Patent Publication Number: US-2013241722-A1

Title: Kit for Controlling a Commercial Trucks Lights Wirelessly

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention is directed to a kit for controlling a commercial truck&#39;s lights wirelessly. 
     The inventor of the present invention repairs the wiring of commercial trucks for a living. During his years as a commercial truck electrician, he noticed that after a period of years, the exterior lights of commercial trucks brought their owners many problems. Problems arose because the lights or the wiring leading to the lights of the trucks fail with time. The failure of the wiring in turn leads to accidents, down time with regards to the operation of the trucks, and tickets that may arise because of the non-operation of the lights. 
     Truck operators normally change blown lights themselves, yet many times, the blown lights don&#39;t address the underlying problem. The underlying problem being that the wires or leading to the lights are either worn or are shorting with other wires. 
     Commercial trucks inherently have many wires connecting their lights to their commercial truck cabins. In turn, this leads to significant down time when a short in the wiring system has to be identified. Many times, when a light is blown, a short is difficult to discover and the truck has to be taken apart to discover the short. 
     The present invention addresses the problem of having unnecessary wires entering the cabin of a truck. By addressing this problem, the time that a truck is down is minimized. This way a truck cabin does not have to be taken apart to discover a short. The invention also addresses how to easily find shorts in commercial truck wiring systems by providing RF devices that serve to provide power to lights and that are relatively close to the RF devices. The RF devices connect to a digital master RF device. The digital master RF device is programmed to receive, transmit, and analyze the signals of the RF devices. The RF devices provide a mechanism that easily identities the light or wiring that has led to the blown light. The mechanism uses an LED indicator that lights up when a short occurs in the RF device. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a kit for controlling a commercial truck&#39;s lights wirelessly that will minimize the cabling normally involved in the wiring of lights from a commercial truck&#39;s cabin to its exterior lights and will also allow the operator of the vehicle or an electrician working on vehicle to identify lights that are out or wires that may be causing a short. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to a kit for controlling a commercial truck&#39;s lights wirelessly that minimizes the cabling involved in the wiring of lights from a commercial truck&#39;s cabin to its exterior lights. The invention also allows an operator of the vehicle or an electrician working on the vehicle to identify lights that are out or wires that may be causing a short. 
     The present invention is a digital RF Kit that is used to control the lights of a commercial truck, the digital RF Kit comprises of a digital master RF device that is housed in a cabin of a commercial vehicle, the commercial vehicle has a front and rear side and it has a DC electrical system and a transmission. The digital RF kit further comprises at least one front digital RF device that is positioned in the front of the vehicle that communicates with the digital master RF device and at least one front light of the vehicle. The digital RF kit further comprises of at least one rear digital RF device that is positioned in the rear of the vehicle that communicates with the digital master RF device and at least one rear light of the vehicle. The digital RF kit further comprises of a transmission RF device that is connected to the vehicles transmission so that when the vehicle is placed in reverse, a signal is transmitted to the digital master RF device. 
     An object of the present invention is to minimize the cabling normally associated with the wiring of a commercial truck vehicles lights that stem from the cab of the commercial vehicle. 
     Another object of the present invention is to minimize the time normally associated with the labor involved when diagnosing and repairing the lighting electrical system of a commercial truck. 
     A further object of the present invention is to allow the operator of a vehicle to easily identify a problem with the vehicles lighting system. 
     A further object of the present invention is to allow an electrician working on a vehicle to easily identify a problem with the vehicles lighting system or wiring. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce the costs normally endured by the owner of the commercial vehicle when having the truck&#39;s electrical lighting system maintained. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and drawings where: 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of the kit of the present invention mounted on a commercial truck vehicle; 
         FIG. 2  shows a front view of the digital master RF device of the present invention within a cab of a commercial vehicle; 
         FIG. 3  shows a front view of the front digital RF and the battery powered RF device of the present invention mounted on a commercial truck vehicle; 
         FIG. 4  shows a rear view of the rear digital RF device and the 7-pin RF device of the present invention mounted on a commercial truck vehicle; and 
         FIG. 5  shows a top view of the transmission RF device of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     As seen if  FIGS. 1-5 , a digital RF Kit that is used to control the lights of a commercial truck  110 , the digital RF Kit comprises of a digital master RF device  10  that is housed in a cabin  111  of a commercial vehicle  110 , the commercial vehicle  110  has a front  112  and rear side  113  and it has a DC electrical system  120  and a transmission  40 . The digital RF fit further comprises at least one front digital RF device  20  that is positioned in the front of the vehicle  112  that communicates with the digital master RF device  10  and at least one front light  24 . a  of the vehicle  110 . The digital RF kit further comprises of at least one rear digital RF device  30  that is positioned in the rear  113  of the vehicle  110  that communicates with the digital master RF device  10  and at least one rear light  34 . a  of the vehicle, The digital RF kit further comprises of a transmission RF device  40  that is connected to the vehicles transmission  114  so that when the vehicle  110  is placed in reverse, a signal is transmitted to the digital master RF device  10 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 2 , the digital master RF device  10  comprises of a master power input  11 , the master power input  11  connects to the DC electrical system  120  of the commercial vehicle  110 ; at least one analog receiver  12  that connects to an analog signal  12 . a ; a master RF transmitter  13 ; a master RF receiver  14 ; and a master processor  15  connected to the master RF transmitter  13  and the master RF receiver  14 , the master processor  15  connects to the master power input  11 . The digital master RF device  10  is programmed to communicate, send, receive and analyze signals received from all devices of the kit. It would alert the operator of the commercial truck that a problem has occurred with regards to the vehicles lighting system. It would alert the operator of the vehicle of where the problem has been identified and it would indicate which device is sending the signal. The digital master RF device&#39;s analog receiver  12  connects to switches, turn signals, and/or brakes controls of the commercial vehicle  110  via hard wire. 
