Stability enhancing system for tow-vehicle and trailer assembly combination with two processors

• US 20070260385A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tandy Engineering & Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tandy Engineering & Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Tandy, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,798,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1708 for lorries or tractor-trailer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/245 Longitudinal vehicle inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/246 Change of direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/14 Tractor-trailers, i.e. combinations of a towing vehicle and one or more towed vehicles, e.g. caravans; Road trains

Abstract

A system for providing enhanced stability, control, and management of a tow-vehicle with a connected trailer assembly combination by using an electronic stability enhancing system and two processors is disclosed. The first processor on the tow-vehicle and second processor on the trailer include memory with computer instructions for communicating with sensors located on the tow-vehicle and the trailer for detecting force, motion, and combinations thereof, as well as engagement with the trailer. Computer instructions instruct the processors to identify specifications and characteristics representing the tow-vehicle and the trailer and to calculate force values and motion values that affect the tow-vehicle and trailer assembly combination for comparison with known threshold values. Computer instructions provide instructions for stabilization, which can include braking to at least one wheel of the tow-vehicle and trailer using force values, motion values, the electronic stability enhancing system, and specifications of the tow-vehicle and trailer combination.

Claims

1. A stability enhancing control system for a tow-vehicle with a connected trailer assembly, wherein the stability enhancing control system comprises:

a. an electronic stability enhancing system;

b. a first processor with a first memory located on the tow-vehicle and in communication with the electronic stability enhancing system;

c. the second processor with a second memory located on the trailer, wherein the second processor is in communication with the first processor on the tow-vehicle;

d. tow-vehicle sensors located on the tow-vehicle for detecting the engagement with a trailer, wherein the tow-vehicle sensors are adapted to communicate with a trailer electrical system on the trailer and the first processor on the tow-vehicle;

e. trailer sensors located on the trailer for detecting a force, a motion and combinations thereof, wherein the trailer sensors are adapted to communicate with the trailer electrical system, the first processor on the tow-vehicle, and the second processor on the trailer;

f. computer instructions adapted for instructing the first processor and the second processor to identify specifications representing the tow-vehicle and specifications representing the trailer, wherein the specifications comprise a member selected from the group consisting of;

a tow-vehicle length, a tow-vehicle height, a tow-vehicle width, a tow-vehicle weight, a tow-vehicle inertia value, a tow-vehicle wheel configuration, a tow-vehicle wheel size, a tow-vehicle tire characteristic, a tow-vehicle suspension characteristic, and combinations thereof, and at least one trailer characteristic;

g. computer instructions adapted for calculating at least one force, at least one motion, and combinations thereof affecting the tow-vehicle and the connected trailer assembly, wherein the at least one force, at least one motion, and combinations thereof, are a member selected from the group consisting of;

a lateral force, a translational motion, an angular motion, a steering input, a steering rate, a steering torque, a vehicle speed, a braking force, a braking pressure, a wheel speed, a throttle position, a brake pedal position, and combinations thereof;

h. computer instructions for applying braking to at least one wheel of the tow-vehicle using;

the at least one force, the at least one motion, and combinations thereof, the electronic stability enhancing system, and the specifications of the tow-vehicle with the connected trailer assembly; and

i. computer instructions for applying braking to at least one wheel of the trailer using;

the at least one force, the at least one motion, and combinations thereof, the electronic stability enhancing system, the specifications of the tow-vehicle and connected trailer assembly, and the at least one trailer characteristic.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tow-vehicle comprises a brake adjacent to each wheel of the tow-vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the brake is a member selected from a group of brake types consisting of:

an electric brake, a hydraulic brake, a surge brake, a pneumatic brake, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the brake on the tow-vehicle consists of a different type of brake type than a brake on the trailer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the trailer comprises a brake adjacent to each wheel of the trailer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the brake on the trailer is a member selected from a group of brake types consisting of:

an electric brake, a surge brake, a hydraulic brake, a pneumatic brake, and combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the trailer comprises between one and fifteen axles.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tow-vehicle is a member selected from the group consisting of:

a passenger car, a tractor, a sport utility vehicle, a pick-up truck, a medium truck, a heavy truck, a semi-truck, a van, a recreational vehicle, a bus, or other motorized vehicle having a brake adjacent to each wheel.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the trailer is a member selected from the group consisting of:

an equipment trailer, a pop-up trailer, semi-trailer, tandem trailer, a recreational trailer, a house trailer, a boat trailer, a horse trailer, a utility trailer, a motorcycle trailer, a race car trailer, an enclosed trailer, a dump trailer, a car hauler trailer, or other trailer having at least two wheels.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the tow-vehicle sensors located on the tow-vehicle comprise a device for detecting a completed electrical circuit, other integrated circuit system, and combinations thereof.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the tow-vehicle sensors identify the existence of a trailer when a connection is completed between a lighting system of the tow-vehicle and a lighting system of the trailer.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the trailer sensor located on the trailer is wireless and adapted to communicate with the first processor on the tow-vehicle.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the tow-vehicle sensor on the tow-vehicle is a member selected from the group consisting of:

a position sensor, a force sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a torque sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, a steering rate sensor, and combinations thereof.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the trailer sensor on the trailer is a member selected from the group consisting of:

a proximity braking sensor, a position sensor, a force sensor, a wheel speed sensor, a rotational motion sensor, a torque sensor, a translational motion sensor, a steering wheel angle sensor, and combinations thereof.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the trailer characteristic comprises a member selected from the group consisting of:

a trailer length, a trailer width, a trailer height a trailer weight, a trailer wheel configuration, a trailer wheel size, a trailer tire characteristic, a trailer suspension characteristic, a trailer dimensional characteristic, a trailer inertia value, and combinations thereof.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions use the specifications and characteristics of the tow-vehicle and the trailer to reduce sway, pitch, roll, and yaw of the tow-vehicle with the connected trailer assembly when at least one characteristic exceeds the preset limits.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions adjust engine power to alter the least one force, the at least one motion, and combinations thereof, of the tow-vehicle with the connected trailer assembly.