Electromechanically actuatable wheel brake with a central electronic control device

Abstract

The invention relates generally to a wheel brake, preferably electromechanically actuatable, having an electronic control device, and to an electromechanical brake system for a motor vehicle, having such a wheel brake equipped with an electronic control device. Wherein the wheel brake comprises a brake unit which is associated with a wheel of the motor vehicle, the brake unit having at least one electrically operable actuator which is provided with an electric motor and a transmission, the actuator being used to generate a defined braking action on the wheel, the brake unit being controllable by means of an electronic signal. In addition, an electronic control device is provided, said electronic control device being used for adjusting the actuator and being arranged in a central position on or in the motor vehicle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates generally to an electromechanically actuatable wheel brake having an electronic control device and to an electromechanical brake system for a motor vehicle having such a wheel brake. The present application also relates to a method for operating such an electromechanically actuatable wheel brake for a motor vehicle having an electronic control device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In modern motor vehicles, electromechanically actuatable wheel brakes ("EMB") are increasingly being used as service brakes. Such electromechanically actuatable service brakes are usually equipped with an electric brake unit on the wheel, which brake unit has an actuator that works in conjunction with a transmission. In this case, the actual brake is arranged on the output side of the transmission and can comprise, for example, a friction lining that acts on a brake disc. Drum brakes are also possible.

[0003] Compared to conventional hydraulic wheel brakes, such electromechanically actuatable wheel brakes have some advantages. For example, a complex hydraulic system is no longer required, and electromechanical wheel brakes are also significantly more space-saving. In addition, maintenance work is reduced, for example, since there is no need for regular brake fluid changes.

[0004] Brake control units (also referred to as ECUs) are known for controlling these brake units. These brake control units can regulate and control the wheel brakes via the actuator power supply, the respective actuating element and / or electronics and the respective communication channels. These brake control units usually comprise power electronics and / or electronic switching units, in particular microcontrollers, in order to generate the control commands required to regulate the wheel brakes.

[0005] As described by the applicant in document DE 10 2016 221 189 A1, for example with a drum brake, the brake control unit is usually directly assigned to the brake unit or wheel brake module. Thus, each brake control unit can be directly assigned to one brake caliper or brake drum and thus to each individual wheel. This means that each electromechanical wheel requires one such brake control unit.

[0006] This can be disadvantageous, since a corresponding design space must be reserved for the brake control units. In addition, complex wiring is required. Finally, a corresponding number of brake control units and corresponding electronic components, such as microcontrollers, are required, which can make such a solution cost-intensive. More complex still, adjustments often have to be made to the specific vehicle or the corresponding wheel brakes, which greatly increases the variety of variants. Adjustment algorithms or software updates for such a solution can also be complex, for example, when software updates must be made to all brake control units individually.

[0007] Therefore, there are also solutions in which certain brake control units of the wheels are combined and arranged next to one another or centrally on the vehicle body. This makes it possible to save certain electronic components, since such an electronic component can only have to be provided once.

[0008] However, the wiring effort is quite disadvantageous in this case, since, in addition to the lines for controlling the actuators on the wheels, further electrical connections are required to transmit analog signals of sensors on the wheels, such as wheel speed sensors or temperature sensors, to the brake control units for the purpose of adjustment. The wiring effort increases greatly if different sensors are to be connected to the brake control units by means of a plurality of electrical conductors.

[0009] Mounting the brake control units at a location on the wheel next to the vehicle body or in the vehicle body, although it shortens the length of the lines, does not reduce the number of lines, so that the above-mentioned electronic components still have to be provided in each brake control unit.

[0010] In addition, the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is reduced, for example, due to possible electromagnetic interferences in the power output region.

[0011] Therefore, an electromechanically actuatable wheel brake that does not have the above-mentioned disadvantages or at least alleviates these disadvantages is desirable.

[0012] In particular, it is desirable to reduce the number of components, in particular electronic components, required in order to save costs.

[0013] In addition, it is advantageous to reduce the overall wiring effort and to shorten the length of the usually copper-containing cables.

[0014] Finally, it is also desirable to improve the electromagnetic compatibility or at least to avoid further deterioration. SUMMARY

[0015] The inventors have devoted themselves to the solution of this technical problem.

