Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for automatically calibrating electronic trailer brake gain. An example apparatus includes a trailer brake gain calibrator programmed to modulate a trailer brake gain value based upon a derivative of a trailer hitch force and apply a pressure to a brake of a trailer based on the gain value.

A method for determining the overall-deceleration values is attainable by actuation of wheel brakes, of a utility vehicle or of a vehicle combination with several axles. For the purpose of implementing a deceleration request in the course of partial brake applications, a braking-force distribution with braking forces distributed unequally to brake units with the wheel brakes of one or more axles is undertaken. In each instance one of the brake units is selected and a larger braking force is imposed via this selected brake unit than via the other brake units. A current deceleration of the utility vehicle or of the vehicle combination is measured or ascertained and is assigned as partial-deceleration value to the respectively selected brake unit and stored and the attainable overall-deceleration values are determined as the sum of the partial-deceleration values of all the brake units.

Disclosed is a method for automatically controlling brakes in a trailer vehicle having antilock control, wherein wheel rotational speeds are continuously monitored and evaluated at wheels having antilock control. According to the method, lateral acceleration and longitudinal acceleration of the trailer vehicle are determined. If a predefined, critical lateral acceleration is exceeded, an automatic braking process occurs. A control unit and trailer vehicle are also disclosed in connection with the inventive method.

Systems and methods are described for coordinating and controlling vehicles, for example heavy trucks, to follow closely to behind each other, or linking to form a platoon. In one aspect, on-board controllers in each vehicle interact with vehicle sensors to monitor and control, for example, gross vehicle weight, axle loads, and stopping distance. In some aspects, two vehicles can determine information associated with their gross weight and axle load, and apply that information to assist with determining a bounding box indicating which vehicle will take longer to stop. Based on which vehicle will take longer to stop, an order of vehicles in a potential platoon is determined.

A method of open loop control of a retardation torque of a vehicle is presented. The method comprises obtaining of a current vehicle acceleration indicator, obtaining of one or more current vehicle state indicators, and determining of an open loop retardation torque based on the vehicle acceleration indicator and the one or more vehicle state indicators. The method further comprises controlling of a resulting retardation torque based on the open loop retardation torque. The resulting retardation torque is applied by one or more propulsion sources of the vehicle.

A vehicle brake system includes a hydraulic service brake system having a service brake circuit and a trailer brake control system. The trailer brake control system includes a trailer brake valve with a service brake demand input port and a trailer brake demand output port connected to a trailer brake control coupling. The output at the trailer brake demand output port is dependent on the pressure applied at the service brake demand input port. An electronic trailer brake control system has a solenoid control valve to connect the service brake demand input port to a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid to trigger an output at the trailer brake demand output port. An ECU is configured to actuate the control valve to apply the trailer brakes if it determines that the vehicle is at risk of jack-knifing. The system may also include a shuttle valve.

A trailer spring brake valve is provided for a vehicle air braking system. The trailer spring brake valve comprises a number of components arranged to cooperate together to provide type of brake priority based upon trailer weight.

An electro-pneumatic brake system for an automotive vehicle comprising brake actuators each with a service brake chamber and a park brake chamber, a service brake system forming a pneumatic main deceleration system and comprising service brake lines configured to supply air pressure to the service brake chamber of the brake actuators, a park brake system forming a pneumatic immobilization system and a backup pneumatic deceleration system, and comprising park brake lines configured to supply air pressure to the park brake chamber of the brake actuators, wherein the park brake system comprises a pressure controller device configured to perform a wheel anti-locking function under a condition of the park brake system being used as a backup deceleration system, the pressure controller device being configured to control the air pressure supply in the park brake lines.

A method for braking one or more trailers in a tractor-trailer combination. The method comprises establishing a maximum continuous brake pressure for trailer brakes of wheels of the one or more trailers of the tractor-trailer combination. The method further comprises establishing an on-off cycling frequency for pulsing of the brakes of the one or more trailers of the tractor-trailer combination at brake pressures above the maximum continuous brake pressure. The method further comprises establishing applying the brakes of the one or more trailers continuously at brake pressures up to the established maximum continuous brake pressure and by pulsing according to the established on-off cycling frequency at brake pressures above the established maximum continuous brake pressure.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for controlling a vehicle (100) during a downhill start. The vehicle comprises a service brake (131a, 131b; 132a, 132b; 33a, 133b), an engine (119) and a transmission (120) being arranged between the engine and at least one driven axle (123), wherein the service brakes, the engine and the transmission are controlled by an electronic control unit (140). The method involves registering that the vehicle is located on a downhill gradient; registering an action from the driver, indicating a request to start the vehicle; controlling the service brake to maintain the vehicle stationary during a predetermined time after the request before initiating a controlled service brake release; controlling a gradual release of the service brake in response to at least one detected first vehicle operating parameter; and releasing the service brake when detecting that a predetermined threshold for at least one second vehicle operating parameter has been attained.