Method, device, controller, and computer program product for braking

Abstract

To provide a method, a device, a controller, and a computer program product for comfortable braking.SOLUTION: The method includes determining a comfortable braking force based on an opening degree of a brake pedal of a vehicle. The method further includes determining a hydraulic braking force and a regenerative braking force on the basis of the comfortable braking force. The method further includes performing comfortable braking on the vehicle on the basis of the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force. According to a solution of an embodiment of the present disclosure, a comfortable braking function may be realized in a coupled braking system. By simultaneously utilizing the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force for comfortable braking, braking performance of the vehicle is improved, a braking process is made smoother and more comfortable, and driving experience of a driver and passengers is improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Examples of the present disclosure relate to the field of computers, and more particularly to comfortable braking methods, devices, controllers and computer program products. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditional braking systems can result in noticeable nodding and vibration during braking, creating an unpleasant experience for both the driver and passengers. In contrast, comfort braking technology provides a smooth braking experience through intelligent control and optimized design. This technology not only enhances braking comfort and significantly improves the driving experience, but also reduces wear on the braking system and extends the life of its components.

[0003] Comfort braking technology is becoming increasingly important in the modern automotive industry, and its application has become a key trend in the development of the industry. With the continuous enhancement of driving experience and ride comfort, the widespread adoption of comfort braking technology has emerged as a key technological innovation that automakers cannot afford to overlook. In scenarios such as congested urban traffic or long-distance travel, comfort braking technology has become an important way to improve the driving experience for both the driver and passengers. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a comfortable braking method, apparatus, controller, computer program product, and medium. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for comfort braking. The method includes determining a comfort braking force based on a brake pedal depression of a vehicle. The method further includes determining a hydraulic braking force and a regenerative braking force based on the comfort braking force. The method also includes performing comfort braking on the vehicle based on the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for comfort braking, the apparatus comprising: a comfort braking determination unit configured to determine a comfort braking force based on a brake pedal depression of a vehicle; a hydraulic regeneration determination unit configured to determine a hydraulic braking force and a regenerative braking force based on the comfort braking force; and a comfort braking control unit configured to implement comfort braking on the vehicle based on the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a controller comprising at least one processor and a memory coupled to the at least one processor having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the controller to perform steps of the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer program product, the computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the steps of the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a machine-readable storage medium having machine-executable instructions stored thereon, the machine-executable instructions being executable by a processor to perform the steps of the method of the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0010] To further clarify the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail in conjunction with the drawings, and in the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, like reference numerals typically represent like parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example environment in which a controller and / or method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart of a comfort braking method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart of a process for distributing braking force according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1 is a flowchart of a process for achieving full performance comfort braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the variation of braking force to achieve full performance comfortable braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 1 is a flowchart of a process for achieving reduced performance comfort braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the variation of braking force to achieve comfortable braking with reduced performance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart of a process for determining regenerative braking force according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for comfort braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary device suitable for practicing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] In the various drawings, like or corresponding numerals represent like or corresponding parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013]

[0023] The present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0024] While specific embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather, these embodiments are provided for a more thorough and complete understanding of the present disclosure.

[0014] As described above, the application of comfort braking technologies is becoming increasingly widespread and can provide a comfortable driving experience for the driver and passengers. However, existing comfort braking technologies are typically applied to decoupled brake systems, but not to coupled brake systems. In a coupled brake system, the brake pedal and hydraulic braking force are coupled to each other. In a decoupled brake system, when the driver presses the brake pedal, the brake system converts the brake signal into an electrical signal, which is then processed by a motor controller to engage the brake. This eliminates the need for physical connections such as hydraulics, allows for easy adjustment of braking force, and achieves comfortable braking. In a coupled brake system, when the driver presses the brake pedal, a piston in the reservoir moves outward, causing brake fluid to flow into the master cylinder and generate hydraulic braking force. However, in a comfortable braking scenario, the driver does not actively release the brake pedal, preventing brake fluid from returning from the brake wheel cylinders to the brake master cylinder. As a result, the hydraulic braking force cannot be reduced, making it inconvenient to adjust the system for comfortable braking.

