Method for data communication between a vehicle and a remote terminal

• US 7,040,435 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Powertalk Incorporated, Ves-Tek, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vehicle Enhancement Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Weant, Bobby Ray, Lesesky, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWENSON, BRIAN L
• Application Number:
  US10/130,456
• Time in Patent Office: 2,365 Days
• Field of Search: 180/167, 180/168, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 701/1, 701/2, 701/23, 701/29, 701/33, 701/35, 701/36, 701/45, 340/431, 340/687
• US Class Current: 180/167
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/008 communicating information to a remotely located station transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/017 identifying vehicles G08G1/015, G08G1/054 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

An apparatus and methods are provided for data communications associated with a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle. A vehicle data communications protocol converter is preferably connected to the plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol such as a local-area infrared or an RF data communications protocol. The apparatus also preferably includes a transceiver connected to the data communications protocol converter for transmitting the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and receiving the data communications protocol from a remote data communications terminal or another portion of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for data communication associated with a vehicle comprising a tractor and at least one wheeled apparatus pulled by the tractor, said system comprising:

a first data communications apparatus associated with the tractor;

a second data communications apparatus associated with the at least one wheeled apparatus;

at least one electrical conductor operatively interconnecting said first and second data communications apparatuses, said at least one electrical conductor comprising a data bus for transmitting data between said first and second data communications apparatuses;

a data communications protocol used for transmitting data along said data bus, the data comprising a plurality of data bits which transition between logic values indicating whether said data bus is in an active or an idle state; and

a processor for interrogating data transmitted along said data bus one bit at a time to sense a transition in logic values and a change in said data bus from the active to the idle state, whereby data may be transmitted along said data bus with minimal delay.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a connector connected to said at least one electrical conductor, a transceiver housing operatively connected to said connector, and a transceiver positioned within said transceiver housing.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said connector includes a plurality of pins having a predetermined pin configuration and first and second connector portions, wherein said connector has one of either a generally cylindrical or a generally rectangular shape, and wherein the second connector portion defines said transceiver housing.

4. A system according to claim 2, further comprising at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and related to operation of the vehicle.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said at least one electronic subsystem comprises an anti-locking brake system connected to the vehicle, and wherein said connector is operatively connected to said anti-locking brake system.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein said transceiver includes a signal processing physical layer, and wherein said data communications protocol uses only the physical layer of said transceiver for signal processing.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said data communications protocol comprises one of the data communications protocols specified by SAE J1708, SAE J1939, and a universal serial bus standard.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein one of said first and second data communications apparatuses comprises a remote data communications terminal.