Adapter for selecting lamp function in a truck trailer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020171901-A1
Application number	US-201916691903-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 22, 2019
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	Jun 4, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An adapter for use with components of a truck trailer. The adapter may include multiple input terminals corresponding with multiple terminals of a trailer component socket of a trailer, and multiple output terminals configured to electrically connect with corresponding input terminals of a trailer component. The adapter may also include an adapter circuit configured to electrically connect at least four of the input terminals with at least four of the multiple output terminals. The multiple output terminals may include at least two mode selection output terminals configured to provide a mode selection to the trailer component, and the trailer component optionally includes control logic configured to activate and deactivate the trailer component according to the mode selection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An adapter for use with components of a trailer, comprising:
multiple input terminals corresponding with multiple terminals of a trailer component socket of a trailer; multiple output terminals configured to electrically connect with corresponding input terminals of a trailer component; and an adapter circuit configured to electrically connect at least four of the input terminals with at least four of the multiple output terminals; wherein the multiple output terminals include at least two mode selection output terminals configured to provide a mode selection to the trailer component; and wherein the trailer component includes control logic configured to activate and deactivate the trailer component according to the mode selection.

2 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the multiple input terminals include:
a power input terminal configured to electrically connect to a power circuit of the trailer; a ground input terminal configured to electrically connect to a ground circuit of the trailer; and at least one control input configured to electrically connect to at least one control cable of the trailer.

3 . The adapter of claim 2 , wherein the multiple output terminals include:
a power output terminal configured to electrically connect a power terminal of a trailer component to the power input terminal, wherein the trailer component is mounted to the trailer; a ground connection terminal configured to electrically connect a ground terminal of the trailer component to the ground input terminal; at least one control output configured to electrically connect to the at least one control input of the trailer component; and wherein the at least two mode selection output terminals are configured to electrically connect to a corresponding at least two mode selection input terminal of the trailer component.

4 . The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the adapter circuit is configured to electrically connect the power input terminal to the power output terminal, the ground input terminal to the ground output terminal, and the at least one control input to the at least one control output, and wherein the adapter circuit is configured to provide a mode selection to the trailer component using the at least one mode selection output terminal.

5 . The adapter of claim 4 , comprising:
at least two mode selection output terminals electrically connected to at least two dual position switches; wherein the dual position switches are configured to provide a mode selection by selectively connecting each of the at least two mode selection output terminals to either the power input terminal or the ground input terminal.

6 . The adapter of claim 5 , comprising:
a housing, wherein the at least two dual position switches extend outside the housing.

7 . The adapter of claim 4 , wherein the adapter circuit includes mode selection circuits electrically connecting each of the at least one mode selection output terminals to either the power input terminal or the ground input terminal.

8 . The adapter of claim 1 , comprising:
a wireless receiver configured to receive the mode selection from a remote computing device; and a memory configured to store the mode selection.

9 . The adapter of claim 1 , comprising:
a programming input terminal configured to accept the mode selection as input provided using a programming cable coupled to a remote computing device; and a memory configured to store the mode selection.

10 . The adapter of claim 4 , wherein the trailer component control logic includes:
a slave control circuit electrically connected to the power output terminal, the ground connection terminal, and the at least one control output, and wherein the slave control circuit is configured to receive control commands sent by a master control circuit; wherein the slave control circuit is configured to activate the trailer component when the master control circuit sends a control command that matches the mode selection provided by the adapter circuit.

11 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the trailer component is a lamp, and wherein the mode selection is a brake mode.

12 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the trailer component is a rear-facing camera, and wherein the mode selection is a reverse mode.

13 . The adapter of claim 4 , wherein the power input terminal, the ground input terminal, and the at least one control output are electrically connected to a master control circuit mounted in a trailer nosebox of the trailer, wherein the master control circuit is configured to accept control input from a truck tractor, and wherein the master control circuit is configured to generate a component control command specific to the trailer component, and to deliver the component control command to the trailer component using at least one communication cable connection electrically connected to the at least one control output.

14 . The adapter of claim 4 :
wherein the at least one control cable of the trailer includes a first and second control cable; wherein the first and second control cables are electrically connected to a master Control Area Network (CAN) controller; wherein the trailer component includes a slave CAN controller electrically connected to the first and second control cables; and wherein the master and slave CAN controllers communicate using a CAN protocol.

15 . The adapter of claim 4 , comprising:
wherein the at least one control cable of the trailer includes a single control cable; wherein the single control cable is electrically connected to a master Local Interconnect Network (LIN) controller; wherein the trailer component includes a slave LIN controller electrically connected to the single control cable; and wherein the master and slave LIN controllers communicate using a LIN protocol.

16 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the trailer component is any one of a vehicle stop-tail-turn lamp, a vehicle turn signal lamp, a vehicle brake lamp, a vehicle tail lamp, a vehicle running lamp, a vehicle anti-lock brake, a vehicle interior illumination lamps, or a vehicle reverse lamp.

17 . The adapter of claim 1 , wherein the trailer component is an antilock brake system controller, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a door sensor, a cargo sensor, a cargo a length sensor, a liquid level sensor, or a refrigeration sensor.

Assignees

• Grote Industries Inc

Inventors

• Pampattiwar Sankalp
• Kubal Yogesh
• Tang Shengjie
• Perez-Bolivar Cesar

Classifications

• H01R2201/20

  for testing or measuring purposes · CPC title

• B60Q11/005

  for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not · CPC title

• B60D1/64 Primary

  Couplings or joints therefor · CPC title

• G01R31/44

  Testing lamps · CPC title

• B60Q1/305

  Indicating devices for towed vehicles · CPC title