Brake control unit
OwnerLarry Eccleston, Chandrakumar D. Kulkarni +2inventors
InventorsLarry Eccleston, Chandrakumar D. Kulkarni, Bruce E. Smith, Marcia S. Albright
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A brake control unit for providing a brake output signal to a brake load includes a processor, an accelerometer and a memory subsystem. The accelerometer is coupled to the processor and provides a brake control signal to the processor, which is configured to provide the brake output signal to the brake load in response to the brake control signal. The memory subsystem is coupled to the processor and stores processor executable code, which causes the processor to automatically acquire an operating point of the brake control signal when the brake control unit is mounted within a range of operating positions.
Claims39
A brake control unit for providing a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising:
- a processor;
- an accelerometer coupled to the processor, the accelerometer providing a brake control signal to the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to cause an appropriate brake output signal to be provided to the brake load responsive to the brake control signal;
- and
- a memory subsystem coupled to the processor, the memory subsystem storing processor executable code which causes the processor to automatically acquire an operating point of the brake control signal when the brake control unit is mounted within a range of operating positions.
A method for providing a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- providing a processor;
- providing an accelerometer coupled to the processor, the accelerometer providing a brake control signal to the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to cause an appropriate brake output signal to be provided to the brake load in response to the brake control signal;
- and
- providing a memory subsystem coupled to the processor, the memory subsystem storing processor executable code which causes the processor to automatically acquire an operating point of the brake control signal when the brake control unit is mounted within a range of operating positions.
A brake control unit for providing a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising:
- a processor;
- a brake load switching circuit coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the brake load switching circuit to couple a towed vehicle battery to the brake load responsive to a brake control signal and thus provide a brake output signal to the brake load;
- an accelerometer coupled to the processor, the accelerometer providing the brake control signal to the processor;
- and
- a memory subsystem coupled to the processor, the memory subsystem storing processor executable code which causes the processor to automatically acquire an operating point of the brake control signal when the brake control unit is mounted within a range of operating positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.