Tri-state trailer pigtail

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10780818-B2
Application number	US-201816217514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2018
Priority date	Dec 12, 2018
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A tri-state electronic vehicle system control circuit comprises a plurality of 3-position switches, each of which is coupled to a dedicated pin on a wiring harness for coupling multiple portions of a combination vehicle such as a tractor-trailer combination. Each switch controls a device (e.g., brake lights, turn signal, etc.) and a data link that can be selectively toggled in a manner that permits data transmission without perceptibly affecting device function. Alternatively, two devices controlled by a given switch can be enabled by a single pin on the wiring harness. The tri-state switching circuitry thus doubles the capacity of the wiring harness to which it is applied.

First claim

Having thus described the preferred embodiments, the invention is now claimed to be:

1. A tri-state switching device that facilitates selectively providing power and data transmission via a connection in a vehicle, comprising:
a microprocessor configured to communicate over a plurality of data communication lines and coupled to a plurality of tri-state switches;
circuitry comprising the plurality of tri-state switches each configured to switch between a first position, a second position, and an open position;
wherein the microprocessor is further configured to control selectively the positions of said each of the plurality of tri-state switches;
wherein in the first position of said each of the plurality of tri-state switches provides power to a first on-board device of a plurality of on-board devices, and wherein in the second position of said each of the plurality of tri-state switches provides power to a second on-board device of the plurality of on-board devices or provides a data communication connection over which data can be transmitted and received;
wherein the plurality of tri-state switches are configured to control switching between providing power to the first or second on-board devices and providing the data communication connection.

2. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , comprising five tri-state switches, each of the five tri-state switches being coupled to one of five respective dedicated pins on a connector.

3. The tri-state switching device according to claim 2 , wherein the connector is an output connector configured for transmitting signal to a downstream connector.

4. The tri-state switching device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the five tri-state switches is further coupled to said one of the five respective dedicated pins on the downstream connector configured for receiving signal from the connector.

5. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the data communication connection is a controller area network (CAN) data connection.

6. The tri-state switching device according to claim 5 , wherein each of said CAN data connection has a high voltage variant (CAN HI) and a low voltage variant (CAN LO), and wherein the CAN HI and CAN LO data connections individually coupled to respective dedicated switches of the plurality of tri-state switches.

7. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein for the plurality of tri-state switches configured to control switching between providing said power to an on-board device and providing the data communication connection, the on-board device comprises one or more exterior vehicle lights, such that interruption of said power to the one or more exterior vehicle lights is imperceptible to a human.

8. The tri-state switching device according to claim 7 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to limit data transmission over the data communication connection to approximately 25 ms or less.

9. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein for the at least one plurality of tri-state switches configured to control switching between providing said power to an on-board device and providing the data communication connection, the on-board device comprises one or more turn signal lamps, and the microprocessor is further configured to limit data transmission over the data communication connection to an OFF portion of a turn signal lamp duty cycle that interruption of said power to the one or more turn signal lamps is imperceptible to a human.

10. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of tri-state switches is coupled to two on-board devices of the plurality of on-board devices and four of the plurality of tri-state switches are each respectively coupled to one data communication connection and one on-board device of the plurality of on-board devices, such that the microprocessor controls six on-board devices of the plurality of on-board devices and four data communication connections.

11. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of on-board devices comprise external vehicle light systems comprising one or more of:
a right-hand turn signal system;
a left-hand turn signal system;
a tail light system;
a brake light system;
a clearance light system; and
a trailer cornering light system.

12. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the connector is a 7-pin connector.

13. The tri-state switching device according to claim 1 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to detect a mode status of said each of the plurality of tri-state switches describing a position of said each of the plurality of tri-state switches to which the microprocessor is connected, said position being one of the first position and the second position.

14. A tractor-side tri-state switching device that facilitates selectively providing power and data transmission via a connection from a tractor in a combination vehicle, comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a microprocessor configured to control selectively a position of each of five tri-state switches, said each of the five tri-state switches being coupled to one of five respective dedicated pins on a connector, wherein said each of the five tri-state switches configured to switch between a first position, a second position, and an open position;
wherein in the first position of said each of the five tri-state switches provides said power to a first vehicle lamp system, and wherein in the second position of said each of the five tri-state switches provides said power to a second vehicle lamp system or provides a data communication connection over which data can be transmitted and received;
wherein the five tri-state switches are configured to control switching between providing said power to the first or second vehicle lamp system and providing the data communication connection.

15. The tractor-side tri-state switching device according to claim 14 , wherein the data communication connection is a controller area network (CAN) data connection.

16. The tractor-side tri-state switching device according to claim 14 , wherein for the five tri-state switches configured to control switching between providing said power to the first or second vehicle lamp system and providing the data communication connection, the first or second vehicle lamp system comprises one or more exterior vehicle lamps, such that interruption of said power to the one or more exterior vehicle lamps is imperceptible to a human.

17. The tractor-side tri-state switching device according to claim 16 , wherein the microprocessor is further configured to limit said data transmission over the data communication connection to approximately 25 ms or less.

18. The tractor-side tri-state switching device according to claim 14 , wherein for the five tri-state switches configured to control switching between providing said power to the first or second vehicle lamp system and providing the data communication connection, the first or second vehicle lamp system comprises one or more turn signal lamps, and the microprocessor is further configured to limit said data transmission over the data communication connection to an OFF portion of a turn signal lamp duty cycle that interruption of said power to the one or more turn signal lamps is imperceptible to a human.

19. The tractor-side tri-state switching device according to claim 14 , wherein the connector is a 7-pin connector.

20. A down-stream tri-state

Assignees

• Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems Llc
• Bendix Commerical Vehicle Systems Llc

Inventors

• Foster Rick

Classifications

• H04L12/10 Primary

  Current supply arrangements · CPC title

• B60Q1/0094 Primary

  Arrangement of electronic circuits separated from the light source, e.g. mounting of housings for starter circuits for discharge lamps (arrangements being part of the light source holder F21V17/06, F21S43/195) · CPC title

• B60Q1/305

  Indicating devices for towed vehicles · CPC title

• B60D1/64

  Couplings or joints therefor · CPC title

• B60D1/62

  involving supply lines, electric circuits or the like · CPC title