Inflation system of unmanned vehicle and inflation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of vehicle braking, in particular to an inflating system of an unmanned vehicle and an inflating method of the inflating system. The inflation method comprises the steps that when the received air pressure in an air storage bottle is lower than an air pressure safety threshold value, the initial state of a vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is made to be in a braking stop state; issuing an inflating instruction, conveying gas into the gas storage bottle, and increasing the gas pressure in the gas storage bottle; and when the received air pressure in the air storage bottle is not lower than the air pressure safety threshold value, an inflation pause instruction is issued, and the vehicle is restored to the initial state. According to the inflating method, safe and autonomous parking inflating can be achieved, air quantity supplementation is rapidly conducted, the braking safety risk is reduced, and the operation efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of vehicle braking technology, and in particular to an air pumping system and an air pumping method for an unmanned vehicle. Background Art

[0002] If the vehicle is braked multiple times while no one is driving, the gas cylinder will be insufficient, affecting the vehicle's driving and parking brakes.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an inflation system and inflation method for an unmanned vehicle, which can achieve safe and autonomous parking and inflation, quickly replenish the air volume, reduce braking safety risks, and improve operating efficiency.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for inflating an unmanned vehicle is provided, comprising:

[0006] When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded and the vehicle is put into a braking stop state;

[0007] Issue a pumping command to deliver gas to the gas cylinder to increase the gas pressure inside the gas cylinder;

[0008] Until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a command to stop inflating is issued and the vehicle is restored to its initial state.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the received gas pressure in the gas cylinder is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a braking parking state, including:

[0010] When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a brake parking state by one of service brake parking and parking brake parking.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, issuing a pumping instruction to deliver gas into a gas storage bottle to increase the gas pressure in the gas storage bottle includes:

[0012] A pumping command is issued, and the compressor of the vehicle is operated to compress the air and transmit the compressed gas to the gas cylinder to increase the gas pressure in the gas cylinder.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the received gas pressure in the gas cylinder is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is in a brake parking state by one of service brake parking and parking brake parking, including:

[0014] Receive the internal air pressure of the gas cylinder, and determine the difference between the internal air pressure and the air pressure safety threshold. If the internal air pressure is not lower than the air pressure safety threshold, wait for the next time to receive the internal air pressure of the gas cylinder.

[0015] If the air pressure in the bottle is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a brake parking state by one of service brake parking and parking brake parking.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a command to suspend inflation is issued and the vehicle is restored to an initial state, including:

[0017] Receive the gas pressure in the gas cylinder and determine the difference between the gas pressure in the cylinder and the gas pressure safety threshold. If the gas pressure in the cylinder is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, stop issuing the inflation command and restore the vehicle to its initial state.

[0018] If the air pressure in the cylinder is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, the vehicle is kept in a brake stop state and the inflation command state is kept on being issued, and gas is continuously supplied to the gas cylinder to increase the air pressure in the cylinder until the air pressure in the cylinder is no lower than the air pressure safety threshold.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inflating method further includes a fault warning;

[0020] When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a fault warning is issued, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a braking stop state;

[0021] Receive the gas pressure inside the gas cylinder and determine the difference between the gas pressure inside the cylinder and the gas pressure safety threshold. If the gas pressure inside the cylinder is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, stop issuing the inflation command, stop the fault warning, and restore the vehicle to its initial state.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is not lower than the high pressure safety threshold, a command to suspend inflation is issued and the vehicle is restored to its initial state.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a pumping instruction is issued, and the compressor of the vehicle is operated, including:

[0024] A pumping command is issued. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the motor of the vehicle is started, and the motor drives the compressor of the vehicle to operate. If the vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, the engine of the vehicle is started, and the engine drives the compressor of the vehicle to operate.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air pumping system for an unmanned vehicle, comprising:

[0026] A detection module, the detection module is arranged on the gas cylinder of the vehicle, and the detection module is configured to detect the internal gas pressure of the gas cylinder;

[0027] A data processing and control module, the data processing and control module is electrically connected to the detection module, the data processing and control module is configured to receive the gas pressure in the bottle detected by the detection module, and is configured to execute the above-mentioned method for inflating the unmanned vehicle;

[0028] The data processing and control module is electrically connected to a control system, a service brake system, a parking brake system and a pneumatic brake system in the vehicle.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection module is an air pressure sensor;

[0030] If the vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, the control system is an engine; if the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the control system is a motor.