[0016] This technical problem is surprisingly simply solved by a brake system according to the independent claim, which has at least two electromechanically actuatable wheel brakes that are part of a service brake of a motor vehicle, and by a method for operating such a brake system.

[0017] Preferred embodiments and developments of the application can be gathered from the dependent claims.

[0018] According to a first aspect, the subject matter of the application is therefore a brake system, which has, inter alia, at least two electromechanically actuatable wheel brakes that are part of a service brake of a motor vehicle, which are connected to a vehicle frame, wherein

[0019] - each wheel brake is assigned at least one brake unit, which has at least one electrically operable actuator for generating a brake force, and furthermore

[0020] - at least one sensor for acquiring wheel-specific characteristics,

[0021] - and at least one electronic control device with at least one microcontroller for generating a control signal for controlling the brake unit and / or the actuator,

[0022] - wherein the electronic control device is arranged spaced apart from the wheel brakes, in particular spatially separated from the wheel brakes in the vehicle frame,

[0023] - wherein at least one data line for transmitting the control signal is provided between the electronic control device and the brake unit, and

[0024] - in the course of operation, measured values acquired by the at least one sensor are transmitted as sensor signals via the at least one data line to the electronic control device.

[0025] In the present application, a motor vehicle is understood to mean a vehicle with axles, at least one of which can comprise steerable wheels, and the wheel drive of at least one axle can be coordinated in a wheel-specific manner.

[0026] A motor vehicle can be equipped with one electromechanically actuatable wheel brake, also referred to as EMB, on each side of one axle, for example the rear axle or the front axle. However, it is preferred if all wheel brakes of a motor vehicle are designed as electromechanically actuatable wheel brakes in the sense of the present application.

[0027] The base brake system is preferably designed as or used as a service brake. However, it is also possible to use the brake system according to the application together with a parking brake or to integrate the function of a parking brake into the wheel brakes according to the application.

[0028] The brake unit can be designed as an electromechanical disc brake, which can generate a clamping force or an acting force by means of an electric motor, a transmission and / or a rotary / linear transmission or another servo motor. The clamping force refers to the force with which the brake pad is pressed against the brake disc. During operation, this results in a braking torque on the associated wheel, which corresponds to a defined braking action. The control can be selected in accordance with the specific embodiment and the regulation scheme, in order to generate a defined clamping force or a defined braking torque in accordance with the deceleration intention.

[0029] The brake unit can also be designed as an electromechanical drum brake, in which a motor / transmission unit drives an expansion module, which presses the brake pad against the brake drum using an expansion force that is preset in accordance with the deceleration requirement, in order to generate a corresponding braking torque. The control can be designed in accordance with the specific embodiment and the regulation scheme, in order to generate a defined expansion force or a defined braking torque in accordance with the deceleration intention.

[0030] According to further embodiments of the application, the brake unit can also be used or adapted for a full-disc brake or a diaphragm brake.

[0031] The brake system according to the application can also comprise a brake operating unit, for example an electronic brake pedal. Such an electronic brake pedal, also referred to as ePedal, generally has a brake operating unit that is operated by the driver, from which an operating signal can be acquired. The brake unit of the associated wheel can then be controlled in accordance with the operating signal.

[0032] The wheel brake can be directly assigned to the associated wheel of the motor vehicle. It is advantageous if the wheels on at least one axle comprise a wheel brake according to the application. In a preferred embodiment of the application, the motor vehicle can also comprise four wheel brakes that can be actuated in an electromechanical manner, i.e. one wheel brake according to the application for each wheel.

[0033] It can be advantageous if the mechanical components assigned to the brake unit or actuator, in particular the converter, the servo motor or the actuating element and / or the transmission, are retained and arranged on the brake unit in the vicinity of the wheel, i.e. in the wheel circumference. By means of these components, a releasable frictional engagement can be achieved in a known manner by means of a suitable transmission directly or indirectly on at least one associated motor vehicle friction pad.

[0034] In this way, these components can be designed at least to some extent in a standardized manner for a plurality of vehicles or vehicle types, i.e. with the same design, while the individualization of the vehicle can be provided by means of the electronic control device. In other words, by means of the application, it is no longer necessary to equip each wheel brake of a vehicle with vehicle-specific software or vehicle-specific mechanical components, such as vehicle-specific actuators, since the individualization of the vehicle can be provided by means of a central electronic control device.

