Brake system and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model discloses a braking system which comprises at least two central controllers and a motor driving circuit, the motor driving circuit is electrically connected with a wheel side motor, and the motor driving circuit is arranged in the central controllers. According to the braking system, the motor driving circuit is arranged in the central controller, so that the integration level and the reliability of the braking system can be improved. The utility model further discloses a vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of vehicle braking technology, specifically relating to a braking system and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] The EMB (Electro-Mechanical Brake) system is a purely mechanical brake-by-wire system. As an advanced version of brake-by-wire, it abandons the hydraulic braking circuit and uses a brushless motor-driven mechanical structure to directly control the magnitude of the wheel-end braking force. Because the brushless motor-driven mechanical structure is directly located on the wheel-end brake module, the conventional design also places the brushless motor drive circuit on the wheel-end brake. This system architecture design requires at least four wheel-end EMB controllers (WCUs), i.e., four sets of brushless motor drive circuits, on each vehicle. Simultaneously, to respond to the vehicle's braking force requirements and vehicle dynamic control algorithms, such as ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control), a separate EMB system central controller (CCU) is required on the vehicle. This CCU monitors the vehicle's dynamic operation and controls the vehicle's stability during braking.

[0003] The EMB central controller needs to be fail-operating, requiring redundant design in the hardware architecture, typically employing dual-path control circuit units. The entire EMB system requires four wheel-end controller circuit units and two central controller circuit units. The advantage of placing the brushless motor drive circuit on the wheel-end brake is the proximity of the drive circuit to the brushless motor, facilitating circuit design and signal transmission. However, this presents challenges due to the harsh operating environment at the wheel end and the high requirements for the temperature and vibration resistance of electronic components.

[0004] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an integrated EMB braking system, particularly regarding how to address the harsh working environment of the brushless motor drive circuit and parking drive circuit located on the wheel-end brakes, thereby improving the reliability of the EMB braking system. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention provides a braking system with the aim of improving reliability.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: a braking system, including a central controller and a motor drive circuit, wherein the motor drive circuit is electrically connected to the wheel-side motor, and at least two central controllers are provided, and the motor drive circuit is located within the central controller.

[0007] The central controller is equipped with a parking drive circuit, which is configured to control the parking mechanism.

[0008] The central controller is equipped with a switching circuit, which is electrically connected to the motor drive circuit.

[0009] The central controller is equipped with a computing unit, which is electrically connected to the switching circuit. The motor drive circuit is configured to be controlled by a certain computing unit through the switching circuit.

[0010] The computing unit is configured with at least two paths.

[0011] The central controller is equipped with a sensor circuit, and the computing unit is electrically connected to the sensor circuit. The computing unit controls the motor drive circuit based on the sensor signals transmitted by the sensor circuit.

[0012] The sensor circuit shall have at least two channels.

[0013] The central controller is equipped with a power supply system, and at least one power supply system is configured to supply power to one of the computing units and the motor drive circuit.

[0014] This utility model also provides a vehicle including the aforementioned braking system.

[0015] The braking system of this invention arranges the motor drive circuit in the central controller, which can improve the integration and reliability of the braking system. Attached Figure Description

[0016] This manual includes the following figures, which illustrate the following:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the braking system of this utility model;

[0018] The components in the diagram are labeled as follows: 1. Wheel-end braking module; 2. Wheel-end braking module with parking mechanism; 3. Rotor Position Sensor (RPS) and wheel speed sensor interface; 4. Pedal Travel Sensor (PTS) interface; 5. CAN communication interface; 6. First computing unit; 7. Second computing unit; 8. First power supply; 9. Second power supply; 10. Switching circuit; 11. Main system power management chip; 12. Auxiliary system power management chip; 13. Drive circuit; 14. Communication network; 15. Central controller. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in order to help those skilled in the art to have a more complete, accurate and in-depth understanding of the concept and technical solution of this utility model, and to facilitate its implementation.

[0020] Firstly, such as Figure 1 As shown, this utility model embodiment provides a braking system, including a central controller and a motor drive circuit. The motor drive circuit is electrically connected to the wheel-side motor. At least two central controllers are provided, and the motor drive circuit is located inside the central controller.

[0021] Specifically, in existing technologies, the EMB braking system places the wheel-end controller at the wheel end, with the motor drive circuit close to the wheel-side motor body, facilitating circuit design and signal transmission. However, its drawbacks are also obvious: the working environment at the wheel end is affected by the road surface environment, and the negative effects of vibration and temperature changes are far greater than those on the vehicle body, directly leading to a significant increase in braking failure rate.

