Patent ID: 7226134

Claim:
A method of stabilizing a driving condition of a vehicle combination including a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, the method comprising the acts of: a) monitoring whether a braking intervention is taking place at the towed vehicle; b) sensing one or more driving condition quantities characterizing a momentary stability of the vehicle combination, wherein, using a defined mathematical-physical vehicle model, an approximate articulation angle between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle is determined and compared with a desired articulation angle, which desired articulation angle is determined as a function of a momentary driving condition and characterizes a stable driving condition; c) determining whether an unstable driving condition is present or imminent based on the momentary stability by determining coefficients of friction which describe an actual or threatened instability; and d) modulating braking torques at wheels of the towed vehicle when an unstable driving condition is detected in step c) during a braking intervention by varying brake pressure of the towed vehicle in a clocked or cyclical manner by repeatedly inserting short phases having no brake pressure or only a slight brake pressure, wherein the braking torques at the towed vehicle wheels are modulated as a function of the determined coefficients of friction with respect to their amplitude and their time response.