[0035] In the present application, the electronic components and switching units required for controlling and regulating the wheel brakes that can be actuated in an electromechanical manner can be implemented in one or more microcontrollers. Thus, this or these microcontrollers can be an integral part of the electronic control device.

[0036] For the sake of simplicity, the term "microcontroller" will be used in the following, generally referring to a microprocessor and its peripheral functions. In the present application, a simple microprocessor, i.e. without further peripheral functions, is sufficient to meet the requirements.

[0037] The electronic control device can be used to regulate the brake units and / or actuators, preferably all brake units and / or actuators of the wheels of one axle of the motor vehicle, or all brake units and / or actuators of all wheels of the motor vehicle. To this end, the electronic control device can be designed to generate corresponding regulation signals for controlling the brake units and / or actuators.

[0038] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present application, the electronic control device can also be designed to process the measured values of the sensors assigned to the wheel brakes.

[0039] The brake units and / or actuators can be controlled by means of regulation signals, preferably electrical or electronic signals, of the electronic control device. Thus, the electronic control device, in particular the at least one microcontroller, can generate regulation signals for electrically controlling the brake units and / or actuators.

[0040] It is noted at this point that the terms "control" and "regulate" are not distinguished in the present application. The meaning of the respective term depends on the specific context.

[0041] According to the idea of the present application, the microprocessors or microcontrollers of the individual brake control units and their functions, which are generally required for control, are to be pooled and arranged in a central location on or in the motor vehicle. Thus, the wheel brake regulating functions are arranged and pooled centrally, enabling a central acquisition and processing of signals.

[0042] In other words, the local "intelligence" of the individual brake control units, in particular the microcontrollers of the brake control units and their functions, can be transferred from the individual wheel brakes to a centrally arranged microcontroller. This makes it possible to reduce the number of microcontrollers required. Ideally, most of the functions, if not all, of the individual microcontrollers of the local brake control units are integrated in the at least one central microcontroller.

[0043] The electronic control device can thus be spaced apart from the wheel brakes, in particular spatially and / or structurally separated from the wheel brakes. Advantageously, it can be arranged on or in the vehicle frame.

[0044] The advantages of the application are embodied in particular in the aspect of the brake control unit arranged close to the wheel (so-called "wheel control unit" (WCU)), since the local electronic circuit can be significantly reduced or simplified, or even completely omitted, so that expensive electronic components, in particular electronic circuits such as microcontrollers, can be saved. This results in various cost-saving potentials.

[0045] This spatially concentrated arrangement also has the further advantage that the electronic control device can be arranged where there is sufficient design space and / or where it is easy to establish a connection, for example to the vehicle electrical system or to the motor vehicle power supply. This advantageously saves at least the design space around the wheel.

[0046] According to a preferred embodiment of the application, the electronic control device can be implemented partially or completely in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), so that a so-called "System-on-a-Chip" (SOC) is implemented.

[0047] According to a further preferred embodiment of the application, the electronic control device can also be implemented partially or completely in a so-called high-performance computer (HPC) of the motor vehicle, i.e. in a high-performance central vehicle computer.

[0048] Combinations are also possible and are considered.

[0049] In this way, it is also possible to provide a redundant backup at low cost, i.e. to design the central microcontroller as a primary controller and the further microcontrollers as backup controllers, while the functionality of the backup controllers can be further reduced for cost reasons.

[0050] For example, the backup controllers can be relieved of certain functions, such as ABS functions, ESP functions and / or ASR functions. In this way, the backup controllers can at least provide a minimum braking function in the backup mode, for example when the primary controller fails. A diagonal distribution of the wheel brake functions of the wheels is also possible and is considered. In other words, the primary controller can at least include ABS functions, ESP functions and / or ASR functions, while the backup controllers can not include at least one or more of the ABS, ESP and / or ASR functions, or can not include ABS functions, ESP functions and / or ASR functions. In this way, the manufacturing costs of the backup controllers can be significantly reduced, and at the same time the minimum braking requirements can be met at a certain backup or redundancy level.

[0051] The electronic control device can also be connected to the vehicle electrical system and / or to the vehicle computer.