[0022] In this embodiment of the invention, by integrating the motor drive circuit into the central controller, the problem of the harsh working environment of the motor drive circuit located on the wheel-end brakes can be solved. Through optimization of the circuit design, the impedance loss of the high-current loop in the long-distance drive circuit is reduced, and redundant switching of the drive circuit is implemented, improving the performance and reliability of the entire EMB system. This effectively ensures vehicle driving safety. When any single point of failure of the service brake occurs, the braking system of this embodiment of the invention achieves safe braking and parking braking by switching control of the backup circuit.

[0023] In this embodiment of the present invention, the central controller refers to the central control ECU (Electronic Control Unit), which may include all the control circuits of the present invention, or may integrate other functional modules, communication modules and other computing brains in the vehicle, or may be a domain controller.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the central controller has at least two motor drive circuits. Each motor drive circuit controls the wheel-side motor that drives the wheel-end braking module installed on different wheels. The wheel-side motor drives the actuator of the wheel-end braking module to clamp or release the brake disc. Only the wheel-side motor body, motor position sensor, and wheel speed sensor are installed at the wheel.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown, a parking drive circuit is installed in the central controller. The parking drive circuit is configured to drive the parking mechanism of the wheel-end braking module. The mechanical part of the parking mechanism is retained at the wheel end. The parking drive circuit of the parking mechanism is also moved out to the wheel end controller at the same time, and the parking drive circuit is integrated into the central controller.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a switching circuit is installed in the central controller, and the switching circuit is electrically connected to all motor drive circuits.

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, a computing unit is set up in the central controller, and the computing unit is electrically connected to the switching circuit. The motor drive circuit is configured to be controlled by a certain computing unit through the switching circuit. The computing unit and auxiliary circuits in the wheel end controller do not need to be set up. The computing unit is set up with at least two paths to achieve redundant control, and the switching circuit is electrically connected to all computing units. The computing unit can be a microprocessor chip or a dedicated pre-programmed chip. A switching circuit is set up between the computing unit and the motor drive circuit. The switching circuit is adjusted according to the design scheme of the motor drive circuit. The purpose of the switching circuit is to enable the switching to another computing unit and the motor drive circuit in good condition to continue control when a single point of failure occurs in the computing unit or a motor drive circuit closely related to the computing unit, thus ensuring the normal operation of the braking system.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, the wheel-side motor is the motor of the vehicle wheel-end braking module. The wheel-end braking module has a motor on a particular wheel that is not limited to one motor; a parking motor can also be provided. The wheel-side motor provides the driving force to move the piston of the wheel-end braking module and is the drive motor that applies braking force.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the central controller contains sensor circuits, and the computing unit is electrically connected to these sensor circuits. The computing unit controls the motor drive circuit based on the sensor signals transmitted from the sensor circuits, and also controls the parking drive circuit based on the same sensor signals. The sensor circuits have at least two channels.

[0030] like Figure 1As shown in this embodiment of the invention, the sensor circuit includes a brake sensor circuit, a motor position sensor circuit, and a wheel speed sensor circuit. The brake sensor circuit has at least two channels. The brake sensor circuit is electrically connected to the brake pedal position sensor (PTS). The brake pedal position sensor determines the position of the brake pedal and generates a braking intention signal indicating the degree of brake pedal depressor. The central controller receives the driver's braking intention signal through at least two brake intention sensor circuits. The wheel speed sensor circuit is electrically connected to the wheel speed sensor (WSS). The wheel speed sensor measures the rotational speed of the wheels during vehicle operation. The wheel speed sensor circuit is connected to the central controller to provide real-time information on the vehicle's motion status. The motor position sensor circuit is electrically connected to the motor position sensor (RPS). The motor position sensor measures the precise position of the rotor of the wheel-side motor.

[0031] The signals generated by the motor position sensor and wheel speed sensor are transmitted from the wheel-side motor to the central controller over a long distance. By setting up motor position sensor circuits and wheel speed sensor circuits in the central controller, the signal quality of the motor position sensor and wheel speed sensor can be optimized after long-distance transmission.

[0032] The central controller still has the vehicle's brake pedal position sensor connected to it, and maintains redundancy. The wheel speed sensor signal processing is also integrated into the central controller along with the corresponding motor drive circuit, enabling it to maintain braking force on at least three wheels (the vehicle has a total of four wheels) in the event of a single point of failure in any hardware component of the central controller.

[0033] The switching circuit is configured with at least one set of control switches. The control signals of the control switches are distributed according to the calculation unit. The control signals control the motor drive circuit and the parking drive circuit through the switching circuit.

[0034] The motor drive circuit in the central controller is connected to the switching circuit. The motor drive circuit is connected to the wheel-side motor through connectors, and the wheel-side motor can be configured to be controlled by a certain computing unit by switching the circuit through a switch.