[0031] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing in detail its exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and for those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0033] Figure 1 The figure is a flow chart of a method for inflating an unmanned vehicle in one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 2 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of an air pumping system for an unmanned vehicle in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 3 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of an air pumping system for an unmanned vehicle in another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in a variety of forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be comprehensive and complete and fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar structures, and thus their detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of the illustration to another component, these terms are used in this specification only for convenience, such as according to the orientation of the examples described in the drawings. It is understood that if the device of the illustration is turned upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component "lower". When a structure is "on" other structures, it may mean that the structure is formed integrally on the other structure, or that the structure is "directly" disposed on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" disposed on the other structure through another structure.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an unmanned vehicle includes a wire control system controller (VCU), a control system, a service brake system (foot brake), a parking brake system (hand brake), and a pneumatic brake system, and the pneumatic brake system includes a gas cylinder and a compressor. Among them, the wire control system controller (VCU) is configured to control the operation of the entire vehicle; the control system is the power source of the vehicle and is configured to drive the vehicle to operate; the gas cylinder is used to store brake gas; the service brake system (foot brake) is configured to achieve service brake parking; the parking brake system (hand brake) is configured to achieve parking brake parking; and the pneumatic brake system is configured to achieve pneumatic brake parking.

[0039] In this example, if the unmanned vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, the control system is the engine; if the unmanned vehicle is an electric vehicle, the control system is the motor.

[0040] Wide-body vehicles are important equipment for mining resources. The life and failure rate of wide-body vehicles have a profound impact on production and operation efficiency. The braking system is an important system in vehicle driving and an important component of driving safety. Its status and operating conditions always affect the safety of the driver and the integrity of equipment and property. Braking performance is different in passenger cars and mining trucks. Passenger cars rely on brake oil to control vehicle deceleration until the vehicle stops. The mainstream of mining trucks are hydraulic brakes, pneumatic brakes, mechanical brakes, etc.

[0041] Pneumatic braking is the braking method of choice for most types of wide-body vehicles because of its advantages of high power transmission efficiency, fast heat dissipation, long service life, almost no noise during braking, and low maintenance cost.

[0042] Pneumatic braking, as the name implies, mainly relies on air for braking, so the amount of air in the air chamber and the air pressure in the air chamber will affect the braking effect. The air volume in the air chamber is within a reasonable range. The larger the air volume, the better the braking effect. The larger the air volume, the more sufficient the air pressure. The more sufficient the air pressure, the greater the braking force and the better the braking effect. If the air volume in the air chamber is insufficient, the air pressure will be unstable, affecting the braking effect, and even causing brake failure, causing vehicle damage or personal safety accidents.

[0043] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides an air pumping system for an unmanned vehicle, including a detection module and a data processing and control module. The data processing and control module is electrically connected to a control system, a service brake system, a parking brake system and a pneumatic brake system in the vehicle. In this example, the detection module is configured to detect the air pressure in the gas cylinder in the pneumatic brake system. The data processing and control module is configured to receive the air pressure in the bottle collected by the detection module, and confirm whether it is necessary to pump air into the gas cylinder based on the air pressure in the bottle. If the data processing and control module determines that it is necessary to pump air, the data processing and control module controls the vehicle to be in a braking parking state, and controls the compressor in the pneumatic brake system of the vehicle to pump air until the air pressure in the gas cylinder reaches a specified range. If the data processing and control module determines that it is not necessary to pump air, the vehicle is controlled to maintain an initial state and wait for the next data collection, wherein the initial state includes a braking parking state and a running state.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the detection module may be an air pressure sensor. In the present disclosure, an air pressure sensor is used to detect the pressure inside the gas storage bottle.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, see Figure 2 The data processing and control module can be independently arranged and electrically connected to the vehicle's wire control system. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, see Figure 3 The data processing and control module can be integrated into the vehicle's wire control system.

[0046] Based on the above-mentioned unmanned vehicle inflation system, the present disclosure also provides an unmanned vehicle inflation method, see Figure 1 , including the following steps:

[0047] S100, when the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a braking stop state;

[0048] S200, issuing a pumping command to deliver gas into the gas cylinder to increase the internal gas pressure of the gas cylinder;

[0049] S300: until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a command to stop inflating is issued and the vehicle is restored to an initial state.

