Apparatus, system and method for communicating a fault in a combination vehicle
First Claim
1. A method of communicating a fault in a combination vehicle comprising:
- receiving and transmitting messages on a power line, the power line operating as a vehicle communications bus wherein the messages are received and transmitted among a first towed vehicle controller transmitting messages at a first period in time;
a second towed vehicle controller transmitting messages at a second period in time and a tractor controller;
transmitting a fault message from the second towed vehicle controller indicative of a fault in a second towed vehicle to the vehicle communications bus continuously at the second period in time;
receiving the fault message at the first towed vehicle controller on the vehicle communications bus;
terminating the transmission of a status message of the first towed vehicle controller;
transmitting the fault message by the first towed vehicle controller continuously at the first period in time, the first period in time being different than the second period in time;
receiving the fault message transmitted at the first period in time at the tractor controller; and
indicating that a fault exists in the second towed vehicle in response to receiving the fault message at the tractor controller by illuminating a visible fault indicator to a driver of a tractor having the tractor controller.
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Abstract
Various embodiments of an apparatus, system and method for transmitting and indicating a fault in a combination vehicle are disclosed. A first towed vehicle controller comprises a processor with control logic capable of receiving fault messages and status messages on an associated vehicle communications bus; determining the status and faults of the first towed vehicle; and transmitting fault messages and status messages on the associated vehicle communications bus. When the control logic receives a fault message from an associated second towed vehicle controller on the associated vehicle communications bus at a second period in time, the control logic transmits the fault message of the associated second towed vehicle controller to the associated vehicle communications bus at a first period in time, different than the second period in time.
12 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method of communicating a fault in a combination vehicle comprising:
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receiving and transmitting messages on a power line, the power line operating as a vehicle communications bus wherein the messages are received and transmitted among a first towed vehicle controller transmitting messages at a first period in time;
a second towed vehicle controller transmitting messages at a second period in time and a tractor controller;transmitting a fault message from the second towed vehicle controller indicative of a fault in a second towed vehicle to the vehicle communications bus continuously at the second period in time; receiving the fault message at the first towed vehicle controller on the vehicle communications bus; terminating the transmission of a status message of the first towed vehicle controller; transmitting the fault message by the first towed vehicle controller continuously at the first period in time, the first period in time being different than the second period in time; receiving the fault message transmitted at the first period in time at the tractor controller; and indicating that a fault exists in the second towed vehicle in response to receiving the fault message at the tractor controller by illuminating a visible fault indicator to a driver of a tractor having the tractor controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification