METHOD FOR VERIFYING THE CONFIGURATION OF AN ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL COMPUTER

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for verifying the configuration of a control unit (16) comprising: - a step for detecting the presence or absence of an electric brake button (22) and electric brake calipers (21.1, 21.2), - a diagnostic step according to which: - if the control unit (16) is configured for an electric parking brake (20) but the electric brake button (22) and the electric brake calipers (21.1, 21.2) have been detected as absent, then an error message indicating an incorrect configuration of the control unit (16) is issued, and - if the control unit (16) is configured for a manual parking brake but the electric brake button (22) and the electric brake calipers (21.1, 21.2) have been detected as present, then an error message indicating an incorrect configuration of the control unit (16) is issued. Figure 1

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD FOR VERIFYING A CONFIGURATION OF AN ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL COMPUTER

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for verifying a configuration of a computer, in particular an electronic stability control computer. The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the automotive field, in particular with hybrid or thermal type motor vehicles. The invention can however also be implemented with electric type motor vehicles.

[0002] In a manner known per se, a computer, in particular an electronic stability control computer, called an "ESC" computer (for "Electronic Stability Control" in English terminology), is capable of controlling hydraulic braking calipers of the four wheels of the vehicle so as to adapt a braking force applied to the different wheels in the event of loss of control of the vehicle in order to re-establish a trajectory of the vehicle. For this purpose, the electronic stability control computer is connected to the different braking calipers via hydraulic connections.

[0003] Furthermore, a motor vehicle may have either a manual parking brake (called "FSM") or an electric parking brake (called "FSE").

[0004] An FSM type brake comprises a driver-activated handbrake intended to lock hydraulic brake calipers, in particular the two rear hydraulic brake calipers, in order to immobilize the vehicle. For this purpose, the handbrake is connected by a cable to the right rear hydraulic brake caliper and the left rear hydraulic brake caliper.

[0005] An FSE type brake comprises two electric brake calipers controlled by the electronic stability control computer and an electric brake button connected to the electronic stability control computer and operable by the driver. Thus, when the electronic stability control computer detects that the electric brake button has been activated by the driver, the electronic stability control computer controls a locking of the electric brake calipers to immobilize the vehicle. The electric brake calipers are generally installed on the rear wheels of the vehicle.

[0006] The same electronic stability control computer can be used for an FSE type brake and for an FSM type brake. It is therefore important to configure correctly the calculator because in the case of the FSE type brake, the calculator will have to manage the input / output interfaces connected to the electric brake calipers and the electric brake button and in the case of the FSM type brake the calculator will have to be informed of the unconnected state of the input / output interfaces intended for the FSE type brake.

[0007] The configuration of the electronic stability control computer can be carried out at the factory or during an after-sales service intervention. The configuration of the computer is generally carried out by telecoding.

[0008] In the case where the electronic stability control computer is poorly configured, this causes failures linked to incorrect diagnoses considering that electrical components are missing or malfunctioning while the origin of the problem comes solely from poor programming of the computer. The computer configured in FSE may for example consider that an electric brake caliper and / or an electric brake button is missing or malfunctioning while the vehicle is equipped with a perfectly functional FSM system. Conversely, the computer configured in FSM for an FSE type brake will not be able to manage the electric brake calipers and the electric brake button.

[0009] The invention aims to effectively remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a method for verifying a configuration of a computer comprising: - a step of detecting the presence or absence of an electric braking button and electric braking calipers, - a diagnostic step following which: - in the event that the ECU is configured for an electric parking brake while the electric brake button and the electric brake calipers have been detected as being absent, then an error message indicating an incorrect configuration of the ECU is issued, and - in case the calculator is configured for a manual parking brake while the electric brake button and the electric brake calipers have been detected as being present, then an error message indicating an incorrect calculator configuration is issued.

[0010] The invention thus makes it possible to ensure that the computer is correctly configured and, if not, to direct an operator towards a problem of configuration of the computer and not a problem of malfunction of components of the vehicle parking brake. Indeed, checking the presence or absence of all the components of the FSE type brake makes it possible to detect an incorrect configuration of the computer, because it is almost impossible for a simultaneous malfunction of all the components of an FSE type brake to occur.

