Adaptive Trailer Brake Control Using Deceleration Torque Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle and trailer systems lack effective methods to optimize brake feel during towing, leading to subjective and inconsistent braking experiences for drivers.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that generate and store deceleration data for both the vehicle and trailer, determining a maximum vehicle brake torque threshold based on this data, and controlling the trailer brakes accordingly to enhance brake feel and consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mechanical brake interface is used to command trailer brakes, then all wheels of the trailer can be applied at the same time and same magnitude, but the brake feel perceived by the driver is subjective and inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical brake command interface with an electronic control system that uses sensors, processors, and algorithms to determine trailer brake application. This substitution enables objective measurement of brake parameters (such as wheel speed, deceleration rate, and brake pressure) and allows the system to calculate optimal brake application for each wheel independently, thereby improving brake feel consistency while maintaining reasonable system complexity through modular electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts brake application parameters (pressure, duration, and timing) based on real-time measurements of vehicle and trailer conditions. By changing these parameters adaptively rather than applying fixed brake force to all wheels, the system achieves consistent and objective brake feel across different towing scenarios while managing complexity through parameter-based control logic.
2Measurement precision
If adaptive brake control with individual wheel measurement is implemented, then brake feel consistency is improved, but the system complexity and data processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the brake control system into independent wheel-level control units, each equipped with sensors and control algorithms that process data locally. This segmentation allows precise measurement of brake parameters for each wheel while distributing data processing tasks, thereby reducing the complexity burden on a central processor and enabling high measurement precision through decentralized intelligence.
Solution Approach 2:
Each wheel's brake control system operates semi-autonomously, using its own sensors and processors to determine optimal brake application based on local conditions. This self-service approach minimizes the need for complex centralized data processing while maintaining high measurement precision, as each wheel unit independently processes its own brake parameters and makes real-time control decisions.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for controlling deceleration of a vehicle towing a trailer. In an embodiment, a method includes: generating, by a processor, trailer brake command data to pulsate brakes of the trailer; in response to the generating the trailer brake command data, storing, in a data storage device of the vehicle, a first set of deceleration data; generating, by the processor, vehicle brake command data to pulsate brakes of the vehicle; in response to the generating the vehicle brake command data, storing, in the data storage device, a second set of deceleration data; determining, by the processor, a maximum vehicle brake torque threshold where a maximum trailer brake output occurs based on the first set of deceleration data and the second set of deceleration data; and controlling, by the processor, the brakes of the trailer based on the maximum vehicle brake torque threshold.