Electronic brake controller

• US 8,180,546 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2010
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation (Hoppy Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hayes Brake Controller Co. LLC (Syncro Corp.)
• Inventors: Culbert, Jeffery S., Robertson, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, SHARDUL D
• Application Number:
  US12/706,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20100222979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 303/7, 303/20
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/741 acting on an ultimate actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/746 and mechanical transmission of the braking action
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/414 Power supply failure
• 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 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A controller for electric trailer brakes that includes a three axis accelerometer for detecting deceleration of a towing vehicle and an interactive liquid crystal display controlled by a plurality of pushbuttons.

Claims

1. A brake controller comprising:

a three axis acceleration sensor that generates three deceleration signals that are associated with three sensor orthogonal axes and up to three correction deceleration signals when the towing vehicle is stationary; and

a power control circuit adapted to be connected between a towing vehicle power supply and a set of electrically actuated trailer brakes, said power control circuit electrically connected to said three axis acceleration sensor, said power control circuit including a microprocessor, said microprocessor receiving said three deceleration signals and said correction deceleration signals, said microprocessor responsive to said correction deceleration signals to compensate said deceleration signals for any misalignment between said sensor orthogonal axes and three towing vehicle orthogonal axes, said microprocessor further responsive to said compensated deceleration signals to generate a towing vehicle composite deceleration signal, said power control circuit further responsive to said composite deceleration signal to supply a current to said set of trailer brakes that is proportional to said towing vehicle compensated deceleration signal.

2. The brake controller according to claim 1 further including a liquid crystal display for indicating operating conditions of the controller.

3. The brake controller according to claim 2 also including a plurality of pushbuttons that are operative in co-operation with said liquid crystal display to program operating conditions for the controller.

4. The brake controller according to claim 2 also including a plurality of pushbuttons that are operative in co-operation with said liquid crystal display to trouble shoot operating conditions for the controller.

5. The brake controller according to claim 2 also including a voltage detection circuit connected to said power controller circuit, said voltage detection circuit operative to monitor the voltage being supplied to the trailer brakes said power controller circuit responsive to an output of said voltage detection circuit to provide a warning message on said liquid crystal display when said output voltage does not meet threshold criteria.

6. The brake controller according to claim 5 further including an audio signal generator connected to said power controller circuit, said power controller circuit operative to cause an audible warning to be generated with a warning message is shown on said liquid crystal display.

7. The brake controller according to claim 2 also including an output current detection circuit connected to said power controller circuit, said output current detection circuit operative to provide a warning of excessive output current from said power controller circuit to the trailer brakes, said power controller circuit responsive to excessive output current warning to provide a warning message on said liquid crystal display.

8. The brake controller according to claim 3 also including a battery voltage detection circuit connected to said power controller circuit, said battery voltage detection circuit operable to monitor the voltage available from a towing vehicle battery, said liquid crystal display responsive to operation of said pushbuttons to display said towing vehicle battery voltage.

9. The brake controller according to claim 5 wherein said liquid crystal display responsive to operation of said pushbuttons to display said output voltage monitored by said voltage detection circuit.

10. The brake controller according to claim 7 wherein said liquid crystal display responsive to operation of said pushbuttons to display said output current monitored by said current detection circuit.