The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a lift axle of a vehicle. To assist with braking according to an operation of a forward collision avoidance (FCA) system by using the lift axle in an emergency braking situation, the vehicle lift axle control apparatus includes a lift axle actuator that drives the lift axle of the vehicle, an interworking device that interworks with the FCA system, and a controller that controls the lift axle actuator based on information obtained from the FCA system.

Various examples are directed to systems and methods for operating a vehicle comprising a tractor and a trailer attached for pulling behind the tractor. A center-of-mass system may determine a mass of the trailer and a tractor understeer. The center-of-mass system may determine the tractor understeer using steering input data describing a steering angle of the tractor and yaw data describing a yaw of the tractor. The center-of-mass system may determine a load center of mass using the tractor understeer and a mass of the trailer. The center-of-mass system may further determine that the load center of mass transgresses a center-of-mass threshold and send an alert message indicating that the load transgresses the load center-of-mass threshold.

A method for operating an automated locking brake in a motor vehicle includes setting a defined deceleration of the vehicle with the locking brake during a locking brake process, shutting-off activation of the locking brake when a shut-off condition has been satisfied, and taking into account at least one predicted value of the locking brake process in the shut-off condition.

Towed vehicles can be extremely heavy. Accordingly, it is too much of a burden to the braking system of a towing vehicle to not have brakes on the towed vehicle. Controlling the brakes of the towed vehicle must be accurately applied otherwise undesirable conditions can be created. There is a need for a method for controlling braking of a towed vehicle. This method comprises receiving a first signal via a communication bus of a towing vehicle, the first signal relating to at least one operating condition of at least one the towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, sending a second signal to brakes of the towed vehicle, the second signal based on said first signal.

The present invention relates to a controller (27) for a braking system for a vehicle (10). The braking system has an independent generator (20, 22) on respective front and rear axles (16, 18). The controller (27) comprises an input (44) arranged to monitor a vehicle condition and an operating condition of the generators (20, 22). The controller (27) also comprises a processing means (46) arranged to determine a brake force distribution range between the front and rear axles (16, 18) based on the vehicle condition, and in response to a braking demand and the operating condition of the generators (20, 22), calculate a brake force distribution within the brake force distribution range. In addition, the controller (27) comprises an output (50) arranged to control the generators in accordance with the calculated brake force distribution.

Disclosed is a vehicle control apparatus applied to a vehicle including an automatic transmission. The vehicle control apparatus includes a friction brake apparatus for generating friction braking force acting on the vehicle, and a driving support ECU for performing cruise control. The driving support ECU causes the automatic transmission to perform downshift upon satisfaction of a downshift condition which is satisfied when a friction brake high load state continues for a predetermined determination threshold time.

A method for decelerating a vehicle combination including a towing vehicle having a towing vehicle brake system and at least one trailer vehicle having a trailer brake system with an anti-lock brake system includes applying, by the towing vehicle brake system, a brake pressure to pneumatically operable wheel brakes of the towing vehicle according to a desired deceleration specified by a driver, and providing, by the towing vehicle brake system, a trailer brake pressure for the trailer brake system of the at least one trailer vehicle. An electronic brake control unit of the towing vehicle brake system: detects a current actual vehicle deceleration value continuously compares the current actual vehicle deceleration actual value with a maximum deceleration, and, when the current actual vehicle deceleration value reaches or exceeds the maximum deceleration, limits the brake pressure and provides an information signal.

A braking system for motorcycles may have a first manual actuator device selectively connectable to at least a first braking device and/or at least a second braking device. The first manual actuator device may be provided with a hydraulic supply circuit that can be selectively connected to a hydraulic input circuit of at least one of the braking devices. The system may also have at least one electro-hydraulic automatic actuator device and at least one electromechanical automatic actuator device. The system may also have a single control unit operatively connected to the control valve, to the at least one electro-hydraulic automatic actuator device, to the at least one electromechanical automatic actuator device and to the first manual actuator device to operate the electro-hydraulic and electromechanical automatic actuator devices and the control valve according to the configuration of the first manual actuator device and/or according to the dynamics of the motorcycle.

A trailer braking system having a surge component used in combination with an electric over hydraulic brake system. The surge component includes a sliding member with a magnetic sensor for detecting trailer deceleration, the sliding member providing an initial pressurization of the hydraulic system. A trailer mounted electrical circuit detects when the tow vehicle brakes are applied and includes a microcontroller for detecting the speed of deceleration provided by the magnetic sensor. A trailer mounted electric motor receives a signal from the circuit board to vary pressure to the brakes in accordance with the speed of deceleration.

A rotational monitoring system of at least one axle designed to identify at least one axle controlled by it having an estimated instantaneous linear speed lower than a predetermined instantaneous linear limit speed, and remove the braking force to one or more wheels of the axle identified to have an estimated instantaneous linear speed lower than the predetermined instantaneous linear limit speed, by canceling a pressure to brake cylinders associated with the at least one axle identified to have an estimated instantaneous linear speed lower than the predetermined instantaneous linear limit speed. The cancellation of a pressure is obtained by acting on an electro-pneumatic valve designed to perform a Remote Release function associated with the pneumatic circuits generating braking pressure for the brake cylinders and adapted to cancel a residual braking pressure.