[0015] To address this, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes a comfort braking solution that utilizes both hydraulic braking force and regenerative braking force. This solution first determines a comfort braking force based on the opening degree of the vehicle's brake pedal, and allocates the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force according to the established comfort braking force. Then, the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force are utilized to perform comfort braking on the vehicle. Therefore, according to the solution of the embodiment of the present disclosure, a comfort braking function can be realized in a combined brake system. By simultaneously utilizing the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force for comfort braking, the braking performance of the vehicle is improved, the braking process is made smoother and more comfortable, and the driving experience of the driver and passengers is improved.

[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in further detail below in conjunction with the drawings, in which FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary environment 100 in which a controller and / or method according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , the exemplary environment 100 includes a control system 110 that can determine whether comfort braking can be activated and can determine how to allocate hydraulic and regenerative braking forces, etc. The control system 110 can be deployed on a vehicle or on a domain controller and can communicate with other controllers of the vehicle via a vehicle bus communication connection, not limited by the present disclosure. Furthermore, if the control system 110 is deployed on a domain controller, it can communicate with sensors via the vehicle bus communication connection to obtain corresponding sensor data. The control system 110 can include an acceleration sensor 112 that can obtain the vehicle's acceleration when moving forward and its deceleration when braking through the acceleration sensor 112. In some embodiments, whether to activate the comfort braking function can be determined based on the magnitude of the vehicle's deceleration. Furthermore, the control system 110 can also communicate with sensors via the vehicle bus to obtain corresponding sensor data. The control system 110 may also include a brake pedal sensor 114 that obtains the current brake pedal depression, i.e., the brake pedal travel depressed by the driver, and the target braking force requested by the driver may be determined based on the depression value. When the driver depresses the brake pedal, an electronic booster may push a piston in a brake master cylinder forward, forcing brake fluid into the brake wheel cylinders to achieve hydraulic braking. As a result, the more the driver depresses the brake pedal, the more brake fluid is forced into the brake master cylinder and the more hydraulic braking force is requested.

[0018] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , control system 110 may further include a speed sensor 116 capable of obtaining a current speed of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the current speed of the vehicle may be taken into consideration when determining whether to activate a comfort braking function or calculate a comfort braking force. For example, if the vehicle is braking normally and its speed is above a threshold for activating comfort braking, comfort braking is not activated. Furthermore, the braking forces of the front and rear axles may be distributed based on speed to further improve comfort braking. For example, the brake pressure of the front axle may be reduced in the later stages of braking (e.g., when the speed is less than 2 km / h). Control system 110 may further include an inclination sensor 118 capable of obtaining a current inclination value of the vehicle. In some embodiments, the vehicle may not include inclination sensor 118, but inclination information may be estimated based on other sensor information to generate an inclination estimate. In some embodiments, the required braking force and the comfort braking force may change when the vehicle is on an incline, and the control system 110 may use the incline value or the incline estimate parameter when determining the comfort braking force. Naturally, the control system may further include other sensors or acquire other vehicle parameters. For example, the control system may further include a brake pedal speed sensor that measures the speed at which the driver presses the brake pedal, allowing for analysis of the driver's braking intention. For example, when the driver quickly presses the brake pedal, it can be determined that the vehicle is in an emergency braking state, and the comfort braking function is not activated at this time. To ensure vehicle braking stability, the regenerative braking force can be reduced and the corresponding hydraulic braking force can be increased.

[0019] Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , the control system 110 may further include a controller 120, which may calculate a comfortable braking force based on current state parameters of the vehicle. For example, the controller 120 may obtain the magnitude of vehicle deceleration from the acceleration sensor 112, the brake pedal depression from the brake pedal sensor 114, the vehicle speed from the speed sensor 116, and the vehicle tilt value or tilt estimate from the tilt sensor 118, and calculate the comfortable braking force based on these parameters. In some embodiments, the comfortable braking force may also be calculated using parameters such as the vehicle mass, wheel rolling radius, and front and rear wheelbases. In some embodiments, machine learning and / or deep learning models may be used to process the vehicle parameters and calculate the comfortable braking force. The controller 120 may determine the hydraulic braking force 122 and the regenerative braking force 124 according to the comfortable braking force. For example, the controller 120 may allocate a portion of the comfortable braking force as the hydraulic braking force 122 and another portion as the regenerative braking force 124. Additionally, the controller 120 may also send an activation flag for comfort braking to the vehicle control unit 150 to indicate to the vehicle control unit 150 whether to activate comfort braking.

