Electronic trailer brake controller with sleep mode
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle being associated with a towing vehicle having a set of wheel brakes, the electronic brake controller comprising:
- a sensor for producing a brake control signal which is representative of the desired automatic braking of the towed vehicle;
a control device adapted to be connected to a vehicle power source and responsive to said brake control signal for generating an output signal for actuating the electric wheel brakes of the towed vehicle; and
a switch included in said control device for disconnecting the vehicle power source from selected portions of said control device, said control device being operative, following an elapse of a pre-determined time period during which the towing vehicle wheel brakes are released, to cause said switch to disconnect the vehicle power source from said portions of said control device.
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Abstract
An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle which includes a sleep mode.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle being associated with a towing vehicle having a set of wheel brakes, the electronic brake controller comprising:
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a sensor for producing a brake control signal which is representative of the desired automatic braking of the towed vehicle; a control device adapted to be connected to a vehicle power source and responsive to said brake control signal for generating an output signal for actuating the electric wheel brakes of the towed vehicle; and a switch included in said control device for disconnecting the vehicle power source from selected portions of said control device, said control device being operative, following an elapse of a pre-determined time period during which the towing vehicle wheel brakes are released, to cause said switch to disconnect the vehicle power source from said portions of said control device.
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2. An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle being associated with a towing vehicle having a wheel brake system which controls a set of towing vehicle wheel brakes, the electronic brake controller comprising:
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a control device responsive to actuation of the towing vehicle wheel brakes to generate an output signal for actuating the electric wheel brakes of the towed vehicle; and a switching device having conducting and non-conducting states coupled to said control device, said switching device adapted to be connected to a vehicle power source to supply electric energy to portions of said control device, said switching device electrically coupled to said control device and selectively switched thereby between said conducting and non-conducting states to control the supply of electrical energy to said portions of said control device with said control device being operative, following an elapse of a predetermined time period during which the towing vehicle wheel brakes are released, to cause said switching device to be in said non-conducting state. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle being associated with a towing vehicle having a wheel brake system which controls a set of towing vehicle wheel brakes, the towing vehicle wheel brake system including a brake light switch which is closed upon actuation of the towing vehicle wheel brake system, the electronic brake controller comprising:
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a control device including a microprocessor, said microprocessor being electrically coupled to the towing vehicle brake system and responsive to actuation thereof to generate an output signal for actuating the electric wheel brakes of the towed vehicle; and a switching device having conducting and non-conducting states, said switching device electrically coupled to said microprocessor and adapted to be connected to a vehicle power source to supply electric energy to portions of said control device, said switching device selectively switched by said microprocessor between said conducting and non-conducting states to control the supply of electrical energy to said portions of said control device, said microprocessor being electrically coupled to the brake light switch and responsive to the closure thereof to cause said switching device to be in said conducting state, said microprocessor further being operative, following an elapse of a predetermined time, during which the towing vehicle brakes are released, to cause said switching device to be in a non-conducting state. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An electronic brake controller for actuating electric wheel brakes of a towed vehicle, the towed vehicle being associated with a towing vehicle having a wheel brake system which controls a set of towing vehicle wheel brakes, the electronic brake controller comprising:
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a control device responsive to actuation of the towing vehicle wheel brakes to generate an output signal for actuating the electric wheel brakes of the towed vehicle, said control device including a microprocessor; and a switching device having conducting and non-conducting states coupled to said microprocessor, said switching device adapted to be connected to a vehicle power source to supply electric energy to portions of said control device, said microprocessor being operative to selectively switch said switching device between said conducting and non-conducting states to control the supply of electrical energy to said portions of said control device, said microprocessor further being operative, following an elapse of a predetermined time period during which the towing vehicle brakes are released, to cause said switching device to be in said non-conducting state.
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Specification