[0035] The parking drive circuit in the central controller is connected to the switching circuit. The parking drive circuit is connected to the wheel-end brake module through a connector. The wheel-end brake module can be configured to be controlled by a certain computing unit by switching the circuit through a switch.

[0036] The motor position sensor circuit and wheel speed sensor circuit in the central controller are connected to the computing unit. The motor position sensor circuit provides feedback values ​​for precise motor control, and the wheel speed sensor circuit can provide vehicle status based on the signals obtained from the wheel speed sensors. In addition, combined with the signals transmitted to the computing unit from the brake sensor circuit, both computing units can control the motor drive circuit based on the brake sensor circuit and the wheel speed sensor circuit.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the central controller is equipped with a redundant power supply system (Power Management IC, PMIC). This power supply system is also controlled by the computing unit. At least one power supply system is configured to power one computing unit and the motor drive circuit. These power supply systems do not interfere with each other, and their power supply is controlled by the computing unit. Having two power supply systems in the central controller allows for a reduction in the number of power bridging circuits when the braking system supports power redundancy.

[0038] In this embodiment of the invention, a power bridging circuit is provided in the central controller. By integrating the motor drive circuit and the parking drive circuit into the central controller, the number of power bridging circuits can be reduced when the EMB system supports power redundancy. (If power redundancy is implemented in the wheel-end controller, four power bridging circuits are required. Integrating them into the central controller allows for the design of only two power bridging circuits.)

[0039] In the embodiments of this utility model, such as Figure 1 As shown, the central controller has at least two parking drive circuits. The vehicle's wheel speed sensor circuits are also integrated into the central controller along with the corresponding motor drive circuits. Even if a single wheel-side connection circuit fails at a single point, or if any hardware component of the central controller fails at a single point, a computing unit can still control the motor drive circuits by switching circuits to ensure that braking force is maintained at least three wheels, thereby improving vehicle safety and stability.

[0040] like Figure 1As shown in this embodiment of the invention, two central controllers are provided. One central controller contains two computing units, two motor drive circuits, two power supply systems, and a switching circuit. The two computing units (the first and second computing units in the figure) in this central controller redundantly control the motor drive circuits through the switching circuit. After receiving sensor signals, the computing units determine the switching control of the two motor drive circuits. The two motor drive circuits respectively control the wheel-side motors of the wheel-end braking modules installed on the two first wheels of the driving vehicle. The other central controller contains two computing units, two motor drive circuits, two parking drive circuits, two power supply systems, and a switching circuit. The two computing units (the first and second computing units in the figure) in this central controller redundantly control the motor drive circuits and parking drive circuits through the switching circuit. After receiving sensor signals, the computing units determine the switching control of the two motor drive circuits and parking drive circuits. The two motor drive circuits respectively control the wheel-side motors of the wheel-end braking modules installed on the two second wheels of the driving vehicle. The two parking drive circuits respectively control the parking mechanisms installed on the two second wheels of the driving vehicle.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown in this embodiment, two central controllers are provided, connected via a communication network. The two central controllers serve as backups for each other and communicate in real time. The two central controllers are respectively located on the front and rear axles of the vehicle, with the first wheel mounted on the front axle and the second wheel mounted on the rear axle. The central controllers on the front and rear axles respectively control the motor drive circuits corresponding to the wheel-end braking modules on the two first wheels and two second wheels, maintaining redundant control functionality. The central controllers are connected to the wheel-end braking modules on the four wheels via wiring harnesses, with the two wheel-end braking modules on the second wheels having parking brake functionality.

[0042] In this embodiment of the invention, when either of the two central controllers receives a braking signal from the brake pedal sensor, both central controllers will jointly drive the corresponding wheel-side motors to achieve braking. If the circuit for receiving the brake pedal sensor signal in one of the central controllers (designated as the first central controller) fails, the other central controller (designated as the second central controller) will send braking signals to the central controller in real time. In this case, the second central controller acts as a backup sensor signal receiving circuit for the first central controller. The same applies if the second central controller fails.

[0043] The control method for the above-mentioned braking system includes the following steps:

[0044] The central controller identifies the type of vehicle service brake malfunction.

[0045] The central controller monitors the brake sensor signals and controls the wheel-end brake modules to apply braking force after the set conditions are met.

[0046] The central controller determines the vehicle's wheel speed status signal, compares the wheel speed status signal with the braking intention signal to a preset value, and the calculation unit sends a signal to the motor drive circuit to control the wheel-end braking module to decelerate the vehicle with a certain braking force.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, the types of service brake malfunctions include ineffective service brakes and weakened service brakes. The central controller identifies ineffective or weakened service brakes, calculates the vehicle's posture and compares it with the driver's intention using an integrated computing unit, and controls the motor drive circuit to control the vehicle's braking for safety.

