METHOD FOR DETERMINING OPTIMAL TRAILER BRAKE CALIBRATION FOR A TRAILER BRAKE

Abstract

One method for determining the optimal trailer brake calibration involves a user allowing a vehicle with an attached trailer (which includes the trailer brake) to coast down to a recommended speed, determining the coasting deceleration, pulse-activating the trailer brake, and then measuring the vehicle's pulse deceleration. If the pulse deceleration is less than or equal to the coasting deceleration, a commanded activation energy of the trailer brake is increased, the vehicle's pulse deceleration is measured again, and the pulse deceleration is again compared to the coasting deceleration.If the pulse delay is greater than the coasting delay, a minimum activation energy of the trailer brake is determined based on the commanded activation energy, the type of trailer brake is identified, and the optimal trailer brake calibration is determined based on inputting the minimum activation energy into an algorithm.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a trailer brake, in particular to a method for determining an optimal trailer brake calibration for a trailer brake in a vehicle.

[0002] For general background information, reference should be made in advance to DE 10 2022 108 967 A1.

[0003] Trailer brakes assist a trailer attached to a vehicle during controlled braking, allowing the trailer to come to a safe stop along with the vehicle, especially during sudden stops or when driving downhill. Several types of trailer brakes are used to achieve this, including electric trailer brakes and electro-hydraulic trailer brakes. Every trailer brake requires a certain amount of energy to start before initiating the braking process, known as the minimum activation energy. Knowing the minimum activation energy of a trailer brake prevents delays when applying the brakes.

[0004] While current trailer brakes fulfill their intended purpose, there is consequently a need for a new and improved method to optimize trailer brake calibration based on the minimum activation energy of the trailer brakes.

[0005] The invention is therefore based on the objective of meeting this need. SUMMARY

[0006] This problem is solved by a method for determining an optimal trailer brake calibration for a trailer brake in a vehicle characterized by the features of claim 1.

[0007] The method may include coasting the vehicle to a recommended speed. The method may further include measuring the vehicle's coasting deceleration. The method may further include pulsing the trailer brake using a commanded activation energy. The method may further include measuring the vehicle's pulse deceleration. The method may further include comparing the vehicle's coasting deceleration with its pulse deceleration. The method may further include determining a minimum activation energy value for the trailer brake by detecting the commanded activation energy when the pulse deceleration is greater than the coasting deceleration. The method may further include identifying a trailer brake type based on several known minimum activation energies.The procedure can also include determining an optimal trailer brake calibration based on the minimum activation energy.

[0008] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the recommended speed is a speed of the vehicle at which it is considered safe to pulse the trailer brake.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, the coasting deceleration is the deceleration of the vehicle that is measured when the vehicle coasts from a recommended speed and the trailer brake is not pulsed.

[0010] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the pulsing of the trailer brake further includes pulsing the trailer brake in incremental energy stages until the pulse delay is greater than the coasting delay.

[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, the pulsing of the trailer brake is initiated by a controller inside the vehicle.

[0012] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the pulse delay is the deceleration of the vehicle that is measured when the trailer brake is pulsed.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, the commanded activation energy is the energy that is sent to the trailer brake and that prescribes the strength of the actuation of the trailer brake.

[0014] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the method may further include increasing the ordered activation energy of the trailer brake if the pulse delay of the vehicle is less than or equal to the coasting delay of the vehicle.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, increasing the commanded activation energy may further include increasing the amount of energy sent to the trailer brake by a calibrated incremental range.

[0016] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the value of the minimum activation energy is determined by recognizing the value of the minimum commanded activation energy at which the pulse delay is greater than zero units per square second.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, the optimal trailer brake calibration is based on the optimization of the value of the minimum activation energy by a machine learning algorithm.

[0018] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the type of trailer brake is identified by comparing the minimum activation energy with several known minimum activation energies, identifying a known minimum activation energy from the several known minimum activation energies that corresponds to the minimum activation energy, and determining that the type of trailer brake is the type of trailer brake that corresponds to the matching known minimum activation energy.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, the several known minimum activation energies are a list of already known minimum activation energies for different types of trailer brakes.

[0020] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the optimal trailer brake calibration and the type of trailer brake are recorded in a trailer brake profile.

