Method and EBS Control Unit for Controlling Brake-Application Energy of a Vehicle Combination

A method for controlling the brake-application energy of a vehicle combination having a tractor vehicle equipped with an electronically controlled brake system, at least one front axle and one rear axle, and a trailer vehicle having at least one trailer axle, the method comprising;

• in the event of a brake actuation, determining a deceleration setpoint value;
• comparing the deceleration setpoint value to an actual deceleration value to obtain a current brake-application energy reference value;
• determining brake-application energy setpoint values for the tractor vehicle and for the trailer vehicle from the deceleration setpoint value, the current brake-application energy reference value, a brake-application energy level for the tractor vehicle and a brake-application energy level for the trailer vehicle using stored characteristic maps showing dependencies of the brake-application energy levels of the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle on at least one of the brake-application energy reference value and on an axle load distribution of the tractor vehicle, the characteristic maps being selected as a function of a pre-definable coupling force control factor establishing a distribution of braking work between the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle;
• monitoring functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle resulting in a status signal:
• and setting a coupling force control factor as a function of the status signal such that, when the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle is one of absent and impaired, a minimal coupling force control factor is set, and the coupling force control factor is set one of greater than and equal to the minimal coupling force control factor, and wherein the minimal coupling force control factor is not equal to zero.