[0052] For signal and / or data transmission, at least one data line can be advantageously provided between the electronic control unit and the braking unit for transmitting adjustment signals from the electronic control unit to the braking unit.

[0053] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wheel brake may further include at least one, preferably multiple, sensors located near the wheel or on the wheel brake. These sensors may include current sensors, angle sensors, voltage sensors, temperature sensors, braking torque sensors, clamping force or expansion force sensors, and / or wheel speed sensors, but this should not be construed as an exhaustive list. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one sensor (e.g., a wheel speed sensor) may be directly connected to the braking unit to enable direct and immediate data exchange.

[0054] These sensors can measure important parameters of wheel brakes, such as the current wheel speed. This information about the current state of the relevant wheel brakes (also known as sensor signals) can be provided to electronic controls, thus providing a particularly advantageous advantage for adjustment. Force sensors, for example, can measure the clamping force currently acting on the brake disc, which presses the friction bushing against the brake disc. Similarly, expansion force sensors can measure the force component acting on a drum brake in real time.

[0055] At least one data line of the braking system of the present invention can also be advantageously used to transmit, during operation, the measurement values ​​acquired by at least one sensor as sensor signals to the electronic control unit. Therefore, the electronic control unit can be configured to receive and / or evaluate and process the sensor measurement values ​​so as to take into account the state information of the relevant wheel brakes when generating adjustment commands.

[0056] Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the data line disposed between the electronic control device and the braking unit can be designed to not only transmit adjustment commands from the electronic control device to the relevant braking unit, but also to transmit sensor measurements, preferably as digital sensor signals, to the electronic control device via at least one data line.

[0057] For capacity and time reasons, it is preferable to transmit adjustment commands and / or measured values ​​as digital signals. To this end, the electronic control unit and / or braking unit may include at least one corresponding signal converter module, particularly an A / D signal converter module and / or a D / A signal converter module, or a corresponding encoder. This makes it possible, for example, to convert analog signals from sensors into digital signals and transmit them as digital signals to the electronic control unit via data lines. This allows sensors to be directly connected to the braking unit. According to an improvement, the signal converter module can also combine the measured values ​​from multiple sensors into a single signal for bundled transmission.

[0058] At least one data line can be designed redundantly, for example comprising two structurally separate data lines. If one data line is damaged, the second redundant data line can be used instead. The two redundant data lines preferably have the same function.

[0059] The transmission of the regulating signals and sensor signals via at least one data line can take place, for example, in an alternating unidirectional manner.

[0060] According to a preferred embodiment of the application, the data line can be designed for the transmission of electrical signals and for this purpose comprises at least one electrical conductor, preferably a multi-core electrical conductor. The multi-core electrical conductor can be designed as a twisted pair, which is inexpensive and offers various configurations.

[0061] According to another equally preferred embodiment of the application, the data line can be designed for the transmission of optical signals and comprises at least one optical fiber waveguide, preferably more than one optical fiber waveguide for redundancy. In a special embodiment, the brake system according to the application comprises only optical fiber waveguides.

[0062] According to a likewise preferred embodiment of the application, this makes it possible to dispense with the use of copper-containing cables or wires between the electronic control device and the brake unit, or at least to reduce the use thereof. This can be very advantageous as resources are becoming increasingly scarce, in particular as optical fiber waveguides are less expensive and offer faster data transmission.

[0063] According to another embodiment of the application, the electronic control device is equipped with a wireless communication device. This makes it possible to provide "Over-the-air Updates", i.e. software updates via a radio interface. It goes without saying that the electronic control device should have appropriate security functions and be correspondingly protected in this case. The application thus offers the possibility of easily and centrally updating the software or individualizing the vehicle, even for each individual connected wheel brake.

[0064] Of course, it is also possible to provide a wired software update as an alternative or in addition. For this purpose, the electronic control device can be connected to the vehicle's onboard power supply and equipped with the corresponding additional functions.

[0065] According to a further preferred embodiment of the application, the brake system, in particular the brake unit, can comprise at least one memory. This memory can store information relating to the associated wheel brake, for example information about the wheel brake installed or specific operating information, for example the maximum clamping force or the permissible temperature range.

