Brake control unit

• US 20020123837A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 09/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cequent Electrical Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Albright, Marcia S., Kulkarni, Chandrakumar D., Eccleston, Larry, Smith, Bruce E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,615,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• 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

Abstract

A brake control unit for providing a brake output signal to a brake load includes a processor, an accelerometer and a memory subsystem The accelerometer is coupled to the processor and provides a brake control signal to the processor, which is configured to provide the brake output signal to the brake load in response to the brake control signal. The memory subsystem is coupled to the processor and stores processor executable code, which causes the processor to automatically set at least one of a gain level and a boost level for the brake control unit.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a fixed brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when deceleration of a towing vehicle is below a deceleration threshold and a brake pedal of the towing vehicle is depressed; and

terminating the fixed brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when the towing vehicle deceleration is above the deceleration threshold and the brake pedal of the towing vehicle is depressed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed brake output signal is only provided when the deceleration of the towing vehicle is below the deceleration threshold for a predetermined time period.

3. A method for automatically setting a gain level of a brake control unit that provides a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when a brake pedal of a towing vehicle is depressed and before brakes of the towing vehicle can respond to the depression of the brake pedal;

detecting a deceleration in the towed vehicle attributable to the brake output signal, wherein the detected deceleration provides an indication of towed vehicle characteristics; and

setting a gain level for the brake control unit responsive to the detected deceleration associated with the brake output signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the towed vehicle characteristics include brake temperature, brake pad wear, proximity of brake pads to brake drum, brake magnet strength, brake spring strength, number of axles, load and speed.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the brake output signal is modulated at a given rate to provide an average deceleration for use in setting the gain level for the brake control unit to an appropriate level.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the detected deceleration also provides an indication of road conditions.

7. A method for automatically setting a boost level of a brake control unit that provides a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing a brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when a brake pedal of a towing vehicle is depressed and before brakes of the towing vehicle can respond to the depression of the brake pedal;

detecting a deceleration in the towed vehicle attributable to the brake output signal, wherein the detected deceleration provides an indication of towed vehicle characteristics; and

setting a boost level for the brake control unit responsive to the detected deceleration associated with the brake output signal, wherein the boost level causes an increased initial braking force to be applied to the brake load when utilized.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the towed vehicle characteristics include brake temperature, brake pad wear, proximity of brake pads to brake drum, brake magnet strength, brake spring strength, number of axles, load and speed.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the brake output signal is modulated at a given rate to provide an average deceleration for use in setting the boost level for the brake control unit to an appropriate level.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the detected deceleration also provides an indication of road conditions.

11. A brake control unit for providing a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising:

a processor,

an accelerometer coupled to the processor, the accelerometer providing a brake control signal to the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to cause an appropriate brake output signal to be provided to the brake load responsive to the brake control signal; and

a memory subsystem coupled to the processor, the memory subsystem storing processor executable code which causes the processor to automatically set at least one of a gain level and a boost level for the brake control unit.

12. The brake control unit of claim 11, wherein brake control code causes the processor to perform the steps of:

providing a brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when a brake pedal of a towing vehicle is depressed and before brakes of the towing vehicle can respond to the depression of the brake pedal;

detecting a deceleration in the towed vehicle attributable to the brake output signal, wherein the detected deceleration provides an indication of towed vehicle characteristics; and

setting the gain level for the brake control unit responsive to the detected deceleration associated with the brake output signal.

13. The brake control unit of claim 12, wherein the brake control code causes the processor to perform the additional step of:

setting the boost level for the brake control unit responsive to the detected deceleration associated with the brake output signal, wherein the boost level causes an increased initial braking force to be applied to the brake load when utilized.

14. The brake control unit of claim 12, wherein the towed vehicle characteristics include brake temperature, brake pad wear, proximity of brake pads to brake drum, brake magnet strength, brake spring strength, number of axles, load and speed.

15. The brake control unit of claim 12, wherein the brake output signal is modulated at a given rate to provide an average deceleration for use in setting at least one of the gain level and the boost level for the brake control unit to an appropriate level.

16. The brake control unit of claim 12, wherein the detected deceleration also provides an indication of road conditions.

18. The brake control unit of claim 17, wherein brake control code causes the processor to perform the steps of:

providing a brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when a brake pedal of a towing vehicle is depressed and before brakes of the towing vehicle can respond to the depression of the brake pedal;

detecting a deceleration in the towed vehicle attributable to the brake output signal, wherein the detected deceleration provides an indication of towed vehicle characteristics; and

setting the gain level for the brake control unit responsive to the detected deceleration associated with the brake output signal.

19. The brake control unit of claim 18, wherein the brake control code causes the processor to perform the additional step of:

setting the boost level for the brake control unit responsive to the detected deceleration associated with the brake output signal, wherein the boost level provides an increased initial braking force to be applied to the brake load.

20. The brake control unit of claim 18, wherein the towed vehicle characteristics include brake temperature, brake pad wear, proximity of brake pads to brake drum, brake magnet strength, brake spring strength, number of axles, load and speed.

21. The brake control unit of claim 18, wherein the brake output signal is modulated at a given rate to provide an average deceleration for use in setting at least one of the gain level and the boost level for the brake control unit to an appropriate level.

22. The brake control unit of claim 18, wherein the detected deceleration also provides an indication of road conditions

23. The brake control unit of claim 17, wherein brake control code causes the processor to perform the additional steps of:

providing a fixed brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when towing vehicle deceleration is below a deceleration threshold and the brake pedal of the towing vehicle is depressed; and

terminating the fixed brake output signal to the brake load of the towed vehicle when the towing vehicle deceleration is above the deceleration threshold and the brake pedal of the towing vehicle is depressed.

24. The brake control unit of claim 23, wherein the fixed brake output signal is only provided when the towing vehicle deceleration is below the deceleration threshold for a predetermined time period.

17. A brake control unit for providing a brake output signal to a brake load of a towed vehicle, comprising:

a processor;

a brake load switching circuit coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the brake load switching circuit to couple a towed vehicle battery to the brake load responsive to a brake control signal and thus provide a brake output signal to the brake load;

an accelerometer coupled to the processor, the accelerometer providing the brake control signal to the processor; and

a memory subsystem coupled to the processor, the memory subsystem storing processor executable code which causes the processor to automatically set at least one of a gain level and a boost level for the brake control unit.