BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM

Abstract

A brake control system for issuing an early warning about a malfunction of a brake of a vehicle, in which the brake is configured to receive a brake signal and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal. The vehicle includes a sensor to generate sensor data, indicative of an actuation force of the brake. The brake control system includes a reception module to receive the brake signal and the sensor data, and by a processing module to monitor the sensor data during subsequent stages of the braking process, to detect, based on the monitored sensor data, a potential malfunction of the brake, and to issue a warning signal if the potential malfunction is detected.

Claims

1-14. (canceled)

15. A brake control system for issuing a warning about a malfunction of a brake of a vehicle, comprising: a reception module to receive a brake signal and sensor data, wherein the brake is configured to receive the brake signal and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal, and wherein the vehicle includes a sensor to generate the sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; and a processing module to monitor the sensor data during subsequent stages of the braking process, to detect, based on the monitored sensor data, a potential malfunction of the brake, and to issue a warning signal when the potential malfunction is detected.

16. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the brake includes a pneumatic brake with a brake cylinder having a pressure chamber, the sensor includes a pressure sensor, and the sensor data indicates a pressure in the pressure chamber.

17. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the brake is an electro-mechanic brake, and the sensor is a force sensor.

18. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is configured to detect the potential malfunction of the brake based on regression, in particular logistic regression, of the monitored sensor data.

19. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is configured to detect the potential malfunction of the brake based on a comparison of a progression of the sensor data with a characteristic.

20. The brake control system of claim 19, wherein the processing module is configured to store the sensor data, and to update the characteristic based on the stored sensor data.

21. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the vehicle includes a further sensor configured to generate further sensor data, wherein the reception module is configured to receive the further sensor data, and the processing module is configured to detect the potential malfunction of the brake based on the further sensor data, and wherein the further sensor is configured to generate the further sensor data from measuring at least one of the following: a motion and/or a movement of the brake, a wheel speed, an environmental condition, including a temperature, and/or a road slope.

22. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is configured to issue the warning signal to at least one of: a driver, surroundings of the vehicle, and/or a further component of the vehicle.

23. The brake control system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is configured to induce, when the braking process malfunction is detected, a further attempt to perform the braking process.

24. A brake unit for braking a wheel of a vehicle, comprising: a brake to receive a brake signal and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal; a sensor to generate sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; and a brake control system brake control system for issuing a warning about a malfunction of the brake of the vehicle, including: a reception module to receive the brake signal and the sensor data, wherein the brake is configured to receive the brake signal and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal, and wherein the vehicle includes a sensor to generate the sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; and a processing module to monitor the sensor data during subsequent stages of the braking process, to detect, based on the monitored sensor data, a potential malfunction of the brake, and to issue a warning signal when the potential malfunction is detected.

25. The brake unit of claim 24, wherein the brake includes a parking brake.

26. A vehicle, comprising: a brake unit for braking a wheel of a vehicle, including: a brake to receive a brake signal and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal; a sensor to generate sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; and a brake control system brake control system for issuing a warning about a malfunction of the brake of the vehicle, including: a reception module to receive the brake signal and the sensor data, wherein the brake is configured to receive the brake signal and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal, and wherein the vehicle includes a sensor to generate the sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; and a processing module to monitor the sensor data during subsequent stages of the braking process, to detect, based on the monitored sensor data, a potential malfunction of the brake, and to issue a warning signal when the potential malfunction is detected.

27. A method for issuing an early warning about a malfunction of a brake of a vehicle, the method comprising: monitoring the sensor data during subsequent stages of the braking process, wherein the brake is configured to perform a braking process, and wherein the vehicle includes a sensor to generate sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; detecting, based on the monitored sensor data, a potential malfunction of the brake; and issuing a warning signal when the potential malfunction is detected.

28. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising: a program code arrangement having program code for issuing a warning about a malfunction of a brake of a vehicle, by performing the following: monitoring the sensor data during subsequent stages of the braking process, wherein the brake is configured to perform a braking process, and wherein the vehicle includes a sensor to generate sensor data indicative of an actuation force of the brake; detecting, based on the monitored sensor data, a potential malfunction of the brake; and issuing a warning signal when the potential malfunction is detected.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a brake control system according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 2 depicts a first example of sensor data and reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system.

[0042] FIG. 3 depicts a second example of sensor data and reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system.

[0043] FIG. 4 depicts a third example of sensor data and reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system.

[0044] FIG. 5 depicts a fourth example of sensor data and reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system, in particular including an extrapolation.

