Communication device, system, and method for active control of external vehicle components

• US 9,738,125 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Brickley, Fred, Kulkarni, Chandrakumar D., Bernart, Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanglaude, Gertrude Arthur
• Application Number:
  US15/261,312
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 701 36, 701 48, 701 334, 701 297, 701 298, 701 70
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/26 for remote control, e.g. for releasing
• CPC Class Codes: B60D 1/62 involving supply lines, electric circuits, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2422/70 on the wheel or the tire
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2422/95 Measuring the same parameter at multiple locations of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/182 Brake pressure, e.g. of fluid or between pad and disc
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/02 Control of vehicle driving stability
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/0098 Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a system, method, and device related to data collection and communication related to after-market and external vehicle systems, such as towing systems, cargo carrying systems, trailer breakaway systems, brake systems, braking control systems, and the like. Data is sensed, processed, shared, and further leveraged throughout the discrete components of the system, and possibly via internet and other communications'"'"' links, to effect various beneficial actions with minimal driver/user interaction or intervention. In the same manner, data from the system may be used for diagnostic reasons, safety controls, and other purposes.

Claims

1. A control system for active control of external vehicle components, the control system comprising:

at least one towing accessory device;

a sensor operatively coupled with the towing accessory device; and

a controller in operative communication with at least one of the sensor and the towing accessory device to receive data with respect to the towing accessory device and wherein the controller processes the data and sends a direction to act to the towing accessory device and the towing accessory device acts in accordance with the direction to act.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a communication device in operative communication with the sensor to receive and transmit data with respect to the towing accessory device and an electronic storage device in operative communication with at least one of the following:

the sensor and the communication device.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the direction to act is sent via the communication device to the towing accessory.

4. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface in operative communication with at least one of the following:

the communication device and the electronic storage device.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the user interface includes at least one of the following:

a smartphone, tablet, computer, and user interface of a trailer brake controller.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the towing accessory device consists of at least one of the following:

brake controller, break away device, trailer signal converter, sway control device, tire pressure monitoring system, camera, trailer brakes, fifth wheel hitch, coupler, gooseneck coupler, hitch bar, hitch ball mount, pin box, weight distribution system, jack, ramp, roof rack, cargo securing system, cargo carrier and winch.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the towing accessory device comprises first and second towing accessory devices whereby the first towing accessory device includes the sensor and the second towing accessory devices includes a second sensor operatively coupled thereto.

8. The control system of claim 7, wherein the controller receives second data from the second sensor and processes the second data and sends a direction to act to the first towing accessory device.

9. The control system of claim 1, further comprising a second sensor coupled with the towing accessory device.

10. A control system for active control of external vehicle components, the control system comprising:

at least one towing accessory device;

a sensor operatively coupled with the at least one towing accessory device;

an electronic storage device in operative communication with the sensor, the electronic storage device receiving data from the sensor wherein the electronic storage device processes the data and sends a direction to act to the at least one towing accessory device and the at least one towing accessory device acts in accordance with the direction to act; and

a user interface in operative communication with the sensor and the electronic storage device.

11. The control system of claim 10, further comprising a communication device in operative communication with any combination of:

the at least one towing accessory device, the sensor, the electronic storage device, the user interface, an internet-based data server, and a private party data server.

12. The control system of claim 10, wherein the sensor includes a transceiver to send and receive the data and the directions to act.

13. The control system of claim 10, wherein the sensor, electronic storage device and user interface communicate via a wireless communication platform.

14. The control system of claim 13, wherein the wireless communication platform includes at least one of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

15. The control system of claim 10, wherein the at least one towing accessory device includes first and second towing accessory devices, the first towing accessory device comprising the sensor and the second towing accessory device comprises a second sensor.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein the first sensor generates and sends the data to the electronic storage device and the electronic storage device sends instructions to the second towing device to take a second action.

17. The control system of claim 16, wherein the second action is to prevent operation of the second towing accessory device.

18. The control system of claim 16, wherein the second sensor sends second data to the electronic storage device confirming at least one of:

the direction to act and the second action is/are complete.

19. The control system of claim 10, wherein additional data is communicated to the electronic storage device through the user interface.

20. The control system of claim 19, wherein the user interface comprises a trailer brake controller.

21. A control system for active control of external vehicle components, the control system comprising:

a first towing accessory device comprising a first sensor;

a second towing accessory device comprising a second sensor, the first and second towing accessory devices in operative communication; and

a communication device in operative communication with the first and second sensors, wherein data from the first sensor is communicated to the communication device and the communication device sends instructions to the second sensor to generate an action for the second towing accessory device.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein the communication device includes at least one of a smartphone, tablet, computer, and device with a processor.

23. The control system of claim 21 further comprising a user interface in operative communication with the communication device.

24. The control system of claim 23, wherein the user interface and communication device are a single device.

25. The control system of claim 21 further comprising a third towing accessory device comprising a third sensing device, wherein the third sensor is in operative communication with the first and second sensors, whereby the communication device sends instructions to the third sensor to generate an action for the third towing accessory device.

26. A control system for active control of external vehicle components, the control system comprising:

a first towing accessory device comprising a first sensing device;

a second towing accessory device comprising a second sensing device, the first and second sensing devices in operative communication, wherein the first sensing device provides data to the second sensing device generating an action by the second towing accessory device.

27. The control system of claim 26, wherein the second sensing device comprises a microprocessor.

28. The control system of claim 27, wherein the microprocessor includes a wireless transceiver.

29. The control system of claim 26 further comprising an electronic storage device, wherein the first and second sensing devices send operative data, optionally including data provided by the first sensing device to the second sensing device, wirelessly to the electronic storage device and the electronic storage device sends operative instructions to at least one of the first and second sensing devices to generate at least one act by at least one of the first and second towing accessory devices.

30. The control system of claim 29 further comprising a user interface wherein the user interface sends user data to the electronic storage device, wherein the user data is used by at least one of the first and second towing accessory devices in performing the at least one act.