Patent ID: 8818620

Claim:
A system for determining an operational status of at least one trailer brake comprising: one or more processors; one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; a trailer brake current output circuit electrically coupled to the at least one trailer brake and communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; a trailer brake current sensing circuit electrically coupled to the at least one trailer brake and communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; a trailer brake activation input circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more processors; machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the system to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors: command the trailer brake current output circuit to intermittently supply a diagnostic current to the at least one trailer brake during a trailer brake activation period and during a non-activation period, wherein a trailer brake activation signal is received from the trailer brake activation input circuit during the trailer brake activation period; receive a sensed current signal from the trailer brake current sensing circuit in response to the command to supply the diagnostic current; and determine the operational status of the at least one trailer brake based on the sensed current signal.