[0020] 1 , exemplary environment 100 may include a hydraulic brake unit 130. Control system 110 may request a target hydraulic braking force from hydraulic brake unit 130, and hydraulic brake unit 130 may transmit an actual hydraulic braking force to control system 110. For example, control system 110 may request a hydraulic braking force of 200 N from hydraulic brake unit 130, but because the hydraulic braking force at the previous moment reached 300 N, if the driver maintains the brake pedal depression, the linked brake system cannot reduce the hydraulic braking force, and therefore the hydraulic braking force actually generated by hydraulic brake unit 130 is 300 N. For example, control system 110 may request a hydraulic braking force of 200 N from hydraulic brake unit 130, but because the hydraulic braking force at the previous moment was less than 200 N, hydraulic brake unit 130 may transmit the actual hydraulic braking force to control system 110. Additionally, the control system 110 may also request the hydraulic brake unit 130 to adjust the current hydraulic braking force for use in the braking force distribution process.

[0021] The exemplary environment 100 may further include a regenerative braking unit 140. Regenerative braking is a braking technique used in electric vehicles that converts and stores the vehicle's kinetic energy during braking. Specifically, regenerative braking transitions the motor into generator mode during braking, utilizing the vehicle's inertia to rotate the motor rotor and generate counter torque for braking. When the brake pedal is not depressed, energy recovery is achieved by simply releasing the accelerator pedal, a process known as shutting off energy recovery. This sliding regeneration (also known as sliding energy recovery) occurs when the vehicle is traveling at a certain speed. When the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the motor shifts from providing drive torque to generating feedback braking torque. This transition generates regenerative braking force, resulting in overall vehicle braking deceleration. The braking regeneration (braking energy recovery) operating state occurs when the brake pedal is depressed, providing braking torque to the motor and generating regenerative braking force. In some embodiments, control system 110 may request regenerative braking force from regenerative braking unit 140, and regenerative braking unit 140 may transmit the actual regenerative braking force that can be provided to control system 110. For example, if a comfortable braking force is determined to be 500 N, the regenerative braking force that regenerative braking unit 140 can provide may be determined based on the potential of regenerative braking unit 140, and its magnitude is related to parameters such as the regenerative power of the motor, the battery capacity, and the current vehicle speed. If a comfortable braking force is determined to be 500 N, regenerative braking unit 140 may transmit a message to control system 110 that the actual achievable regenerative braking force is 500 N and therefore no hydraulic braking force needs to be replenished, or may transmit a message to control system 110 that the actual achievable regenerative braking force is 400 N and therefore 100 N of hydraulic braking force needs to be replenished.

[0022] 1 , exemplary environment 100 may include a vehicle control unit 150. Vehicle control unit 150 may receive a comfort braking activation flag from control system 110, and may thereby adjust its control strategy to ensure the entire vehicle system can adjust appropriately when comfort braking is activated. Additionally, vehicle control unit 150 may also monitor both hydraulic braking force 122 and regenerative braking force 124. If there is an abrupt change in regenerative braking force 124, hydraulic braking force 122 is quickly adjusted to compensate.

[0023] The above describes an example environment 100 in which an embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented in conjunction with Figure 1. A flowchart of a method 200 for comfortable braking force according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described below in conjunction with Figure 2.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method 200 for comfort braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 202, a comfort braking force may be determined based on a brake pedal depression amount of a vehicle. For example, as described in conjunction with FIG. 1, the controller 120 may determine the comfort braking force based on a brake pedal depression amount value from the brake pedal sensor 114. The release amount refers to how deeply the brake pedal is depressed, i.e., the degree to which the driver depresses the brake pedal. When the brake pedal depression amount is small, the system may apply a gentler comfort braking force to ensure a smooth braking process. Conversely, when the depression amount is large, the system may provide a more comfort braking force to meet more urgent braking requirements.

[0025] In block 204, the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force may be determined based on a comfortable braking force. For example, in conjunction with FIG. 1 , the controller 120 may determine the hydraulic braking force 122 and the regenerative braking force 124 based on a comfortable braking force. The hydraulic braking force is achieved by a hydraulic braking system, and the magnitude of the hydraulic braking force may be determined by the controller 120 based on a minimum comfortable braking force. The regenerative braking force is generated by switching the motor to a generator and using the inertia of the vehicle to rotate the motor rotor. The magnitude of the regenerative braking force may be determined by the controller 120 based on a comfortable braking force.

