A method for controlling a differential braking arrangement of a vehicle, said vehicle comprising at least one auxiliary braking arrangement and at least one differential braking arrangement, said auxiliary braking arrangement and said differential braking arrangement being connected to a pair of propelled wheels of said vehicle, wherein the differential braking arrangement is arranged to control a relative rotational speed between the pair of propelled wheels, wherein the method comprises the steps of receiving a signal indicative of a downhill slope for a road ahead of said vehicle; determining an inclination of said downhill slope; determining a braking power needed for the at least one auxiliary braking arrangement for preventing the vehicle speed of the vehicle from exceeding a predetermined speed limit when driving at the downhill slope; and engaging the at least one differential braking arrangement for reducing the relative rotational speed between the propelled wheels if the determined braking power of the at least one auxiliary braking arrangement is higher than a predetermined threshold.

This brake control device includes: an operation amount sensor which detects the brake operating member operation amount; front-wheel and rear-wheel actuators which generate braking force in front/rear wheels; front-wheel and rear-wheel sensors which detect the outputs of the front-wheel and rear-wheel actuators; and a controller which controls the front-wheel and rear-wheel actuators based on the operation amount and the outputs of the front and rear wheels. On the basis of the operation amount and/or the output of the rear wheels, the controller determines whether or not a long-term low-load state in which the friction member is continuously pressed against the rotary members of the rear wheels within a predetermined range over a long period of time is established. If so, the distribution ratio of the rear-wheel braking force to the total applied braking force is decreased compared to when a long-term low-load state is not determined to be established.

A device and a method for controlling vehicle speed in a vehicle equipped with cruise control while traveling downhill. The method involves driving a vehicle downhill with the cruise control set to a brake speed; detecting a current vehicle speed; applying the auxiliary brake to maintain the brake speed; detecting a request for a downshift from a current gear to a lower gear; and determining if a downshift is permissible at the current speed. If a downshift is not permissible, then a control unit automatically applies the service brakes to retard the vehicle speed; retarding the vehicle from a current speed to a lower speed at which a downshift to a lower gear is permissible; and performing a downshift to a lower gear when the second vehicle speed is reached. The cruise control is set to a second brake speed lower than the first brake speed.

An electronic controller (10) for a motor vehicle (100), the controller being configured to determine when at least one wheel (111, 112, 114, 115) has lost traction, wherein when the controller (10) determines that at least one wheel (111, 112, 114, 115) has lost traction the controller (10) is configured to provide an output to a driver indicative of the at least one wheel (111, 112, 114, 115) that has lost traction.

Systems and methods for dynamic control of a configuration of electrical circuits are provided. An example system includes a plurality of electric power sources and a plurality of switches configured to connect and disconnect some of the electric power sources. The system may include a controller coupled to the switches. The controller may be configured to enable and disable the switches to cause a change in a configuration of the connections between the electric power sources. The electric power sources can include at least one generator and at least two batteries. The controller can be further configured to cause a change in the configuration to connect the two batteries in series to a load for discharging and connect the two batteries in parallel to the generator for recharging.

When an engine speed is less than a safeguard speed while a vehicle downhill assist control is being executed, a target speed of the vehicle downhill assist control is increased. In addition, if the target speed is greater than a vehicle speed, braking force applied to the vehicle is decreased.

A method for controlling a force representative of a parking braking of a vehicle, having the steps of: determining, by a data processing unit, a target value of a force representative of a parking braking of the vehicle to be applied, by a first brake caliper, on a first brake disc on the basis of a value of the gradient of the road on which the vehicle is located; determining, by the data processing unit, a value of a first force contribution representative of a service braking of the vehicle applied by a first hydraulic actuator on the first brake disc; determining, by the data processing unit, a value of a second force contribution representative of the parking braking of the vehicle to be applied, by a second electromechanical actuator, on the first brake disc on the basis of a target value of a force representative of a parking braking of the vehicle which can be applied by the first brake caliper on the first brake disc, and of the determined value of the first force contribution representative of a service braking of the vehicle; operating, by the data processing unit, the second electromechanical actuator to apply the determined value of the second force contribution representative of the parking braking of the vehicle on the first brake disc.

A vehicle speed control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, the vehicle speed control system comprising one or more electronic control units configured to carry out a method that includes applying torque to at least one of the plurality of wheels, detecting a slip event between any one or more of the wheels and the ground over which the vehicle is travelling when the vehicle is in motion and providing a slip detection output signal in the event thereof. The method carried out by the one or more electronic control units further includes receiving a user input of a target speed at which the vehicle is intended to travel and maintaining the vehicle at the target speed independently of the slip detection output signal by adjusting the amount of torque applied to the at least one of the plurality of wheels.

An electric vehicle, and braking system and a method of operating the electric vehicle. The braking system includes a mechanical braking system, a regenerative braking system, and a controller. The controller is configured to calculate a total braking torque for operating the electric vehicle at a selected velocity during braking, determine an available regenerative braking torque via the regenerative braking system, calculate a mechanical brake torque for the mechanical braking system from the total braking torque and the available regenerative brake torque, and apply the mechanical brake torque at the mechanical braking system.

A vehicle computer system controls downhill speed of a vehicle having a cruise control system and an engine retarder system. The system receives a request to increase engine retarder demand. In response, the system increases an engine retarder demand setting and, if cruise control is active, decreases a downhill speed control (DSC) cruise control offset. The engine retarder system may automatically activate to reduce the vehicle speed to a cruise control set speed plus the DSC cruise control offset. In an embodiment, the request to increase engine retarder demand is generated in response to operator input via an engine retarder demand input device (e.g., a steering-column-mounted control stalk). The system may also receive a request to decrease engine retarder demand in the engine retarder system of the vehicle. In response, the system decreases the engine retarder demand setting and, if cruise control is active, increases the DSC cruise control offset.