A vehicle combination comprising a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, each vehicle including wheels on different sides of the vehicle and wheel brakes associated with the wheels. A method for controlling the vehicle combination includes determining a yaw rate difference between a yaw rate of the tractor vehicle and a yaw rate of the trailer vehicle; determining, on the basis of the yaw rate difference, that an orientation of one of the vehicles deviates from an intended travel direction of the vehicle combination; and activating a wheel brake of the vehicle on only one side of the vehicle in order to counter the orientation deviation of the vehicle relative to the intended travel direction.

A sensor system, for determining an angular change between a utility vehicle and a coupled vehicle trailer, includes a sensor unit having a wheel mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis, and a rotary encoder connected to the wheel and configured to detect a change in position of the wheel. The sensor system further includes a mount having at least one first fixed part configured to connect the sensor system to the utility vehicle or a part thereof, and at least one movable part connected to the sensor unit and mounted so as to be movable on the fixed part. In addition, the sensor system includes a positioning mechanism configured to provide sprung bearing of the movable part in an operating position such that the wheel of the sensor unit can be moved into contact with a vehicle trailer or a part of the vehicle trailer.

Systems for detecting movement of a trailer having a rearward facing camera and linked to a tow vehicle. The systems include taking a first image and a second image with the camera and comparing the images. A first amount of trailer movement is determined between the second image and the first image. The systems may also take additional images and determine a second amount of trailer movement occurring between the additional images. Tracking the first amount and the second amount of trailer movement determines an amount of trailer sway. The determined trailer sway may be compared to a maximum allowable sway and, if the movement is greater than the maximum allowable sway, mitigating sway of the trailer with the tow vehicle.

A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit includes an input device outputting a signal in response to receiving an input from a user, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, the trailer brake output circuit outputting a trailer brake output signal, and machine readable instructions. The electronic control unit receives the signal from the input device, limits the trailer brake output signal to a first value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal in response to the signal received from the input device, and limits the trailer brake output signal to a second value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal not in response to the signal received from the input device. The second value is smaller than the first value.

A system for controlling a trailer brake output circuit includes an input device outputting a signal in response to receiving an input from a user, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes one or more processors, one or more memory modules, the trailer brake output circuit outputting a trailer brake output signal, and machine readable instructions. The electronic control unit receives the signal from the input device, limits the trailer brake output signal to a first value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal in response to the signal received from the input device, and limits the trailer brake output signal to a second value when the trailer brake output circuit outputs the trailer brake output signal not in response to the signal received from the input device. The second value is smaller than the first value.

An operating method for an electrified motor vehicle having an electric drive while being coupled to a towing vehicle by a connecting device in such a manner that the pulling forces and pushing forces between the vehicles are transmitted. The towing vehicle may communicate data to the motor vehicle used to control the motor vehicle to provide a controlled force exerted on the towing vehicle by the motor vehicle during towing. The controlled force exerted on the towing vehicle may vary based on the prevailing force direction between the vehicles, acceleration, and battery state of charge (SOC) of the motor vehicle. The controlled force may include a driving force or a braking force. The braking force may be provided by regenerative braking of the motor vehicle and/or by friction braking of the motor vehicle.

A method for mitigating sway of a trailer being towed by a leading vehicle is disclosed. The method may involve using a controller of the vehicle to determine when a trailer sway condition has arisen that requires a mitigating action. The controller may be used to actuate a plurality of brakes of the vehicle, or to increase braking pressure being applied by a driver of the vehicle, when the trailer is detected as swaying toward a centerline of the vehicle from one side or another of the vehicle centerline. The controller may further be used to release the plurality of brakes, or to decrease a braking pressure being commanded by the driver, before the trailer has swayed past the vehicle centerline, and to repeatedly apply and release the vehicle brakes only while the trailer is detected as swaying toward the vehicle centerline, until the trailer sway condition has been mitigated.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling operation of a trailer brake system associated with an agricultural vehicle-trailer combination, including: determining a trailer brake temperature; comparing the determined trailer brake temperature with one or more temperature thresholds to determine a temperature level condition for the trailer brake; and controlling the trailer brake system in dependence on the determined temperature level condition.

A vehicle brake system includes a brake control device, a vehicle acceleration sensor, and a trailer brake controller. The trailer brake controller outputs an initial trailer brake torque demand based on an input received from the brake control device and adjusts the initial trailer brake torque demand to converge a signal from the vehicle acceleration sensor to an expected negative acceleration value correlated with the input from the brake control device.

A control system is provided for an articulated vehicle including a towing vehicle, a trailer and an autonomous emergency braking system, wherein the control system includes: a brake control arrangement adapted to apply a friction-estimating braking; a brake force capacity estimation arrangement adapted to estimate the brake force capacity of the vehicle as a function of longitudinal wheel slip based on the applied friction-estimating braking; an axle load estimation arrangement adapted to estimate the normal force on each wheel axle of the vehicle; a friction estimation arrangement adapted to estimate a friction coefficient based on the estimated brake force capacity and at least one of the estimated normal forces; and a brake strategy adaptation arrangement configured to adapt the brake strategy of the autonomous emergency braking system by adjusting the brake force for at least one wheel axle of the Vehicle based on the estimated friction coefficient and the at least one wheel axle's estimated normal force.