[0026] In block 206, hydraulic braking force and regenerative braking force may be used to provide comfortable braking for the vehicle. For example, as described in connection with FIG. 1, controller 110 may provide comfortable braking for the vehicle using hydraulic braking force 122 and regenerative braking force 124.

[0027] Therefore, according to the method 200 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a comfortable braking function can be realized in the combined braking system. By simultaneously utilizing hydraulic braking force and regenerative braking force for comfortable braking, the braking performance of the vehicle is improved, the braking process is smoother and more comfortable, and the driving experience of the driver and passengers is improved.

[0028] 3 is a flowchart of a process 300 for distributing braking force, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 302, a current hydraulic braking force may be obtained. For example, in conjunction with FIG. 1, control system 110 may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from hydraulic braking unit 140. In some embodiments, the control system may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from a vehicle control unit. As described above, if the driver maintains the brake pedal depression, the coupled brake system cannot reduce the hydraulic braking force, and therefore, the actual hydraulic braking force generated by the hydraulic braking unit is not less than the current hydraulic braking force.

[0029] In block 304, a target regenerative braking force may be determined based on a comfortable braking force and a current hydraulic braking force. In some embodiments, the target braking force desired by the driver may be determined by the brake pedal depression, and then the comfortable braking force may be determined based on parameters such as the target braking force, vehicle speed, deceleration, and incline value. For example, if the comfortable braking force is determined to be 500 N and the current hydraulic braking force is detected to be 100 N, the target regenerative braking force may be determined to be 400 N. Because regenerative braking allows for energy recovery, increasing the proportion of regenerative braking may improve the efficiency of energy recovery during braking.

[0030] In block 306, a target regenerative braking force may be requested from the regenerative braking unit, and an actual regenerative braking force may be determined. For example, if a braking force of 400 N can be requested from the regenerative braking unit, various parameters, such as vehicle speed, motor power, and battery capacity, may indicate that the maximum achievable regenerative braking force is 300 N. In this case, the actual regenerative braking force is 300 N. In other words, if the target regenerative braking force is greater than the maximum regenerative braking force that can be provided by the regenerative braking unit, the magnitude of the actual regenerative braking force is equal to the maximum regenerative braking force. Further, in some embodiments, if a target regenerative braking force of 400 N can be requested from the regenerative braking unit, the maximum achievable regenerative braking force is determined to be 800 N, and then the actual regenerative braking force is 400 N. In other words, if the target regenerative braking force is less than the maximum regenerative braking force that can be provided by the regenerative braking unit, the magnitude of the actual regenerative braking force is equal to the target regenerative braking force.

[0031] In block 308, the actual hydraulic braking force may be determined based on the comfortable braking force and the actual regenerative braking force. For example, if the comfortable braking force is 500 N and the actual regenerative braking force that can be provided by the regenerative braking unit is 300 N, the actual hydraulic braking force may be adjusted to 200 N so that the actual regenerative braking force and the actual hydraulic braking force meet the comfortable braking force. Furthermore, in some embodiments, if the actual regenerative braking force is equal to the target regenerative braking force, there is no need to adjust the hydraulic braking force. For example, if the actual regenerative braking force that can be provided by the regenerative braking unit is 400 N, the actual hydraulic braking force may be determined to be 100 N, which means that the current hydraulic braking force remains unchanged at 100 N. In some embodiments, if an increase in hydraulic braking force is required, the braking force may be directed to the brake master cylinder by adjusting its magnitude accordingly.

[0032] FIG. 4A is a flowchart of a process 400 for achieving full-performance comfort braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram 400B of the change in braking force to achieve full-performance comfort braking according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process for full-performance comfort braking is described below with reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B. In block 402, a current hydraulic braking force may be obtained. For example, in conjunction with FIG. 1, the control system 110 may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from the hydraulic brake unit 140. In some embodiments, the control system may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from a vehicle control unit. As previously mentioned, the requested target hydraulic braking force cannot be less than the current hydraulic braking force, so the magnitude of the current hydraulic braking force must be determined.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4A , block 404 may determine whether the current hydraulic braking force is less than a minimum comfort braking force. In some embodiments, the minimum comfort braking force may be determined based on parameters such as vehicle speed, deceleration, and incline value. For example, if the minimum comfort braking force is determined to be 500 N and the current hydraulic braking force is 300 N, the current hydraulic braking force is less than the minimum comfort braking force, and full-performance comfort braking may be activated by simultaneously adjusting the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force. In other embodiments, if the minimum comfort braking force is determined to be 500 N and the current hydraulic braking force is 800 N, the current hydraulic braking force is greater than the minimum comfort braking force, and full-performance comfort braking cannot be achieved even if the regenerative braking force is adjusted to zero.

