Methods and apparatus for automatic calibration of electronic trailer brake gain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836366-B2
Application number	US-201815994629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	May 31, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for automatic calibration of electronic trailer brake gain. An example apparatus includes a trailer brake gain calibration module programmed to compare a calculated trailer brake torque to at least one of a first or second threshold, adjust a gain value based upon satisfaction of at least one of the first or second threshold, and apply a pressure to a trailer brake based on the gain value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a threshold comparator to compare a calculated trailer brake torque to at least a first or a second threshold;
a gain adjustment manager to:
adjust a gain value based upon the calculated trailer brake torque satisfying at least one of the first or second thresholds;
increase the gain value when the calculated trailer brake torque is less than the first threshold;
decrease the gain value when the calculated trailer brake torque is greater than the second threshold; and
set the gain value as a calibrated gain value when the calculated trailer brake torque is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold; and

a brake signal applicator to generate a signal corresponding to a pressure to apply to a brake of a trailer based on the gain value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a gain calibration initializer to initialize adjustment of the gain value when:
gain adjustment is configured to be on;
the trailer is detected to be coupled to a vehicle; and
an ignition cycle of the vehicle is detected.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first threshold is a lower limit defined by a minimum weight of the trailer and the second threshold is an upper limit defined by a maximum weight of the trailer, the lower limit and upper limit further defined by a deceleration of a vehicle and the trailer when brakes of the vehicle are applied.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the minimum weight of the trailer is based upon a maximum weight of the vehicle subtracted from a train mass received from a vehicle communication network; and
the maximum weight of the trailer is based upon the minimum weight of the vehicle subtracted from the train mass.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein an initial gain value is calculated based on the train mass.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gain adjustment manager is further to:
receive a first user input from a display to at least one of reject or accept the calibrated gain value;
propagate the calibrated gain value to a vehicle communication network when the first user input accepts the calibrated gain value; and
modify the calibrated gain value per a second user input when the first user input rejects the calibrated gain value.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a trailer brake gain calibration module programmed to:
compare a calculated trailer brake torque to at least one of a first or second threshold, adjust a gain value based upon satisfaction of at least one of the first or second threshold;
increase the gain value when the calculated trailer brake torque is less than the first threshold;
decrease the gain value when the calculated trailer brake torque is greater than the second threshold; and
set the gain value as a calibrated gain value when the calculated trailer brake torque is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold; and
apply a pressure to a brake of a trailer based on the gain value.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the trailer brake gain calibration module is further programmed to initialize adjustment of the gain value when:
gain adjustment is configured to be on;
the trailer is detected to be coupled to a vehicle; and
an ignition cycle of the vehicle is detected.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first threshold is a lower limit defined by a minimum weight of the trailer and the second threshold is an upper limit defined by a maximum weight of the trailer, the lower limit and upper limit further defined by a deceleration of a vehicle and the trailer when brakes of the vehicle are applied.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:
the minimum weight of the trailer is based upon a maximum weight of the vehicle subtracted from a train mass received from a vehicle communication network; and
the maximum weight of the trailer is based upon the minimum weight of the vehicle subtracted from the train mass.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein an initial gain value is calculated based on the train mass.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the trailer brake gain calibration module is further programmed to:
receive a first user input from a display to at least one of reject or accept the calibrated gain value;
propagate the calibrated gain value to a vehicle communication network when the first user input accepts the calibrated gain value; and
modify the calibrated gain value per a second user input when the first user input rejects the calibrated gain value.

13. A method comprising:
comparing a calculated trailer brake torque to at least a first threshold or a second threshold;
adjusting a gain value based upon the calculated trailer brake torque satisfying at least one of the first threshold or the second threshold;
in response to determining the calculated trailer brake torque is less than the first threshold, increasing the gain value;
in response to determining the calculated trailer brake torque is greater than the second threshold, decreasing the gain value; and
in response to determining the calculated trailer brake torque is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, setting the gain value as a calibrated gain value; and
applying a pressure to a brake of a trailer based on the gain value.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first threshold is a lower limit defined by a minimum weight of the trailer and the second threshold is an upper limit defined by a maximum weight of the trailer, the lower limit and upper limit further defined by a deceleration of a vehicle and the trailer when brakes of the vehicle are applied.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:
the minimum weight of the trailer is based upon a maximum weight of the vehicle subtracted from a train mass received from a vehicle communication network; and
the maximum weight of the trailer is based upon the minimum weight of the vehicle subtracted from the train mass.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein an initial gain value is calculated based on the train mass.

17. The method of claim 13 , further including:
receiving a first user input from a display to at least one of reject or accept the calibrated gain value;
in response to the first user input accepting the calibrated gain value, propagating the calibrated gain value to a vehicle communication network; and
in response to the first user input rejecting the calibrated gain value, modifying the calibrated gain value per a second user input.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• James Alex
• Salmon Thomas
• Perlick Donald A
• Cao Bang Kim

Classifications

• B60T13/662

  characterised by specified functions of the control system components · CPC title

• B60T8/1708

  for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title

• B60T8/323

  Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title

• B60T8/17616

  Microprocessor-based systems · CPC title

• B60T8/248

  Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing · CPC title