Brake control unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11400903-B2
Application number	US-201414299753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2014
Priority date	Oct 8, 2004
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

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 undesirable conditions can be created. There is a need for a method for controlling braking of a towed vehicle. This method comprises receiving a first signal via a communication bus of a towing vehicle, the first signal relating to at least one operating condition of at least one the towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, sending a second signal to brakes of the towed vehicle, the second signal based on said first signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A towed vehicle brake control unit comprising:
a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores an algorithm that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:
receive a first signal relating to at least one of an operating condition of a towing vehicle, a manual input, and an operating condition of a towed vehicle;
repeatedly iteratively measure a first voltage being output by a vehicle battery of the towing vehicle and determine whether the first voltage varies from a second voltage that is output by the vehicle battery of the towing vehicle when fully charged, wherein said second voltage is stored in said memory;
determine a duty cycle of a second signal based on at least said first signal and said second voltage;
alter said duty cycle of said second signal in response to determining that said first voltage varies from said second voltage, such that a voltage output of said second signal is maintained to be equivalent to said output energy when at said second voltage; and

generate said altered second signal.

2. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said processor executes the algorithm to determine said duty cycle such that said second signal maintains a constant energy to brakes of said towed vehicle.

3. A towed vehicle brake control unit comprising:
a processor receiving a first signal based on at least one of an operating condition of a towing vehicle, a manual input, and an operating condition of a towed vehicle;
wherein said processor sends a second signal to brakes of said towed vehicle, said second signal related to said first signal;
a memory storing an algorithm, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
repeatedly iteratively measure a first voltage currently being output by a vehicle battery of the towing vehicle;
determine a duty cycle for said second signal based on said first signal and a second voltage that is output by the vehicle battery of the towing vehicle when fully charged; and
adjusting a duty cycle of said second signal when determining a variation of said second voltage from said first voltage to maintain a voltage output of said second signal that is consistent with an output energy as if said second voltage was a same value as said first voltage.

4. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 3 , wherein said processors further executes the algorithm to adjust said duty cycle of said second signal to maintain a constant energy to said brakes of said towed vehicle.

5. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said memory is operably coupled to said processor.

6. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said processor includes said memory.

7. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 3 , wherein said memory is operably coupled to said processor.

8. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 3 , wherein said processor includes said memory.

9. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 1 , wherein said processor, in response to determining said second voltage is varied below said first voltage, increases the duty cycle.

10. The towed vehicle brake control unit of claim 3 , wherein said processor, in response to determining said second voltage is varied below said first voltage, increases the duty cycle.

Assignees

• Cequent Performance Prod Inc
• Horizon Global Americas Inc

Inventors

• Albright Marcia
• Kulkarni Chandrakumar
• Eccleston Larry

Classifications

• B60T2270/413

  Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy · CPC title

• B60T7/085

  by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors · CPC title

• B60T17/22

  Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices · CPC title

• B60T8/885

  using electrical circuitry · CPC title

• B60T8/172

  Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)} · CPC title