[0034] If it is determined in block 404 that the current hydraulic braking force is less than the minimum comfort braking force, the process proceeds to block 406 and activates full-performance comfort braking. Otherwise, the process proceeds to block 408 and concludes that full-performance comfort braking cannot be activated. In block 406, a target hydraulic braking force and a target regenerative braking force may be determined based on the current hydraulic braking force. For example, as described in conjunction with FIG. 3, the regenerative braking force may be adjusted according to the comfort braking force and the current hydraulic braking force to achieve full-performance comfort braking.

[0035] The braking force change process for full-performance comfort braking will now be described with reference to FIG. 4B. As shown in FIG. 4B, line 420 represents a coasting regeneration request. As mentioned above, coasting regeneration is part of regenerative braking. A coasting regeneration request is initiated when the driver releases the accelerator pedal and does not press the brake pedal. Curve 422 represents a comfort regenerative braking force request corresponding to the coasting regeneration request. Dashed line 424 indicates the beginning of comfort braking. It is clear that with the intervention of comfort braking, curve 422 gradually decreases, indicating that the regenerative braking force corresponding to the coasting regeneration request slowly approaches zero. Line 426 represents the target braking force requested by the driver, and curve 428 represents the comfort braking force. It is clear that the comfort braking force is smaller than the target braking force, minimizing shock during the braking process and promoting a more comfortable braking experience. Furthermore, curve 430 represents the motor regeneration potential, and curve 432 represents the comfortable regenerative braking force corresponding to the comfortable braking force generated when the driver presses the brake pedal. The portion between curve 428 and curve 432 represents the target value of the comfortable hydraulic braking force magnitude. It can be seen that the comfortable braking force is composed of the comfortable brake pressure and the comfortable regenerative braking force. With the intervention of the comfort braking, the regenerative braking force gradually decreases and eventually stops, while the comfortable hydraulic braking force remains unchanged. As a result, as the regenerative braking force decreases, the comfortable braking force gradually aligns with the comfortable hydraulic braking force. Once the vehicle stops, the hydraulic braking force can be increased to match the target braking force requested by the driver.

[0036] Returning to FIG. 4A , in block 410, a full performance indicator may be sent to a vehicle control unit. For example, by providing real-time feedback on comfort braking performance, the driver is kept informed of the vehicle's braking capabilities, allowing other systems to adjust according to the level of comfort braking performance. Furthermore, in some embodiments, whether to activate full performance comfort braking may be based on whether the current deceleration is below a deceleration threshold. For example, assuming the deceleration threshold is 3 m / s and the current deceleration is less than the deceleration threshold, it is determined that full performance comfort braking may be activated.

[0037] FIG. 5A is a flowchart of a process 500 for achieving comfortable braking with reduced performance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram 500B of braking force variations for achieving comfortable braking with reduced performance according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process for achieving comfortable braking with reduced performance will now be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. As shown in FIG. 5A, in block 502, a current hydraulic braking force may be obtained. For example, in conjunction with FIG. 1, the control system 110 may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from the hydraulic brake unit 140. In some embodiments, the control system may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from a vehicle control unit.

[0038] In block 504, it may be determined whether the current hydraulic braking force is greater than the minimum comfort braking force and less than the target braking force. In some embodiments, the minimum comfort braking force may be determined based on parameters such as the vehicle's speed, deceleration, and incline value. In other embodiments, if it is determined that the target braking force is 1000 N, the minimum comfort braking force is 500 N, and the current hydraulic braking force is 800 N, full-performance comfort braking cannot be achieved even if the regenerative braking force is adjusted to zero because the current hydraulic braking force is greater than the minimum comfort braking force. However, reduced-performance comfort braking can be achieved with a current hydraulic braking force of 800 N. This is because utilizing a hydraulic braking force of 800 N compared to the target braking force of 1000 N requested by the driver may still help to reduce the impact of the braking process to some extent and increase the driver's overall braking comfort.