[0021] Furthermore, another method for determining an optimal trailer brake calibration for a trailer brake in a vehicle is provided. This other method may include coasting the vehicle to a recommended speed. The method may further include measuring the vehicle's coasting deceleration. The method may further include pulsing the trailer brake using a commanded activation energy. The method may further include measuring the vehicle's pulse deceleration. The method may further include comparing the vehicle's coasting deceleration with the vehicle's pulse deceleration. The method may further include determining a value for the minimum activation energy of the trailer brake by detecting the commanded activation energy when the pulse deceleration is greater than the coasting deceleration.The method can further include identifying a trailer brake type based on several known minimum activation energies. The method can further include recording the value of the minimum activation energy and the trailer brake type in a trailer profile. The method can further include determining an optimal trailer brake calibration based on the minimum activation energy.

[0022] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the method may further include increasing the ordered activation energy of the trailer brake if the pulse delay of the vehicle is less than or equal to the coasting delay of the vehicle.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present invention, the several known minimum activation energies are a list of already known minimum activation energies for different types of trailer brakes.

[0024] According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the trailer profile is recorded in a trailer profile database which contains several trailer profiles.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, the optimal trailer brake calibration is automatically determined when a driver selects the trailer profile while operating the vehicle.

[0026] Another method may include allowing the vehicle to coast down to a recommended speed. The method may further include measuring the vehicle's coasting deceleration. The method may further include pulsing the trailer brakes using a commanded activation energy. The method may further include measuring the vehicle's pulse deceleration. The method may further include comparing the vehicle's coasting deceleration with the vehicle's pulse deceleration. The method may further include increasing the commanded activation energy of the trailer brakes if the vehicle's pulse deceleration is less than or equal to the vehicle's coasting deceleration. The method may further include determining a minimum activation energy value for the trailer brakes by detecting the commanded activation energy if the pulse deceleration is greater than the coasting deceleration.The method can further include identifying a trailer brake type based on several known minimum activation energies. The method can further include recording the value of the minimum activation energy and the trailer brake type in a trailer profile. The method can further include determining an optimal trailer brake calibration based on the minimum activation energy.

[0027] Further areas of application will become apparent from the description provided here. It should be understood that the description and specific examples serve only as illustrations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes only; they show: Fig. 1 a schematic graphical representation of a system for determining an optimal trailer brake calibration for a trailer brake by a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 2 a diagram of a minimum activation energy required to start the trailer brake according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 3A a diagram of a braking pulse, vehicle speed and vehicle deceleration when the minimum activation energy is not reached, according to an exemplary embodiment; Fig. 3B a diagram of the braking pulse, vehicle speed and vehicle deceleration when the minimum activation energy is reached or exceeded, according to an exemplary embodiment; and Fig. 4 a flowchart of a procedure for determining the optimal trailer brake calibration for the trailer brake inside the trailer according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following description is merely an example.

[0030] In Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic graphical representation of a system for determining an optimal trailer brake calibration for a trailer brake in a vehicle, generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The system 10 generally includes a vehicle 12 and a trailer 14.

[0031] Vehicle 12 is a land vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, etc., that can be operated by a user or by an autonomous driving module. Vehicle 12 can exhibit various levels of driving automation, including Level 5, Level 4, Level 3, and Level 2. A Level 5 system, for example, indicates "full automation," which refers to the full-time execution by an automated driving system of aspects of the dynamic driving task under a range of road and environmental conditions that can be managed by a human driver. A Level 4 system indicates "high automation," which refers to the driving-mode-specific execution by an automated driving system of aspects of the dynamic driving task, even if a human driver does not respond appropriately to a request for intervention.In Level Three vehicles, the vehicle systems perform the entire Dynamic Driving Task (DDT) within the area designated for this purpose. The vehicle operator is only expected to be responsible for DDT fallback when the vehicle essentially "requests" the driver to take over if something goes wrong or the vehicle is about to leave the zone in which it can operate. In Level Two vehicles, the systems provide steering, braking / acceleration assistance, lane centering, and adaptive cruise control. Even with these systems activated, the vehicle operator must remain at the wheel, driving and continuously monitoring the automated features. Vehicle 12 may include various (not shown) actuator devices used to achieve the levels of automation described above.The actuator devices control one or more vehicle features, including a drive system, a transmission system, a steering system, and a braking system (not shown). According to various embodiments, the vehicle features may further include interior and / or exterior vehicle features, such as doors, a trunk, and cabin features, such as air conditioning, music, lighting, etc. According to the [reference to be added]... Fig. In the specific example provided, the vehicle 12 includes a controller 16, a display 18, an accelerometer 20 and a speedometer 21.

