Commercial vehicle trailer and method for avoiding error in the storage of vehicle data therein
View Patent ↗A commercial vehicle trailer includes an electronically controlled braking system having an electronic control unit that has a parameter memory having one or more memory areas that can store vehicle-specific data. The electronic control unit controls the electronically controlled braking system based on the vehicle-specific data, and has an interface to an external computer. To permit reliable correlation of the vehicle-specific data to the commercial vehicle trailer, information is displayed on the trailer itself that characterizes the vehicle-specific data and that can be read into the computer via a reader unit. Based on such information, the appropriate vehicle-specific data is transferred to the electronic control unit.
1. A commercial vehicle trailer, comprising:
an electronically controlled brake system having an electronic control unit, said electronic control unit including:
a parameter memory having at least one memory area for storing vehicle-specific data; and
an interface to an external computer, said electronic control unit being configured to control said electronically controlled brake system based at least in part on said vehicle-specific data; and
at least one information medium provided on said commercial vehicle trailer, said at least one information medium storing information associated with said vehicle-specific data.
2. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said vehicle-specific data are transferred into said parameter memory from said computer via said interface.
3. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium stores a reference to a parameter data record specific to said commercial vehicle trailer, said parameter data record including said vehicle-specific data.
4. The commercial vehicle trailer according to according to claim 3 , wherein said parameter data record specific to said commercial vehicle trailer is automatically selected from a plurality of parameter data records stored on said computer based on said reference and transferred into said parameter memory.
5. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 4 , wherein said reference includes a chassis number of said commercial vehicle trailer.
6. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium stores said vehicle-specific data.
7. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium is a metal plate.
8. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium is a sticker.
9. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium includes optically readable information.
10. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium includes a memory device, said memory device being constructed and arranged to be contacted by wire bonding.
11. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium includes a memory device, said memory device being readable by radio signal.
12. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium stores a parameter data record identifier.
13. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium includes a trailer-specific identifier.
14. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one information medium includes a chassis number of said commercial vehicle trailer.
15. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 9 , wherein said optically readable information is at least one of a barcode and clear text information.
16. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 10 , wherein said memory device is a memory chip.
17. The commercial vehicle trailer according to claim 11 , wherein said memory device is an RFID chip.
18. A computer, comprising:
a first connection to an interface of a commercial vehicle trailer; and
a second connection to a reader unit, said computer being suitably programmed to effect the steps of:
reading information associated with vehicle-specific data from at least one information medium provided on said commercial vehicle trailer using said reader unit;
determining said vehicle-specific data based on said information associated with said vehicle-specific data;
transferring said vehicle-specific data from said computer to said electronic control unit via said interface; and
storing said vehicle-specific data in said parameter memory of said electronic control unit.
19. In a commercial vehicle trailer comprising:
an electronically controlled brake system having an electronic control unit, said electronic control unit including:
a parameter memory having at least one memory area for storing vehicle-specific data; and
an interface to an external computer, said electronic control unit being configured to control said electronically controlled brake system based at least in part on said vehicle-specific data; and
at least one information medium provided on said commercial vehicle trailer, said at least one information medium storing information associated with said vehicle-specific data;
a method for storing vehicle-specific data comprising the steps of:
using a reader unit connected to a computer, reading into said computer information associated with said vehicle-specific data from said at least one information medium provided on said commercial vehicle trailer;
determining said vehicle-specific data based on said information associated with said vehicle-specific data;
transferring said vehicle-specific data from said computer to an electronic control unit of an electronically controlled brake system of said commercial vehicle trailer via an interface; and
storing said vehicle-specific data in parameter memory of said electronic control unit.
20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable physical medium storing a computer executable program to effect a method according to claim 19 .
21. The method according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one information medium stores a reference to a parameter data record specific to said commercial vehicle trailer, said parameter data record including said vehicle-specific data.
22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein said parameter data record specific to said commercial vehicle trailer is automatically selected from a plurality of parameter data records stored on said computer based on said reference and transferred into said parameter memory.
23. The method according to claim 21 , wherein said reference includes a chassis number of said commercial vehicle trailer.
24. A method for storing vehicle data in a commercial vehicle trailer, the method comprising the steps of:
using a reader unit connected to a computer, reading into said computer information associated with vehicle-specific data from at least one information medium provided on said commercial vehicle trailer;
determining said vehicle-specific data based on said information associated with the vehicle-specific data;
transferring said vehicle-specific data from said computer to an electronic control unit of an electronically controlled brake system of said commercial vehicle trailer via an interface; and
storing said vehicle-specific data in parameter memory of said electronic control unit.