[0050] In the present disclosure, the above-mentioned inflation method is adopted, and the data processing and control module cooperates with the wire control system to achieve safe and autonomous parking and inflation, quickly replenish the air volume, avoid braking safety risks, and improve operating efficiency.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, before step S100, the air pressure safety threshold of the gas cylinder can be stored in advance in the data processing and control module, so that the data processing and control module can determine whether inflation is needed in subsequent steps. The air pressure safety threshold serves as a lower limit standard for the air pressure in the bottle. As long as the air pressure in the bottle is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, it means that inflation is needed. If the air pressure in the bottle is not lower than the air pressure safety threshold, it means that inflation is not needed.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S100, when the received gas pressure in the gas cylinder is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a braking parking state, including:

[0053] The data processing and control module receives the air pressure in the bottle collected by the detection module, and determines whether it is necessary to inflate the bottle based on the air pressure in the bottle and the air pressure safety threshold;

[0054] If the air pressure in the bottle is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, it means that it needs to be inflated, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the data processing and control module cooperates with the wire control system to put the vehicle in a braked parking state (if the initial state of the vehicle is a braked parking state, the current state remains unchanged; if the initial state of the vehicle is a running state, the vehicle is controlled to stop at the nearest parking point using either the service brake or the parking brake, so that the vehicle is in a braked parking state); in this example, when it is confirmed that inflation is needed, the wire control system controls the vehicle to stop at the maximum braking deceleration, and switches the vehicle to N gear with the handbrake pulled up. When inflating, the control system executes the throttle requirement or speed requirement that has been calibrated and recorded in advance, and controls the compressor to compress air.

[0055] If the air pressure in the bottle is not lower than the air pressure safety threshold, it means that inflation is not needed, and the vehicle must maintain its current state (if the vehicle's initial state is a braked parking state, the vehicle is controlled to continue to be in a parking brake state; if the vehicle's initial state is a running state, the vehicle is controlled to continue to be in a running state) and wait for the air pressure in the bottle collected by the detection module at the next time node.

[0056] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S200, an inflation command is issued to deliver gas to the gas cylinder to increase the gas pressure in the gas cylinder, including: the data processing and control module sends an inflation command, and the wire control system controls the operation of the control system after receiving the inflation command, and drives the compressor in the vehicle to compress the air and deliver compressed gas to the gas cylinder (if the vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, the control system is the engine, if the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the control system is the motor), thereby increasing the gas content in the gas cylinder and increasing the gas pressure in the gas cylinder.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S300, until the gas pressure in the gas storage bottle is received and is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a command to suspend inflation is issued and the vehicle is restored to an initial state, including:

[0058] During the inflation process, the receiving detection module collects the air pressure in the bottle at each node, and judges the size of the air pressure in the bottle and the air pressure safety threshold. If the air pressure in the bottle is not lower than the air pressure safety threshold, the inflation command is stopped and the vehicle is restored to its initial state; if the air pressure in the bottle is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, the vehicle is kept in a brake parking state and the inflation command state is kept, and gas is continuously transported into the gas storage bottle to increase the air pressure in the gas storage bottle until the air pressure in the bottle is no lower than the air pressure safety threshold.

[0059] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, before step S300, it is also necessary to store the high pressure safety threshold of the gas cylinder in advance in the data processing and control module, so that the data processing and control module can confirm whether it is necessary to continue to inflate in subsequent steps. In this way, by adopting the method in the present disclosure, the air pressure in the gas cylinder can be controlled within a certain range to ensure safe driving. Among them, the high pressure safety threshold can be slightly lower than the maximum air pressure in the cylinder when the gas cylinder is full of gas, so that it can be ensured that the other air pressure in the cylinder is not greater than the maximum air pressure in the cylinder when the gas cylinder is full of gas. In this example, in step S300, during the inflation process, the air pressure in the cylinder collected by the detection module at each node is received, and the size of the air pressure in the cylinder and the high pressure safety threshold is determined. If the air pressure in the cylinder is not lower than the high pressure safety threshold, the inflation command is stopped and the vehicle is restored to its initial state;

[0060] If the air pressure in the bottle is lower than the high pressure safety threshold, the vehicle is kept in a braked parking state and the inflation command is kept on being issued, and gas is continuously supplied to the gas cylinder to increase the air pressure in the cylinder until the air pressure in the cylinder is no lower than the high pressure safety threshold.