[0011] According to one implementation of the invention, said method is implemented at each calculator wake-up.

[0012] According to one implementation of the invention, the step of detecting a presence or absence of the electric braking calipers is carried out by a test of piloting the electric braking calipers.

[0013] According to one implementation of the invention, the step of detecting a presence or absence of the electric braking button is carried out by a voltage analysis at the input and output interfaces of the computer.

[0014] According to one implementation of the invention, said method comprises a step of reading the error message by a diagnostic tool.

[0015] According to one implementation of the invention, the error message is stored in a memory of a central computer.

[0016] The invention also relates to a calculator comprising a memory storing software instructions for implementing the method as previously defined.

[0017] The invention further relates to a motor vehicle comprising a computer as defined above.

[0018] According to one embodiment of the invention, said motor vehicle comprises an electric parking brake or a manual parking brake.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the invention, the electric parking brake comprises two electric braking calipers and an electric braking button.

[0020] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description and examining the accompanying figures. These figures are given only for illustrative purposes but in no way limit the invention.

[0021] [Fig-1] [Fig.l] is a schematic representation of a motor vehicle equipped of an electric parking brake implementing the method according to the invention for verifying a configuration of an electronic stability control computer;

[0022] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] is a schematic representation of a motor vehicle equipped of a manual parking brake implementing the method according to the invention for verifying a configuration of an electronic stability control computer;

[0023] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] is a diagram of the steps of a method according to the invention of veri ification of a configuration of an electronic stability control computer.

[0024] Identical, similar, or analogous elements retain the same reference from one figure to another.

[0025] Figures 1 and 2 show a motor vehicle 10 comprising a front wheel set 11 having a right front wheel 12.1 and a left front wheel 12.2 and a rear wheel set 13 having a right rear wheel 12.3 and a left rear wheel 12.4. A hybrid or thermal type powertrain 15 is mounted on one of the sets of the motor vehicle 10.

[0026] An electronic stability control computer 16, called "ESC" computer (for "Electronic Stability Control" according to the English terminology), is capable of controlling hydraulic braking calipers 17.1-17.4 of the four wheels 12.1-12.4 of the vehicle so as to adapt a braking force applied to the different wheels in the event of loss of control of the vehicle in order to restore a trajectory of the vehicle. For this purpose, the electronic stability control computer 16 is connected to the different hydraulic braking calipers 17.1-17.4 via hydraulic connections 18.1-18.4. There is thus a first hydraulic connection 18.1 between the electronic stability control computer 16 and the right front hydraulic braking caliper 17.1, a second hydraulic connection 18.2 between the electronic stability control computer 16 and the left front hydraulic braking caliper 17.2, a third hydraulic connection 18.3 between the electronic stability control computer 16 and the right rear hydraulic brake caliper 17.3, and a fourth hydraulic connection 18.4 between the electronic stability control computer 16 and the left rear hydraulic brake caliper 17.4.

[0027] In the embodiment of [Fig.l], the motor vehicle 10 comprises an electric parking brake 20 (called FSE). The FSE type brake 20 comprises two electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2 controlled by the electronic stability control computer 16 and an electric braking button 22 connected to the electronic stability computer 16 and operable by the driver. Thus, when the electronic stability control computer 16 detects that the electric braking button 22 has been actuated by the driver, the electronic stability computer 16 controls a locking of the electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2 to immobilize the vehicle 10. The electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2 are generally installed on the rear wheels 12.3, 12.4 of the vehicle 10. For this purpose, the electronic stability control computer 16 is connected to the right rear electric braking caliper 21.1 by a first electrical connection 24.1 and to the left rear electric brake caliper 21.2 by a second electrical connection 24.2. .

[0028] In the embodiment of [Fig. 2], the vehicle 10 comprises a manual parking brake 27 (called FSM). A brake of type FSM 27 comprises a handbrake 28 activatable by the driver intended to lock hydraulic brake calipers, in particular the two rear hydraulic brake calipers 17.3, 17.4, to immobilize the vehicle 10. For this purpose, the handbrake 28 is connected by a cable 29 to the hydraulic brake calipers, in particular the right rear hydraulic brake caliper 17.3 and the left rear hydraulic brake caliper 17.4.

