Patent ID: 8543305

Claim:
A method for assessing the compatibility of braking systems of a vehicle combination having a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle, said vehicle combination including a suitably programmed control device having a memory, the method comprising the steps of (i) determining, utilizing said control device, an applied amount of braking energy from a start of a braking process of said trailer vehicle to an end of said braking process, (ii) determining, utilizing said control device, a required amount of braking energy from said start of said braking process to said end of said braking process, (iii) determining, utilizing said control device, a variable that is both a function of and a quotient formed from each of said applied amount of braking energy and said required amount of braking energy, and (iv) adjusting said braking systems of said vehicle combination based on said variable, wherein said determining of said applied amount of braking energy comprises detecting an applied braking pressure in a brake cylinder of said trailer vehicle.