Trailer Camera Signal Sharing Over Common Wiring Harness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial truck camera monitoring systems face challenges in providing visibility behind the trailer due to blind spots, and existing solutions require costly dedicated wiring for transmitting video signals with minimal latency.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle communication system that uses common unshielded twisted wires within the existing wiring harness to transmit sensor signals, such as from a trailer-mounted camera, alongside control signals, with processors on both the tractor and trailer to filter noise and embed the sensor signal into control signals for transmission, allowing real-time image display without dedicated wiring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated wiring is used to transmit sensor signals, then signal transmission reliability is improved, but system complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling existing control wires in the wiring harness to serve dual purposes: transmitting both control signals to trailer components and sensor signals from the camera. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated wiring for sensor signals, reducing system complexity while maintaining reliable signal transmission through proper signal embedding and filtering techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges control signals and sensor signals into the same communication channel (control wires), combining multiple functions into a single wiring infrastructure. This consolidation reduces the overall wiring complexity and installation cost while maintaining signal integrity through embedded coding schemes
2Ease of manufacture
If common wires are used to transmit both control and sensor signals, then installation cost is reduced, but signal noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces filters as intermediary components that mediate between the noisy common wire environment and the sensitive sensor signals. These filters selectively pass desired signal frequencies while blocking noise, enabling reliable communication over shared wires without requiring expensive shielded or twisted-pair wiring
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes signal parameters by embedding sensor data within control signal protocols and using frequency division or time-division multiplexing techniques. This allows sensor signals to coexist with control signals on the same wires by allocating different frequency bands or time slots, reducing interference while maintaining cost-effective wiring
3Device complexity
If sensor signals are embedded in control signals, then wiring complexity is reduced, but signal detection difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex physical signal separation mechanisms with electronic/software-based detection methods. Instead of using separate physical wires or complex filtering hardware at the receiver end, the system uses embedded coding schemes and software algorithms to extract sensor signals from the composite control signal stream, reducing wiring complexity while maintaining detectability
Data Source
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AI summary
A camera monitoring system has a trailer with trailer components that are responsive to at least one control signal and a wiring harness that is in communication with the trailer components and has a connector that communicates with a tractor. The wiring harness carries the at least one control signal to the trailer components. A sensor is provided on the trailer and generates a sensor signal. A processor is interconnected between the sensor and the wiring harness. The processor transforms the sensor signal for transmission over the wiring harness with the at least one control signal using common wires within the wiring harness. A filter is interconnected between the processor and at least one of the trailer components to filter noise from the at least one control signal.