TOWED EQUIPMENT BRAKE CONTROLLER

• US 20100152920A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GRLC LLC
• Original Assignee: GRLC LLC
• Inventors: McCann, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/746 and mechanical transmission of the braking action
• 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 controller (10) transmits a signal indicative of a braking force to electric brakes (126, 128) of towed equipment, such as a trailer or towed vehicle (120). The brake controller (10) can include at least one characteristic sensor (32), such as an accelerometer, reactive to a braking force applied by the driver of the towing vehicle (110) or to changes in attitude or orientation of the towed equipment. A microprocessor (140) acts upon a signal from the at least one characteristic sensor (32) to determine output settings used to activate the towed equipment braking system for application of sufficient braking force for desired slowing of the towed equipment in concert with the towing vehicle (110). Activation of braking systems of the towed equipment includes the use of wireless signals. Additionally, the use of the right-side brake and the left-side brake for sway control is disclosed.

Claims

1-58. -58. (canceled)

59. A wireless brake control system for wireless communication of braking control commands between a towing vehicle and trailer, said system comprising:

at least one characteristic sensor that detects a quantifiable braking-relevant characteristic of either the towing vehicle or the trailer and outputs data to a microprocessor of the wireless brake control system that represents the quantification of the detected braking-relevant characteristic;

said microprocessor programmed to receive and process the data representative of the detected braking-relevant characteristic and output corresponding data representing a trailer braking control command;

a wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to receive the outputted data representing the trailer braking control command from the microprocessor and transmit a corresponding trailer braking command signal to a wireless receiver electrically connected to a wiring system on the trailer, said wireless receiver configured to receive the trailer braking command signal which is utilized to control a communicatively coupled trailer braking system; and

a housing in which the characteristic sensor and microprocessor are housed.

60. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 59, wherein said housing has a front face that is less than about 70 millimeters by 70 millimeters.

61. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 59, further comprising a touch sensitive pad coupled to said microprocessor, wherein said microprocessor generates a trailer brake command in response to activation of the touch sensitive pad.

62. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 61, wherein said microprocessor receives a signal from the touch sensitive surface indicative of a degree of force associated with the sensed press-engagement of the touch sensitive surface.

63. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 62, wherein said microprocessor outputs a signal to brakes of the trailer in proportion to the degree of forces sensed by the touch sensitive surface.

64. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 59, wherein said microprocessor receives signals from at least one trailer sway sensor indicative of a trailer sway condition.

65. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 64, wherein said microprocessor transmits pulse signals to the left-side brake controller so that a left-side brake of the trailer is pulsed.

66. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 64, wherein said microprocessor transmits pulse signals to the right-side brake controller so that a right-side brake of the trailer is pulsed.

67. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 64, wherein said microprocessor is further configured to adjust the trailer braking control signal to the left-side brake controller and right-side brake controller to control a left-side brake and a right-side brake of the trailer to reduce the detected trailer sway condition.

68. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 64, wherein said wireless brake control transmits signals to a left-side brake and a right-side brake of the trailer such that the left-side brake engages at a force greater than the right-side brake.

69. The wireless brake control system as recited in claim 64, wherein said wireless brake control transmits signals to a left-side brake and a right-side brake of the trailer such that the right-side brake engages at a force greater than the left-side brake.

70. A brake control unit for providing an output signal to brakes of a trailer, comprising:

a characteristic sensor that detects a quantifiable braking-relevant characteristic of either a towing vehicle or the trailer and outputs data to a microprocessor of the brake control unit that represents the quantification of the detected braking-relevant characteristic;

a left-side brake output wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to transmit a signal indicative of a programmed braking force for a brake on the left side of the trailer;

a right-side brake output wireless transmitter communicatively coupled to the microprocessor and configured to transmit a signal indicative of a programmed braking force for a brake on the right side of the trailer; and

said microprocessor programmed to send signals via the left-side brake output transmitter and right-side brake output transmitter to independently control the braking force applied by the brake on the respective side of the trailer.

71. The brake control unit as recited in claim 70, wherein said microprocessor receives signals from at least one sensor indicative of a trailer sway condition.

72. The brake control unit as recited in claim 71, wherein said microprocessor transmits pulse signals to the left-side brake output transmitter and the right-side brake output transmitter so that a left-side brake and right-side brake of the trailer are pulsed.

73. A brake control unit for providing an output signal to brakes of a towed vehicle, comprising:

a characteristic sensor that detects a quantifiable braking-relevant characteristic of either the towing vehicle or the trailer and outputs data to a microprocessor of the brake control unit that represents the quantification of the detected braking-relevant characteristic;

said microprocessor programmed to receive and process the data representative of the detected braking-relevant characteristic and output corresponding data representing a trailer braking control command; and

a housing within which said characteristic sensor and microprocessor are located and wherein said housing comprises a front face upon which a touch sensitive surface is located, said touch sensitive surface in signal communication with said microprocessor.

74. The brake control unit as recited in claim 73, wherein said microprocessor sends a signal to activate brakes of the trailer upon sensing press-engagement of the touch sensitive surface.

75. The brake control unit as recited in claim 74, wherein said microprocessor receives a signal from the touch sensitive surface indicative of a degree of force associated with the sensed press-engagement of the touch sensitive surface.

76. The brake control unit as recited in claim 75, wherein said microprocessor outputs a signal to brakes of the trailer in proportion to the degree of force sensed by the touch sensitive surface.

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

a processor;

a first wireless communication module communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein said first wireless communication module receives signals indicative of a vehicle braking condition from a remote braking sensor;

a second wireless communication module communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein said second wireless communication module transmits signals to a towed vehicle braking receiver which is electrically connected to brakes on the towed vehicle; and

a towed vehicle brake control module communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein said towed vehicle brake control module selectively supplies signals to the second wireless communication module to engage said brakes on the towed vehicle.

78. The brake control unit of claim 77, further comprising a liquid crystal display communicatively coupled to the processor.