Trailer Camera Integrated with Lighting Harness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tractor-trailer video systems require dedicated wiring harnesses for power and data transmission, leading to complex and costly installations, potential damage to the trailer, and regulatory compliance issues, while also lacking integration with the tractor's CAN bus.
Innovation Solution
The video system utilizes the tractor and trailer's existing wiring harnesses as a broadband digital network to transmit digital video data, allowing camera units to be covertly integrated with trailer lighting, eliminating the need for a dedicated wiring harness and physical alterations, and enabling data transmission through the wiring harnesses used for DC power distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dedicated wiring harness is used for video data transmission, then video signal reliability is improved, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing wiring harness is made multi-functional by enabling it to carry both traditional electrical power signals and digital video data simultaneously. The system uses the same wiring infrastructure for multiple purposes, eliminating the need for a separate dedicated video wiring harness while maintaining reliable video transmission through signal encoding and modulation techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The video data transmission function is merged with the existing power distribution wiring harness. By combining multiple functions (power delivery and data transmission) into a single infrastructure, the system reduces overall complexity and installation cost while maintaining the reliability needed for video signal transmission.
2Reliability
If camera units are physically mounted on the trailer, then video monitoring capability is improved, but the risk of physical damage to the trailer and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces physical camera mounting with magnetic attachment mechanisms. Camera units can be securely mounted and removed without drilling holes or making permanent modifications to the trailer body, thereby eliminating the risk of structural damage while maintaining video monitoring capability. The magnetic mounting system allows for easy installation and removal as needed.
3Ease of manufacture
If existing wiring harnesses are used for video data transmission, then ease of installation is improved, but data transmission interference from power signals may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces signal conditioning and processing intermediaries (such as isolators, filters, and encoding/decoding devices) that enable clean separation between power signals and video data signals within the shared wiring harness. These intermediaries prevent interference while allowing both functions to coexist in the same infrastructure, maintaining both installation ease and data integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
There are disclosed video systems and methods that use a camera in a lamp housing for a tractor-trailer. Within the housing is an electrical subsystem with a PLC interface and an electrical connector disposed outside the housing and adapted to connect to the trailer and draw power therefrom. A lamp mounted in the housing is connected and adapted to draw power through the electrical subsystem and emit light through a cover of the housing. The camera mounted in the housing has a field of view through the cover. The camera is connected and adapted to draw power through the electrical subsystem and to capture images through the cover and is further connected to the PLC interface. The PLC interface converts data from the camera and transmits the converted data through the electrical connector to the trailer.