Smart trailer

• US 8,890,670 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems, Inc. (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Brey, Thomas A., Peterson, Don
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US13/205,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20130038436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 340/431, 340/438, 340/440, 340/445, 340/453, 340/454, 340/461
• US Class Current: 340/431
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/009 having wheels on a trailer
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/16 operated by remote control, i.e. initiating means not mounted on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

A trailer is provided with various parametric sensors. Trailer operating characteristics obtained from the sensors are conveyed to an attached tow vehicle. The tow vehicle is configured to respond to trailer operating conditions or characteristics and/or warn the tow vehicle operator of trailer conditions. The tow vehicle'"'"'s operation can also be changed responsive to an attached trailer.

Claims

1. A trailer configured to support and carry a load while being towed, the trailer comprising:

a frame;

a processor;

a non-transitory memory device coupled to the processor;

a plurality of load cells supporting a load on the trailer, each load cell being operatively coupled to the frame and electrically coupled to the processor, each load cell providing a corresponding signal to the processor, responsive to the load on the corresponding load cell and corresponding load location information to the processor from which the processor determines the weight and location of the load on the trailer, a determined location of the load on the trailer including a front-to-back location and a side-to-side location;

a communications device operatively coupled to the processor, and configured to send to a tow vehicle, data representing information about the load on the trailer, the information about the load on the trailer being obtained from said plurality of load cells and being provided to the tow vehicle by the communications device in order to provide operating specifications of the trailer and provide characteristics of the load on the trailer to an engine control unit for the tow vehicle;

wherein the communications device is additionally configured to send to the tow vehicle, operating requirements of the tow vehicle that are required by the trailer; and

wherein the information about the load on the trailer is configured to be used by the tow vehicle to automatically inhibit operation of the tow vehicle if the tow vehicle has insufficient towing capacity to safely pull the trailer and its load.

2. The trailer of claim 1, wherein the memory device includes information about at least one of:

operating specifications of the trailer; and

requirements of a tow vehicle to be used with the trailer.

3. The trailer of claim 1, further comprising a sensor coupled to the processor and which is configured to detect an object adjacent to the trailer.

4. A tow vehicle configured to tow a trailer carrying a load, the tow vehicle having an engine and transmission and comprising:

an engine control unit, the engine control unit being configured to control operation of at least the tow vehicle engine and tow vehicle transmission;

a processor coupled to the engine control unit;

a non-transitory memory device coupled to the processor and storing program instructions for the processor;

a first communications device operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive from a trailer physically attached to the vehicle, a signal carrying information about a load on an attached trailer, the information about a load on the attached trailer being generated by a plurality of load cells, which support the load on the trailer and provide load information that identifies the weight and location of the load on the trailer, the location of the load on the trailer including a front-to-back location and a side-to-side location, said load information being provided to said processor by the first communications device and being provided by said processor to the engine control unit, said load information causing the engine control unit to change an operation of the tow vehicle in order to safely tow the trailer with the load; and

wherein the tow vehicle is configured to automatically inhibit operation of the tow vehicle upon determining that the tow vehicle has insufficient towing capacity based on the information about the load on the attached trailer received by the first communications device.

6. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said tow vehicle is configured to disable vehicle stability control responsive to the receipt of the information about the load on the attached trailer by said first communications device.

7. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a wire area network (WAN) communication device operatively coupled to the processor, the WAN communications device being configured to receive from a data network, data related to at least one of:

the trailer; and

the vehicle.

5. A tow vehicle configured to tow a trailer carrying a load, the tow vehicle having an engine and transmission and comprising:

an engine control unit, the engine control unit being configured to control operation of at least the tow vehicle engine and tow vehicle transmission;

a processor coupled to the engine control unit;

a non-transitory memory device coupled to the processor and storing program instructions for the processor;

a first communications device operatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive from a trailer physically attached to the vehicle, a signal carrying information about a load on an attached trailer, the information about a load on the attached trailer being generated by a plurality of load cells, which support the load on the trailer and provide load information that identifies the weight and location of the load on the trailer, the location of the load on the trailer including a front-to-back location and a side-to-side location, said load information being provided to said processor by the first communications device and being provided by said processor to the engine control unit, said load information causing the engine control unit to change an operation of the tow vehicle in order to safely tow the trailer with the load,

wherein the tow vehicle is configured to automatically shift the transmission responsive to the receipt of the information about the load on the attached trailer by said first communications device.

8. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving at a tow vehicle, a signal carrying operating information regarding a trailer to be towed by the tow vehicle, the trailer being configured to carry a load, the operating information being generated by at least a plurality of load cells coupled to the trailer, the operating information comprising;

a weight of the load on the trailer;

a front-to-back location of the load on the trailer and a side-to-side location of the load on the trailer; and

an inclination of the trailer responsive to the load on the trailer;

and

changing the operation of the tow vehicle responsive to the tow vehicle'"'"'s receipt of the operating information, wherein changing the operation of the tow vehicle comprises automatically inhibiting operation of the tow vehicle upon determining that the tow vehicle has insufficient towing capacity based on the wirelessly received signal carrying the operating information regarding the trailer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, the tow vehicle has a transmission and wherein changing an operation of the tow vehicle responsive to the received operating parameter is at least one of:

downshifting the transmission; and

disabling vehicle stability control.