Communications and control system for tractor/trailer and associated method

A vehicle comprising:

• a tractor and a trailer connected thereto;
• a plurality of electrical conductors extending between said tractor and said trailer;
• a connector electrically connected in series with said plurality of electrical conductors, said connector including disengageable first and second connector portions to facilitate disconnecting said tractor and said trailer, a plurality of electrically conducting pins carried by said first connector portion, and mating electrically conductive contacts carried by said second connector portion;
• first and second controllers carried by said tractor and said trailer respectively, said controllers comprising respective modulator/demodulator means for establishing a bidirectional communications link therebetween;
• and
• a communications channel interconnecting said first and second controllers, said communications channel comprising inductive coupling means carried by said connector for inductively coupling thereacross, said inductive coupling means comprising first and second portions inductively coupled together and respectively carried by said disengageable first and second connector portions of said connector.

A tractor adapted to be connected to a trailer for pulling the trailer, said tractor comprising:

• a frame;
• motor means carried by said frame for moving the tractor;
• coupling means, carried by said frame, for coupling to a trailer;
• a plurality of electrical conductors carried by said frame;
• a connector portion electrically connected to said plurality of electrical conductors and including a plurality of electrically conducting pins, said connector portion being adapted to connect to a mating connector portion having electrically conductive contacts and being carried by the trailer;
• an inductive coupler carried by said connector portion and adapted for inductively coupling across a connection to the trailer;
• and
• a controller carried by said frame and connected to said inductive coupler.

A trailer adapted to be connected to a tractor to be pulled by the tractor, said trailer comprising:

• a frame;
• coupling means, carried by said frame, for coupling to a tractor;
• a plurality of electrical conductors carried by said frame;
• a connector portion electrically connected to said plurality of electrical conductors and including electrically conductive contacts, said connector portion being adapted to connect to a mating connector portion having a plurality of electrically conducting pins being carried by the tractor;
• an inductive coupler carried by said connector portion and adapted for inductively coupling across a connection to the trailer;
• and
• a controller carried by said frame and connected to said inductive coupler.

A combination of an external controller and at least one trailer connected thereto, said combination comprising:

• a plurality of electrical conductors extending between said external controller and said at least one trailer;
• a connector electrically connected in series with said plurality of electrical conductors, said connector including disengageable first and second connector portions to facilitate disconnecting said external controller and said at least one trailer, a plurality of electrically conducting pins carried by said first connector portion, and mating electrically conductive contacts carried by said second connector portion;
• a trailer controller carried by said at least one trailer;
• and
• a communications channel interconnecting said external and trailer controllers, said communications channel comprising inductive coupling means carried by said connector for inductively coupling thereacross, said inductive coupling means comprising first and second portions inductively coupled together and carried by respective disengageable first and second connector portions.

A method for communicating between first and second controllers carried by a tractor and a trailer, respectively, the tractor and trailer being of the type including a plurality of electrical conductors extending therebetween and a connector electrically connected in series with the plurality of electrical conductors, the connector including disengageable first and second connector portions to facilitate disconnecting the tractor and trailer, a plurality of electrically conducting pins carried by the first connector portion, and mating electrically conductive contacts carried by the second connector portion said method comprising the steps of:

• positioning first and second coils on the respective first and second connector portions so that the first and second coils are arranged inductively coupled relation;
• connecting the respective first and second coils to the first and second controllers respectively;
• and
• transmitting a signal from the first controller to the second controller via inductive coupling between the first and second coils.