[0032] The controller 16 is a non-generalised electronic control device comprising a pre-programmed digital computer or processor 22, a memory 24, a transmitter / receiver 26, and multiple input and output ports 28. The processor 22 can be a custom-built or off-the-shelf processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the controller 16, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), a microprocessor, a combination thereof, or generally, a device for executing instructions. The memory 24 is used to store data, such as control logic, software applications, instructions, computer code, data, lookup tables, etc. The memory 24 contains some type of medium accessible by a computer, such as...Read-only memory (ROM), read-write memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disk (CD), a digital video disk (DVD), or any other type of storage. A "non-transient" computer-readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that carry transient electrical or other signals. A non-transient computer-readable medium includes media on which data can be permanently stored and media on which data can be stored and later overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disk or an erasable storage device. Computer code includes any type of program code, including source code, object code, and executable code. The processor 22 is configured to execute the code or instructions.

[0033] The controller 16 can further contain one or more applications. An application is a software program configured to perform a specific function or set of functions. The applications can include one or more computer programs, software components, instruction sets, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances, associated data, or a portion thereof, designed for implementation in suitable machine-readable program code. The applications can be stored within memory 24 or in additional or separate memory. The controller 16 is electrically connected to the trailer 14. According to an exemplary embodiment, the electrical connection is established, for example, using a CAN network, a FLEXRAY network, a local area network (e.g., WiFi, Ethernet, and the like), a serial peripheral interface network (SPI network), or the like.It should be recognized that various additional wired and wireless techniques and communication protocols are suitable for communicating with the Controller 16.

[0034] The transmitter / receiver 26 is configured to communicate wirelessly with a hotspot using Wi-Fi protocols according to the IEEE 802.11x standards. The transmitter / receiver 26 is also configured to communicate wirelessly using cell data communication according to GSMA standards, such as SGP.02, SGP.22, SGP.32, and the like. The vehicle 12 may also appropriately contain an embedded universal integrated circuit (eUICC) card configured to store at least one cell connectivity configuration profile, such as an embedded subscriber identity module (eSIM) profile. The transmitter / receiver 26 is further configured to communicate via a personal area network (e.g., Bluetooth), near field communication (NFC), and / or some additional type of radio frequency communication.

[0035] The multiple input and output ports 28 receive incoming data from the trailer 14 and transmit the incoming data to the processor 22. The multiple input and output ports 28 also receive outgoing data from the processor 22 and transmit the outgoing data to the trailer 14. The multiple input and output ports 28 are configured to communicate wirelessly with the trailer 14 via the transmitter / receiver 26 and are also configured to communicate with the trailer 14 via a wired connection of a universal serial bus (USB).

[0036] The display 18 is a screen or touchscreen located inside the vehicle 12 and features a human-machine interface that displays data relevant to the trailer 14. The display 18 allows the user to configure the vehicle 12 and run the applications contained in the controller 16. The display 18 is an optional feature, meaning that it is not required for the proper use or functionality of the vehicle 12 or any other part of the system 10.

[0037] The accelerometer 20 is used to provide data indicating the current acceleration of the vehicle 12. The accelerometer 20 is connected to the controller 16. According to some examples, the accelerometer 20 can be a piezoelectric accelerometer, a piezoresistive accelerometer, or a capacitive accelerometer. The current acceleration of the vehicle 12 is transmitted to the processor 22.

[0038] The speedometer 21 is used to provide data indicating the current speed of the vehicle 12. According to some examples, the speedometer 21 can be a mechanical speedometer that uses a magnetic field to induce the rotation of a speed cup to determine the speed of the vehicle 12, or an electronic speedometer that uses pulse generation to determine the speed of the vehicle 12. The current speed of the vehicle 12 is then transmitted to the processor 22.

[0039] The trailer 14 increases the cargo capacity of the vehicle 12 by providing space to accommodate items. Typically, the trailer 14 is attached to the vehicle 12 by a trailer hitch 1. The trailer hitch 13 connects the trailer 14 to the vehicle 12 while allowing various degrees of rotation between the trailer 14 and the vehicle 12. The trailer hitch 13 can take many forms. For example, it can be a (not shown) coupling with a (not shown) tow ball at a rear end of the vehicle 12. Additionally, the trailer hitch can have several (not shown) extra pins or locking mechanisms to further secure the trailer 14 to the vehicle 12.The trailer 14 can be one of several types of trailers, including an enclosed trailer, a small trailer, a car transporter, an equipment trailer, a tow truck, a gooseneck semi-trailer, and a tipper trailer. The trailer 14 includes a trailer brake 30 and wheels 32.

