Failsafe parking assistance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9511756-B2
Application number	US-30828907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2007
Priority date	Oct 17, 2006
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A method is described for protecting a parking assistance system from a failure of the service brake system. In order to prevent a collision of the vehicle with a surrounding object, the function of the service brake system is monitored and if an error is present, at least one other vehicle system, such as an automatic transmission or an automatic parking brake, is activated in order to brake the vehicle and/or interrupt the transmission of drive torque to the wheels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for protecting a parking assistance system in a vehicle, which also includes a service brake system, from an error of the service brake system, the method comprising:
monitoring, via a control unit of the service brake system, a functioning of a hydraulic power unit of the service brake system for an error while performing a parking assistance using the service brake system; and
issuing, via the control unit of the service brake system, a request in immediate response to detecting the error, which request causes one of a control unit of an automatic transmission system and a control unit of an automatic parking brake to issue a first command that activates the automatic transmission system to interrupt a transmission of drive torque to wheels of the vehicle by controlling a gear position selector to select a different gear position; and
monitoring, via at least one of the control unit of the automatic transmission system and the control unit of the automatic parking brake, a functioning of the control unit of the service brake system to determine whether the control unit of the service brake system is functional, wherein the monitoring of the functioning of the control unit of the service brake system is performed together with the monitoring of the functioning of a hydraulic power unit of the service brake system; and
issuing, via at least one of the control unit of the automatic transmission system and the control unit of the automatic parking brake, the first command in response to detecting that the control unit of the service brake system is no longer functional.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gear position selector is controlled to set idling position “N” and thus interrupt the drive train.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gear position selector is controlled to select park position “P”, wherein park position “P” is selected only if the driving speed is lower than a specified maximum speed, and wherein the gear position selector is controlled to set idling position “N” and thus interrupt the drive train.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first command is issued by the control unit of an automatic parking brake, the method further comprising:
at the control unit of an automatic parking brake, issuing a second command together with the first command, the second command causing the automatic parking brake to be applied, thereby braking the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gear position selector is controlled to select park position “P”.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein park position “P” is selected only if the driving speed is lower than a specified maximum speed.

7. A parking assistance system in a vehicle, comprising:
a control unit having a parking assistance algorithm;
a sensor system for scanning surroundings of the vehicle; and
an actuator of a service brake system;
wherein the parking assistance algorithm is configured to monitor a functioning of a hydraulic power unit of the service brake system for an error while performing the parking assistance using the service brake system, and to issue a request in immediate response to detecting the error, which request causes one a control unit of an automatic transmission system and a control unit of an automatic parking brake to issue a first command that activates the automatic transmission system to interrupt a transmission of drive torque to wheels of the vehicle by controlling a gear position selector to select a different gear position,
wherein at least one of the control unit of the transmission system and the control unit of the automatic parking brake is configured to monitor a functioning of the control unit having a parking assistance algorithm to determine whether the control unit having a parking assistance algorithm is functional, and to issue the first command in response to detecting that the control unit having a parking assistance system is no longer functional, and
wherein the monitoring of the functioning of the control unit of the service brake system is performed together with the monitoring of the functioning of a hydraulic power unit of the service brake system.

8. The parking assistance system of claim 7 , wherein the gear position selector is controlled to set idling position “N” and thus interrupt the drive train.

9. The parking assistance system of claim 1 , wherein the gear position selector is controlled to select park position “P”, wherein park position “P” is selected only if the driving speed is lower than a specified maximum speed, and wherein the gear position selector is controlled to set idling position “N” and thus interrupt the drive train.

10. The parking assistance system of claim 7 , wherein the first command is issued by the control unit of an automatic parking brake, and wherein the control unit of an automatic parking brake issues a second command together with the first command, the second command causing the automatic parking brake to be applied, thereby braking the vehicle.

11. The parking assistance system of claim 7 , wherein the gear position selector is controlled to select park position “P”.

12. The parking assistance system of claim 11 , wherein park position “P” is selected only if the driving speed is lower than a specified maximum speed.

13. A parking assistance system in a vehicle, comprising:
a brake control unit having a parking assistance algorithm configured to monitor a hydraulic power unit of a service brake system for an error in the hydraulic power unit, and to issue a request in immediate response to detecting the error, which request causes one a control unit of an automatic transmission system and a control unit of an automatic parking brake to issue a first command that activates the automatic transmission system to interrupt a transmission of drive torque to wheels of the vehicle by controlling a gear position selector to select a different gear position;
a second control unit configured to simultaneously with the monitoring of the hydraulic power unit by the brake control unit, monitor the brake control unit for an error in the brake control unit, and to issue the first command in response to detecting that the control unit having a parking assistance system is no longer functional, wherein the monitoring of the functioning of the control unit of the service brake system is performed together with the monitoring of the functioning of a hydraulic power unit of the service brake system.

14. The parking assistance system of claim 13 , wherein the first command is issued by the control unit of an automatic parking brake, and wherein the control unit of an automatic parking brake issues a second command together with the first command, the second command causing the automatic parking brake to be applied, thereby braking the vehicle.

Assignees

• Nijakowski Klaus-Dieter
• Messner Heiner
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Nijakowski Klaus-Dieter
• Messner Heiner

Classifications

• B60W50/029

  Adapting to failures or work around with other constraints, e.g. circumvention by avoiding use of failed parts · CPC title

• B60T2270/402

  Back-up · CPC title

• B60W10/184

  with wheel brakes · CPC title

• B60T17/221 Primary

  Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems (hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M) · CPC title

• B60W2720/106

  Longitudinal acceleration · CPC title