[0039] If block 504 determines that the current hydraulic braking force is greater than the minimum comfort braking force and less than the target braking force, the process proceeds to block 506 and activates reduced-performance comfort braking. Otherwise, the process proceeds to block 508 and concludes that reduced-performance comfort braking cannot be activated. In block 506, the target hydraulic braking force and the target regenerative braking force may be determined based on the current hydraulic braking force. For example, as described in conjunction with FIG. 3 , the target regenerative braking force may be determined according to the comfort braking force and the current hydraulic braking force, and the target hydraulic braking force may be further determined to achieve reduced-performance comfort braking.

[0040] The process by which the braking force of the reduced-performance comfort braking force changes will be described below with reference to FIG. 5B. As shown in FIG. 5B, line 520 represents the coasting regeneration request, and curve 522 represents the comfort regenerative braking force corresponding to the coasting regenerative request. Dashed line 524 indicates the beginning of comfort braking. It is clear that with the intervention of comfort braking, curve 522 gradually decreases, indicating that the comfort regenerative braking force corresponding to the coasting regenerative request slowly approaches zero. Line 526 represents the target braking force requested by the driver, and curve 528 represents the comfort braking force. It is clear that the comfort braking force is smaller than the target braking force, minimizing shock during the braking process and promoting a more comfortable braking experience. Furthermore, curve 530 represents the motor regeneration potential, and curve 532 represents the regenerative braking force corresponding to the brake regeneration request generated when the driver presses the brake pedal. The area between curve 528 and curve 532 represents the magnitude of the actual hydraulic braking force. Compared to the process shown in FIG. 4B, the hydraulic braking force shown in FIG. 5B is large and cannot be adjusted below a comfortable braking force, so a comfort braking with reduced performance is activated.

[0041] Continuing with reference to FIG. 5A , at block 510, a reduced performance indicator may be transmitted to a vehicle control unit. For example, transmitting the indicator keeps the driver informed of the vehicle's current comfort braking performance and allows other systems in the vehicle to adjust according to the level of comfort braking performance. Furthermore, in some embodiments, whether to activate full-performance comfort braking may be based on whether the current deceleration is greater than a first deceleration threshold and less than a second deceleration threshold. For example, assuming the first deceleration threshold is 3 m / s and the second deceleration threshold is 5 m / s, and the current deceleration is greater than the first deceleration threshold and less than the second deceleration threshold, it may be determined that reduced-performance comfort braking may be activated.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process 600 for determining a regenerative braking force, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In block 602, a current hydraulic braking force may be obtained. For example, in conjunction with FIG. 1, the control system 110 may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from the hydraulic brake unit 140. In some embodiments, the control system may obtain the current hydraulic braking force from a vehicle control unit. In block 604, a target regenerative braking force may be determined based on a comfortable braking force and the current hydraulic braking force. In some embodiments, the target braking force desired by the driver may be determined by the brake pedal depression, and the comfortable braking force may then be determined based on parameters such as the target braking force, vehicle speed, deceleration, and incline value. For example, if the comfortable braking force is determined to be 500 N and the current hydraulic braking force is detected to be 100 N, the target regenerative braking force may be determined to be 400 N. Because regenerative braking enables energy recovery, increasing the proportion of regenerative braking may increase the efficiency of energy recovery during braking.

[0043] In block 606, the actual regenerative braking force may be adjusted based on the braking force offset. For example, if a target regenerative braking force of 400N is requested from the regenerative braking unit, the maximum achievable regenerative braking force is 500N, and the actual regenerative braking force offset is (500N-400N)=100N. The motor may be capable of providing a target regenerative braking force of 500N, but only need to provide an actual regenerative braking force of 400N. If the driver increases braking demand slightly (e.g., by increasing the brake pedal depression), the braking force provided by the regenerative braking force offset may be adjusted to respond quickly, thereby increasing the response speed of the braking system. If the driver increases braking demand quickly, the braking force offset may be adjusted quickly, and the regenerative braking force and hydraulic braking force may be increased simultaneously to provide a braking force response sufficient to meet the driver's emergency braking needs.

[0044] 7 is a schematic diagram of a device 700 for comfort braking, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 comprises a comfort braking determination unit 702 configured to determine a comfort braking force based on a brake pedal opening of a vehicle. The device 700 further comprises a hydraulic regeneration determination unit 704 configured to determine a hydraulic braking force and a regenerative braking force based on the comfort braking force. Furthermore, the device 700 further comprises a comfort braking control unit 706 configured to implement comfort braking on the vehicle based on the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force.

