Brake actuator interface with trailer brake control
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorStephen L. Robertson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling the braking of a towed vehicle by a towing vehicle. The method includes receiving, at or by a brake actuator ECU, deceleration data of the towing vehicle and sensing, using a sensor, a longitudinal deceleration of the towed vehicle. The method also includes generating, at or by the brake actuator ECU, a brake signal based on the deceleration data and the longitudinal deceleration, sending the brake signal from the brake actuator ECU to an electric motor of a brake actuator of the towed vehicle, and applying, by the brake actuator, a hydraulic pressure to brakes of the towed vehicle based on the brake signal.
Claims20
A method for controlling the braking of a towed vehicle using a towing vehicle, the method comprising:
- receiving, at or by a brake actuator ECU, deceleration data of the towing vehicle;
- sensing, using a sensor, a longitudinal deceleration of the towed vehicle;
- generating, at or by the brake actuator ECU, a brake signal based on the deceleration data and the longitudinal deceleration;
- sending the brake signal from the brake actuator ECU to an electric motor of a brake actuator of the towed vehicle;
- and
- applying, by the brake actuator, a hydraulic pressure to brakes of the towed vehicle based on the brake signal.
A method for controlling the braking of a towed vehicle using a towing vehicle, the method comprising:
- generating, at or by a trailer brake control unit, a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal proportional to a brake pressure, a deceleration or a manual input of the towing vehicle;
- mapping, at or by a trailer brake control ECU, the PWM signal to a corresponding deceleration request;
- receiving, at or by a brake actuator ECU, the deceleration request;
- transmitting the deceleration request to an electric motor of a brake actuator of the towed vehicle;
- and
- applying, by the brake actuator, a hydraulic pressure to brakes of the towed vehicle based on the deceleration request.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.