Trailer power and communication management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11117556-B2
Application number	US-201716340184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2021
Grant date	Sep 14, 2021

Abstract

A connector in a commercial vehicle electronic braking and communication system for a trailer to connect the system to a prime mover. The connector includes an electronic control module with a first databus connection, which databus, in use, carries braking related data signals and to which a brake pressure control device is attached and a second databus connection, which second databus, in use, carries data relating to non-braking functions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connector system for providing data and power in a trailer having a commercial vehicle electronic braking and communication system, including a trailer EBS unit, comprising:
an electrical control unit (ECU);
a first connector positioned at the front end of the trailer;
a second connector positioned at a front end of the trailer;
wherein the ECU is connected by a first databus to the trailer EBS unit, wherein the first databus is configured to carry braking related data signals to the trailer EBS unit, and wherein the connector system is for connecting the vehicle electronic braking and communication system to a prime mover;
wherein the second connector includes a second databus connection for a second databus to carry data relating to non-braking functions, wherein the second databus is separate from the first databus,
wherein the ECU includes a smart connector module, and wherein the smart connector module is at least connected to and/or associated with the first connector,
wherein the electronic braking and communication system includes at least object detector, which is connected to the second databus, and
wherein the electronic braking and communication system acts as a combined brake, brake and chassis control, lighting and autonomous driving controller.

2. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the first connector includes a standards compliant braking related data connector, wherein the second connector includes a second standards compliant data connector for data relating to non-braking functions, and wherein the first and second connectors are both connected to and/or associated with the ECU is.

3. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the first connector includes a standards compliant braking related data connector having the ECU, and wherein the second connector includes a second standards compliant data connector for data relating to non-braking functions.

4. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the first databus is compliant with ISO7638.

5. The connector system of claim 4 , wherein the second databus is compliant with ISO 12098.

6. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the connection to the brake or brake and chassis controller is made using a 4 wire cable.

7. The connector system of claim 6 , wherein each wire of the 4-wire cable has a diameter of approximately 1 mm.

8. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the data signals on at least one of the databuses is 250 Kb/s or higher.

9. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the first databus includes an Ethernet connection.

10. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the data relating to non-braking functions includes at least one of lighting control, object detection, object location, object distance and/or a video signal.

11. The connector system of claim 10 , wherein the ECU is configured to determine if an obstacle is present and, in the event of an obstacle being detected, generate a brake actuation signal.

12. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein there is a third databus connection for a third data bus to carry data relating to at least one of object detection, object location, object distance and/or a video signal.

13. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic braking and communication system includes a camera, which camera is connected to the second databus.

14. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the at least object detector includes at least one of: a radar; a lidar and/or an ultrasonic detector.

15. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein power management and power conditioning are performed in at least the first connector.

16. The connector system of claim 1 , wherein the first connector is connected to a splitter.

17. The connector system of claim 16 , wherein the ECU is also connected by an electrical connection to the splitter.

Assignees

• Knorr Bremse Systeme Fuer Nutzfahrzeuge Gmbh

Inventors

• Fry Matthew
• Mederer Martin

Classifications

• B60T7/20

  specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of {or overrunning by} trailer (inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08) · CPC title

• G06F13/38

  Information transfer, e.g. on bus (G06F13/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60T13/66 Primary

  Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems · CPC title

• B60D1/24

  characterised by arrangements for particular functions · CPC title

• B60D1/62 Primary

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