Trailer brake controller

Abstract: A trailer brake controller 10 for use in a passenger vehicle 12 is provided, including a control element 11 positioned within the passenger vehicle 12, a vehicle speed input 16 and a vehicle brake pressure input 14 providing speed and brake pressure data to the control element 11, and a trailer brake output 18 sending a signal to the trailer in response to the vehicle speed input 16 and the vehicle brake pressure input 14.

Abstract: An electronic brake controller for controlling electric brakes of a towed vehicle, such as a trailer, wherein the controller includes a resistive braking force sensor that senses the braking force applied by the driver of the towing vehicle to the brake pedal and provides an electrical signal proportional to the braking force to an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is operable when a microprocessor thereof detects the brake light “on” condition and the presence of the force sensor. The microprocessor receives the signal from the braking force sensor and controls braking force applied to the trailer brakes in proportion to the force applied by the driver of the towing vehicle to the brake pedal. During operation, the microprocessor reads ambient temperature compensated electrical conductance of the braking force sensor to provide a temperature compensated output signal proportional to the braking force to actuate the trailer electric brakes. The electronic controller optionally includes a remote driver-operable control unit tethered by a quick-disconnect wiring harness to a main electronic control unit that is attached to the vehicle hidden out of sight and hard wired to the vehicle electrical system.

Abstract: A control system for actuating a trailer braking system on a trailer is disclosed. The control system includes a trailer brake controller in communication with an antilock braking controller and an electronic stability controller of a towing vehicle to receive a wheel speed, a brake pressure, a yaw rate, a lateral acceleration, and a steering angle. The trailer brake controller utilizes the wheel speed, the brake pressure, the yaw rate, the lateral acceleration, and the steering angle to determine the attitude of the towing vehicle, and to calculate a desired braking force for the trailer. The trailer brake controller sends an appropriate output to actuate the trailer braking system on the trailer to stabilize the towing vehicle during extreme braking conditions.

Abstract: A method of controlling a trailer brake system using a trailer brake controller positioned within a passenger vehicle is provided. The method includes obtaining intended braking inputs and developing an effective baseline trailer brake controller output profile based thereon. The method scales the effective baseline trailer brake controller output profile in response to an adjustable gain setting set by an operator. The wheel speed is determined at a plurality of wheel locations and vehicle acceleration is calculated. The vehicle acceleration is utilized to selectively choose one of the wheel speed. The vehicle velocity is based on the selectively chosen wheel speed. The vehicle velocity is used to calculate a correction factor to the effective baseline trailer brake controller output profile. The effective baseline trailer brake controller output profile is then adjusted using the correction factor to generate a corrected trailer brake controller output signal.