Patent ID: 7134733
Filing Date: 2006-11-14
Classification: B60T

Abstract:
1. A method for controlling brake-application energy in a vehicle combination including a tractor vehicle equipped with an electronic braking system and a trailer vehicle, the tractor vehicle having at least one front axle and at least one rear axle, the trailer vehicle having at least one trailer axle, the method comprising the steps of: determining, during braking of said vehicle combination, a set deceleration value, measuring, during braking of said vehicle combination, an actual deceleration value, comparing said set deceleration value with said actual deceleration value, determining a brake-application energy reference value from the comparison of said set deceleration value with said actual deceleration value, determining a brake-application energy level for said tractor vehicle and a brake-application energy level for said trailer vehicle, determining an axle-load ratio for said tractor vehicle, providing sets of performance characteristics in said electronic braking system representing the dependencies of said brake-application energy level for said tractor vehicle and said brake-application energy level for said trailer vehicle on at least one of said brake-application energy reference value and said axle-load ratio, calculating a set brake-application energy value for said tractor vehicle based on (i) said set deceleration value, (ii) a value that is a function of said brake-application energy reference value, and (iii) said brake-application energy level for said tractor vehicle, in accordance with said sets of performance characteristics, and calculating a set brake-application energy value for said trailer vehicle based on (i) said set deceleration value, (ii) said value that is a function of said brake-application energy reference value, and (iii) said brake-application energy level for said trailer vehicle, in accordance with said sets of performance characteristics.