METHOD FOR OPERATING A BRAKE SYSTEM, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT, CONTROL CIRCUIT AND CONTROL UNIT

Abstract

A method for operating a brake system of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The brake system comprises a drive arrangement for applying and/or boosting a brake force, wherein the drive arrangement has an electric drive. The method comprises the step: short-circuiting the electric drive as soon as the electric drive has been disconnected from a supply source and/or a voltage drop and/or current drop has taken place. A computer program, control circuit and a control unit or system having multiple control units is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for operating a brake system of a motor vehicle, wherein the brake system comprises a drive arrangement for applying and/or boosting a brake force, wherein the drive arrangement has an electric drive, wherein the method comprises the step: short-circuiting the electric drive as soon as the electric drive has been disconnected from a supply source and/or a voltage drop and/or current drop has taken place.

2. The method according to claim 1, the electric drive is short-circuited as soon as the electric drive has been disconnected from a supply voltage and/or from a supply current.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein two or three phases and/or two or three electrical connections of the electric drive may be short-circuited.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the short-circuiting takes place in the voltage-free and/or current-free state of the electric drive.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electric drive is decelerated, by the short-circuiting.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drive arrangement is designed to be self-releasing and/or the electric drive is an electric motor.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the drive arrangement is an electromechanical brake system, an electromechanical brake booster or an integrated brake system or is a part thereof.

8. A computer program, comprising a program code to carry out a method according to claim 1, when the computer program is executed on a processor.

9. A control circuit (1), which is developed and intended for use in a motor vehicle, comprising: a first line, which is connected to a first phase and/or to a first electrical connection of an electric drive of a drive arrangement of a brake system of a motor vehicle, wherein the drive arrangement is designed to apply and/or boost a brake force; a second line, which is connected to a second phase and/or to a second electrical connection of the electric drive of the drive arrangement; and a controllable switch, which is designed to disconnect the first line and the second line in an open state and to connect them to one another in a closed state.

10. The control circuit according to claim 9, comprising a third line, which is connected to a third phase and/or to a third electrical connection of the electric drive of the drive arrangement, wherein the controllable switch is designed to disconnect the first line, the second line and the third line in an open state and to connect them to one another in a closed state.

11. The control circuit according to claim 9, comprising a switch control module, which is developed and intended to control the switching states of the controllable switch, wherein the switch is opened in a first control state and the switch is closed in a second control state, wherein the switch control module is furthermore developed and intended to switch from the first control state to the second control state as soon as the electric drive has been disconnected from a supply source and/or a voltage drop and/or current drop has taken place.

12. A control unit or system comprising multiple control units for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one processor and a computer program product according to claim 8.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein two or three phases and/or two or three electrical connections of the electric drive may be short-circuited.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein two or three phases and/or two or three electrical connections of the electric drive may be short-circuited.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the short-circuiting takes place in the voltage-free and/or current-free state of the electric drive.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the electric drive is decelerated, by the short-circuiting.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the drive arrangement is designed to be self-releasing and/or the electric drive is an electric motor.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the drive arrangement is an electromechanical brake system, an electromechanical brake booster or an integrated brake system or is a part thereof.

19. The control circuit according to claim 10, comprising a switch control module, which is developed and intended to control the switching states of the controllable switch, wherein the switch is opened in a first control state and the switch is closed in a second control state, wherein the switch control module is furthermore developed and intended to switch from the first control state to the second control state as soon as the electric drive has been disconnected from a supply source and/or a voltage drop and/or current drop has taken place.

20. The control unit or system comprising multiple control units for a motor vehicle of claim 12, further comprising a control circuit that comprises: a first line, which is connected to a first phase and/or to a first electrical connection of an electric drive of a drive arrangement of a brake system of a motor vehicle, wherein the drive arrangement is designed to apply and/or boost a brake force; a second line, which is connected to a second phase and/or to a second electrical connection of the electric drive of the drive arrangement; and a controllable switch, which is designed to disconnect the first line and the second line in an open state and to connect them to one another in a closed state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Exemplary arrangements of the disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to figures in which, in a schematic representation and by way of example:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of a method for operating a brake system of a motor vehicle;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a control circuit;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a control unit with a control circuit according to FIG. 2; and

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a graph relating to the pressure drop in the event of a sudden voltage drop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic representation, a flow chart of a method for operating a brake system of a motor vehicle.