[0040] The trailer brake 30 assists the vehicle 12 and the trailer 14 in braking. The trailer brake 30 can be either an electric trailer brake or an electro-over-hydraulic trailer brake (EOH trailer brake). According to the example where the trailer brake 30 is an electric trailer brake, the controller 16 sends an electrical signal to the trailer brake 30 when a driver presses a brake pedal inside the vehicle 12. The electrical signal then travels via wiring inside the trailer to several brake drums located inside the wheels 32 of the trailer 14 and excites an electromagnet inside each of the individual brake drums.The excitation of the electromagnet attracts the electromagnet to the face of each individual brake drum, causing a brake shoe located inside the brake drum to press against the brake drum and generate friction that slows the rotation of the wheels attached to the trailer 14. According to the example where the trailer brake 30 is an electro-hydraulic trailer brake, the controller 16 sends an electrical signal to a hydraulic actuator when the driver presses the brake pedal inside the vehicle 12. The hydraulic actuator then converts the electrical signal into hydraulic pressure, which is then transmitted via several brake lines to several brake assemblies located at each wheel of the trailer 14. The hydraulic pressure presses several brake pads against several rotors attached to each wheel 32 of the trailer 14, generating friction that slows the rotation of the wheels 32 of the trailer 14.According to another example, the hydraulic pressure presses several brake shoes against several brake drums arranged inside the wheels 32 of the trailer 14, generating friction that slows the rotation of the wheels 32 of the trailer 14. According to another example, the controller 16 sends an electrical signal to the trailer brake 30 via the wiring that connects the controller 16 and the trailer brake 30.

[0041] In Fig. Figure 2 is an exemplary diagram showing a minimum activation energy required to activate the trailer brake 30, generally indicated by the reference symbol 36. An x-axis of the diagram 36 represents a commanded activation energy 38 sent to the trailer brake 30 by the controller 16. A y-axis of the diagram 36 represents a deceleration 40 of the vehicle 12 and the trailer 14. Several different types of trailer brakes 30, including a first design 37, a second design 39, a third design 41, and a fourth design 43, are plotted in the diagram 36. Each point represents the deceleration of the vehicle 12 and the trailer 14 at a given commanded activation energy.According to an example where the trailer brake 30 is an electric trailer brake, the commanded activation energy 38 can be the energy exerted on the electromagnet within the trailer brake 30, which generates the friction that slows down the trailer 14. According to an example where the trailer brake 30 is an electro-hydraulic trailer brake, the commanded activation energy 38 can be the energy exerted on the hydraulic pressure that generates the friction that slows down the trailer 14.

[0042] The minimum activation energy is a threshold value based on the minimum value of the commanded activation energy 38 that would start the trailer brake 30 and cause the vehicle 12 and trailer 14 to decelerate. The first design 37 is an electro-hydraulic trailer brake with a minimum activation energy of zero. The second design 39 is an electro-hydraulic trailer brake with a minimum activation energy of 20. The third design 41 is an electro-hydraulic trailer brake with a minimum activation energy of 25. The fourth design 43 is an electric trailer brake with a minimum activation energy of zero. As in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 2, the minimum activation energy can vary between different brake designs. To determine the minimum activation energy for a specific brake design, the controller 16 introduces a brake pulse 42, which is fed into the Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B is shown.

[0043] In Fig. Figure 3A is a diagram of the braking pulse 42 and a vehicle deceleration 46 when the minimum activation energy is not reached, generally indicated by the reference symbol 48. An x-axis of the graph 48 shows a time period. A y-axis of the graph 48 shows both the commanded activation energy 38 of the braking pulse 42 and the vehicle deceleration 46. The braking pulse 42 occurs during a calibrated time period t.

[0044] The time t spans between any first duration and any second duration. It should be noted that if the trailer brake 30 is an electro-hydraulic trailer brake, the first and second durations are, on average, longer than if the trailer brake 30 is an electric trailer brake. The vehicle deceleration 46 is the deceleration of the vehicle 12 as measured by the accelerometer 20. By way of example, if the minimum activation energy is not reached by the commanded activation energy 38 when the braking pulse 42 occurs, the vehicle deceleration 46 is a coasting deceleration as measured by the accelerometer 20. The coasting deceleration would average zero units per square second during the duration of the braking pulse 42, since the trailer brake 30 is not engaged and therefore the vehicle 12 does not decelerate.