[0066] The electronic control device can request this information at the start, periodically or at other fixed points in time. This information can also be stored in other memories of the electronic control device. This enables the electronic control device to compare the wheel brake information stored in the memory of the electronic control device with the currently requested wheel brake information. In this way, it is possible to identify that a wheel brake has been replaced, or that a wheel brake that does not match has been installed, or that a wheel brake connection error and / or a data line has been swapped during servicing. For this purpose, the information stored in the memory of the wheel brake and / or in the electronic control device can also be encoded or stored encrypted. For this purpose, the memory of the wheel brake and / or the memory of the electronic control device can advantageously comprise a partition in which data can be stored in an unalterable and undeletable manner.

[0067] The invention makes it possible to provide only one further electrical line for supplying the wheel brake with power in addition to the at least one data line between the vehicle frame and the wheel brake of the invention. This greatly reduces the complexity and expense.

[0068] The brake system of the invention can be designed as a service brake. It can also be designed as a parking brake, or as a service brake equipped with a parking brake function.

[0069] Furthermore, the invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising the brake system described above.

[0070] Finally, the invention also relates to a method for operating a brake system for a motor vehicle, wherein the method is suitable for the wheel brake described above.

[0071] The method of the invention can also be supplemented by the electronic control device comparing the wheel brake information stored in the memory with the currently requested wheel brake information in order to check whether a wheel brake has been replaced, or whether a wheel brake that does not match has been installed, or whether a wheel brake connection error and / or a data line has been swapped during servicing. The invention thus also makes an important contribution to improving the safety of the brake system during the entire service life of the motor vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0072] Further details of the invention can be gathered from the description of the illustrated embodiments and the attached claims.

[0073] In the drawings:

[0074] Figure 1 schematic representation of a part of an exemplary wheel brake,

[0075] Figure 2 schematic representation of a possible connection of an exemplary wheel brake. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, identical reference signs designate essentially the same parts in these embodiments. In order to make the present application more clearly understandable, the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings are not always drawn to scale.

[0077] Figure 1 In the form of a top view of a motor vehicle wheel (not shown), a part of an exemplary brake system 100 according to the application is shown schematically. The vehicle is designated only briefly in the drawing with some important parts, and a wheel housing 1 for accommodating the wheel and a part of a vehicle frame 2 are shown. Furthermore, a wheel brake 10 with important parts is shown schematically.

[0078] In the brake system 100 shown, each wheel brake 10 is equipped with at least one brake unit 11, which has at least one electrically operable actuator 13 for generating a braking force.

[0079] The brake system 100 furthermore comprises:

[0080] - a sensor 16 for acquiring wheel-specific characteristics,

[0081] - and an electronic control device 20 with at least one microcontroller 21 for generating a regulating signal for controlling the brake unit 11 and / or the actuator 13,

[0082] - wherein the electronic control device 20 is spaced apart from the wheel brake 10, in particular spatially separated from the wheel brake 10 in the vehicle frame 2,

[0083] - wherein at least one data line 23 for transmitting the regulating signal is provided between the electronic control device 20 and the brake unit 11, and

[0084] - in the course of operation, measured values acquired by the at least one sensor 16 can be transmitted to the electronic control device 20 as digital sensor signals, preferably via the at least one data line 23.

[0085] The motor vehicle comprises at least one axle, preferably two axles, on which the wheels and the respective wheel brakes 10 of the type described above are mounted. The wheel brakes 10 are designed as electromechanical wheel brakes. In Figure 1 In the embodiment shown, the brake unit 11 is embodied as an electromechanical disc brake. However, the brake unit 11 can also be designed as an electromechanical drum brake or as a full-disc brake or as a membrane brake. Other embodiments, such as a wedge brake, are also possible.

[0086] Furthermore, a brake actuation unit, for example an electronic brake pedal, is usually also provided, but this is not depicted in the figures for reasons of clarity.

[0087] The brake unit 11 has at least one actuator 13, which comprises the necessary converters, servo motors or actuating elements and / or gear units, in order to be able to generate a braking action by applying pressure to the motor vehicle friction linings when actuated. In the present embodiment, the wheel brake 10 is equipped for this purpose with two friction linings 14 and a brake disc 15.

