System for monitoring a towable trailer and method of detecting potential thermal events

1 . A monitoring system for a towable trailer comprising:

a brake chamber pressure sensor;

a brake lining temperature sensor;

a wheel end temperature sensor;

a brake diaphragm sensor;

at least one microcontroller unit disposed on the towable trailer;

at least one primary control unit disposed on the towable trailer that houses an analytics engine and a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit, wherein the primary control unit has a memory that stores a set of computer executable instructions, a processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions embodied in the memory;

wherein the microcontroller unit is in fluid communication with each of the brake chamber pressure sensor, the brake lining temperature sensor, the wheel end temperature sensor, the brake diaphragm sensor, and the at least one primary control unit, such that the micro controller unit is configured to:

obtain at least one data set comprising each of a brake chamber pressure input from the brake chamber pressure sensor, a brake lining temperature input from the brake lining temperature sensor, a wheel end temperature input from the wheel end temperature sensor, and a brake diaphragm position input from the brake diaphragm sensor; and

transmit the first data set to the at least one primary control unit;

wherein the at least one primary control unit is configured to receive the first data set from the microcontroller unit; and

wherein the at least one primary control unit is configured to select a thermal risk value from a look-up table based on at least the first data set and compare the thermal risk value to a predetermined threshold, and wherein the primary control unit generates a thermal alert if the thermal risk value exceeds the predetermined threshold and transmits the thermal alert to an instrument panel, such the thermal alert is operative to alert a trailer operator.

2 . The monitoring system of claim 1 further comprising:

a tire pressure monitoring sensor in fluid communication with the microcontroller unit;

a brake airline sensor in fluid communication with the microcontroller unit;

an ambient temperature sensor in fluid communication with the microcontroller unit; and

wherein the first data set further comprises a tire pressure monitoring input from the tire pressure monitoring sensor, an airline pressure input from the brake airline sensor, and an ambient temperature input from the ambient temperature sensor.

3 . A monitoring system for a towable trailer comprising:

at least one brake chamber pressure sensor;

at least one brake lining temperature sensor;

at least one wheel end temperature sensor;

at least one telematics modem unit disposed on the towable trailer;

an analytics engine in fluid communication with the telematics modem unit;

a controller in fluid communication with each of the at least one brake chamber pressure sensor, the at least one brake lining temperature sensor, the at least one wheel end temperature sensor, and the at least one telematics modem unit, the controller having a memory that stores a connected data module and a set of computer executable instructions, and a processor configured to execute the computer executable instructions embodied in the memory, such that the controller is configured to:

obtain a first data set comprising a plurality of physical sensor inputs obtained from at least one of the at least one brake chamber pressure sensor, the at least one brake lining temperature sensor, and the at least one wheel end temperature sensor and a second data set obtained from a connected data module written on the memory;

transmit the first data set and the second data set to the at least one telematics modem unit;

wherein the at least one telematics modem unit is configured to receive the first data set and the second data set from the controller and transmit the first data set and the second data set to the analytics engine; and

wherein the analytics engine is configured to select a thermal risk value from a look-up table based on the first data set and the second data set and compare the thermal risk value to a predetermined threshold; and

wherein the analytics engine generates a thermal alert when the thermal risk value exceeds the predetermined threshold and transmits the thermal alert to the telematics modem unit such that the at least one telematics modem unit activates a thermal alert visual indicator, and wherein the at least one telematics modem unit transmits the thermal alert to the controller, such the thermal alert is operative to alert a trailer operator.

4 . The monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the first data set comprises a brake chamber pressure input from the at least one brake chamber pressure sensor, a brake lining temperature input from the at least one brake lining temperature sensor, and a wheel end temperature input from the at least one wheel end temperature sensor.

5 . The monitoring system of claim 4 further comprising at least one brake diaphragm sensor, at least one tire pressure monitoring sensor, at least one brake airline sensor, and at least one ambient temperature sensor each in fluid communication with the controller; and

wherein the first data set further comprises a brake diaphragm position input from the at least one brake diaphragm sensor, a tire pressure monitoring input from the at least one tire pressure monitoring sensor, an airline pressure input from the at least one brake airline sensor, and an ambient temperature sensor input from the at least on ambient temperature sensor.

