US 11,862,904 B2
Multimodal sensor-based state of connection monitoring for a 7-pin trailer cable or the like, and a trailer breakaway cable
Alaa M. Khamis, Courtice (CA); Yun Qian Miao, Waterloo (CA); and Ralph David Schlottke, Whitby (CA)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/457,009.
Prior Publication US 2023/0170652 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. H01R 13/66 (2006.01); H01R 13/42 (2006.01)
CPC H01R 13/6683 (2013.01) [H01R 13/42 (2013.01); H01R 2201/26 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for monitoring multiple cable connections between a trailer and a vehicle, the system comprising:
a trailer cable monitoring device disposed within the vehicle;
a trailer cable; and
a breakaway trailer cable;
wherein the trailer cable and the breakaway trailer cable are configured to provide a set of cable connections between the trailer and the vehicle, wherein the trailer cable monitoring device is configured to:
monitor the set of cable connections from connection data generated by a set of multimodal sensors integrated with the vehicle about statuses of the cable connections between the trailer and the vehicle;
initiate a monitor function upon detection of a presence of the trailer connected to the vehicle by at least one sensor of the set of multimodal sensors integrated with the vehicle; and
determine the statuses of the cable connections by fusing together using an information fusion algorithm one or more types of signal data from the set of multimodal sensors comprising optical signal data, radio signal data, and range signal data.