[0088] By means of the present application, at least the components brake unit 11, actuator 13, converter, servo motor and / or gear unit can be used completely or substantially uniformly for a plurality of vehicle types or vehicle variants, i.e. at least to a large extent or ideally with the same design. The vehicle individualization functions can be provided by means of the electronic control device 20.

[0089] This leads to a clear cost advantage compared to wheel brakes in which each wheel is equipped with a local brake control unit. Thus, it is no longer necessary to equip each wheel brake of a vehicle with vehicle-specific software and / or vehicle-specific hardware, for example vehicle-specific actuators 13, since many, preferably all, vehicle individualization functions can be provided by means of the central electronic control device 20.

[0090] According to the present application, the electronic components and switching units required for control and regulation, which are usually implemented in one or more microcontrollers, are integrated in the central electronic control device 20. Thus, the electronic control device 20 is set up to regulate the brake units 11 and / or actuators 13, preferably all electromechanical brake units 11 and / or electromechanical actuators 13 of the motor vehicle.

[0091] The brake units 11 and / or actuators 13 are controlled by means of electrical or electronic signals. The electronic control device 20, in particular the at least one microcontroller 21, is used to generate the corresponding regulation commands.

[0092] The electronic control device 20 is also used to process the measured values of the sensors 16 assigned to the wheel brakes 10. Thus, the central set-up of the microcontroller 21 enables a central acquisition and processing of the signals.

[0093] That is to say, the "intelligence" of the locally used brake control units, in particular the microcontrollers of the brake control units and their functions, is transferred from the individual wheel brakes to the centrally set-up microcontroller 21.

[0094] This allows a significant reduction in the number of microcontrollers required. Ideally, most or even all of the functions of the individual microcontrollers of the local brake control units are integrated in the central microcontroller 21. Thus, ideally, the wheel brakes 10 no longer contain a microcontroller, since the electronic control device 20 is arranged in a central location of the vehicle, spatially separated from the wheel brakes. Thus, only one microcontroller 21 can be used to implement the brake system 100.

[0095] Here, the electronic control device 20 is implemented entirely in one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), thus implementing a so-called "System-on-a-Chip" (SOC).

[0096] According to another embodiment of the application, the electronic control device 20 can also be implemented partially or entirely in a "high-performance computer" (HPC) of the motor vehicle.

[0097] According to a preferred refinement of the application, a backup system is provided, in which the microcontroller 21 serves as a main controller and another microcontroller serves as a backup controller 21a, wherein the functional scope of the backup controller 21a is reduced for cost reasons.

[0098] The backup controller 21a can not include, for example, ABS functions, ESP functions and / or ASR functions, but only the minimum functions necessary for braking. In this way, even in the backup mode, braking can still be performed using the minimum functions.

[0099] Figure 1 The wheel brake 10 shown also comprises a sensor 16 near the wheel or arranged on the wheel brake 10, only one sensor 16 being drawn for clarity. This sensor 16 can include a current sensor, an angle sensor, a voltage sensor, a temperature sensor, a clamping or expansion force sensor and / or a wheel rotational speed sensor, but this is not to be understood as an exhaustive list. In the present embodiment, the sensor is a wheel rotational speed sensor.

[0100] The electronic control device 20 is used to receive and / or evaluate and process the measured values and information of the sensors in order to be able to take into account the status information of the relevant wheel brake in real time when generating the adjustment instructions.

[0101] To this end, the wheel brake 10 comprises a data line 23 for transmitting the adjustment instructions from the electronic control device 20 to the relevant brake unit 11 and for transmitting the information of the sensor 16 to the electronic control device 20.

[0102] The brake unit 11 comprises at least one signal converter module 12 for converting the analog measurement values or signals of the sensor 16 into digital sensor signals, so that these signals can be transmitted simply and quickly via the data line 23, 23a. The electronic control device 20 can also comprise a signal converter module 22.

[0103] In the present embodiment, the adjustment signals and the sensor signals are transmitted alternately and unidirectionally via the data line 23, 23a. However, other transmission modes, such as bidirectional data transmission, are also possible.

[0104] In the present embodiment, the data line 23 is designed redundantly, for which reason it comprises a further structurally independent data line 23a. This data line has the same function as the data line 23. Figure 1 Here, the data line 23, 23a is used for transmitting electrical signals, for which reason it can comprise at least one electrical conductor, preferably a multi-core electrical conductor. The data line 23, 23a can comprise, for example, a twisted pair cable.