     As seen in  FIG. 3 , at least one front digital RF device  20  that is positioned in the front of the vehicle  112  that communicates with the digital master RF device  10  and at least one front light  24 . a  of the vehicle, each front digital RF device comprises  20  of a front power input  21 , each front power input  21  connects to the DC electrical system  120  of the commercial vehicle  110 ; an RF front receiver  22 ; an RF front transmitter  23 ; an RF front processor  25  connected to the RF front transmitter  23  and the RF front receiver  22 , the RF front processor  25  connects to the front power input  21 ; at least one front power output  24 ; and at least one front LED light  26 , each front LED light  26  is connected each front power output  24  so that if a problem arises with regards to any front power output  24  each front LED light  26  would turn on and a signal would be transmitted to the digital master RF device  10  from the front digital RF device  20 . Any front LED light turned on would instruct the driver as to which specific light is connected to each specific front power output experiencing a broken loop, thereby allowing the driver to easily identify the problem with any light and minimizing the length of cabling between a commercial vehicle&#39;s power source and the light. 
     As seen in  FIG. 4 , each rear digital device  30  comprises of a rear power input  31 , the power input  31  connects to the DC electrical system  120  of the commercial vehicle  110 ; an RF rear receiver  32 ; an RF rear transmitter  33 ; an RF rear processor  35  connected to the RF rear transmitter  33  and the RF rear receiver  32 , the RF rear processor  35  connects to the rear power input  31 ; at least one rear power output  34 ; and at least one rear LED light  36 , each rear LED light  36  is connected each rear power output  34  so that if a problem arises with regards to the rear power output  34  each rear LED light  36  would turn on and a signal would be transmitted to the digital master RF device  10  from the rear digital RF device  30 . Any rear LED light  36  turned on would instruct the driver as to which specific light is connected to each specific rear power output experiencing a broken loop, thereby allowing the driver to easily identify the problem with any light and minimizing the length of cabling between a commercial vehicle&#39;s power source and the light. 
     As seen in  FIG. 5 , the transmission RF device comprises  40  of a transmitter power input  41 , the transmitter power input  41  connects to the DC electrical system  120  of the commercial vehicle  110 ; and an RF rear transmitter  42  that communicates with the digital master RF device  10 . The transmission RF device  40  works in tandem with the digital master RF device  10  to turn reverse lights of the commercial vehicle  110  on when the vehicles transmission is placed in reverse position. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 4 , in another embodiment of the present invention, the digital RF Kit described above further comprises of a 7-pin RF device  50 , the 7-pin RF device  50  connects to a commercial truck trailer (not shown in figures), the 7-pin RF device  50  comprises of a 7-pin power input  51 , the 7-pin power input  51  connects to the DC electrical system  120  of the commercial vehicle  110 ; a 7-pin receiver  52 ; a 7-pin transmitter  53 ; a 7-pin processor  55  connected to the 7-pin receiver  52  and the 7-pin transmitter  53 , the 7-pin processor  55  connects to the 7-pin power input  51 ; at least one 7-pin power output  54 ; and at least one 7-pin LED light  56 , each 7-pin LED light  56  is connected each 7-pin power output  54  so that if a problem arises with regards to the 7-pin power output  54 , the LED light  56  would turn on and a signal would be transmitted to the digital master RF device  10  from the 7-pin RF device  50 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , in a further embodiment of the present invention, the digital RF Kit described above might further comprise of a battery powered RF device  60 , the battery powered RF device  60  comprises of a battery power input  61  connected to a battery source  121 ; a battery powered receiver  62 ; a battery powered transmitter  63 ; a battery powered processor  65  connected to the battery powered receiver  62  and the battery powered transmitter  63 ; at least one battery powered power output  64 ; and at least one battery powered LED light  66 , each battery powered LED light  66  is connected each battery powered power output  64  so that if a problem arises with regards to the battery powered power output  64 , the LED light  66  would turn on and a signal would be transmitted to the digital master RF device  10  from the battery powered RF device  60 , The battery powered RF device  60  connects to a cabin light  64 . a.    
     An advantage of the present invention is that it minimizes the cabling normally associated with the wiring of a commercial truck vehicles lights that stem from the cab of the commercial vehicle. 
     Another advantage of the present invention is that it minimizes the time normally associated with the labor involved when diagnosing and repairing the lighting electrical system of a commercial truck. 
     A further advantage of the present invention is that it allows the operator of a vehicle to easily identify a problem with the vehicles lighting system. 
     A further advantage of the present invention is that it allows an electrician working on a vehicle to easily identify a problem with the vehicles lighting system or wiring. 
     Yet another advantage of the present invention is that it reduces the costs normally endured by the owner of the commercial vehicle when having the truck&#39;s electrical lighting system maintained. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail in reference to preferred versions, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein.