Patent ID: 6525654
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: B60Q,G01R

Abstract:
Portable apparatus suitable for being temporarily placed in a given towing vehicle (14) and associated vehicle trailer (10) combination when it is desired to monitor the operation of electrical circuits of the vehicle trailer, the electrical circuits being supplied with electrical power from the towing vehicle via a plug (24b) and socket (22a) wiring connector, the apparatus being removable from the towing vehicle and trailer of the given combination when towing is concluded or monitoring is no longer desired, the apparatus being transferable to other towing vehicle and vehicle trailer combinations for which monitoring is desired, the apparatus comprising:a transportable monitoring unit (18) suitable for being removably placed on a selected vehicle trailer when it is desired to monitor the operation of electrical circuits in the trailer, said monitoring unit having a plug (22b) and socket (24a) adapted to be removably connected in series between the plug (24b) and socket (22a) otherwise used to supply power to the trailer electrical circuits, said monitoring unit including means (32) for outputting a signal in response to the failure of a component (12a-12d) of a trailer electrical circuit; a transportable indicator unit (26) suitable for being removably placed in the towing vehicle in a position where it can provide an indication to the vehicle driver, said indicator unit including means (94) for indicating to the driver the failure of a component of a trailer electrical circuit; and means (34, 90) for transmitting a component failure signal from the monitoring unit to the indicator unit for causing the indicator unit to provide a component failure indication to the vehicle driver, said means comprising a wireless radio transmitter (34, 60, 84) in the monitoring unit and a wireless receiver (90) in the indicator unit.