[0105] According to a further embodiment of the application, the data line 23, 23a is used for transmitting optical signals and comprises at least one optical fiber waveguide for this purpose. It is also possible to provide two separate optical fiber waveguides for redundancy.

[0106] Further data lines 23, 23a are shown in Fig. 2. These data lines can lead to further wheel brakes 10, which are not shown here. Figure 1 In the present embodiment, the electronic control device 20 is equipped with wireless communication means 25. In this way, a "remote update" can be provided.

[0107] In addition, in the embodiment of Fig. 2, a connection to the on-board power supply system of the vehicle is provided, which should be represented by the data line 24.

[0108] Figure 1 In the illustrated brake system 100, the brake unit 11 comprises at least one memory 17. This memory 17 can store information relating to the specific wheel brake 10, such as type information of the installed wheel brake, or specific operating information, such as the maximum clamping force. The electronic control device 20 can interrogate this information, for example at the start or periodically or at other determined points in time. This information can also be stored in a further memory 26 of the electronic control device 20.

[0109] In the illustrated brake system 100, the brake unit 11 comprises at least one memory 17. This memory 17 can store information relating to the specific wheel brake 10, such as type information of the installed wheel brake, or specific operating information, such as the maximum clamping force. The electronic control device 20 can interrogate this information, for example at the start or periodically or at other determined points in time. This information can also be stored in a further memory 26 of the electronic control device 20.

[0110] ​This enables the electronic control device 20, for example, to compare the information stored in the memory 26 of the electronic control device 20 with the information currently inquired from the wheel brake 10. In this way, for example, it is possible to recognize that a wheel brake 10 has been replaced, or that a wheel brake 10 that does not match has been installed, or that a wheel brake 10 has been connected incorrectly and / or the data line 23, 23a has been swapped during servicing. For this purpose, the information stored in the memory 17 of the wheel brake 10 or in the electronic control device 20 is coded or encrypted. For this purpose, the memory 17 of the wheel brake 10 and / or the memory 26 of the electronic control device 20 comprises a partition in which data can be stored in an unalterable and undeletable manner.

[0111] The application makes it possible to lay only one further electrical line 27 for supplying the wheel brake 10 with power between the vehicle frame 2 and the wheel brake 10 in addition to the at least one data line 23, 23a. This greatly reduces the effort and cost of wiring.

[0112] Figure 2 A possible connection of an exemplary wheel brake 10 to a local brake control unit 30 is shown in diagrammatic form for the sake of explanation. The wheel brake 10 here comprises a motor 32, which is designed, for example, as an electric motor, and can be used to build up hydraulic pressure in the brake system. The motor 32 is connected via a B6 bridge 31 to the power supply of the motor vehicle. The local brake control unit 30 here comprises, inter alia, only those units that are necessary for direct control, such as an A / D converter (ADC) or a pulse width modulation module (PWM) and a local power supply.

[0113] The subject matter of the application also comprises a motor vehicle having at least one brake system 100 as described above.

[0114] Finally, the application also relates to a method for operating a brake system 100 for a motor vehicle, wherein the method is suitable for a wheel brake 10 that can be actuated electromechanically as described above.

[0115] The method comprises the following steps in operation:

[0116] - acquiring a driver braking intention of the operating unit,

[0117] - transmitting a braking request based thereon to the electronic control device 20,

[0118] - transmitting information about the operating state of the wheel brake 10, in particular a sensor signal of the wheel sensor 16, preferably in real time, to the electronic control device 20,

[0119] - generating, from the brake request and the sensor signals, an adjustment signal for the wheel brake 10 for the brake torque or brake force to be applied,

[0120] - transmitting the adjustment signal to the local brake unit 11 or local actuator 13 via data line 23, 23a to execute the brake request.

