Brake control unit
AssigneeHorizon Global Americas Inc.
InventorsMarcia Albright, Chandrakumar Kulkarni
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Towed vehicles can be extremely heavy. Accordingly, it is too much of a burden to the braking system of a towing vehicle to not have brakes on the towed vehicle. Controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle must be accurately applied otherwise very dangerous conditions can be created. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle is, therefore, needed. The method comprises receiving speed signals based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle, receiving pressure signals based on pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle, and generating a brake output signal based on the speed signals and the pressure signals.
Claims23
A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving a speed signal based on speed of at least one of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle;
- sending a brake output signal based the speed signal to brakes of the towed vehicle to provide power to the brakes;
- determining a relationship between the speed and a speed threshold;
- applying a function to modify the brake output signal only when the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is below the speed threshold, wherein the function modifies the brake output based on the speed;
- and
- wherein the brake output signal is not modified based on speed when the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is above the speed threshold.
A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving an input signal based on a pressure in a brake system of a towing vehicle;
- generating a brake output signal based on the input signal;
- sending the brake output signal to brakes of the towed vehicle to provide power to the brakes;
- applying the brakes of the towed vehicle based on the brake output signal.
A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle comprising:
- receiving a speed signal based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;
- generating a brake output signal based on he received speed signals, the brake output signal being capable of being sent to brakes of the towed vehicle;
- determining actual deceleration of the towed vehicle attributable to the brake output signal;
- and
- determining characteristics of the towed vehicle based upon the actual deceleration of the towed vehicle.
A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
- determining deceleration of at least one of a towed vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;
- determining characteristics of the towed vehicle based upon the deceleration of the towed vehicle;
- and
- modulating a brake output signal to periodically release and engage brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based on the characteristics of the towed vehicle.
A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
- determining lateral acceleration of a towed vehicle perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of travel of the towed vehicle;
- and
- modulating a brake output signal to periodically release and engage brakes of the towed vehicle based on the perpendicular acceleration.
A method for controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving a deceleration signal based on deceleration of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;
- increasing power supplied by a brake output signal to brakes of the towed vehicle until a preset threshold deceleration is achieved for the towed vehicle;
- determining a braking power at which the preset threshold deceleration is achieved;
- and
- determining characteristics of the towed vehicle based on the deceleration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.