Towing Vehicle Controller Providing Brake Control to a Towed Vehicle and Method

• US 20150210257A1
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Published: 07/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Matoy, Eric A., Tober, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,592,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/686 in hydraulic systems or parts thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1887 especially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

Various embodiments of a towing vehicle controller and methods for brake control of a towed vehicle are provided. A towing vehicle controller includes an input for receiving a load signal indicative of a load of a towed and towing vehicle combination; an input for receiving a stability signal indicative of at least one of a yaw rate, a steering angle, and a lateral acceleration of the towing vehicle; and an input for receiving a deceleration signal indicative of an automated deceleration request. Control logic is capable of determining a comparison value prior to receiving the deceleration signal and after receiving the load signal and the stability signal, wherein the determination of the comparison value is based on the load signal and the stability signal. After the deceleration signal is received, the control logic determines a brake control transmission signal based on the deceleration signal and the comparison value.

Claims

1. A towing vehicle controller for providing a towed vehicle brake control comprising:

a controller input for receiving a load signal indicative of a load of a towed and towing vehicle combination;

a controller input for receiving a yaw rate signal indicative of a yaw rate of a towing vehicle;

a controller input for receiving a deceleration signal indicative of an automated deceleration request; and

control logic capable of;

determining a yaw rate deviation based on the yaw rate signal;

determining a comparison value based on the yaw rate deviation and the load signal; and

determining a brake control transmission signal after receiving the deceleration signal, wherein the determination is based on the comparison value and the deceleration signal.

2. The towing vehicle controller of claim 1, wherein the control logic is further capable of:

determining an empirical deceleration value based on the deceleration signal.

3. The towing vehicle controller of claim 2, wherein the control logic is further capable of:

comparing the empirical deceleration value to the comparison value; and

assigning the empirical deceleration value as the brake control transmission signal when the empirical deceleration value is less than or equal to the comparison value, and assigning the comparison value as the brake control transmission signal when the empirical deceleration value is greater than the comparison value.

4. The towing vehicle controller of claim 2, wherein the control logic is further capable of:

comparing the empirical deceleration value to the comparison value when the yaw rate deviation is at least as great as a predetermined yaw rate deviation threshold.

5. The towing vehicle controller of claim 4, wherein the predetermined yaw rate deviation threshold is at least about 2 deg/s.

6. A towing vehicle controller for providing a towed vehicle brake control signal comprising:

means for determining a load of a towed and towing vehicle combination;

means for determining a yaw rate of the towing vehicle;

control logic capable of;

determining an empirical load value based on the load; and

determining an empirical stability value based on the load and the yaw rate prior to receiving the automated deceleration request;

means for receiving an automated deceleration request; and

means for determining an empirical deceleration value based on the automated deceleration request;

wherein the control logic compares the empirical deceleration value and the empirical load value and the empirical stability value to determine a brake control transmission signal.

7. A method for controlling a brake pressure delivered to a towed vehicle comprising:

receiving a load signal indicative of a load of a towed and towing vehicle combination;

determining an empirical load value as a function of the load;

receiving a stability signal indicative of a yaw rate of a towing vehicle;

determining a yaw rate deviation based on the yaw rate signal;

determining an empirical stability value based the yaw rate deviation;

determining a comparison value as a function of the empirical load value and the empirical stability value prior to receiving an automated deceleration request;

receiving the automated deceleration request;

determining an empirical deceleration value based on the automated deceleration request; and

determining a brake control transmission signal after determining the empirical deceleration value.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

Transmitting the brake control transmission signal to a towed vehicle brake control device.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

Determining the brake control transmission signal is the empirical deceleration value when the empirical deceleration value is less than or equal to the comparison value, and determining the brake control transmission signal is the comparison value when the empirical deceleration value is greater than the comparison value.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

Determining the comparison value is the empirical load value when the empirical stability value is less than a predetermined stability threshold and determining the comparison value is the empirical stability value when the empirical stability value is greater than or equal to the predetermined stability threshold.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a pressure value that corresponds to the brake control transmission signal, wherein the pressure value decreases as the yaw rate deviation increases.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the pressure value decreases by about 0% to about 50% lower than a pressure value of the empirical load value when the yaw rate deviation is at or above a yaw rate deviation threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the yaw rate deviation threshold is at least about 2 deg/s.