[0121] Legend:

[0122] 1 wheel cover

[0123] 2 frame

[0124] 10 wheel brake

[0125] 11 brake unit

[0126] 12 signal converter module

[0127] 13 actuator

[0128] 14 friction pad

[0129] 15 brake disc

[0130] 16 sensor

[0131] 17 memory

[0132] 20 electronic unit

[0133] 21 microprocessor

[0134] 21a backup controller

[0135] 22 signal converter module

[0136] 23, 23a data line

[0137] 24 data line

[0138] 25 wireless communication device

[0139] 26 memory

[0140] 27 line for power supply

[0141] 28 ground line

[0142] 30 local brake control unit

[0143] 31 B6 bridge

[0144] 32 motor

Claims

1. A braking system (100) comprising at least two electromechanically operable wheel brakes (10) as part of a vehicle's service braking system, said wheel brakes being connected to a vehicle frame (2), wherein - Each wheel brake (10) is provided with at least one braking unit (11), said braking unit having at least one electrically operated actuator (13) for generating braking force, and also having - At least one sensor (16) for acquiring specific features of the wheel. - and at least one electronic control device (20), which has at least one microcontroller (21) and is configured to generate an adjustment signal for controlling the braking unit (11) and / or the actuator (13). - in, The electronic control unit (20) is arranged separately from the wheel brakes (10), in particular, the electronic control unit is spatially separated from the wheel brakes (10) in the frame (2). - Among them, at least one data line (23) for transmitting adjustment signals is provided between the electronic control device (20) and the braking unit (11). - During operation, the measured values ​​acquired by the at least one sensor (16) – preferably as digital sensor signals – are transmitted to the electronic control device (20) via the at least one data line (23).

2. The braking system (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, The braking unit (11) is implemented as an electromechanical disc brake, an electromechanical drum brake and / or an electromechanical diaphragm brake, wherein preferably, all wheels of the motor vehicle include wheel brakes (10) that can be operated electromechanically and are controlled by adjustment signals from an electronic control device (20) during operation.

3. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The electronic control unit (20) is implemented in the central application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or high-performance computer (HPC) of the motor vehicle.

4. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The microcontroller (21) includes a main controller (21a) and a backup controller (21b). The backup controller (21b) has a reduced functional scope relative to the main controller (21a). The main controller (21a) includes at least ABS, ESP and / or ASR functions, while the backup controller (21b) does not include at least one of the ABS, ESP and / or ASR functions.

5. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The sensors (16) include wheel speed sensors, current sensors, angle sensors, voltage sensors, temperature sensors, braking torque sensors and / or clamping force or expansion force sensors.

6. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, At least one sensor (16), particularly a wheel speed sensor, is directly connected to a braking unit (11), which preferably includes at least one signal converter module (12) for converting analog signals from the at least one sensor (16) into digital signals for transmission to an electronic control unit (20).

7. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The at least one data line (23) is redundantly constructed and includes two data lines (23a, 23b) that are structurally separated from each other, which preferably have the same function.

8. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The transmission of regulation signals and sensor signals is carried out alternately in one direction via at least one data line (23).

9. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The data cable (23) is designed for transmitting electrical signals and includes at least one electrical conductor, preferably a multi-core electrical conductor, and particularly preferably a twisted pair.

10. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The data line (23) is designed for transmitting optical signals and includes at least one optical fiber waveguide, preferably more than one optical fiber waveguide, and particularly preferably only optical fiber waveguides.

11. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The electronic control device (20) has a means for wireless communication.

12. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The braking unit (11) and / or electronic control device (20) includes at least one memory or at least one partition in which information or operating information related to the corresponding wheel brake can be stored.

13. The braking system (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, Information or operating information relating to the corresponding wheel brake can be stored in an unalterable and non-deletable manner, wherein the operating information preferably includes at least the maximum permissible clamping force of the corresponding wheel brake (10).

14. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, In addition to the data line (23), there is only one other electrical wire between the frame (2) and the wheel brake (10), which is used to supply power to the wheel brake (10).

15. The braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The electronic control unit (20) is connected to the vehicle’s onboard electrical network and / or connected to the onboard computer.

16. A method of operating a braking system (100) of a motor vehicle, said method being operated on the braking system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims.

17. The method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that, The electronic control unit (20) compares the wheel brake information stored in the memory with the currently queried wheel brake (10) information to check whether the wheel brake (10) has been replaced, or whether an incompatible wheel brake (10) has been installed, or whether the wheel brake (10) was incorrectly connected and / or the data cable was swapped during maintenance.

Images