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US 12,759,489 B2Granted
Smart trailer power supply
AssigneePhillips Connect Technologies LLC
InventorsGerard DiNardo, Jim Epler, Clifford Creech
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A smart battery box is provided that includes a battery for selectively powering a trailer main harness coupled to an ABS controller. The smart battery box includes a controller configured to respond to a command to control a switch to close to power the ABS controller through the battery. In this fashion, the ABS controller may be tested through the smart battery box while the trailer is disconnected from a tractor.
Claims20
A trailer power system for a trailer, comprising:
- a battery;
- a charger configured to charge the battery using a tractor power supply voltage;
- a detection circuit configured to detect whether the tractor power supply voltage is greater than a threshold value;
- a first switch coupled between a lead carrying the tractor power supply voltage and a trailer main power lead for powering an ABS controller in the trailer;
- a second switch coupled between the battery and the trailer main power lead;
- and
- a controller configured to control the first switch to couple the lead carrying the tractor power supply voltage to the trailer main power lead in response to a detection by the detection circuit that the tractor power supply voltage is greater than the threshold value, and wherein the controller is configured to respond to a first command to control the second switch to couple the battery to the trailer main power lead while the trailer is disconnected from a tractor.
4 more elements
A method of powering a trailer, comprising:
- while the trailer is connected to a tractor through a 7-way connection:
- routing a tractor power supply voltage through a housing including a first battery to power an ABS controller in the trailer in response to a detection that the tractor power supply voltage satisfies a threshold value;
- powering the ABS controller using the first battery in response to a detection that the tractor power supply voltage does not satisfy the threshold value;
- and
- while the trailer is disconnected from the tractor and the 7-way connection:
- responding to a first command to couple the first battery to the ABS controller to power the ABS controller.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.