[0045] In Fig. Figure 3B is a graphical representation of the braking pulse 42 and the vehicle deceleration 46 when the minimum activation energy is reached or exceeded, generally indicated by the reference numeral 50. For example, the vehicle deceleration 46 is a pulse deceleration measured by the accelerometer 20 when the minimum activation energy is reached or exceeded by the commanded activation energy 38 when the braking pulse 42 occurs. The pulse deceleration would average greater than zero units per square second during the duration of the braking pulse 42 because the trailer brake 30 is applied and therefore the vehicle 12 decelerates.

[0046] In Fig. Figure 4 is a flowchart of a procedure for determining the optimal trailer brake calibration for the trailer brake 30 within the trailer 14 generally indicated by reference numeral 200.

[0047] Procedure 200 begins at step 202 when a user of system 10 activates the procedure for determining the optimal brake calibration. The user can activate the procedure by entering a selection via display 18. It should be noted that the procedure can also be activated using other HMI systems in vehicle 12. Procedure 200 then proceeds to step 204.

[0048] In step 204, the user of vehicle 12 allows the vehicle 12 to coast at a recommended speed. Coasting is initiated when the user of vehicle 12 does not press either the accelerator or brake pedal in vehicle 12. Alternatively, coasting can be initiated by an advanced driver assistance system. The recommended speed is a speed at which it is considered safe to activate system 10. The recommended speed is measured by the speedometer 21. Procedure 200 then proceeds to step 206.

[0049] In step 206, a coasting deceleration is measured. The coasting deceleration is the deceleration of vehicle 12 when the user allows vehicle 12 to coast at the recommended speed. The coasting deceleration is measured by the accelerometer 20. The procedure then proceeds to step 208.

[0050] In step 208, the controller 16 pulses the trailer brake 30, as in the Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B is described. The braking pulse corresponds to the commanded activation energy. During the braking pulse, the vehicle brakes are not activated. Procedure 200 then proceeds to step 210.

[0051] In step 210, the accelerometer 20 measures the pulse delay of the vehicle 12 during the (in the Fig. 3A, Fig. (3B shown) braking pulse 42. Procedure 200 then proceeds to step 212.

[0052] In step 212, the coasting deceleration of vehicle 12 is compared with the pulse deceleration of vehicle 12. If the pulse deceleration is less than or equal to the coasting deceleration, the trailer brake 30 has not been activated and therefore does not decelerate vehicle 12, and the procedure continues to step 214. If the pulse deceleration is greater than the coasting deceleration, according to another embodiment, the trailer brake 30 is activated and decelerates vehicle 12, and the procedure continues to step 214.

[0053] In step 214, the commanded activation energy 38 of the trailer brake 30 is increased by a calibrated incremental amount. It should be noted that the commanded activation energy 38 is continuously increased by the calibrated incremental amount until there is a measurable difference between the coasting deceleration and the pulse deceleration. According to the embodiment in which the pulse deceleration is greater than the coasting deceleration to initiate step 214, the commanded activation energy 38 is continuously decreased by a calibrated decremental amount until there is no longer a measurable difference between the coasting deceleration and the pulse deceleration. The procedure 200 then returns to step 212.

[0054] In step 216, the minimum activation energy of the trailer brake 30 is determined by detecting the commanded activation energy 38, at which there is a measurable difference between the coasting deceleration and the pulse deceleration. According to the embodiment in which the pulse deceleration is greater than the coasting deceleration to initiate step 214, the minimum activation energy of the trailer brake 30 is determined by detecting the commanded activation energy 38, at which there is no measurable difference between the coasting deceleration and the pulse deceleration. The procedure 200 then proceeds to step 218.

[0055] In step 218, the type of trailer brake 30 is determined by comparing the minimum activation energy with several known minimum activation energies for both electric and electro-hydraulic trailer brakes recorded in memory 24. The several known minimum activation energies are a list of previously known minimum activation energies for different types of trailer brakes. It should be recognized that the several known minimum activation energies can be modified, as shown in the examples, by a user who enters software via an optical storage device (e.g., digital versatile discs (DVDs), compact discs (CDs), Blu-ray, etc.) or a flash storage device (i.e., a USB flash drive)., Universal Serial Bus drives (USB drives) are installed, which update the multiple known minimum activation energies in memory 24, or are modified by the controller 16, which communicates with a network via the transmitter / receiver 26 to receive updated data regarding the multiple known minimum activation energies and records this data in memory 24. Each of the individual known minimum activation energies from the multiple known minimum activation energies has an associated trailer brake type, which is either an electric trailer brake or an electro-hydraulic trailer brake.If the minimum activation energy matches a known minimum activation energy from among several known minimum activation energies, it is determined that the trailer brake type 30 is the trailer brake type associated with the matching known minimum activation energy. Procedure 200 then proceeds to step 220.

