System, apparatus and methods for data communication between vehicle and remote data communication terminal, between portions of vehicle and other portions of vehicle, between two or more vehicles, and between vehicle and communications network
A system, an apparatus, and methods are provided for data communications associated with a vehicle. The apparatus preferably includes at least one electronic subsystem associated with the vehicle and a plurality of electrical conductors connected to the at least one electronic subsystem and associated with the vehicle. A vehicle data communications protocol converter is preferably connected to the plurality of electrical conductors for converting a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol such as an infrared, an RF data, an Internet, or other network communications protocol. The apparatus also preferably includes a transceiver connected to the data communications protocol converter for transmitting the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and receiving the data communications protocol from another portion of the vehicle, a remote data communications terminal, another vehicle, or another communications network.
1. An apparatus for data communications associated with a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of electrical conductors associated with the vehicle, and adapted for connecting to an electronic subsystem of the vehicle;
a vehicle data communications protocol converter connected to said plurality of electrical conductors to convert a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol; and
a transceiver connected to the vehicle data communications protocol converter to transmit the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and to receive the second data communications protocol from a remote data communications terminal not connected to the vehicle, wherein data received in the second data communications protocol is used to control the electronic subsystem of the vehicle.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle data communications protocol converter comprises means for converting the second data communications protocol to the first data communications protocol.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the remote data communications terminal comprises a computing device selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a portable laptop computer, and a handheld computer.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle comprises a tractor mechanically coupled to at least one trailer, and wherein the remote data communications terminal is located within at least one of the tractor and the trailer.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first data communications protocol comprises one of the data communications protocols specified by SAE J1708, SAE J1939, RS 232, RS 485, power line carrier (PLC), and a universal serial bus standard.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second data communications protocol comprises one of either an infrared data communications protocol and an RF data communications protocol.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a connector connected to said plurality of electrical conductors, and including a plurality of electrical pins having a predetermined pin configuration.
8. An apparatus for data communications associated with a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of electrical conductors associated with the vehicle, and adapted for connecting to an electronic subsystem of the vehicle;
a vehicle data communications protocol converter connected to said plurality of electrical conductors to convert a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol and to convert the second data communications protocol to the first data communications protocol; and
a transceiver connected to the vehicle data communications protocol converter to transmit the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and to receive the second data communications protocol from a remote data communications terminal not connected to the vehicle, wherein data received in the second data communications protocol is transmitted to the electronic subsystem of the vehicle.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a controller connected to the plurality of electrical conductors and adapted to control an electronic subsystem of the vehicle using data received from the remote data communications terminal.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the vehicle comprises a tractor mechanically coupled to at least one trailer, and wherein the remote data communications terminal is located within at least one of the tractor and the trailer.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first data communications protocol comprises one of the data communications protocols specified by SAE J1708, SAE J1939, RS 232, RS 485, power line carrier (PLC), and a universal serial bus standard.
12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the second data communications protocol comprises one of either an infrared data communications protocol and an RF data communications protocol.
13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , and comprising a connector connected to said plurality of electrical conductors, and including a plurality of electrical pins having a predetermined pin configuration.
14. An apparatus for data communications associated with a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of electrical conductors associated with the vehicle, and adapted for connecting to an electronic subsystem of the vehicle;
a vehicle data communications protocol converter connected to said plurality of electrical conductors to convert a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol and to convert the second data communications protocol to the first data communications protocol; and
a transceiver connected to the vehicle data communications protocol converter to transmit the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and to receive the second data communications protocol from a remote data communications terminal not connected to the vehicle, wherein data received in the second data communications protocol and converted to the first data communications protocol is used to control an the electronic subsystem of the vehicle.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the remote data communications terminal comprises a computing device selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a portable laptop computer, and a handheld computer.
16. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the vehicle comprises a tractor mechanically coupled to at least one trailer, and wherein the remote data communications terminal is located within at least one of the tractor and the trailer.
17. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first data communications protocol comprises one of the data communications protocols specified by SAE J1708, SAE J1939, RS 232, RS 485, power line carrier (PLC), and a universal serial bus standard.
18. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the second data communications protocol comprises one of either an infrared data communications protocol and an RF data communications protocol.
19. The apparatus according to claim 14 , and comprising a connector connected to said plurality of electrical conductors, and including a plurality of electrical pins having a predetermined pin configuration.
20. A method for data communications associated with a vehicle, the method comprising:
connecting a plurality of electrical conductors associated with an electronic subsystem of the vehicle to a vehicle data communications protocol converter to convert a first data communications protocol associated with data communications along the plurality of electrical conductors to a second data communications protocol; and
connecting the vehicle data communications protocol converter to a transceiver to transmit the second data communications protocol from the vehicle and to receive the second data communications protocol from a remote data communications terminal not connected to the vehicle, wherein data received in the second data communications protocol is used to control the electronic subsystem of the vehicle.