Patent ID: 6845851

Claim:
A system for controlling the braking system of a towed vehicle being towed by a towing vehicle, the system comprising: (a) a towing vehicle subsystem for a towing vehicle, including: (1) a towing vehicle control mechanism including a monitoring mechanism with a display device having a brakes-on indicator, (2) a towing vehicle receiver mechanism that includes first circuitry connected in communication with the towing vehicle control mechanism wherein the towing vehicle receiver mechanism is structured and configured to operatively and wirelessly receive modulated digital signals, and (3) a towed vehicle multi-position DIP switch, wherein the towed vehicle DIP switch is structured and configured to provide encoding to the modulated digital signals transmitted by the towed vehicle transmitter mechanism; (b) a towed vehicle subsystem for a towed vehicle, including: (1) a towed vehicle control mechanism, (2) communication means connecting the towed vehicle subsystem in communication with the towing vehicle subsystem, (3) a linkage mechanism connecting the towed vehicle control mechanism to the braking system of the towed vehicle, (4) a sensing mechanism connected in communication with the towed vehicle control mechanism wherein the sensing mechanism includes a braking sensor structured and configured to operatively sense activation of the braking system of the towed vehicle, (5) a towed vehicle transmitter mechanism connected to the towed vehicle control mechanism that includes second circuitry structured and configured to operatively and wirelessly transmit modulated digital signals to the towing vehicle transmitter mechanism, and (6) a towing vehicle multi-position DIP switch, wherein the towing vehicle DIP switch is structured and configured to decode the modulated digital signals received by the towing vehicle receiver mechanism from the towed vehicle transmitter mechanism; and (c) at least one power source providing electrical power to the towing vehicle subsystem and the towed vehicle subsystem; and (d) wherein actuation of the towing vehicle control mechanism by an operator of the towing vehicle actuates the towed vehicle control mechanism causing the linkage mechanism to actuate the braking system of the towed vehicle and wherein the sensing mechanism, upon sensing actuation of the braking system of the towed vehicle, causes the towed vehicle transmitter mechanism to wirelessly transmit modulated digital signals to the towing vehicle receiver mechanism which, in conjunction with the towing vehicle control mechanism, causes the display device to indicate that the braking system of the towed vehicle has been actuated.