[0061] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the inflation method further includes triggering a fault warning. When parking brake is required and inflation is performed, a fault warning is triggered, so that the vehicle will not be started during the inflation process, thereby ensuring the stability and safety of the inflation process. Specifically, when the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a fault warning is issued, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a brake parking state;

[0062] Receive the gas pressure in the gas cylinder, determine the size of the gas pressure in the cylinder and the high pressure safety threshold. If the gas pressure in the cylinder is not lower than the high pressure safety threshold, stop issuing the inflation command, stop the fault warning, and restore the vehicle to its initial state.

[0063] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, when the data processing and control module is integrated with the wire control system, the wire control system executes the above-mentioned inflation method.

[0064] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practice. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the present disclosure, which follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for inflating an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that: include: When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded and the vehicle is put into a braking stop state; Issue a pumping command to deliver gas to the gas cylinder to increase the gas pressure inside the gas cylinder; Until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a command to stop inflating is issued and the vehicle is restored to its initial state.

2. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded and the vehicle is put into a braking stop state, including: When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a brake parking state by one of service brake parking and parking brake parking.

3. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Issue a pumping command to deliver gas to the gas cylinder to increase the gas pressure inside the gas cylinder, including: A pumping command is issued, and the compressor of the vehicle is operated to compress the air and transmit the compressed gas to the gas cylinder to increase the gas pressure in the gas cylinder.

4. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is in a braking stop state through one of the service brake stop and the parking brake stop, including: Receive the internal air pressure of the gas cylinder, and determine the difference between the internal air pressure and the air pressure safety threshold. If the internal air pressure is not lower than the air pressure safety threshold, wait for the next time to receive the internal air pressure of the gas cylinder. If the air pressure in the bottle is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a brake parking state by one of service brake parking and parking brake parking.

5. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a command to stop filling is issued and the vehicle is restored to its initial state, including: Receive the gas pressure in the gas cylinder and determine the difference between the gas pressure in the cylinder and the gas pressure safety threshold. If the gas pressure in the cylinder is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, stop issuing the inflation command and restore the vehicle to its initial state. If the air pressure in the cylinder is lower than the air pressure safety threshold, the vehicle is kept in a brake stop state and the inflation command state is kept on being issued, and gas is continuously supplied to the gas cylinder to increase the air pressure in the cylinder until the air pressure in the cylinder is no lower than the air pressure safety threshold.

6. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that: The inflating method further includes a fault warning; When the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, a fault warning is issued, the initial state of the vehicle is recorded, and the vehicle is put into a braking stop state; Receive the gas pressure inside the gas cylinder and determine the difference between the gas pressure inside the cylinder and the gas pressure safety threshold. If the gas pressure inside the cylinder is not lower than the gas pressure safety threshold, stop issuing the inflation command, stop the fault warning, and restore the vehicle to its initial state.

7. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: Until the gas pressure in the gas cylinder received is not lower than the high pressure safety threshold, a command to stop inflating is issued and the vehicle is restored to its initial state.

8. The method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pumping command is issued, and the compressor of the vehicle is operated, including: A pumping command is issued. If the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the motor of the vehicle is started, and the motor drives the compressor of the vehicle to operate. If the vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, the engine of the vehicle is started, and the engine drives the compressor of the vehicle to operate.

9. An air pumping system for an unmanned vehicle, characterized in that: include: A detection module, the detection module is arranged on the gas cylinder of the vehicle, and the detection module is configured to detect the internal gas pressure in the gas cylinder; A data processing and control module, the data processing and control module is electrically connected to the detection module, the data processing and control module is configured to receive the air pressure in the bottle detected by the detection module, and is configured to execute the method for inflating an unmanned vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8; The data processing and control module is electrically connected to a control system, a service brake system, a parking brake system and a pneumatic brake system in the vehicle.

10. The unmanned vehicle inflation system according to claim 9, characterized in that: The detection module is an air pressure sensor; If the vehicle is a gasoline vehicle, the control system is an engine; if the vehicle is an electric vehicle, the control system is a motor.

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