METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR BOOSTING TRAILER BRAKE OUTPUT

• US 20160114772A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: VIETOR, EDWARD A., HARTMAN, KATHERIN L.
• Application Number:
  US14/523,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20160114772A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• 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 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for controlling a brake system of a trailer associated with a vehicle. In one embodiment a method includes: determining a brake output based on brake pressure of a vehicle brake system, a deceleration of the vehicle, and a braking torque of the vehicle; applying a boost factor to the brake output resulting in an adjusted brake output; and generating a control signal based on the adjusted brake output.

Claims

1. A control method for controlling a brake system of a trailer associated with a vehicle, the control method comprising:

determining a brake output based on at least one of brake pressure of a vehicle brake system, a deceleration of the vehicle, and a braking torque of the vehicle;

applying a boost factor to the brake output resulting in an adjusted brake output; and

generating a control signal based on the adjusted brake output.

2. The control method of claim 1, further comprising determining the boost factor based on vehicle data.

3. The control method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle data includes load data.

4. The control method of claim 3, wherein the load data indicates at least one of a vehicle load, a trailer load, and a vehicle and trailer load.

5. The control method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle data includes vehicle speed data.

6. The control method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle data includes deceleration data.

7. The control method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle data includes at least one of a surface coefficient, a surface type, and a grade of the surface the vehicle is traveling.

8. The control method of claim 2, wherein the vehicle data includes trailer brake type data.

9. The control method of claim 1, wherein the applying comprises multiplying the boost factor by the brake output resulting in the adjusted brake output.

10. The control system of claim 1, further comprising modifying the control signal based on a voltage of the vehicle.

11. A control system for controlling a brake system of a trailer associated with a vehicle, the system comprising:

a first module that determines a brake output based on at least one of brake pressure of a vehicle brake system, a deceleration of the vehicle, and a braking torque of the vehicle;

a second module that applies a boost factor to the brake output resulting in an adjusted brake output; and

a third module that generates a control signal based on the adjusted brake output.

12. The control system of claim 11, further comprising a fourth module that determines the boost factor based on vehicle data.

13. The control system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle data includes load data, and wherein the load data indicates at least one of a vehicle load, a trailer load, and a vehicle and trailer load.

14. The control system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle data includes vehicle speed data.

15. The control system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle data includes deceleration data.

16. The control system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle data includes at least one of surface coefficient, a surface type, and a grade of the surface the vehicle is traveling.

17. The control system of claim 12, wherein the vehicle data includes trailer brake type data.

18. The control system of claim 11, wherein the second module applies the boost factor by multiplying the boost factor by the brake output resulting in the adjusted brake output.

19. The control system of claim 11, wherein the third module modifies the control signal based on a voltage of the vehicle.

20. A system for controlling a brake system of a trailer, the system comprising:

a vehicle having a brake system; and

a control module that determines a brake output based on at least one of brake pressure of the brake system of the vehicle, a deceleration of the vehicle, and a braking torque of the vehicle that applies a boost factor to the brake output resulting in an adjusted brake output, and that generates a control signal to the brake system of the trailer based on the adjusted brake output.