Patent ID: 8152245

Claim:
A method of controlling the braking of a vehicle that has a first set of friction brakes for applying a first apply brake force to a first set of wheels, a second set of friction brakes for applying a second brake apply force to a second set of wheels, and a powertrain assembly coupled to said second set of wheels, said powertrain assembly including a regenerative braking unit capable of recapturing kinetic energy from said second set of wheels, said method comprising the steps of: braking said vehicle in a first phase of control using regenerative braking to brake said second set of wheels to achieve up to a first value of braking; and braking said vehicle in a second phase of control using said regenerative braking to maintain braking of said second set of wheels at said first value of braking force while selectively applying said first friction brakes to said first set of wheels up to a second value of braking with the step of applying said first friction brakes to said first set of wheels in said second phase of control exceeding a front bias braking balance control of a desired brake balance line.