Towing vehicle controller providing brake control to a towed vehicle and method

• US 9,592,800 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Shelley
• Application Number:
  US14/682,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20150210257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70
• 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;

determining an empirical deceleration value based on the deceleration signal;

comparing the empirical deceleration value to the comparison value;

determining a brake control transmission signal after receiving the deceleration signal; 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.

2. The towing vehicle controller of claim 1, 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.

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