[0045] In some embodiments, the comfort braking determination unit 702 includes a target braking determination unit configured to determine a required target braking force based on a brake pedal depression, and a second comfort braking determination unit configured to determine a comfortable braking force based on the target braking force, the vehicle speed, deceleration, and incline value.

[0046] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 further includes a regenerative braking adjustment unit configured to respond upon detecting that the regenerative braking force drops to zero, and a hydraulic braking adjustment unit configured to increase the hydraulic braking force to equal the target braking force.

[0047] In some embodiments, the hydraulic regeneration determination unit 704 includes a hydraulic acquisition unit configured to acquire a current hydraulic braking force of the vehicle, a target regeneration determination unit configured to determine a target regenerative braking force based on a comfortable braking force and the current hydraulic braking force of the vehicle, a regenerative braking determination unit configured to determine a target regenerative braking force based on a vehicle speed and a motor power, and a hydraulic braking force determination unit configured to determine a hydraulic braking force based on the comfortable braking force and the regenerative braking force.

[0048] In some embodiments, the regenerative braking determination unit includes a maximum regenerative determination unit that determines a maximum regenerative braking force based on the vehicle speed and the motor power, a second regenerative braking determination unit configured to use the target regenerative braking force as the regenerative braking force in response to the maximum regenerative braking force being greater than the target regenerative braking force, and a third regenerative braking determination unit configured to use the maximum regenerative braking force as the regenerative braking force in response to the maximum regenerative braking force being less than or equal to the target regenerative braking force.

[0049] In some embodiments, the regenerative braking determination unit further includes a full performance activation unit configured to activate full performance comfort braking in response to the current hydraulic braking force being less than a minimum comfort braking force value, a reduced performance activation unit configured to activate reduced performance comfort braking in response to the current hydraulic braking force being less than the minimum comfort braking force value, greater than the minimum comfort braking force value, and less than a requested target braking force, and an indicator sending unit configured to send a performance indicator indicative of the comfort braking performance to the vehicle control unit.

[0050] In some embodiments, the regenerative braking determination unit further includes a reduced performance second activation unit configured to activate reduced performance comfort braking in response to the vehicle deceleration being less than the first deceleration threshold and greater than the second deceleration threshold, a full performance second activation unit configured to activate full performance comfort braking in response to the vehicle deceleration being less than the second deceleration threshold, and an indicator second transmission unit configured to transmit a performance indicator indicative of the comfort braking performance to the vehicle control unit.

[0051] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 further includes an actual regenerative monitoring unit configured to monitor an actual regenerative braking force of the vehicle; a braking force difference determination unit configured to determine a braking force difference between the actual turning braking force and the regenerative braking force in response to the actual turning braking force being less than the regenerative braking force; and a hydraulic brake adjustment unit configured to adjust the hydraulic braking force based on the braking force difference.

[0052] In some embodiments, the apparatus 700 further comprises a braking force offset determination unit configured to determine a braking force offset for the vehicle, and a vehicle braking control unit configured to brake the vehicle utilizing the braking force offset, regenerative braking force, and hydraulic braking force in response to an emergency braking request for the vehicle.

[0053] 8 shows a schematic block diagram of an example device 800 that may be used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, device 800 includes a processor 801 that may perform various appropriate operations and processes in accordance with embedded program instructions stored in read-only memory (ROM) 802 or random access memory (RAM) 803. Various programs and data necessary for the operation of device 800 may also be stored in RAM 803. Processor 801, ROM 802, and RAM 803 are interconnected via bus 804. An input / output (I / O) interface 805 is also connected to bus 804.

[0054] The various processes and operations described above may be executed by the processor 801. For example, in some embodiments, they may be implemented as an embedded program tangibly embodied in a machine-readable medium. In some embodiments, some or all of the embedded program may be loaded and / or installed on the device 800 via the ROM 802. When the embedded program is loaded into the RAM 803 and executed by the processor 801, one or more operations of the methods and processes described in this disclosure may be performed.

[0055] A machine-readable storage medium may be a tangible device that holds and stores instructions used to instruct an execution device. A machine-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), and any suitable combination of the above. As used herein, a machine-readable storage medium is not to be construed as a transitory signal itself, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses through a fiber optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.

[0056] The machine-readable program instructions described herein may be downloaded from machine-readable storage media into various computing / processing devices, or may be downloaded to an external machine or storage device from a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. The network may include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmissions, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway machines, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface within each computing / processing device receives the machine-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the machine-readable program instructions for storage in the machine-readable storage media of each computing / processing device.

