Method and device for recognizing a trailer or semitrailer of a motor vehicle
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsAndreas Arlt, Falk Hecker, Herbert Schramm
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for recognizing a trailer or semitrailer of a motor vehicle which includes activating at least one brake light of the trailer or semitrailer, independently of the driver, measuring a current flowing in a line assigned to the brake light of the trailer or semitrailer and ascertaining the presence or the absence of a trailer or semitrailer on the basis of the measured current.
Claims18
A method for recognizing one of a trailer and a semitrailer of a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- activating at least one brake light of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer, wherein the at least one brake light is not activated by the driver actuating the brake pedal so that activation of the at least one brake light is performed independently of a driver of the vehicle;
- measuring a current flowing in a line assigned to the at least one brake light;
- and
- ascertaining one of a presence and an absence of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer as a function of the measured current;
- wherein at least one of the following is satisfied:
- the activation of the brake light takes place over a predefined time interval;
- and
- the ascertaining step includes comparing the measured current with a threshold value, and the one of the presence and the absence of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer is ascertained as a function of the comparing.
A device for recognizing one of a trailer and a semitrailer of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- means for activating at least one brake light of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer, wherein the at least one brake light is not activated by the driver actuating the brake pedal so that activation of the at least one brake light is performed independently of a driver of the vehicle;
- means for measuring a current flowing in a line assigned to the at least one brake light;
- and
- means for ascertaining one of a presence and an absence of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer as a function of the measured current;
- wherein at least one of the following is satisfied:
- the activation of the brake light takes place over a predefined time interval;
- and
- the ascertaining includes comparing the measured current with a threshold value, and the one of the presence and the absence of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer is ascertained as a function of the comparing.
A device for recognizing one of a trailer and a semitrailer of a motor vehicle, comprising:
- an activating arrangement to activate at least one brake light of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer, wherein the at least one brake light is not activated by the driver actuating the brake pedal so that activation of the at least one brake light is performed independently of a driver of the vehicle;
- a measuring arrangement to measure a current flowing in a line assigned to the at least one brake light;
- and
- an ascertaining arrangement to ascertain one of a presence and an absence of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer as a function of the measured current,
- wherein at least one of the following is satisfied:
- the activation of the brake light takes place over a predefined time interval;
- and
- the ascertaining arrangement is operable to compare a measured current with a threshold value, and the one of the presence and the absence of the one of the trailer and the semitrailer is ascertained as a function of the compare operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.