Patent Application
20100299464
Conventional Class 8 trucks typically include a chassis to which wheels are rotatably connected. Mounted on the chassis is a cabin from which an operator may drive the vehicle. For this purpose, the cabin includes various controls, such as a steering wheel, monitoring devices, such as gauges, Telematics, such as a GPS, On Star, etc, and audio/visual devices, such as a stereo, media player, etc. The vehicle may further include a sleeper compartment as part of the cab assembly for providing sleeping or resting quarters for the operator during government mandated rest periods. The sleeper compartment may include amenities such as a TV and a console for speakers, a clock, temperature controls, and lights to comfort the operator during these rest periods.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Aspects of the present disclosure provide a vehicle, such as the Class 8 truck described above, with a communication network, such as a serial bus network (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), Firewire (IEEE 1934), so that the operator can access data from multiple locations in the cab assembly. The network may comprise at least two interconnected ports located in separate sections of the cab assembly, such as the main cabin and the sleeper compartment. In one embodiment, one or more of the ports may be “powered” so as to provide charging capabilities to connected devices.
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings where like numerals correspond to like elements. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to vehicle communication networks having a plurality of communications ports provided in at least two different portions of the vehicle. These ports may be interconnected for providing communication between capable devices located in different portions of the vehicle, such as the main cabin and sleeper compartment, via one or more communication protocols. Additionally, in several embodiments, the ports are “powered” for charging capable devices when plugged into one of the ports.
While embodiments of the vehicle network will be described with reference to their installation in heavy trucks, it will be appreciated that aspects of the present invention have wide application, and therefore, may be suitable for use in other vehicles, such as cars and lightweight trucks, or vehicles having main living quarters, such as boats, recreational vehicles, etc. Accordingly, the following descriptions and illustrations herein should be considered illustrative in nature, and thus, not limiting the scope of the present invention, as claimed.
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In one embodiment, the ports 62 may be configured to provide battery charging capabilities to battery powered devices, such as portable flash memory music payers, cellular phones, PDA's, etc. when plugged into one of the ports. To that end, one or more of the ports 62 may “powered ports”, and as such, are electrically connected to a power source 70 for receiving power therefrom. In the embodiment shown in
The network 60 may further include a vehicle systems interface 80 for communicating with one or more systems of the vehicle. For example, the interface 80 may be configured for communication with an entertainment or A/V system 84 (e.g., stereo, CD player, DVD player, game console, etc.), a Telematics system 86 (e.g., GPS, weather service, satellite, cellular, etc.), and/or the vehicle area network (CAN) 88. As such, the operator while positioned in the sleeper compartment with an appropriate electronics device attached to the port 62 located thereat may access music from the stereo, navigation information, the weather at the vehicle's current future location, and/or vehicle operating data (e.g., battery levels, fuel levels, odometer readings, etc.). While the systems interface 80 is shown in
While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as claimed.
