Brake control unit

• US 10,688,977 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2017
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Horizon Global Americas Inc. (Horizon Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Albright, Marcia, Kulkarni, Chandrakumar
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rashid, Mahbubur
• Application Number:
  US15/689,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20180009421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 303123
• 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 8/323 Systems specially adapted for tractor-trailer combinations

Abstract

Towed vehicles can be extremely heavy. Accordingly, it is too much of a burden to the braking system of a towing vehicle to not have brakes on the towed vehicle. Controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle must be accurately applied otherwise very dangerous conditions can be created. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle is, therefore, needed. The method comprises receiving speed signals based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle, receiving pressure signals based on pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle, and generating a brake output signal based on the speed signals and the pressure signals.

Claims

1. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a speed signal based on a speed of at least one of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle;

sending a brake output signal based the speed signal to brakes of the towed vehicle to provide power to the brakes;

determining a relationship between the speed of at least one of a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle and a speed threshold;

applying a function to modify the brake output signal only when the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is below the speed threshold, wherein the function modifies the brake output signal based on the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle; and

wherein the brake output signal is not modified based on the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle when the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is above the speed threshold.

2. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving an input signal based on a pressure in a brake system of a towing vehicle;

generating a brake output signal based on the input signal;

sending the brake output signal to brakes of the towed vehicle to provide power to the brakes;

applying the brakes of the towed vehicle based on the brake output signal;

receiving a speed signal based on a speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

determining a relationship between the speed of at least one of the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle and a speed threshold;

applying a function to modify the brake output signal only when the speed of the towing vehicle is below the speed threshold;

wherein the function modifies the brake output signal based on the input signal; and

wherein the brake output signal is not modified based on the speed of the towing vehicle when the speed of the towing vehicle is above the speed threshold.

3. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle comprising:

receiving a speed signal based on a speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

generating a brake output signal based on the received speed signals, the brake output signal configured to be sent to brakes of the towed vehicle;

determining an actual deceleration of the towed vehicle attributable to the brake output signal; and

determining characteristics of the towed vehicle based upon the actual deceleration of the towed vehicle.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining relationship of the speed of the towing vehicle and a speed threshold; and

modifying the brake output signal to provide less power to the brakes of the towed vehicle as a function of speed when the speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is below the speed threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving pressure signals based on a pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle; and

modifying the brake output signal to provide power to the brakes of the towed vehicle as a function of pressure.

6. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a deceleration of at least one of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

determining characteristics of the towed vehicle based upon the deceleration of the towed vehicle; and

modulating a brake output signal to periodically release and engage brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based on the characteristics of the towed vehicle.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle; and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based at least in part on the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is determined based on at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wheel speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a throttle position sensor, and a Doppler sensor.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a hydraulic pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle; and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based at least in part on the pressure of the hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hydraulic pressure is determined based on at least one of a hydraulic pressure sensor, a brake pedal sensor, a brake pad sensor, and a signal from a communications bus.

11. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:

determining a lateral acceleration of a towed vehicle perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of travel of the towed vehicle;

modulating a brake output signal to periodically release and engage brakes of the towed vehicle based on a perpendicular acceleration;

determining a road condition; and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle based on the road condition.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining a vehicle characteristic of the towed vehicle; and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle based the vehicle characteristic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle characteristic is one of a brake temperature of the towed vehicle, brake pad wear of the towed vehicle, proximity of brake pads to brake drum of the towed vehicle, brake magnet strength of the towed vehicle, brake spring strength of the towed vehicle, brake pad moisture of the towed vehicle, battery voltage of the towed vehicle, number of axles of the towed vehicle, load of the towed vehicle, weight distribution of the towed vehicle, tire conditions of tires of the towed vehicle, speed of the towed vehicle and road conditions as experienced by the towed vehicle.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising

determining the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle based at least in part on the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is determined based on at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wheel speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a throttle position sensor, a Doppler sensor, and signal a communications bus.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining a hydraulic pressure of a hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle; and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle, wherein the brake output signal is based at least in part on the pressure of the hydraulic brake system of the towing vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the hydraulic pressure is determined based on at least one of a hydraulic pressure sensor, a brake pedal sensor, a brake pad sensor, and a signal from a communications bus.

18. A method for controlling braking of a towed vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving a deceleration signal based on a deceleration of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

increasing a braking power supplied by a brake output signal to brakes of the towed vehicle until a preset threshold deceleration is achieved for the towed vehicle;

determining a braking power to brakes of the towed vehicle at which the preset threshold deceleration is achieved; and

determining characteristics of the towed vehicle based on the deceleration of the towed vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising

determining the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle;

and

modulating the brake output signal to periodically release and engage the brakes of the towed vehicle based at least in part on the speed of the towing vehicle or the towed vehicle or both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the speed is determined based on at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wheel speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, a throttle position sensor, a Doppler sensor, and signal a communications bus.