Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

Subashish Sasmal

Phillip J Kasper

Michael D Tober

Nicholas A Broyles

Andrew J Pilkington

Jeffrey M Carbaugh

Joseph M Macnamara

Thomas S Miller, Jr

Timothy Carritte, Jr

Claus G Beyer

Claus Beyer

David W Howell

Randy J Salvatora

Andrew L Kennedy

Ryan S Hurley

Daniel T Boyce

Deepak K Komandur

Nirav K Parikh

Jereme C Morrow

James M Cooper, Jr

Parth Kalra

Thomas S Miller

A braking control apparatus for use in an associated multiple-steer vehicle having first and second steerable axles and a plurality of drive axles effects axle-by-axle braking control of steerable wheel brakes of the steerable axles and wheel-by-wheel braking control of drive wheel brakes of the drive axles, respectively, to perform a braking operation in the associated multiple-steer vehicle. The axle-by-axle braking control of the steerable wheel brakes and the wheel-by-wheel braking control of the drive wheel brakes are simultaneously effected to decelerate the vehicle using both the steerable and drive wheel brakes so that the ability to steer the vehicle is not adversely affected should one or more of the steerable wheel brakes on any of the steerable axles experience slippage, skidding, or lockup during the braking or deceleration.

Braking control apparatus and method for use in an associated multiple-steer vehicle

Dynamic braking capability of a combination vehicle including a tractor and at least one trailer is provided based on a distribution of the load carried by the combination vehicle. Load distribution is determined directly using load sensors disposed at wheel pairs of the tractor and trailer(s) or indirectly by using a load sensor located at the drive axle of the tractor together with engine torque and vehicle speed signals for determining gross vehicle mass. A database having sub-databases therein each storing stopping distance calculation results for a corresponding combination vehicle type e.g. 5-axle single or 8-axle double, is indexed by using the determined load distributions for providing the dynamic braking capability based on the vehicle type and its load distribution. The database may also be indexed using Axle Load Allocation Factor that is calculated based on a mathematical combination of drive, steering, and gross trailer axle loading.

Utilizing axle loading information to determining braking capabilities of vehicles for platooning operations

A brake controller in a vehicle determines braking profiles that may be exercised while operating the vehicle in autonomous or semi-autonomous conditions to decelerate the vehicle based on received commands or that may be exercised automatically in the event of a failure in a communication network of the vehicle or in other systems or components of the vehicle. The braking profiles decelerate the vehicle according to a deceleration profile. The execution of the deceleration profile may be initiated by a single command message received by the brake controller or it may be determined by the brake controller based on vehicle information. A safe state deceleration profile may be preselected by the controlling devices before the occurrence of a failure or an emergency situation, and then executed by the brake controller upon the occurrence of a failure or emergency.

Brake controller storing deceleration profiles and method using deceleration profiles stored in a brake controller

A controller comprises an electronic communication line configured to receive a system brake request control signal representing a requested system brake application and an identified urgency. A hardware processor, configured to perform a predefined set of basic operations in response to receiving the system brake request control signal, is capable of: determining a maximum braking pressure to be applied during the system braking application based on the identified urgency; generating a first system brake mode control signal, based on the determined maximum braking pressure, to set an associated first valve to a first valve state; generating a second system brake mode control signal, based on the determined maximum braking pressure, to set an associated second valve to a second valve state, the maximum braking pressure during the system braking application being set by the first valve state and the second valve state; determining an activation profile for an associated modulator based on the determined maximum braking pressure; the controller transmitting, via the electronic communication line, the first system brake mode control signal, the second system brake mode control signal and modulator control signals according to the activation profile.

System and method for controlling an automated braking application

A braking controller and method in a towing vehicle towing one or more towed vehicles as a combination vehicle provides brake control of the one or more towed vehicles based on a level of braking force applied to the towing vehicle. A non-enhanced braking mode applies a first level of braking force to the towed vehicles in a predetermined reduced proportion relative to the level of braking force applied to the towing vehicle, and an enhanced braking mode applies a second level of braking force to the towed vehicles greater than the first level of braking force. The enhanced braking mode strategy is used unless trailer capability information reported by one or more the trailers fails to match against expected trailer capability information.

Braking controller and method using verification of reported trailer capabilities

A braking controller and method in a towing vehicle towing one or more towed vehicles as a combination vehicle provides brake control of the one or more towed vehicles based on a level of braking force applied to the towing vehicle. A non-enhanced braking mode applies a first level of braking force to the towed vehicles in a predetermined reduced proportion relative to the level of braking force applied to the towing vehicle, and an enhanced braking mode applies a second level of braking force to the towed vehicles greater than the first level of braking force. A controller deceleration command input receives a deceleration command signal which is compared against predetermined threshold deceleration rate value or against a current deceleration value being executed by the combination vehicle and, based on a result of the comparisons, either the enhanced or the non-enhanced braking modes are implemented by the controller.

Towing vehicle controller using trailer braking strategy and trailer braking control method

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Elyria, OH, United States of America

Subashish Sasmal