Brake control unit
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, said method comprising:
- receiving a speed signal based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle;
generating a brake output signal based on at least said speed signal;
sending said brake output signal to brakes of said towed vehicle to provide power to said brakes;
applying said brakes of said towed vehicle based on said brake output signal;
determining a relationship between said speed and a speed threshold;
applying a function to modify said brake output signal only when said speed of the towing vehicle is below said speed threshold;
wherein said function modifies said brake output based on said speed; and
wherein said brake output signal is not modified based on speed when said speed of said towing vehicle is above said speed threshold.
11 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
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.
280 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, said method comprising:
-
receiving a speed signal based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle; generating a brake output signal based on at least said speed signal; sending said brake output signal to brakes of said towed vehicle to provide power to said brakes; applying said brakes of said towed vehicle based on said brake output signal; determining a relationship between said speed and a speed threshold; applying a function to modify said brake output signal only when said speed of the towing vehicle is below said speed threshold; wherein said function modifies said brake output based on said speed; and wherein said brake output signal is not modified based on speed when said speed of said towing vehicle is above said speed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, said method comprising:
-
receiving an input signal based on;
i) a pressure in a brake system of a towing vehicle; and
ii) speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle;generating a brake output signal based on at least said input signal; sending said brake output signal to brakes of said towed vehicle to provide power to said brakes; applying said brakes of said towed vehicle based on said brake output signal; determining a relationship between said speed and a speed threshold; applying a function to modify said brake output signal only when said speed of the towing vehicle is below said speed threshold; wherein said function modifies said brake output based on said input signal; and wherein said brake output signal is not modified based on speed when said speed of said towing vehicle is above said speed threshold. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, said method comprising:
-
periodically receiving speed signals based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle; estimating a gain setting of said towed vehicle based on said speed signals and prevailing conditions of said towed vehicle to determine a maximum braking power before wheels of said towed vehicle lock up; applying said gain setting to limit said maximum braking power; providing an initial brake output signal to brakes of said towed vehicle based on said estimated gain setting; setting a slew rate of said brake output signal based on said estimated gain setting; and modifying said initial brake output signal based on said estimated gain setting.
-
-
18. A method of controlling braking of a towed vehicle, said method comprising:
-
periodically receiving speed signals based on speed of a towing vehicle, or a towed vehicle, or both said towing vehicle and said towed vehicle; estimating a gain setting of said towed vehicle based on said speed signals and prevailing conditions of said towed vehicle to determine a maximum braking power before wheels of said towed vehicle lock up; applying said gain setting to limit said maximum braking power; and estimating a boost setting of said towed vehicle based on said estimated gain setting; and modifying said brake output signal to brakes of said towed vehicle based on said estimated boost setting.
-
Specification