Electronic system for monitoring a fifth wheel hitch

An electronic system for monitoring a trailer hitch assembly mounted on a vehicle, the trailer hitch assembly having a hitch plate with a throat for receiving a kingpin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for locking the kingpin in the throat, said system comprising:

• a trailer sensor for sensing the position of the trailer relative to said trailer hitch assembly;
• a lock sensor for sensing the position of the locking mechanism;
• an output device for providing coupling status information to a driver of the vehicle;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to said trailer sensor, said lock sensor and said output device, said control circuit providing an alphanumeric error code through the output device when said trailer sensor and said lock sensor indicate that the trailer hitch assembly is not properly coupled to the trailer.

An electronic system for monitoring a trailer hitch assembly mounted on a vehicle, the trailer hitch assembly having a hitch plate with a throat for receiving a kingpin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for locking the kingpin in the throat, said system comprising:

• a trailer sensor for sensing the position of the trailer relative to said trailer hitch assembly;
• a lock sensor for sensing the position of the locking mechanism;
• a memory device for storing coupling status information;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to said trailer sensor, said lock sensor, and said memory device for sequentially storing in said memory device, a history of changes in position of the trailer and the locking mechanism as respectively sensed by said trailer sensor and said lock sensor.

An electronic system for monitoring a trailer hitch assembly having a hitch plate with a throat for receiving a kingpin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for locking the kingpin in the throat, said system determining whether the trailer hitch assembly is properly coupled to the trailer, said system comprising:

• a trailer sensor for sensing the position of the trailer relative to said trailer hitch assembly;
• a lock sensor for sensing the position of the locking mechanism;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to said trailer sensor and said lock sensor, said control circuit determining whether the trailer hitch assembly is properly coupled to the trailer by taking into account the time period elapsing between when said trailer sensor and said lock sensor sense the respective positions of the trailer and the locking mechanism.

A hitching system, comprising:

• a trailer hitch assembly having a hitch plate with a throat for receiving a kingpin of a trailer and a locking mechanism for locking the kingpin in the throat;
• a trailer sensor for sensing the position of the trailer relative to said trailer hitch assembly;
• a lock sensor for sensing the position of the locking mechanism;
• and
• a control circuit coupled to said trailer sensor and said lock sensor, said control circuit determining whether the trailer hitch assembly is properly coupled to the trailer by taking into account the sequence in which said trailer sensor and said lock sensor sense the respective positions of the trailer and the locking mechanism as well as the time period elapsing between the sensing of such positions.