[0048] In this embodiment of the invention, the central controller monitors the continuous changes in the braking intention signal transmitted by the brake sensor circuit, and obtains the calculation result after calculation. Once the calculation result exceeds the set value, the set condition is met, and then the control wheel-end brake module is immediately controlled to apply braking force to the wheel through the switching circuit.

[0049] In this embodiment of the invention, the central controller determines the wheel speed status signal of the vehicle and performs correlation calculations on the wheel speed sensor signal and the brake sensor signal. The calculation result is then compared with a set threshold. If the calculation result exceeds the threshold, the calculation unit sends a control signal to the motor drive circuit, the wheel-side motor operates, and the wheel-end braking module generates a certain braking force to decelerate the vehicle. If the calculation result is below the threshold, the wheel-side motor does not operate.

[0050] Through the above operations, regardless of the type of single-point failure that occurs in the vehicle's electronic braking system, the system can decelerate and brake the vehicle to a stop, and lock the vehicle with a certain parking force.

[0051] In this embodiment of the invention, during the vehicle deceleration and braking process, the central controller integrates the control circuit of the wheel-side motors to control the wheel-end braking module or release the brake. The central controller can continue to monitor the brake pedal travel signal and ensure the maximum braking force of at least three wheel sides.

[0052] The braking system described above has the following advantages:

[0053] 1. The motor drive circuit and parking drive circuit in the wheel end controller of the EMB system are divided into front wheel and rear wheel and integrated into the corresponding central controllers of the front wheel and rear wheel respectively. The braking performance is improved by reusing the microcontroller in the central controller to complete the EMB system algorithm calculation and control of the brushless motor drive circuit.

[0054] 2. By optimizing the circuit design, the impedance loss of high-current loops in long-distance drive circuits is reduced, and the rotor position and wheel speed signals over long distances are amplified and designed to resist interference. This avoids the technical problems caused by the long-distance arrangement of brushless motor drive circuits and brushless motor bodies. Integrating the motor drive circuit into the central controller also saves the MCU chips used in the four brushless motor drive circuits. By directly using the high-performance MCU in the central controller to control the drive circuits of the four wheel-side motors, the number of MCU chips used in the entire EMB system is reduced, and the transmission delay of control signals from the central controller to the wheel-side controller and the failure rate of hardware circuits are reduced.

[0055] 3. The braking system does not require brake fluid, eliminating the need for a hydraulic braking circuit and improving product reliability;

[0056] 4. It reduces the number of electronic components located in the harsh environment of the wheel end, avoiding the problem of high failure rate of electronic components in high temperature and high vibration environments;

[0057] 5. Integrating the signal processing and actuator drive circuits of the entire EMB system can reduce the delay of control signals through transmission buses such as CAN, which is beneficial to improving the dynamic response performance of the entire system.

[0058] This utility model also provides a vehicle including an integrated electronic braking system with the above-described structure. The specific structure of this braking system can be found in [reference needed]. Figure 1 Further details will not be elaborated here. Since the vehicle of this invention includes the braking system described in the above embodiments, it possesses all the advantages of the aforementioned braking system.

[0059] The complete vehicle and vehicles of this utility model include, but are not limited to, passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

[0060] The present invention has been described above by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the specific implementation of the present invention is not limited to the above-described manner. Any non-substantial improvements made using the inventive concept and technical solution of the present invention; or the direct application of the inventive concept and technical solution to other situations without modification, are all within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A braking system, comprising a central controller and a motor drive circuit, the motor drive circuit being electrically connected to a wheel-side motor, characterized in that, At least two central controllers are provided, and the motor drive circuit is located within the central controller.

2. The braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central controller is equipped with a parking drive circuit, which is configured to control the parking mechanism.

3. The braking system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central controller is equipped with a switching circuit, which is electrically connected to the motor drive circuit.

4. The braking system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The central controller is equipped with a computing unit, which is electrically connected to the switching circuit. The motor drive circuit is configured to be controlled by a certain computing unit through the switching circuit.

5. The braking system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The computing unit is configured with at least two paths.

6. The braking system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The central controller is equipped with a sensor circuit, and the computing unit is electrically connected to the sensor circuit. The computing unit controls the motor drive circuit based on the sensor signals transmitted by the sensor circuit.

7. The braking system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The sensor circuit shall have at least two channels.

8. The braking system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The central controller is equipped with a power supply system, and at least one power supply system is configured to supply power to one of the computing units and the motor drive circuit.

9. A vehicle, characterized in that, Includes the braking system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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