Method and system for control of auxiliary brakes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9592805-B2
Application number	US-201414897830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2014
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

A method and a system to control an auxiliary brake system in a vehicle 100 having a service brake system 150 and an auxiliary brake system 160 . Also a system for prevention of wheel lock when braking, which may deactivate a braking action provided by the auxiliary brake system 160 and may actively control a braking action provided by the service brake system 150 . The system determines whether the vehicle 100 is in a driving mode for which it is acceptable in terms of safety and/or drivability to block the deactivation of the braking action for the auxiliary brake system 160 . If a first manual control 170 , which is set up solely for activating braking action for the auxiliary brake system 160 , is activated, this means it is acceptable, from a safety and/or drivability point of view, for the driving mode in question, to block the deactivation. Also arranging block deactivation for the auxiliary brake system 160 if it is acceptable in terms of safety and drivability to block it.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for control of an auxiliary brake system in a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes an auxiliary brake system configured for braking the vehicle not by direct braking of wheels of the vehicle, a service brake system configured for directly braking of wheels of the vehicle and a system for prevention of wheel lock when braking the vehicle, wherein the system for the prevention of wheel lock is configured to deactivate a braking action provided by the auxiliary brake system,
the method comprising:
determining whether the vehicle is in a driving mode in which it is acceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability of the vehicle to block deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system through the system for prevention of wheel lock when braking, wherein the determining is based on at least a first input made by a driver of the vehicle through a first manual control, set up solely for activation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system, and wherein an activation of the first manual control is interpreted as though it is acceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability for the driving mode to block the deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system; and
if the determination shows that it is acceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability, blocking of the deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system.

2. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising a second input with a second manual control configured for activating the braking action of the service brake system, and wherein the second input is configured to be interpreted as though it is unacceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability for the driving mode of the vehicle to block the deactivation of the braking action for the auxiliary brake system through the system for prevention of wheel lock when braking.

3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising a second input with a second manual control, configured for activating the braking action of the service brake system, and wherein the activation of the braking action of the service brake system is interpreted as an automatic activation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system for preventing of wheel lock when braking the vehicle bases the deactivation of the braking action provided by the auxiliary brake system and the active control of the braking action provided by the service brake system on at least one wheel slip of one or several of the wheels of the vehicle.

5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising: controlling the blocking of the deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system is based on at least one configuration parameter for a control system in the vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination is based on at least one indication from a cruise control in the vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein, if the at least one indication pertains to an activation of the braking action for the service brake system, interpreting the indication as though it is unacceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability for the driving mode of the vehicle to block the deactivation of the braking action for the auxiliary brake system through the system for preventing a wheel lock when braking the vehicle.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the system for prevention of wheel lock when braking the vehicle is configured to actively control a braking action provided by the service brake system.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the service brake system is configured to brake wheels of the vehicle and the auxiliary brake system brakes the vehicle by operating other components of the vehicle which operation causes braking of the vehicle.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a computer program stored on the medium, the computer program comprising a program code, which when the program code is executed in a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

11. A system configured for controlling an auxiliary brake system in a vehicle, comprising:
the auxiliary brake system configured for braking the vehicle not by direct braking of wheels of the vehicle, a service brake system configured for acting on wheels of the vehicle for braking the vehicle and a system for preventing wheel lock when braking the vehicle;
wherein the system for preventing wheel lock when braking is configured to deactivate a braking action provided by the auxiliary brake system, and to also actively control a braking action provided by the service brake system;
a determination device configured to determine whether the vehicle is in a driving mode in which it is acceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability to block the deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system through the system for preventing wheel lock when braking, the determination device is configured to base the determination on at least a first input that is made by a driver of the vehicle through a first manual control, configured solely for the activation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system, and the determination device is configured such that activation of the first manual control is interpreted and the determination device is configured to interpret the activation of the first manual control as though for a driving mode then in use, it is acceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability to block the deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system; and
a blocking device configured for blocking of the deactivation of the braking action of the auxiliary brake system if the determination by the determination device shows that the deactivation of the braking system is acceptable in terms of at least one of safety and drivability.

12. A system according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first and manual controls comprises at least one or several of the group consisting of:
a brake pedal;
a brake lever;
a brake handle; and
a brake button.

13. A system according to claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary brake system is configured to act on a driveline in the vehicle.

14. A system according to claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary brake system comprises at least one or several brakes selected from the group consisting of:
a retarder brake;
an exhaust brake;
an engine brake;
an electric machinery brake comprised in a driveline in the vehicle; and
a braking device which acts on a driveline in the vehicle.

15. A system according to 14 , wherein the service brake system comprises at least one or more from the group consisting of:
a disc brake for the wheels; and
a drum brake for the wheels.

16. A system according to claim 11 , comprising an indicator in a driver interface in the vehicle, wherein the indicator is configured to indicate whether the blocking of the deactivation of the braking action for the auxiliary brake system will take place.

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Rudberg Arvid
• Selling Tomas

Classifications

• B60T8/1761

  responsive to wheel or brake dynamics, e.g. wheel slip, wheel acceleration or rate of change of brake fluid pressure · CPC title

• B60T2201/04

  Hill descent control · CPC title

• B60T10/02

  with hydrodynamic brake · CPC title

• B60T17/22

  Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices · CPC title

• B60T8/3215 Primary

  Systems characterised by having means acting on components of the drive line, e.g. retarder, clutch or differential gear (B60T8/322 takes precedence) · CPC title