The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 10, 2000
Filed:
Feb. 19, 1999
Richard P Bertalan, Arlington, WA (US);
Lew E Plummer, LaConner, WA (US);
Jon M Quigley, Mount Vernon, WA (US);
Jeffrey E Bargewell, Burlington, WA (US);
PACCAR Inc, Bellevue, WA (US);
Abstract
An electrical interface for connecting a truck electrical system to a trailer electrical system. The electrical interface includes a solid-state switching device for selectively connecting a power source in the truck electrical system to a circuit in the trailer electrical system. If a fault is detected in the provision of power to the circuit in the trailer electrical system, the solid-state switching device reduces the flow of power or disconnects the power source from the circuit in the trailer electrical system. A microcontroller system connected to the truck electrical system transmits control signals to the solid-state switching device to control the flow of power from the power source to the circuit in the trailer electrical system in accordance with instruction signals received from the truck electrical system. The solid-state switching device includes a transistor switch connected between the power source and the circuit in the trailer electrical system and a transistor driver circuit connected to the microcontroller system to control the operation of the transistor switch. The microcontroller system includes a processor and a transceiver that conveys data transmitted between the processor and the truck electrical system. The electrical interface may also include a daughter board connector for connecting an external circuit, such as a communications circuit, to the electrical interface that enables the processor to communicate data with the circuit in the trailer electrical system using an existing electrical connection to an output of the electrical interface.