A brake element is sensorized by at least one piezoceramic sensor arranged between a metallic support element and a block of friction material of a brake element, the sensor being completely embedded within the block. An electrical voltage signal generated by at least one piezoceramic sensor, without the need for a power supply, is picked up by an electrical circuit integrated into the metallic support element. The electrical voltage signal is processed in the form of equal length of samples per unit of time of the detected signal by successively processing in real time each sample of equal length of time sample of the signal by applying an algorithm. The algorithm is selected from at least one of a sequence of integrations of voltage values in the sample carried out in an interval of time in the order of milliseconds; FFT voltage data sample; and integral of the voltage data sample.

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to extend brake life cycle are disclosed herein. An example vehicle disclosed herein includes a brake including a rotor and a brake pad and a brake controller to detect a request to determine a wear level of the brake pad, activate the brake to cause contact between the brake pad and the rotor, and determine, based on a latency between the activation of the brake and the contact between the brake pad and the rotor, the wear level.

An indicator for monitoring temperature and wear of one or more aircraft brakes. One or more sensors are provided for sensing a parameter of usage, and an estimate of usage of the part can be determined based upon the signal indicating the sensed value of the parameter of usage of the aircraft part. A plurality of sensors can be provided for sensing usage of a plurality of parts of the aircraft, and the estimate of usage of the part can be stored for access of the estimate by ground personnel. In addition, the sensed usage data are critical inputs for the brake controller to regulate which brakes are applied.

Disclosed herein an electric parking brake (EPB) system includes an EPB configured to provide a clamping force to a vehicle for parking; and a controller configured to engage the EPB; wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the vehicle is in an early stage of vehicle release or an early stage of brake pad replacement based on a driving distance and brake pad replacement information of the vehicle during a parking operation, and upon determining that the vehicle is in the early stages of vehicle release or brake pad replacement, compensate for a target clamping force of the EPB and perform the parking operation based on the compensated target clamping force.

Systems and methods are for monitoring a wear state of a disc brake for braking a rotor of a vehicle. The disc brake has a caliper configured to clamp opposing inner and outer brake pads onto the rotor. A primary wear sensor is configured to sense a combined thickness of the rotor, the inner brake pad, and the outer brake pad. A controller is programmed to calculate an estimated wear amount of the inner brake pad and an estimated wear amount of the outer brake pad based upon said combined thickness. In some embodiments a secondary wear sensor is included and the system is configured to calculate an actual wear amount of the inner brake pad and an actual wear amount of the outer brake pad based upon input from the primary wear sensor and the secondary wear sensor.

The present disclosure in some embodiments provides an electro-mechanical brake comprising a piston configured to push a brake pad towards a wheel disc by driving a motor, the electro-mechanical brake comprising: a position detection unit detecting a position of the piston; a current detection unit detecting a value of current flowing through the motor; a motor controller controlling a motor to move the piston toward the wheel disc for a preset time when a vehicle is stopped; and a contact point calculation unit calculating a contact point that is a position of the piston when the brake pad starts to contact with the wheel disc, based on a first position that is a position of the piston when a first current value is detected, using the current detection unit.

An integrated monitoring system for a vehicle including a brake pad wear sensor and a wheel speed sensor. A wheel speed sensor signal line is connected between the wheel speed sensor and an electronic control unit. A wheel speed power line is connected between the wheel speed sensor, the brake pad wear sensor, and the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to monitor the wheel speed sensor signal line for a signal indicative of a wheel speed and monitors the wheel speed power line for a signal indicative of a brake pad condition.

A method for manufacturing a disc brake, the disc brake having a brake caliper and a brake actuation mechanism being supported in it, in which the brake actuation mechanism includes an amplification mechanism for introducing a clamping force, an adjustment device for compensation of lining wear with a torque clutch, a thrust element for transmitting the clamping force onto a brake disc and a reset device, which components are arranged around a rod, in which the torque clutch is formed as a roller-ramp-mechanism. A spring force can act onto the torque clutch by means of the reset device thereby forming a torque limit.

A vehicle brake system, including: an electric brake device including a friction member, a rotor, a motor, and a driven member; and a wear detector including a data obtaining section to obtain a forward movement amount of the driven member and a pressing force by which the driven member presses the friction member, a detecting section to detect a contact start position of the driven member, and an estimating section to estimate a remaining thickness of the friction member, wherein the wear detector includes an uneven-wear detecting section to detect uneven wear of the friction member, by comparing: a relationship between the forward movement amount and the pressing force; and a relationship therebetween in a case where it is supposed that a thickness of the friction member is equal to the remaining thickness that would be estimated in a state in which the friction member is evenly worn.

A method for performing a data validity assessment for a brake pad wear estimation includes providing an electric park brake assembly including a motor and a battery management sensor, receiving motor current data from the motor of the electric park brake assembly, receiving battery current data from the battery management sensor, determining a margin of current from the motor current data and the battery current data, receiving historical motor position data and instant motor position data of the motor, calculating the brake pad wear estimation using the motor current data, comparing the historical motor position data and the instant motor position data against an expected range of motor positions, determining an electromagnetic interference level from the margin of current, the historical and instant motor position data, and the calculated brake pad wear estimation, and discarding the motor current data when the electromagnetic interference level is above a predetermined threshold.