6 . The monitoring system of claim 3 wherein the second data set comprises a trailer age input, a trailer maintenance status input, a trailer mileage input.

7 . The monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the second data set comprises a speed input and braking tendencies input.

8 . The monitoring system of claim 7 wherein the second data set comprises an ambient temperature input, an elevation input, a location input, a weather input, and a road type input.

9 . The monitoring system of claim 4 wherein the system further comprises a PUP trailer coupled to the towable trailer, and wherein:

the at least one brake chamber pressure sensor comprises a first brake chamber pressure sensor associated with the towable trailer and a second brake chamber pressure sensor associated with the PUP trailer;

the at least one brake lining temperature sensor comprises a first brake lining temperature sensor associated with the towable trailer and a second first brake lining temperature sensor associated with the PUP trailer;

the at least one a wheel end temperature sensor comprises a first wheel end temperature sensor associated with the towable trailer and a second wheel end temperature sensor associated with the PUP trailer;

the at least one telematics modem unit comprises a first telematics modem unit disposed on and connected to the towable trailer and a second telematics modem unit disposed on and connected to a PUP trailer coupled to the towable trailer; and

the controller is configured to:

obtain a towable trailer first data set comprising a plurality of physical sensor inputs obtained from at least one of the first brake chamber pressure sensor, the first brake lining temperature sensor, and the first wheel end temperature sensor associated with the towable trailer and obtain a PUP trailer first data set comprising a plurality of physical sensor inputs obtained from at least one of the second brake chamber pressure sensor, the second brake lining temperature sensor, and the second wheel end temperature sensor associated with the PUP trailer;

obtain a second data set obtained from a connected data module written on the memory;

transmit the towable trailer first data set and the second data set to the first telematics modem unit, wherein the first telematics modem unit is configured to receive the towable trailer first data set and the second data set from the controller, and transmit the PUP trailer first data set and the second data set to the second telematics modem unit, wherein the second telematics modem unit is configured to receive the PUP trailer first data set and the second data set from the controller;

wherein the first telematics modem unit is configured to receive the towable trailer first data set and the second data set from the controller and transmit the towable trailer first data set and the second data set to the analytics engine, and wherein the second telematics modem unit is configured to receive the PUP trailer first data set and the second data set from the controller and transmit the PUP trailer first data set and the second data set to the analytics engine;

wherein the analytics engine is configured to select a thermal risk value from a look-up table based on the towable trailer first data set and the second data set and compare the thermal risk value to a predetermined threshold, and wherein the analytics engine generates a thermal alert when the thermal risk value exceeds the predetermined threshold and transmits the thermal alert to the first telematics modem unit such that the first telematics modem unit activates a thermal alert visual indicator on the towable trailer, such the thermal alert is operative to alert a trailer operator; and

wherein the analytics engine is configured to select a thermal risk value from a look-up table based on the PUP trailer first data set and the second data set and compare the thermal risk value to a predetermined threshold, and wherein the analytics engine generates a thermal alert when the thermal risk value exceeds the predetermined threshold and transmits the thermal alert to the second telematics modem unit such that the second telematics modem unit activates a thermal alert visual indicator on the PUP trailer, such the thermal alert is operative to alert a trailer operator.

10 . The monitoring system of claim 9 wherein:

the towable trailer first data set comprises a brake chamber pressure input from the first brake chamber pressure sensor, a brake lining temperature input from the first brake lining temperature sensor, and a wheel end temperature input from the first wheel end temperature sensor;

the PUP trailer first data set comprises a brake chamber pressure input from the second brake chamber sensor, a brake lining temperature input from the second brake lining temperature sensor, a wheel end temperature input from the second wheel end temperature sensor; and

the second data set comprises an ambient temperature input, an elevation input, a location input, a weather input, a road type input, a speed input and braking tendencies input, a towable trailer age input, a PUP Trailer age input, a towable trailer maintenance status input, a PUP trailer maintenance input, a towable trailer mileage input, and pup trailer mileage input.