[0029] The same electronic stability control computer 16 can be used for an FSE type brake and for an FSM type brake. Only the software configuration of the computer 16 changes from one brake to the other.

[0030] In the event of replacement of the ESC computer 16, the operator can configure it manually by telecoding in an FSE mode (for an electric parking brake 20) or in an FSM mode (for a manual parking brake 27).

[0031] It is therefore important to check the correct configuration of the electronic stability control computer 16 to avoid the emission of an error signal being interpreted by an operator as a malfunction of components when it is just a question of incorrect programming of the computer 16. To this end, the computer 16 comprises a memory storing software instructions for implementing a method for checking the configuration of the computer 16 described below with reference to [Fig. 3].

[0032] The method comprises a step 101 of detecting a presence or an absence of the electric braking button 22 and the electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2.

[0033] Advantageously, step 101 of detecting a presence or absence of the electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2 is carried out by a test of piloting the electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2. Step 101 of detecting a presence or absence of the electric braking button 22 is carried out by a voltage analysis at the input and output interfaces of the electronic stability control computer 16. It is important to check the presence of all the components of an FSE type brake in the event of failure of one of them.

[0034] If the configuration of the computer 16 is incompatible with the actual presence or absence of the associated components, then an error message is generated. For this purpose, the computer 16 implements a diagnostic step 102 according to which: - in the case where the calculator 16 is configured for an electric parking brake 20 while the electric braking button 22 and the electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2 have been detected as being absent, then an error message indicating a bad configuration of the electronic stability control calculator 16 is issued in a step 103, and - in the case where the computer 16 is configured for a manual parking brake 27 while the electric braking button 22 and the electric braking calipers 21.1, 21.2 have been detected as being present, then an error message indicating an incorrect configuration of the electronic stability control computer 16 is issued in a step 104.

[0035] The error message is for example a DTC (Data Trouble Code) type message. The error message is preferably stored in a memory of a central computer of the motor vehicle 10. Alternatively, the error message is stored in the memory of the electronic stability control computer or another computer of the motor vehicle 10.

[0036] The operator checks during a step 105, whether an error message is present or not in the memory of the central computer by means of a diagnostic tool before returning the vehicle 10 to the customer. If the diagnostic tool reads an error message, the operator knows that he made an error when configuring the computer 16 and that there is no a priori malfunction of the parking brake components. The operator can then configure the computer 16 correctly again.

[0037] Preferably, the method is implemented each time the electronic stability control computer 16 is reawakened, which occurs in particular within the framework of an overall procedure for activating the various computers of the vehicle.

[0038] Alternatively, the computer which manages the FSE type brake or the FSM type brake is a computer other than the electronic stability control computer 16 of the vehicle such as for example the engine computer or another dedicated computer.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for verifying a configuration of a computer (16), characterized in that it comprises: - a step of detecting a presence or absence of an electric braking button (22) and electric braking calipers (21.1, 21.2), - a diagnostic step according to which: - in the case where the computer (16) is configured for an electric parking brake (20) while the electric braking button (22) and the electric braking calipers (21.1, 21.2) have been detected as being absent, then an error message indicating an incorrect configuration of the computer (16) is issued, and - in the case where the computer (16) is configured for a manual parking brake (27) while the electric braking button (22) and the electric braking calipers (21.1, 21.2) have been detected as being present, then an error message indicating an incorrect configuration of the calculator (16) is issued.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it is implemented each time the computer (16) is woken up.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the step of detecting a presence or an absence of the electric braking calipers (21.1, 21.2) is carried out by a pilot test of the electric braking calipers (21.1, 21.2).

4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the step of detecting a presence or an absence of the electric braking button (22) is carried out by a voltage analysis at the input and output interfaces of the computer (16).

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises a step of reading the error message by a diagnostic tool.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the error message is stored in a memory of a central computer.

7. Calculator (16) comprising a memory storing software instructions for implementing the method defined according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. Motor vehicle (10) characterized in that it comprises a computer (16) defined according to claim 9.

9. Motor vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises an electric parking brake (20) or a manual parking brake (27).

10. Motor vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that the electric parking brake (20) comprises two electric braking calipers (21.1, 21.2) and an electric braking button (22).

Images