US 12,330,456 B2
Towable asset with automated monitoring
Jim Epler, Irvine, CA (US); Adam Bean, Hacienda Heights, CA (US); and Gil Winograd, Santa Fe Springs, CA (US)
Assigned to Phillips Connect Technologies LLC, Santa Fe Springs, CA (US)
Filed by Phillips Connect Technologies LLC, Santa Fe Springs, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/890,916.
Application 17/890,916 is a continuation of application No. PCT/IB2021/051563, filed on Feb. 25, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/980,011, filed on Feb. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0388360 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
Int. Cl. B60D 1/64 (2006.01)
CPC B60D 1/64 (2013.01) 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated towable asset monitoring system having an active mode of operation in which a towable asset is not coupled through a 7-way coupler to a tractor and an inactive mode of operation in which the towable asset is coupled through the 7-way coupler to a tractor, the automated asset monitoring system comprising:
a battery;
a power management circuit configured to convert a battery voltage from the battery to a monitored circuit power supply voltage;
a controller configured to command the monitored circuit power supply voltage to power a monitored circuit in the towable asset during the active mode of operation and to prevent the monitored circuit power supply voltage to power the monitored circuit during the inactive mode of operation;
a telematics transceiver configured to transmit data regarding an operation of the monitored circuit during the active mode of operation to a user remote from the towable asset, wherein th system is integrated into a nose box that includes:
a housing;
a terminal platform within the housing, the terminal platform including a first plurality of terminals for receiving lamp power signals from the 7-way coupler, a second plurality of terminals for transmitting the lamp power signals to lamps in the towable asset; and
a housing circuit board associated with the terminal platform, the housing circuit board including a plurality of lamp monitoring circuits, wherein the controller is further configured to force the power management circuit to supply an active one of the lamp monitoring circuits with the monitored circuit power supply voltage during the active mode of operation to power a respective one of the lamps in the towable asset through a respective terminal in the second plurality of terminals, the active one of the monitoring circuits being configured to measure a current and a voltage supplied to the respective one of the lamps to determine an operating condition of the respective one of the lamps, and wherein the data includes the operating condition.