Patent ID: 7798263

Claim:
A stability enhancing control system for a tow-vehicle with a connected trailer assembly, wherein the stability enhancing control system comprises: a. an electronic stability enhancing system for making comparisons of measured force values and motions values of the trailer assembly to known threshold values as preset limits, to alter driving forces as: braking forces, yaw forces, swaying forces, roll forces, and combinations thereof; b. a first processor with a first memory located on the tow-vehicle and in communication with the electronic stability enhancing system; c. the second processor with a second memory located on the trailer, wherein the second processor is in communication with the first processor on the tow-vehicle; d. tow-vehicle sensors located on the tow-vehicle for detecting the engagement with a trailer, wherein the tow-vehicle sensors communicate with a trailer electrical system on the trailer and the first processor on the tow-vehicle; e. trailer sensors located on the trailer for detecting a force, a motion and combinations thereof, wherein the trailer sensors communicate with the trailer electrical system, the first processor on the tow-vehicle, and the second processor on the trailer; f. computer instructions for instructing the first processor and the second processor to identify specifications representing the tow-vehicle and specifications representing the trailer, wherein the specifications comprise a member selected from the group consisting of: a tow-vehicle length, a tow-vehicle height, a tow-vehicle width, a tow-vehicle weight, a tow-vehicle inertia value, a tow-vehicle wheel configuration, a tow-vehicle wheel size, a tow-vehicle tire characteristic, a tow-vehicle suspension characteristic, and combinations thereof, and at least one trailer characteristic; g. computer instructions for calculating at least one force, at least one motion, and combinations thereof affecting the tow-vehicle and the connected trailer assembly, wherein the at least one force, at least one motion, or combinations thereof, are a member selected from the group consisting of: a lateral force, a translational motion, an angular motion, a steering input, a steering rate, a steering torque, a vehicle speed, a braking force, a braking pressure, a wheel speed, a throttle position, a brake pedal position, and combinations thereof; h. computer instructions for applying braking to at least one wheel of the tow-vehicle using: the at least one force, the at least one motion, or combinations thereof, the electronic stability enhancing system, and the specifications of the tow-vehicle with the connected trailer assembly; and i. computer instructions for applying braking to at least one wheel of the trailer using: the at least one force, the at least one motion, or combinations thereof, the electronic stability enhancing system, the specifications of the tow-vehicle and connected trailer assembly, and the at least one trailer characteristic.