METHOD TO AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST A TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER

• US 20180339685A1
• Filed: 05/24/2017
• Published: 11/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hill, Thaddeus, Bousamra, Joe Alexander, Rhein, Lawrence Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,479,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/662 characterised by specified functions of the control system components
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/686 in hydraulic systems or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/042 by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/176 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel slip during vehicle deceleration, e.g. ABS B60T8/1755 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/248 Trailer sway, e.g. for preventing jackknifing
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/321 deceleration B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/323 Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

A vehicle brake system includes a brake control device, a vehicle acceleration sensor, and a trailer brake controller. The trailer brake controller outputs an initial trailer brake torque demand based on an input received from the brake control device and adjusts the initial trailer brake torque demand to converge a signal from the vehicle acceleration sensor to an expected negative acceleration value correlated with the input from the brake control device.

Claims

1. A brake system for a vehicle having a brake control device and an acceleration sensor, the system comprising:

a trailer brake controller;

outputting an initial trailer brake torque demand based on an input received from the brake control device; and

adjusting the initial trailer brake torque demand to converge a signal from the vehicle acceleration sensor to an expected negative acceleration value correlated with the input from the brake control device.

2. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the brake control device is a brake pedal moveable to an application position a range between a rest position and a full application position; and

the input received by the controller from the brake control device is a brake application signal proportionate to the application position with respect to the range.

3. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the controller adjusts the initial trailer brake torque demand according to a closed loop control scheme.

4. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 3, wherein the closed loop control scheme is a proportional-integral-derivative control scheme.

5. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the expected negative acceleration is a function of the brake torque demand.

6. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 5, wherein the expected negative acceleration function is adjustable based on a user input.

7. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle acceleration sensor is a component of a vehicle antilock brake control system.

8. The brake system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the vehicle acceleration sensor is a module that receives an input from a vehicle velocity sensor over time to determine acceleration.

9. A vehicle, comprising:

a brake control device;

an acceleration sensor;

an external communication coupling; and

a trailer brake controller;

receiving an input from the brake control device and deriving an initial trailer brake torque demand based on the input;

outputting the initial trailer brake torque demand to the communication coupling; and

adjusting the initial trailer brake torque demand to converge a signal from the acceleration sensor to an expected negative acceleration value correlated with the input from the brake control device.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further including a hitch receiver coupled with the vehicle, wherein:

the external communication coupling is a wiring harness one of on or adjacent the hitch receiver.

11. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the external communication coupling is a wireless transmitter.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

the brake control device is a brake pedal moveable to an application position within a range between a rest position and a full application position; and

the input from the brake control device is a brake application signal proportionate to the application position with respect to the range.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

the trailer brake controller is included in a vehicle brake system that further includes a plurality of vehicle brake units; and

the vehicle brake system causes actuation of the plurality of vehicle brake units at a predetermined level correlating with the application position of the brake pedal.

14. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the controller adjusts the initial trailer brake torque demand according to a closed loop control scheme.

15. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the expected negative acceleration is a function of the brake torque demand.

16. A trailer brake control method, comprising:

receiving an electronic input from a vehicle brake control device and deriving an initial trailer brake torque demand based on the input;

outputting the initial trailer brake torque demand to a trailer brake module; and

adjusting the initial trailer brake torque demand to converge a signal from a vehicle acceleration sensor to an expected negative acceleration value correlated with the input from the brake control device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the vehicle brake control device is a brake pedal moveable to an application position in a range between a rest position and a full application position; and

the input from the brake control device is a brake application signal proportionate to the application position with respect to the range.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the trailer brake controller is included in a vehicle brake system that further includes a plurality of vehicle brake units, the method further including:

actuating the plurality of vehicle brake units at a predetermined level correlating with the application position of the brake pedal.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the initial trailer brake torque demand is implemented according to a closed loop control scheme.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the expected negative acceleration is a function of the brake torque demand.