Combination of trailer braking and lighting functions

Abstract

A towed vehicle controller combines a trailer brake controller and lighting driver. The towed vehicle controller can include a trailer battery charging circuit. The towed vehicle controller operates towed vehicle braking, towed vehicle lighting and towed vehicle battery charge functions.

1 . A towed vehicle controller comprising:
 a processor comprising a memory device;   a brake controller component coupled to the processor and operatively generating a signal to be sent to trailer brakes;   a trailer lighting component coupled to the processor and operatively comprising one or more light drivers that generate signals to control trailer lights; and   a trailer battery charge component coupled to the processor and operatively generating a signal to be sent to a trailer battery.   
     
     
         2 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing comprising the processor, the brake controller component, the trailer lighting component, and the trailer battery charge component. 
     
     
         3 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 1 , further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the processor, the brake controller component, the trailer lighting component, and the trailer battery charge component are mounted on the printed circuit board. 
     
     
         4 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 3 , further comprising a communication component coupled to the processor and mounted on the printed circuit board. 
     
     
         5 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 1 , wherein the trailer lighting component comprises at least one high side driver for at least one trailer light. 
     
     
         6 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one high side driver comprises at least one of a high side driver for a right turn light, a left turn light, a rear fog light, a stop light, reverse light or tail light. 
     
     
         7 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 5 , wherein the at least on high side driver comprises a right turn light high side driver, a left turn light high side driver, a rear fog light high side driver, a stop light high side driver, reverse light high side driver and a tail light high side driver. 
     
     
         8 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 1 , wherein the towed vehicle controller comprises original equipment manufactured for a vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 1 , further comprising a communication component coupled to the processor. 
     
     
         10 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 9 , wherein the communication component comprises the only electrical connection between the towed vehicle controller and other devices of the towing vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 9 , wherein the communication component comprises a wired electrical connection, and wherein the communication component operatively connects to a towing vehicle bus when the towed vehicle controller is installed in a towed vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 9 , wherein the communication component comprises a wireless electrical connection. 
     
     
         13 . The towed vehicle controller of  claim 1 , further comprising a CAN transreceiver operatively receiving signals from a CAN of a towing vehicle. 
     
     
         14 . A towed vehicle controller system comprising:
 a communication bus of a towing vehicle; and   a towed vehicle controller communicatively coupled to the communication bus, and comprising:
 a trailer brake control circuit that operatively and selectively generates a signal to induce braking in a towed vehicles brakes; 
 a lamp driver circuit that operatively and selectively drives lamps of a towed vehicle; and 
 a trailer battery charging circuit that operatively and selectively controllers charging of a towed vehicle battery, 
   wherein the communication bus provides input to the towed vehicle controller and the towed vehicle controller controls at least one of the trailer brake control circuit, the lamp driver circuit, and the trailer batter charging circuit based on the input.   
     
     
         15 . The towed vehicle controller system of  claim 14 , wherein the communication bus comprises a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. 
     
     
         16 . The towed vehicle controller system of  claim 15 , wherein the CAN bus a high-speed CAN bus. 
     
     
         17 . The towed vehicle controller system of  claim 15 , wherein the CAN bus is the only electrical connection between the towed vehicle controller and other devices of the towing vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . A towed vehicle controller system comprising:
 a communication bus of a towing vehicle; and   a towed vehicle controller communicatively coupled to the communication bus, and comprising:
 a trailer brake control circuit that operatively and selectively generates a signal to induce braking in a towed vehicles brakes; 
 a lamp driver circuit that operatively and selectively drives lamps of a towed vehicle; and 
 a processor coupled to the trailer brake control circuit and lamp driver circuit, and wherein the processor operatively controls the trailer brake control circuit and lamp driver circuit based on input received from the communication bus. 
   
     
     
         19 . The towed vehicle controller system, wherein the towed vehicle controller comprises original equipment manufactured for the towing vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The towed vehicle controller system, wherein the towed vehicle controller comprises an after market addition for the towing vehicle.