[0045] 10 FIG. 6 shows steps of a method for issuing an early warning about a malfunction of a brake.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an embodiment of a brake control system 100 for issuing an early warning 130 about a malfunction of a brake 210 of a vehicle 50 according to the present invention. Depicted is a cross section of a commercial vehicle 50, in particular intersecting a wheel 55 of the vehicle 50. In the present embodiment, the brake control system 100 is integrated in a brake unit 200 for the wheel 55. The brake unit 200 comprises the brake 210, which is configured to receive a brake signal 70, and to perform a braking process after receiving the brake signal 70. The vehicle 50 comprises a sensor 220 configured to generate sensor data 225 indicative of a force of the brake 210. The brake control system 100 comprises a reception module 110 and a processing module 120. The reception module 110 is configured to receive the brake signal 70 and the sensor data 225. The processing module 120 is configured to monitor the sensor data 225 during subsequent stages of the braking process, in particular during an early stage, and to detect, based on the monitored sensor data 225, a potential malfunction of the brake 210. The processing module 120 is further configured to issue the warning signal 130 to a driver or to another component of the vehicle 50, if the potential malfunction is detected. Advantageously, the brake 210 is a parking brake.

[0047] FIG. 2 depicts a first example of sensor data 225, together with reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system 100. In this embodiment, the brake 210 is a parking brake with a brake cylinder comprising a pressure chamber. The pressure chamber contains air under pressure, and reduces the pressure by releasing the air from the pressure chamber in order to apply a parking brake. In particular, the brake 210 may comprise a spring for exerting a force on the wheel 55, wherein the spring is held back from the wheel 55 by the pressure in the pressure chamber.

[0048] The figure shows a plot of sensor data 225 as measured by the pressure sensor 220 in the pressure chamber, as a function of time in arbitrary units. After receiving the signal 70, the pressure in the pressure chamber starts to decrease. Shortly after the decrease has set in, an information light 133 signals the initiation of the parking brake process to the driver. This may happen when the pressure reaches a threshold value p1. The processing module 120 is configured to check if at predefined measuring points (in time) t1, t2, t3, the pressure according to the sensor data 225 is below a threshold 125. A lower bound for the threshold 125 may be given by the pressure value p2, which is slightly above a pressure value p3, below which the braking process is considered to have safely succeeded.

[0049] FIG. 3 depicts a second example of sensor data 225, together with reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system 100. The brake 210 may be of a form as described in FIG. 2.

[0050] The figure again shows a plot of sensor data 225 as measured by the pressure sensor 220 in the pressure chamber over time. After receiving the signal 70, the pressure in the pressure chamber starts to decrease. Shortly after the decrease has set in, an information light 133 signals the initiation of the parking brake process to the driver. The processing module 120 is configured to check if at the predefined measuring points t1, t2, t3, the pressure according to the sensor data 225 is below a threshold 125. This test fails at a first measuring point t1. In consequence, the processing module 120 issues a warning signal 130, e.g. in form of a dashboard message 135 together with an acoustic signal, to the driver. Even though the pressure is safely below the threshold 125 at a second measuring point t2, the warning signal 135 is active until the pressure drops below the value p3 at which the braking process is successful. This prompts a cancellation of the warning signal 135.

[0051] FIG. 4 depicts a third example of sensor data 225, together with reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system 100. The brake 210 may be of a form as described in FIG. 2.

[0052] As in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the present figure shows a plot of sensor data 225 as measured by the pressure sensor 220 in the pressure chamber, as a function of time (in arbitrary units). After receiving the brake signal 70, the pressure in the pressure chamber starts to decrease. Shortly after the decrease has set in, an information display light 133 signals the initiation of the parking brake process to the driver. The processing module 120 is configured to check at the predefined measuring points t1, t2, t3 if the pressure according to the sensor data 225 is below a threshold 125. In the present figure, this test is barely satisfied at the first measuring point t1, and fails at the second measuring point t2. In consequence, the processing module 120 issues a warning signal 130, e.g. in form of a dashboard message 135 together with an acoustic signal, to the driver. At the third measuring point t3, the pressure according to the sensor data 225 is still higher than the threshold 125, and in particular remains above the pressure value p3 which signals a safe success of the braking process. This may prompt a perpetuation of the dashboard message 135 and/or an additional warning signal to the driver. If the pressure continues to violate the threshold 125, a park timeout diagnostic trouble code (DTC) may be initiated, which may e.g. entail a declaration of failure of the brake 210 and/or an initiation of further attempts to activate the brake 210 or to ensure that the vehicle 50 remains in standstill.

[0053] FIG. 5 depicts two further examples of sensor data 225, 227, together with corresponding reactions of an embodiment of the brake control system 100. The brake 210 may be of a form as described in FIG. 2.

