System comprising separate control units for the actuation units of an electric parking brake

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11124169-B2
Application number	US-201716343013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2017
Priority date	Oct 20, 2016
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A motor vehicle system comprising a first electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a first vehicle wheel, and a second electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a second vehicle wheel. The system further comprises a first control unit which includes at least one first microprocessor and which is designed to control at least the first electric parking brake actuation unit and an anti-lock and/or vehicle stability control system. A second control unit of the system comprises at least one second microprocessor and is designed to control at least the second electric parking brake actuation unit and an electric braking power generator and/or an automatic transmission. In some variants, a separate parking brake control unit can be dispensed with as the braking brake control function is shared between control units that can be used for other purposes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a first electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a first vehicle wheel;
a second electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a second vehicle wheel;
a first control unit having at least one first microprocessor, wherein the first control unit is designed to control at least the first electric parking brake actuation unit and also an antilock and/or electronic stability control system;
a second control unit having at least one second microprocessor, wherein the second control unit is designed to control at least the second electric parking brake actuation unit and also an electric brake force generator; and
a third control unit having at least one third microprocessor, wherein the third control unit is designed to control an automatic transmission and also one of the first and second electric brake actuation units in an event of a failure of the antilock, electronic stability control system, and/or the electric brake force generator.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising
a control line system which connects the first control unit and the second control unit on the one hand with the first electric parking brake actuation unit and the second electric parking brake actuation unit on the other hand, wherein the control line system consists of a first control line between the first control unit and the first electric parking brake actuation unit and a second control line between the second control unit and the second electric parking brake actuation unit.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a control system which is provided for controlling the first electric parking brake actuation unit and the second electric parking brake actuation unit, wherein the control system consists of the first control unit and the second control unit.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electric brake force generator comprises:
a third electric actuation unit which is configured to act on a main cylinder to generate at least one brake force component.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an input device which is configured to generate a parking brake request.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the input device is electrically coupled at least with the first control unit in order to signal the parking brake request to the first control unit; and
the first control unit is configured to control the first electric parking brake actuation unit in dependence on the parking brake request.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a communication link between the first control unit and the second control unit, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit are designed to communicate with one another via the communication link.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the communication link comprises first and second bus systems arranged in parallel with one another between the first and second control units such that the communication link is redundantly designed.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a second communication link comprising third and fourth bus systems arranged in parallel with one another between the first and second bus systems such that the second communication link is redundantly designed.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the first control unit is designed to communicate the parking brake request to the second control unit via the communication link.

11. The system at least as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third control unit is designed to control the automatic transmission which is configured without a mechanical transmission lock, and to control the second electric parking brake actuation unit in a transmission lock mode.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the third control unit is designed to communicate with the first control unit via a communication link between the first control unit and the third control unit in transmission lock mode in order to cause the first control unit to control the first electric parking brake actuation unit.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a first power supply system for the first control unit and/or the first electric parking brake actuation unit; and
a second power supply system for the second control unit and/or the second electric parking brake actuation unit.

14. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle wheel is a right front wheel and/or the second vehicle wheel is a left front wheel.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first vehicle wheel is a right rear wheel and/or the second vehicle wheel is a left rear wheel.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an electric generator which can be coupled with a right rear wheel and/or a left rear wheel of the vehicle.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first control unit and the second control unit are provided spatially separately from one another.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising hydraulic lines for fluidly connecting the antilock and/or electronic stability control system associated with the first control unit with the electric brake force generator associated with the second control unit.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the electric brake force generator is configured to generate brake pressures for the antilock and/or electronic stability control system through the hydraulic lines.

20. A method for controlling a motor vehicle system comprising a first electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a first vehicle wheel, a second electric parking brake actuation unit assigned to a second vehicle wheel, a first control unit having at least one first microprocessor, wherein the first control unit is designed to control at least the first parking brake actuation unit and also an antilock and/or electronic stability control system, and a second control unit having at least one second microprocessor, wherein the second control unit is designed to control at least the second parking brake actuation unit and also an electric brake force generator, a third control unit having at least one third microprocessor, wherein the third control unit is designed to control an automatic transmission and also one of the first and second electrical brake actuation units in an event of a failure of the antilock, electronic stability control system, and/or the electric brake force generator, wherein the method comprises:
controlling the first electric parking brake actuation unit by means of the first control unit;
controlling the second electric parking brake actuation unit by means of the second control unit; and
controlling one of the first and second electric parking brake actuation units by means of the third control unit in the event of the failure of the antilock, electronic stability control system, and/or the electric brake force generator.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising detecting a control command, wherein the control command is a parking brake request on the part of the driver, a transmission lock request on the part of the driver or an emergency brake request, wherein control of the first electric parking brake actuation unit and of the second electric parking brake actuation unit takes place on detection of the control command.

22. A computer program with program code for carrying out the method as c

Assignees

• Lucas Automotive Gmbh
• Zf Active Safety Gmbh

Inventors

• Michels Erwin
• Ohlig Benedikt
• Fuchs Matthias

Classifications

• B60T13/74 Primary

  with electrical assistance or drive · CPC title

• B60T13/146

  Part of the system directly actuated by booster pressure · CPC title

• F16D65/18

  adapted for drawing members together {, e.g. for disc brakes} · CPC title

• F16D2066/003

  Position, angle or speed · CPC title

• B60T8/17

  Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking {(detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885)} · CPC title