A differentially steered vehicle includes brakes on the powered wheels which are applied via a controller according to different methods to inhibit freewheeling during turns and improve steering responsiveness and stability. The methods include applying braking force to the wheel on the inside of a turn in response to the rate of turn as indicated by the position of the steering control, to the pressure differential across the hydraulic motors driving the wheels and the rotational speed of the wheels.

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle towing a trailer. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more sensors onboard a vehicle are configured to provide sensor data, and a processor onboard the vehicle is configured to at least facilitate: monitoring a trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and application of a band-pass filter to the one or more parameters; and mitigating the trailer sway, via instructions provided by the processor to one or more braking systems of the vehicle, the trailer, or both, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and the application of the band-pass filter to the one or more parameters.

Methods and systems are provided for a vehicle towing a trailer. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more sensors onboard a vehicle are configured to provide sensor data, and a processor onboard the vehicle is configured to at least facilitate: monitoring a trailer sway of the trailer using the sensor data, based on one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and application of a band-pass filter to the one or more parameters; and mitigating the trailer sway, via instructions provided by the processor to one or more braking systems of the vehicle, the trailer, or both, when it is determined that the trailer sway of the trailer is sufficient to warrant mitigation based on the one or more parameters of the sensor data representing the trailer sway and the application of the band-pass filter to the one or more parameters.

Disclosed is an acceleration limit function relaxation apparatus. The apparatus may determine, based on information indicating manipulation of a brake pedal of a vehicle during an acceleration limit mode, that the vehicle is in a temporary braking state, determine a vehicle speed, measured at a start of the manipulation of the brake pedal, as a target vehicle speed for reacceleration, determine, based on information indicating manipulation of an accelerator pedal, that the vehicle is reaccelerated, determine an acceleration limit relaxation factor based on a cumulative braking amount calculated by measuring amounts of braking during the temporary braking state, and cause acceleration limit relaxation of the vehicle by applying the acceleration limit relaxation factor to an acceleration limit of the vehicle.

A piston-cylinder unit includes a piston delimiting at least one working chamber, in which a first seal for sealing at least one first working chamber is arranged either between the piston and cylinder or between a plunger connected to the piston and the cylinder. A second seal is arranged between the first seal and the first working chamber, and the piston-cylinder unit further includes a first channel arranged in the wall of the cylinder or in the piston, which joins the first seal and the second seal in the inner chamber of the cylinder. The first channel and/or a hydraulic line connected thereto may have a throttle device and/or a valve device. An electronic control and regulating device may have a diagnosis or monitoring function for a possible defect or failure of a seal. Multiple hydraulic devices may have such piston-cylinder units and respective control and such regulating devices.

A piston-cylinder unit includes a piston delimiting at least one working chamber, in which a first seal for sealing at least one first working chamber is arranged either between the piston and cylinder or between a plunger connected to the piston and the cylinder. A second seal is arranged between the first seal and the first working chamber, and the piston-cylinder unit further includes a first channel arranged in the wall of the cylinder or in the piston, which joins the first seal and the second seal in the inner chamber of the cylinder. The first channel and/or a hydraulic line connected thereto may have a throttle device and/or a valve device. An electronic control and regulating device may have a diagnosis or monitoring function for a possible defect or failure of a seal. Multiple hydraulic devices may have such piston-cylinder units and respective control and such regulating devices.

The braking control device includes a control amount derivation unit that derives a target vehicle braking force representing a target value of a vehicle braking force applied, and a braking control unit that controls a regenerative braking device and a frictional braking device based on the target vehicle braking force. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a braking force application process of increasing the frictional braking force applied to the wheel so that such frictional braking force becomes larger than the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a switching process of switching at least a part of the frictional braking force applied to the wheel to the regenerative braking force to increase the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel after execution of the braking force application process.

The braking control device includes a control amount derivation unit that derives a target vehicle braking force representing a target value of a vehicle braking force applied, and a braking control unit that controls a regenerative braking device and a frictional braking device based on the target vehicle braking force. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a braking force application process of increasing the frictional braking force applied to the wheel so that such frictional braking force becomes larger than the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel. When the target vehicle braking force is increased, the braking control unit executes a switching process of switching at least a part of the frictional braking force applied to the wheel to the regenerative braking force to increase the regenerative braking force applied to the wheel after execution of the braking force application process.

The invention relates to a method for providing vehicle steering support by differential wheel braking, the vehicle comprising: at least two axles with at least two wheels per axle; a braking system allowing individual braking of the wheels; and means for determining and/or estimating an operator input torque applied on a steering wheel, wherein the vehicle is configured with a positive scrub radius; the method comprising the steps of: identifying a need for steering support; determining a braking value required for achieving the needed steering support based on an integration of a function of at least one input value (T.sub.input) related to a determined or estimated operator input torque; and controlling the braking system based on the determined braking value.

The invention relates to a method for providing vehicle steering support by differential wheel braking, the vehicle comprising: at least two axles with at least two wheels per axle; a braking system allowing individual braking of the wheels; and means for determining and/or estimating an operator input torque applied on a steering wheel, wherein the vehicle is configured with a positive scrub radius; the method comprising the steps of: identifying a need for steering support; determining a braking value required for achieving the needed steering support based on an integration of a function of at least one input value (T.sub.input) related to a determined or estimated operator input torque; and controlling the braking system based on the determined braking value.