Brake control unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020317175-A1
Application number	US-202016907773-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2020
Priority date	Oct 8, 2004
Publication date	Oct 8, 2020
Grant date	—

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 very dangerous conditions can be created. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle is, therefore, needed. The method comprises receiving speed signals based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle, receiving pressure signals based on pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle, and generating a brake output signal based on the speed signals and the pressure signals.

First claim

1 . A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving a speed signal from an automotive subsystem based on a speed of at least one of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle; sending a brake output signal from a processor based on the speed signal to brakes of the towed vehicle to provide power to the brakes; applying a function to modify the brake output signal only when the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is below a speed threshold, wherein the function modifies the brake output signal based on the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle; and wherein the brake output signal is not modified based on the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle when the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is above the speed threshold.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is determined based on at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wheel speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a throttle position sensor, and a Doppler sensor.

3 . A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving an input signal based on a pressure in a brake system of a towing vehicle; generating a brake output signal based on the input signal from a processor; sending the brake output signal to brakes of the towed vehicle to provide power to the brakes; receiving a speed signal based on a speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle; determining a relationship between the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle and a speed threshold; applying a function to modify the brake output signal only when the speed of the towing vehicle is below the speed threshold; and wherein the function modifies the brake output signal based on the input signal.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is determined based on at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wheel speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a throttle position sensor, and a Doppler sensor.

5 . A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:
determining a deceleration of at least one of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle; determining the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle; and modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based at least in part on the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is determined based on at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wheel speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a throttle position sensor, and a Doppler sensor.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining a hydraulic pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle; and modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based at least in part on the pressure of the hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the hydraulic pressure is determined based on at least one of a hydraulic pressure sensor, a brake pedal sensor, a brake pad sensor, and a signal from a communications bus.

Assignees

• Horizon Global Americas Inc

Inventors

• Albright Marcia
• Kulkarni Chandrakumar

Classifications

• B60T7/20 Primary

  specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of {or overrunning by} trailer (inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08) · CPC title

• B60T8/1708

  for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title

• B60T8/323 Primary

  Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations · CPC title