a detection of the radiation emitted in response an occurrence of the event.

8. A method for pairing between a trailer and a tow vehicle , the method comprising:

detecting, by a tow vehicle monitor arranged to monitor the tow vehicle, an occurrence of an event;

receiving, from a trailer monitor that is arranged to monitor the tow vehicle, a trailer event indication;

determining, in response to the trailer event indication and to the detection of an occurrence of the event, whether the trailer event indication is associated with the event; and

pairing the tow vehicle and the trailer if it is determined that the trailer event indication is associated with the event; and

wherein

the method comprises determining that the trailer event indication is associated with the event if (a) the trailer event indication is associated with the same event type as the event, and if (b) the timings of the trailer event indication and the occurrence of the event are within a predetermined window that represents an expected time gap associated with an occurrence of a single event.

9. The method according to claim 8, comprising:

delaying the determining of whether the trailer event indication is associated with the event if a confidence level associated with the determining is below a confidence threshold;

receiving an additional trailer event indication and detecting an occurrence of an additional event; and

determining whether the additional trailer event indication is associated with the additional event.

10. The method according to claim 8 comprising:

receiving multiple trailer event indications from a plurality of trailer monitors that monitor a plurality of trailers;

determining, in response to relationships between the multiple trailer event indication and the detection of the event, which trailer monitor should be paired with the tow vehicle monitor.

11. The method according to claim 8 wherein the event detected by the tow vehicle monitor and indicated by the trailer indication are related to a same operation executed by a driver of the tow vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 8 wherein the event detected by the tow vehicle monitor is detected by a reception of a command conveyed over a communication link.

13. The method according to claim 8 wherein the event detected by the tow vehicle monitor is detected by monitoring the radiation emitted in response the occurrence of the event.

14. A method for pairing between a tow vehicle and a trailer, the method comprising:

detecting, by a trailer monitor arranged to monitor the trailer, an occurrence of an event;

receiving, from a tow vehicle monitor that is arranged to monitor the tow vehicle, a tow vehicle event indication;

determining, in response to the tow vehicle event indication and to the detection of an occurrence of the event, whether the tow vehicle event indication is associated with the event; and

pairing the trailer and the tow vehicle if it is determined that the tow vehicle event indication is associated with the event; and

wherein

the event detected by the trailer monitor is detected by monitoring radiation emitted in response the occurrence of the event.

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising:

delaying the determining of whether the trailer event indication is associated with the event if a confidence level associated with the determining is below a confidence threshold;

receiving an additional trailer event indication and detecting an occurrence of an additional event; and

determining whether the additional trailer event indication is associated with the additional event.

16. The method according to claim 14 comprising:

receiving multiple tow vehicle event indications from a plurality of tow vehicle monitors that monitor a plurality of tow vehicles; and

determining, in response to relationships between the multiple tow vehicle event indication and the detection of the event, which tow vehicle monitor should be paired with the trailer monitor.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein the event detected by the trailer monitor and indicated by the tow vehicle indication are related to a same operation executed by a driver of the trailer.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein the event detected by the trailer monitor is detected by a reception of a command conveyed over a communication link.