Example methods and apparatus to perform brake sweeping procedures on vehicle brakes are described herein. An example apparatus includes a controller to determine when a vehicle has made a turn, compare an angle at which the vehicle has turned to an angle threshold, and schedule a brake sweeping procedure based on the comparison.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system comprising: a first, controller operable to assume one of a plurality of respective states, in a first state the first controller being configured to generate a first controller powertrain signal in order to cause a powertrain to develop drive torque, and a first controller brake signal in order to cause application of a brake to one or more wheels, the first controller being configured to generate the first controller powertrain signal and first controller brake signal to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with the target speed value, wherein when the first controller is in a predetermined one or more states the first controller is configured automatically to perform a brake wipe operation in which the first controller generates the first controller brake signal in dependence on one or more predetermined conditions while continuing to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with the target speed value.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system comprising: a first controller operable to assume one of a plurality of respective states, in a first state the first controller being configured to generate a first controller powertrain signal in order to cause a powertrain to develop drive torque, and a first controller brake signal in order to cause application of a brake to one or more wheels, the first controller being configured to generate the first controller powertrain signal and first controller brake signal to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with the target speed value, wherein when the first controller is in a predetermined one or more states the first controller is configured automatically to perform a brake wipe operation in which the first controller generates the first controller brake signal in dependence on one or more predetermined conditions whilst continuing to cause a vehicle to operate in accordance with the target speed value.

A method for operating a vehicle brake system, wherein the brake system has at least one friction brake and at least one regenerative brake. A defined switching pattern is specified for switching between a self-cleaning operating mode for cleaning the friction brake and a normal operating mode of the brake system. The method includes determining information describing the state of the at least one friction brake, determining the state of the at least one friction brake from the information, determining whether the state satisfies a specific switching criterion, and, if the self-cleaning operating mode is to be activated according to the switching pattern and the state of the friction brake does not satisfy the switching criterion, suppressing activation of the self-cleaning operating mode and maintaining the normal operating mode.

A method for determining a state of a brake lining on a wheel brake of a brake system of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The wheel brake has an electromechanical brake actuator which is designed to build up a force, such as a braking force, acting on a brake disc of the brake system by pressing the brake lining against the brake disc, and which is assigned to a first axle of the motor vehicle. The method comprises the steps of: detecting a first wheel rotation rate and/or first wheel speed of the first motor-vehicle axle assigned to the electromechanical brake actuator; detecting a second wheel rotation rate and/or first wheel speed of the second motor-vehicle axle; and determining the state of the brake lining on the basis of the first and second wheel rotation rate and/or wheel speed. A method for operating a brake system of a motor vehicle, a computer program product, a control unit and a vehicle brake system are also disclosed.