Automated gain and boost for a brake controller
View Patent ↗The present disclosure includes a system, method, and device related to controlling brakes of a towed vehicle. A brake controller system includes a brake controller that controls the brakes of a towed vehicle based on acceleration. The brake controller is in communication with a speed sensor. The speed sensor determines the speed of a towing vehicle or a towed vehicle. The brake controller automatically sets a gain or boost based on the speed and acceleration.
1. A system comprising:
at least one sensor operatively determining a parameter associated with a braking event; and
a brake controller comprising an accelerometer and a processor, the processor in operative communication with the at least one sensor and configured to receive data from the at least one sensor,
wherein the processor determines at least one of a gain level or a boost level based on the data received from the at least one sensor; and
wherein the processor initiates a calibration process to determine at least one of the gain level or the boost level based on an occurrence of a triggering event.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor is operatively disposed proximal to at least one of an axle or a wheel of a vehicle or a trailer and operatively measures a change in the vehicle speed or the trailer speed.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a speed sensor.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the speed sensor is an accelerometer.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the speed sensor is operatively coupled to a lug nut of the vehicle or the trailer.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the triggering event comprises at least one of a passage of time, button press, weather condition, sensed speed, or rake peddle depression.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor determines the weather condition based on at least one of activation or deactivation of windshield wipers, or input from a user device.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a sensor disposed generally proximal to a brake peddle of a vehicle to measure forces applied to the brake peddle.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor operatively overrides the determined gain level or boost level in response to receiving a user request to override the determined gain level or boost level.
10. A brake controller comprising:
a hardware processor and a memory storing computer executable instructions;
a wireless communication device coupled to the hardware processor and in operative communication with a speed sensor;
wherein the processor conducts a calibration process to automatically determine at least one of a gain setting, boost setting, or transfer function as a function of information received from the speed sensor.
11. The brake controller of claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor determines whether a brake peddle of a towed vehicle is not depressed and initiates the calibration process when the brake peddle is not depressed.
12. The brake controller of claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor determines whether the brake peddle of a towed vehicle is not depressed and initiates the calibration process in response to determining that the brake peddle is depressed.
13. The brake controller of claim 10 , wherein the hardware processor ramps an output from the hardware processor to brakes of a trailer in response to initiating the calibration process.
14. The brake controller of claim 13 , wherein the hardware processor monitors for a wheel lock-up based on an input received from the speed sensor as the output is ramped.
15. The brake controller of claim 14 , wherein the hardware processor terminates the ramping in response to detecting the wheel lock-up, reduces the output until the wheel lock-up terminates, and sets a gain value based on a value of the output at the time when the wheel lock-up terminates.
16. A method for automatically determining a gain setting for a brake controller, comprising:
monitoring, by the brake controller, for a triggering event and initiating a calibration of the gain setting in response to the triggering event;
ramping output of the brake controller to brakes of a trailer;
receiving input from a sensor operatively attached to at least one of a wheel or an axle of the trailer;
determining whether the wheels of the trailer are locked based on the input received from the sensor;
terminating, in response to determining that the wheels of the trailer are locked, the ramping of the output of the brake controller to the brakes of the trailer;
reducing the output of the brake controller to the brakes of the trailer to a value until the wheels are no longer locked; and
determining the gain setting based on the value.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining whether a speed of the trailer is within a predetermined range of speeds;
allowing initiation of the calibration process when the speed is determined to be within the predetermined range; and
at least one of disabling or notifying a user that the speed is determined to be not within the predetermined range.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining the gain setting is further based on at least one of a weather condition, road grade, or trailer load.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising generating a suggested modification of a setting of a brake controller based a history of calibrations.
20. A system comprising:
at least one sensor operatively determining a parameter associated with a braking event; and
a brake controller comprising an accelerometer and a processor, the processor in operative communication with the at least one sensor and configured to receive data from the at least one sensor,
wherein the processor determines at least one of a gain level or a boost level based on the data received from the at least one sensor; and
wherein the processor operatively overrides the determined gain level or boost level in response to receiving a user request to override the determined gain level or boost level.