Trailer Sway Control With Trailer Brake Intervention

• US 20080172163A1
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Marsden, Doug, Englert, Kirk, Messih, David, Chubb, Erik, Schmitt, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,834,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/83
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2230/06 Tractor-trailer swaying
• 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 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

Abstract

A control system for a vehicle includes a speed sensor that generates a vehicle speed signal. A sway detection sensor generates an oscillation signal. A brake control is coupled to a vehicle brake and is associated with a trailer brake. A controller is coupled to a stability control system and brakes one or more of the vehicle brake and the trailer brake and in response to the oscillation signal.

Claims

1. A control system for a vehicle comprising:

a speed sensor generating a vehicle speed signal;

a sway detection sensor generating an oscillation signal;

at least one vehicle brake;

a brake control coupled to said at least one vehicle brake and associated with at least one trailer brake;

a stability control system coupled to said speed sensor, said sway detection sensor, and said brake control; and

a controller coupled to said stability control system and braking at least one of said at least one vehicle brake and said at least one trailer brake and in response to said oscillation signal.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller brakes said at least one vehicle brake in collaboration with said at least one trailer brake.

3. A system as in claim 2 wherein said controller actively brakes at least one of said at least one trailer brake and said at least one vehicle brake at the onset of oscillation detection.

4. A system as in claim 2 wherein said controller actively brakes at least one of said at least one trailer brake and said at least one vehicle brake when said vehicle speed signal is greater than a predetermined speed.

5. A system as in claim 2 wherein said controller actively brakes at least one of said at least one trailer brake according to full gain-adjusted output available by the controller at an onset of oscillation detection.

6. A system as in claim 2 wherein said controller actively brakes at least one of said at least one trailer brake based on vehicle deceleration at an onset of oscillation detection.

7. A system as in claim 2 wherein said controller actively brakes at least one of said at least one trailer brake proportional to a peak of last differential or symmetric vehicle braking request.

8. A system as in claim 1 comprising a longitudinal acceleration sensor generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, said controller braking said at least one brake when said longitudinal acceleration signal is greater than a predetermined threshold.

9. A system as in claim 1 comprising a longitudinal acceleration sensor generating a longitudinal acceleration signal, said controller braking said at least one vehicle and one trailer brake when said longitudinal deceleration signal is less than a predetermined threshold.

10. A system as in claim 9 where said controller actively brakes at least one of said at least one trailer brake in closed loop feedback with a deceleration target during trailer oscillation detection and in conjunction with deceleration generated by controller actively braking at least one of said vehicle brakes.

11. A system as in claim 1 comprising an external temperature sensor, said controller actively braking at least one of said trailer brakes as a function of the external temperature.

12. A system as in claim 1 comprising a lateral acceleration sensor generating a lateral acceleration signal, said controller braking said at least one brake when said lateral acceleration signal is less than a predetermined threshold.

13. A system as in claim 1 wherein said sway detection sensor is selected from at least one of a yaw rate sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor.

14. A system as in claim 1 wherein said oscillation signal comprises yaw rate information.

15. A system as in claim 1 wherein said oscillation signal comprises acceleration information.

16. A system as in claim 1 wherein said oscillation signal comprises yaw acceleration information.

17. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller is onboard the vehicle.

18. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller brakes at least one of said at least one vehicle brake and said at least one trailer brake in response to a trailer detection signal.

19. A system as in claim 1 wherein said controller actively brakes a plurality of said at least one trailer brake and said at least one vehicle brake on opposites sides of at least one of the vehicle and trailer.

21. A system as in claim 13 further comprising a speed sensor generating a vehicle speed signal, said controller applying said proportionally greater braking force when said vehicle speed signal is greater than a predetermined speed.

22. A system as in claim 13 wherein said controller only applies braking force via said at least one trailer brake.

23. A system as in claim 13 wherein said controller applies braking force via both said at least one vehicle brake and said at least one trailer brake.

24. A system as in claim 13 wherein said controller applies said proportionally greater braking force in response to a trailer detection signal.

26. A method as in claim 18 further comprising generating a trailer present signal and braking said at least one trailer brake in response to said trailer present signal.

27. A method as in claim 18 further comprising braking at least one vehicle brake in collaboration with said at least one trailer brake in response to said oscillation signal.

20. A control system for a vehicle comprising:

a sway detection sensor generating an oscillation signal;

at least one vehicle brake;

a brake control coupled to said at least one vehicle brake and associated with at least one trailer brake;

a stability control system coupled to said sway detection sensor and said brake control; and

a controller coupled to said stability control system and applying a proportionally greater braking force with said at least one trailer brake than said at least one vehicle brake in response to said oscillation signal.

25. A method of controlling a stability control system of a vehicle that is pulling a trailer comprising:

generating a vehicle speed signal;

generating an oscillation signal indicative of a trailer swaying relative to the vehicle said oscillation signal being generated on the vehicle only;

braking at least one trailer brake when said vehicle speed signal is greater than a predetermined speed and in response to said oscillation signal.