[0054] The present figure shows a plot of two cases of sensor data 225, 227 as measured by the pressure sensor 220 in the pressure chamber over time. In both a first sensor data set 225 and a second sensor data set 227, the pressure in the pressure chamber starts to decrease after the brake unit 200 has received the brake signal 70. In this embodiment, the processing module 120 is configured to fit a curve 127 to the sensor data (here only depicted for the second sensor data set 227), and to extrapolate the curve 127 to estimate a pressure value ahead of time. For this, the processing module is configured to sample the pressure data at a high rate, as e.g. 20 times within one unit of time as indicated in the figure, corresponding to a sampling rate on the order of a fraction of a second. If the extrapolation curve 127 at a particular future time (here t1, which may be e.g. 1 second after the brake receives the brake signal) yields a pressure estimate which lies above a threshold corresponding to that time t1, an acoustic warning signal 138 is issued. As in other embodiments, in such a case the processing module 120 may be configured to trigger further attempts at applying the brake. For example, the processing module 120 may be configured to first attempt a second and (if required) a third application of the brake 210. These attempts may be characterized, in comparison to a standard brake application following the brake signal 70, by an extended application of one or more outlet valves of the pressure chamber, with the aim of increasing a probability of completing the braking process successfully. If the third attempt fails to reduce the pressure sufficiently, the processing module 120 may be configured to initiate a diagnostic trouble code. This may involve a corresponding indication to the driver, and/or a continuous activation of the outlet valves for as long as the brake 210 receives power from a power supply.

[0055] The processing module may be configured to update, based on stored sensor data from past braking processes, parameters of the curve 127. This update may in particular take into account braking processes which terminated successfully. The update may further be based on further sensor data, e.g. pertaining to a temperature at the time of the braking process.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows steps of a method for issuing an early warning about a malfunction of a brake 210 of a vehicle 50. The brake 210 is configured to perform a braking process. The braking process may be triggered by a brake signal 70. The vehicle 50 comprises a sensor 220 configured to generate sensor data 225 indicative of an actuation force of the brake 210 on a wheel 55 of the vehicle 50.

[0057] A first step of the method comprises a monitoring S110 of the sensor data 225 during subsequent stages of the braking process. This may include a discrete sampling of the sensor data 225 at one or more points in time t1, t2, t3, but advantageously also at a high rate, after the braking process has been triggered or initiated. The monitoring of the sensor data in particular covers an early stage of the braking process.

[0058] A further step of the method comprises detecting S120, based on the monitored sensor data 225, a potential malfunction of the brake 210. The detection may involve a comparison of sample values of extrapolated values, or of a slope of the sensor data 225 with corresponding thresholds 225. It may also involve an estimation of future sensor data 225, e.g. by data fitting and/or by a regression method.

[0059] A further step comprises issuing S130 a warning signal 130, 133, 135, 138 if a potential malfunction is detected. The warning signal 130, 133, 135, 138 may e.g. be adapted to warn a driver of the vehicle 50, to inform people in a vicinity of the vehicle 50 of the potential brake malfunction, or to trigger an activation of another component of the vehicle 50.

[0060] This method may also be a computer-implemented method. A person of skill in the art will readily recognize that steps of the above-described method may be performed by programmed computers. Embodiments are also intended to cover program storage devices, e.g., digital data storage media, which are machine or computer readable and encode machine-executable or computer-executable programs of instructions, wherein the instructions perform some or all of the acts of the above-described method, when executed on the computer or processor.

[0061] The description and drawings merely illustrate the principles of the disclosure. It will thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and are included within its scope.

[0062] Furthermore, while each embodiment may stand on its own as a separate example, it is to be noted that in other embodiments the defined features can be combined differently, i.e. a particular feature described in one embodiment may also be realized in other embodiments. Such combinations are covered by the disclosure herein, unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

THE LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS IS AS FOLLOWS

[0063] 50 vehicle

[0064] 55 wheel

[0065] 70 brake signal

[0066] 100 brake control system

[0067] 110 reception module

[0068] 120 processing module

[0069] 125 threshold area

[0070] 127 fitting curve

[0071] 130 warning signal

[0072] 133 information display/parking brake light

[0073] 135 dashboard message

[0074] 137 park timeout Diagnostic Trouble Code

[0075] 138 acoustic warning

[0076] 200 brake unit

[0077] 210 brake

[0078] 220 sensor

[0079] 225 sensor data

[0080] 227 sensor data of unsuccessful braking process

[0081] p1, p2, p3 pressure values

[0082] S110, S120, S130 steps of a method

[0083] t1, t2, t3 points in time