Automatic break application for emergency stop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518349-B2
Application number	US-201916433973-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Jun 6, 2019
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

An electronic control unit (ECU) is disclosed. The ECU may detect an emergency stopping event associated with a vehicle. The ECU may determine, based on detecting the emergency stopping event, that electro-hydraulic brakes of the vehicle are in a disabled mode. The ECU may determine, based on determining that the electro-hydraulic brakes are in the disabled mode, a position of a brake pedal of the vehicle. The ECU may override, based on the position of the brake pedal, the disabled mode to engage the electro-hydraulic brakes during the emergency stopping event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
applying, by an electronic control unit (ECU), wet brakes of a vehicle without applying dry brakes of the vehicle when a brake pedal of the vehicle is engaged and the dry brakes are in a disabled mode,
wherein the wet brakes are liquid cooled, and
wherein the dry brakes are open air cooled;

detecting, by the ECU, an emergency stopping event associated with the vehicle;
determining, by the ECU and based on detecting the emergency stopping event, that the dry brakes of the vehicle are in a disabled mode;
determining, by the ECU and based on determining that the dry brakes are in the disabled mode, a position of the brake pedal of the vehicle; and
overriding, by the ECU and based on the position of the brake pedal, the disabled mode to engage the dry brakes in conjunction with the wet brakes during the emergency stopping event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the emergency stopping event comprises:
determining a rate of change in the position of the brake pedal;
determining that the rate of change satisfies a threshold rate of change; and
detecting the emergency stopping event based on determining that the rate of change satisfies the threshold rate of change.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the emergency stopping event comprises:
detecting the emergency stopping event based on a speed of travel of the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the emergency stopping event comprises:
detecting the emergency stopping event based on an amount of automatic retardation applied by an automatic brake retarder of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein overriding the disabled mode to engage the dry brakes comprises:
determining a control current setpoint based on the position of the brake pedal; and
applying a control current to the dry brakes based on the control current setpoint.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the control current to the dry brakes comprises:
ramping the control current to the control current setpoint.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein ramping the control current to the control current setpoint comprises:
ramping the control current to the control current setpoint at a fixed rate.

8. An electronic control unit (ECU), comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, communicatively coupled to the one or more memories, to:
apply wet brakes of a vehicle without applying dry brakes based on the dry brakes being in a disabled mode,
wherein the wet brakes are liquid cooled, and
wherein the dry brakes are open air cooled;

detect an emergency stopping event associated with the vehicle based on a rate of change in a position of a brake pedal of the vehicle;
determine, based on detecting the emergency stopping event, that the dry brakes are in the disabled mode; and
override the disabled mode to engage the dry brakes in conjunction with the wet brakes during the emergency stopping event.

9. The ECU of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, when overriding the disabled mode to engage the dry brakes, are to:
determine a control current setpoint based on the position of the brake pedal; and
apply a control current to the dry brakes based on the control current setpoint.

10. The ECU of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors, when applying the control current to the dry brakes, are to:
ramp the control current to the control current setpoint at a fixed rate.

11. The ECU of claim 10 , wherein the fixed rate is based on an amount of automatic retardation applied by a brake retarder of the vehicle.

12. The ECU of claim 8 , wherein the dry brakes are electro-hydraulic front brakes.

13. The ECU of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, when detecting the emergency stopping event, are to:
determine that an automatic brake retarder of the vehicle has been engaged; and
detect the emergency stopping event based on determining that the automatic brake retarder of the vehicle has been engaged.

14. The ECU of claim 8 , wherein the one or more processors, when detecting the emergency stopping event based on the rate of change in the position of the brake pedal, are to:
determine that the rate of change satisfies a threshold rate of change; and
detect the emergency stopping event based on determining that the rate of change satisfies the threshold rate of change.

15. A system comprising:
dry front brakes that are open air cooled;
wet rear brakes that are liquid cooled; and
an electronic control unit (ECU) to:
apply the wet rear brakes without applying the dry front brakes based on the dry front brakes being in a disabled mode;
detect an emergency stopping event;
determine, based on detecting the emergency stopping event, that the dry brakes are in the disabled mode; and
override the disabled mode to engage the dry front brakes in conjunction with wet rear brakes during the emergency stopping event.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the ECU, when detecting the emergency stopping event, is to:
determine that a speed of travel satisfies a threshold speed; and
detect the emergency stopping event based on determining that the speed of travel satisfies the threshold speed.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the ECU, when detecting the emergency stopping event, is to:
detect the emergency stopping event based on at least one of:
a rate of change in a position of a brake pedal,
a speed of travel, or
an automatic brake retarder.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the ECU, when overriding the disabled mode to engage the dry front brakes, is to:
determine a control current setpoint based on a position of a brake pedal; and
apply a control current to the dry front brakes based on the control current setpoint.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the ECU, when applying the control current to the dry front brakes, is to:
ramp the control current to the control current setpoint at a fixed rate.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the fixed rate is based on an amount of automatic retardation applied by a brake retarder.

Assignees

• Caterpillar Inc

Inventors

• Mcknight James
• Williamson James L

Classifications

• F16D57/00

  Liquid-resistance brakes; {Brakes using the internal friction of fluids or fluid-like media, e.g. powders (for braking drums, barrels or ropes of cranes, lift hoists or winches B66D5/026)} · CPC title

• B60T8/3255

  Systems in which the braking action is dependent on brake pedal data · CPC title

• B60T8/172

  Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters {(B60T8/17551 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B60T2220/04

  Pedal travel sensor, stroke sensor; Sensing brake request · CPC title

• B60T10/00

  Control or regulation for continuous braking making use of fluid or powdered medium, e.g. for use when descending a long slope · CPC title