Systems, vehicles, and methods for controlling trailer brake output circuits with a reduced upper limit of trailer brake output signals

• US 10,207,687 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Incorporated (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Yuichi, DiMaggio, Lisa, el Arculli, Mikhal
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc-Coleman, Marthe Y
• Application Number:
  US15/674,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20190039582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 701 70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2201/022 Collision avoidance systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/085 by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/20 specially for trailers, e.g. in case of uncoupling of or overrunning by trailer inertia-actuated overrun brakes B60T13/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/323 Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit includes an input device outputting a signal in response to receiving an input from a user, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, the trailer brake output circuit outputting a trailer brake output signal, and machine readable instructions. The electronic control unit receives the signal from the input device, limits the trailer brake output signal to a first value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal in response to the signal received from the input device, and limits the trailer brake output signal to a second value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal not in response to the signal received from the input device. The second value is smaller than the first value.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit, the system comprising:

an input device configured to output a signal in response to receiving an input from a user; and

an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the input device, the electronic control unit comprising;

one or more processors;

one or more memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors;

the trailer brake output circuit communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the trailer brake output circuit is configured to output a trailer brake output signal; and

machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules that cause the electronic control unit to perform at least the following when executed by the one or more processors;

receive the signal from the input device, the signal being associated with the input from the user;

limit the trailer brake output signal to a first value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal in response to the signal received from the input device; and

limit the trailer brake output signal to a second value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal independent of the signal received from the input device, the second value being smaller than the first value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a master cylinder pressure communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a manual activation device communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, the manual activation device configured to transmit a gain for the trailer brake output signal to the electronic control unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules cause the electronic control unit to activate a trailer sway control function,

wherein the first value is determined based on the gain received from the manual activation device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second value is about 26% to 50% less than the first value.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the machine readable instructions stored in the one or more memory modules cause the electronic control unit to activate a pre-collision safety function,

wherein the first value is determined based on the gain received from the manual activation device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the second value is about 13% less than the first value.

8. A vehicle for controlling a trailer brake output circuit, the vehicle comprising:

an input device configured to output a signal in response to receiving an input from a user;

the trailer brake output circuit configured to output a trailer brake output signal; and

an electronic control unit configured to;

receive the signal from the input device, the signal being associated with the input from the user;

limit the trailer brake output signal to a first value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal in response to the signal received from the input device; and

limit the trailer brake output signal to a second value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal independent of the signal received from the input device, the second value being smaller than the first value.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the input device includes a master cylinder pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit.

10. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the input device includes a manual activation device communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, the manual activation device configured to transmit a gain for the trailer brake output signal to the electronic control unit.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to activate a trailer sway control function, and the first value is determined based on the gain received from the manual activation device when the trailer sway control function is activated.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the second value is about 26% to 50% less than the first value.

13. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to activate a pre-collision safety function, and the first value is determined based on the gain received from the manual activation device when the pre-collision safety function is activated.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the second value is about 13% less than the first value.

15. A method of controlling a trailer brake output circuit of a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic control unit of the vehicle, a signal from an input device of the vehicle, the signal being associated with an input to the input device by a user;

limiting, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, a trailer brake output signal to a first value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal in response to the signal received from the input device; and

limiting, by the electronic control unit of the vehicle, the trailer brake output signal to a second value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal independent of the signal received from the input device, the second value being smaller than the first value.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the input device includes a master cylinder pressure sensor communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the input device includes a manual activation device communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, the manual activation device configured to transmit a gain for the trailer brake output signal to the electronic control unit.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising activating a trailer sway control function,

wherein the first value is determined based on the gain received from the manual activation device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second value is about 26% to 50% less than the first value.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising activating a pre-collision safety function,

wherein the second value is about 13% less than the first value.