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Method and system for mitigating sway of a vehicle trailer by braking the towing vehicle during the correct phase of the sway

  • US 10,328,917 B2
  • Filed: 06/30/2017
  • Issued: 06/25/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for mitigating sway of a trailer being towed by a leading vehicle, the method comprising:

  • using a controller of the vehicle to determine when a trailer sway condition has arisen that requires a mitigating action;

    using the controller during the mitigating action to apply a plurality of brakes of the vehicle or to increase a braking pressure being applied by a driver of the vehicle only when the trailer is detected as swaying toward a centerline of the vehicle from one side or another of the vehicle centerline;

    using the controller during the mitigating action to release the plurality of brakes or to decrease the driver'"'"'s braking effort before the trailer has swayed past the vehicle centerline and to hold the braking at low or zero pressure while the trailer is swaying away from the centerline;

    and using the controller during the mitigating action to repeatedly apply or increase the vehicle brakes only while the trailer is detected as swaying toward the vehicle centerline, and release or decrease the brakes before the trailer reaches the vehicle centerline, and hold the brakes at low or zero pressure while the trailer is swaying away from the vehicle centerline.

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