[0056] In step 220, the minimum activation energy and the type of trailer brake 30 are recorded in a trailer profile, which is stored in a trailer profile database. The trailer profile assigns the minimum activation energy and the type of trailer brake 30 to the trailer 14 attached to the vehicle 12. This allows the user of the vehicle 12 to automatically set the configuration of the trailer brake 30 to the information stored within the trailer profile when the user drives the vehicle 12 with the trailer 14 to which the trailer profile is assigned. It should be recognized that the configuration of the trailer brake 30 is accurate between two different durations of operation of the vehicle 12 if the driving environment conditions are similar to the conditions under which the minimum activation energy was determined according to the driver's subjective opinion.It should be mentioned that the driver may wish to restart system 10 even though trailer 14 already has an assigned trailer profile if the driver subjectively believes that the driving environment has changed with respect to the time at which the minimum activation energy was determined, such that the change in the driving environment could affect the minimum activation energy. The procedure then proceeds to step 222.

[0057] In step 222, an optimal trailer brake calibration is determined based on the minimum activation energy and the type of trailer brake 30. The optimal trailer brake calibration is determined by inputting the minimum activation energy into a machine learning algorithm, which further optimizes the minimum activation energy taking into account the type of trailer brake 30 and the characteristics of the vehicle 12. A list of the characteristics of the vehicle 12 includes the type of engine within the vehicle 12, the powertrain of the vehicle 12, the transmission of the vehicle 12, the body style of the vehicle 12, the length, width, and height of the vehicle 12, and the weight of the vehicle 12. The procedure 200 then terminates.

[0058] The system 10 of the present invention offers several advantages, including the automatic identification of the type of trailer brake 30, which allows the process of calibrating the trailer brake 30 to be automated for each subsequent use of the trailer 14. A further advantage of the system 10 is the elimination of the delay between the activation of the trailer brake 30 and the deceleration of the vehicle 12, because the minimum activation energy of the trailer brake 30 can be recorded in the trailer profile and reused for each subsequent use of the trailer 14.

Claims

[1] Method for determining an optimal trailer brake calibration for a trailer brake (30) in a vehicle (12), the method comprising: Rolling the vehicle (12) down to a recommended speed; Measuring the vehicle's coasting deceleration (12); Pulsing of the trailer brake (30) using a commanded activation energy; Measuring a pulse delay of the vehicle (12); Comparing the vehicle's coasting delay (12) with the vehicle's pulse delay (12); Determining a value of the minimum activation energy of the trailer brake (30) by detecting the commanded activation energy when the pulse delay is greater than the coasting delay; Identifying a trailer brake type (30) based on several known minimum activation energies; and Determining an optimal trailer brake calibration based on the minimum activation energy. [2] Method according to claim 1, wherein the recommended speed is a speed of the vehicle (12) at which it is considered safe to pulse the trailer brake (30). [3] Method according to claim 1, wherein the coasting deceleration is the deceleration of the vehicle (12) measured when the vehicle (12) coasts from a recommended speed and the trailer brake (30) is not pulsed. [4] Method according to claim 1, wherein the pulsing of the trailer brake (30) further comprises pulsing the trailer brake (30) in incremental energy stages until the pulse delay is greater than the coasting delay. [5] Method according to claim 1, wherein the pulsing of the trailer brake (30) is initiated by a controller (16) inside the vehicle (12). [6] Method according to claim 1, wherein the pulse delay is the deceleration of the vehicle (12) measured when the trailer brake (30) is pulsed. [7] Method according to claim 1, wherein the ordered activation energy is the energy which is sent to the trailer brake (30) and which prescribes the strength of the actuation of the trailer brake (30). [8] Method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises increasing the ordered activation energy of the trailer brake (30) when the pulse delay of the vehicle (12) is less than or equal to the coasting delay of the vehicle (12). [9] Method according to claim 8, wherein increasing the commanded activation energy further comprises increasing an amount of energy sent to the trailer brake (30) by a calibrated incremental range. [10] Method according to claim 1, wherein the value of the minimum activation energy is determined by detecting the value of the minimum commanded activation energy at which the pulse delay is greater than zero units per square second.

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