Method and EBS control unit for controlling brake-application energy of a vehicle combination

1. A method for controlling the brake-application energy of a vehicle combination having a tractor vehicle equipped with an electronically controlled brake system, at least one front axle and one rear axle, and a trailer vehicle having at least one trailer axle, the method comprising; in the event of a brake actuation, determining a deceleration setpoint value; comparing the deceleration setpoint value to an actual deceleration value to obtain a current brake-application energy reference value; determining brake-application energy setpoint values for the tractor vehicle and for the trailer vehicle from the deceleration setpoint value, the current brake-application energy reference value, a brake-application energy level for the tractor vehicle and a brake-application energy level for the trailer vehicle using stored characteristic maps showing dependencies of the brake-application energy levels of the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle on at least one of the brake-application energy reference value and on an axle load distribution of the tractor vehicle, the characteristic maps being selected as a function of a pre-definable coupling force control factor establishing a distribution of braking work between the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle; monitoring functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle resulting in a status signal; and setting a coupling force control factor as a function of the status signal such that, when the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle is one of absent and impaired, a minimal coupling force control factor is set, and the coupling force control factor is set one of greater than and equal to the minimal coupling force control factor, and wherein the minimal coupling force control factor is not equal to zero.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the minimal coupling force control factor is set such that the brake-application energy levels for the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle are dependent on the brake-application energy reference value and on the axle load distribution.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, based on the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system, a differentiation is made between only a completely functional electronically controlled brake system and a faulty electronically controlled brake system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the minimal coupling force control factor is a function of an axle load distribution of the axle load of the front axle with respect to the axle load of the rear axle, and wherein with increasing higher relative loading of the rear axle, the minimal coupling force control factor is elevated.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when the electronically controlled brake system is non-functional, the coupling force control factor is set to 1.0.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein monitoring the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system includes determining whether a control unit of the electronically controlled brake system records wheel speed signals.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein monitoring the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system includes determining whether brake control signals output by a control unit of the electronically controlled brake system are received by at least one of wheel brakes of the vehicle combination and anti-lock brake system valves of the wheel brakes.

8. An electronically controlled brake system control unit for a tractor vehicle of a vehicle combination including a trailer vehicle, the electronically controlled brake system control unit being configured to record a brake command signal and wheel speed signals associated with at least one front axle and one rear axle of the tractor vehicle and to output brake control signals to wheel brakes, the electronically controlled brake system control unit comprising at least one of (i) internal memory and (ii) external memory connected to the electronically controlled brake system control unit via a signal interface, for storing dependencies of brake-application energy levels of the tractor and trailer vehicles on at least one of a brake-application energy reference value and on an axle load distribution, wherein the electronically controlled brake system control unit is further configured to, in the event of a brake actuation:

determine a deceleration setpoint value;

compare the deceleration setpoint value to an actual deceleration value to obtain a current brake-application energy reference value;

determine brake-application energy setpoint values for the tractor vehicle and for the trailer vehicle from the deceleration setpoint value, the current brake-application energy reference value, the brake-application energy level for the tractor vehicle and the brake-application energy level for the trailer vehicle using stored characteristic maps showing dependencies of the brake-application energy levels of the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle on at least one of the current brake-application energy reference value and on the axle load distribution of the tractor vehicle, the characteristic maps being selected as a function of a pre-definable coupling force control factor establishing a distribution of braking work between the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle;

monitor functional capability of an electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle resulting in a status signal; and

set a coupling force control factor as a function of the status signal such that, when the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle is one of absent and impaired, a minimal coupling force control factor is set, and the coupling force control factor is set one of greater than and equal to the minimal coupling force control factor, wherein the minimal coupling force control factor is not equal to zero.

9. A vehicle combination, comprising a tractor vehicle and a trailer vehicle, the tractor vehicle including an electronically controlled brake system control unit configured to record a brake command signal and wheel speed signals associated with at least one front axle and one rear axle of the tractor vehicle and to output brake control signals to wheel brakes, the electronically controlled brake system control unit comprising at least one of (i) internal memory and (ii) external memory connected to the electronically controlled brake system control unit via a signal interface, for storing dependencies of brake-application energy levels of the tractor and trailer vehicles on at least one of a brake-application energy reference value and on an axle load distribution, wherein the electronically controlled brake system control unit is further configured to, in the event of a brake actuation:

determine a deceleration setpoint value;

compare the deceleration setpoint value to an actual deceleration value to obtain a current brake-application energy reference value;

determine brake-application energy setpoint values for the tractor vehicle and for the trailer vehicle from the deceleration setpoint value, the current brake-application energy reference value, the brake-application energy level for the tractor vehicle and the brake-application energy level for the trailer vehicle using stored characteristic maps showing dependencies of the brake-application energy levels of the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle on at least one of the current brake-application energy reference value and on the axle load distribution of the tractor vehicle, the characteristic maps being selected as a function of a pre-definable coupling force control factor establishing a distribution of braking work between the tractor vehicle and the trailer vehicle;

monitor functional capability of an electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle resulting in a status signal; and

set a coupling force control factor as a function of the status signal such that, when the functional capability of the electronically controlled brake system of the tractor vehicle is one of absent and impaired, a minimal coupling force control factor is set, and the coupling force control factor is set one of greater than and equal to the minimal coupling force control factor, wherein the minimal coupling force control factor is not equal to zero.

10. The vehicle combination as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the trailer vehicle at least one of (i) does not have an electronically controlled brake system control unit, and (ii) has an electronically controlled brake system control unit without separate automatic load-dependent brake force control functionality.