[0036] The brake system has a drive arrangement for applying and/or boosting a brake force. The drive arrangement has an electric drive, such as an electric motor, and a gear. The electric drive may be designed to apply and/or boost the brake force.

[0037] In a step S1, it is detected that the electric drive has been disconnected from a supply source and/or a sudden voltage drop has taken place. The supply source may be the supply voltage and/or the supply current of the electric drive.

[0038] In a step S2, the electric drive is short-circuited as soon as the electric drive has been disconnected from the supply source and/or the voltage drop has taken place or this has been detected. In this case, the two or three phases and/or the two or three electrical connections of the electric drive are short-circuited. This takes place for example in the voltage-free and/or current-free state of the electric drive.

[0039] Damage or destruction as a result of a sudden movement in the reverse direction and backwards impact can thus be prevented.

[0040] FIG. 2 shows, in a schematic representation, a control unit 1, which is developed and intended for use in a motor vehicle. The control circuit 1 may be developed and/or intended to execute the method described above and/or below.

[0041] The control circuit 1 has a first line 2, a second line 3 and a third line 4. An electric drive 5 of a drive arrangement of a brake system of a motor vehicle has a first electrical connection 6 associated with a first phase, a second electrical connection 7 associated with a second phase and a third electrical connection 8 associated with a third phase. The drive arrangement and/or the electric drive 5 thereof is designed to apply and/or boost a brake force.

[0042] The first line 2 is connected to the first phase and to the first electrical connection 6 of the electric drive 5 of the drive arrangement. The second line 3 is connected to the second phase and to the second electrical connection 7 of the elec-tric drive 5 of the drive arrangement. The third line 4 is connected to the third phase and to the third electrical connection 8 of the electric drive 5 of the drive arrangement.

[0043] The control circuit 1 furthermore has a controllable switch 9. The controllable switch 9 is designed to disconnect the first line 2, the second line 3 and the third line 4 in an open state and to electrically connect them to one another in a closed state.

[0044] The control circuit 1 furthermore has a switch control module 10. The switch control module 10 is developed and intended to control the switching states of the controllable switch 9, wherein the switch 9 is opened in a first control state and the switch 9 is closed in a second control state. The switch control module 10 is furthermore developed and intended to switch from the first control state to the second control state as soon as the electric drive 5 has been disconnected from a supply source and/or a sudden voltage drop has taken place and/or this has been detected.

[0045] Moreover, please refer additionally to FIG. 1 in particular and the associated description.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows, in a schematic representation, a control unit 11, which is developed and intended for use in a motor vehicle. The control unit 11 has a processor 12 and a computer program. The computer program comprises a program code in order to carry out the method described above and/or below when the computer program is executed on the processor 12. The control unit 11 furthermore has the control circuit 1.

[0047] Moreover, please refer additionally to FIGS. 1 and 2 in particular and the associated description.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows, in a schematic representation, a graph relating to the pressure drop of an integrated brake system (IBC system) in the event of a sudden voltage drop.

[0049] This shows a first curve 13 of the pressure drop, in which all phases of the electric drive 5 are open, i.e. are not short-circuited, a second curve 14 of the pressure drop, in which two phases of the electric drive 5 have been short-circuited, and a third curve 15 of the pressure drop, in which three phases of the electric drive 5 have been short-circuited.

[0050] Whilst, in the open phases, the pressure drop takes place very quickly and the electric drive 5 moves sharply against the rear stop, in the event of a short-circuit of only two phases of the electric drive 5 upon a sudden shut-down or disconnection from the supply source and/or a voltage drop, effective deceleration of the electric drive 5 takes place well before the end stop is reached.

[0051] Moreover, please refer additionally to FIGS. 1 to 3 in particular and the associated description.

[0052] The word “may” refers in particular to optional features of the invention. Consequently, there are also developments and/or exemplary arrangements of the disclosure which additionally or alternatively have the respective feature or the respective features.

[0053] Isolated features may also be extracted as required from the feature combinations disclosed in the present case and, by eliminating a structural and/or functional connection which is possibly present between the features, may be used in combination with other features to define the subject matter of a claim. The sequence and/or number of all steps of the method may be varied.