[0057] Machine program instructions for carrying out the operations of the present disclosure may be assembly instructions, Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-related instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, such as object-oriented programming languages ​​(e.g., Smalltalk, C++, etc.) and traditional procedural programming languages ​​(e.g., C or similar programming languages). The machine-readable program instructions may execute entirely on a user's machine, partially on a user's machine, partially as a standalone software package, partially on a user's machine and a remote machine or server, or entirely on a remote machine or server. When remote machines are involved, the remote machines may be connected to the user's machine via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external machine (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, the state information of the machine-readable program instructions is used to individualize electronic circuitry, such as a programmable logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA), such that the electronic circuitry is capable of executing the machine-readable program instructions, thereby achieving various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0058] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams that illustrate methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, and combinations of various blocks in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams, may be implemented by machine-readable program instructions.

[0059] These machine-readable program instructions may be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose machine, special-purpose machine, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that, when these instructions are executed by a processing unit of the machine or other programmable data processing apparatus, it produces an apparatus that performs the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. These machine-readable program instructions may also be stored on a machine-readable storage medium, the instructions causing a machine, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other apparatus to operate in a particular manner. Thus, a machine-readable medium storing instructions includes an article of manufacture containing instructions for implementing various aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0060] The machine-readable program instructions may be loaded into a machine, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device such that a sequence of operations is executed on the machine, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to create a machine-implemented process that causes the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be performed on the machine, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device.

[0061] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate system architecture, functionality, and operations that may be implemented based on systems, methods, and computer program products according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, program section, or portion of instructions, which includes one or more executable instructions used to implement the specified logical function. In some alternative embodiments, the functions shown in the blocks may also occur out of the order shown in the figures. For example, two consecutive blocks may in fact be performed substantially simultaneously or in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that all blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system used to implement a zoom function or action, or may be implemented using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0062] Various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above. The description provided is illustrative and not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terms used herein are selected to best explain the principles and practical applications of the various embodiments, or technical improvements to the technology in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the various embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A comfortable braking method (200), comprising: Determining a comfortable braking force based on a brake pedal depression of the vehicle (202); determining a hydraulic braking force and a regenerative braking force based on the comfortable braking force (204); performing a comfortable braking (206) on the vehicle based on the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force; A method comprising:

2. Determining the comfortable braking force comprises: determining a required target braking force based on the brake pedal opening; determining the comfortable braking force based on the target braking force, the speed, deceleration and incline value of the vehicle; The method (200) of claim 1, comprising:

3. Responding upon detecting that the regenerative braking force has decreased to zero; increasing the hydraulic braking force to be equal to the target braking force; The method (200) of claim 2, further comprising:

4. Determining the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force includes: Obtaining a current hydraulic braking force of the vehicle; determining a target regenerative braking force based on the comfortable braking force and the current hydraulic braking force; determining the regenerative braking force based on the target regenerative braking force, the speed of the vehicle, and motor power; determining the hydraulic braking force based on the comfort braking force and the regenerative braking force; The method (200) of claim 1, comprising:

5. Determining the regenerative braking force includes: determining a maximum regenerative braking force based on the speed and the motor power of the vehicle; In response to a case where the maximum regenerative braking force is greater than the target regenerative braking force, the target regenerative braking force is used as the regenerative braking force; In response to a case where the maximum regenerative braking force is equal to or less than the target regenerative braking force, the maximum regenerative braking force is used as the regenerative braking force; The method (200) of claim 4, comprising:

6. activating full performance comfort braking in response to the current hydraulic braking force being less than the minimum comfort braking force value; activating reduced performance comfort braking in response to the current hydraulic braking force being greater than the minimum comfort braking force and less than the requested target braking force; transmitting a performance indicator indicative of comfortable braking performance to a vehicle control unit; The method (200) of claim 5, further comprising:

7. Initiating reduced performance comfort braking in response to deceleration of the vehicle being less than a first deceleration threshold and greater than a second deceleration threshold; activating full performance comfort braking in response to the deceleration being less than the second deceleration threshold; and transmitting a performance indicator indicative of comfortable braking performance to a vehicle control unit; The method (200) of claim 5, further comprising:

8. monitoring an actual regenerative braking force of the vehicle; determining a braking force difference between the actual regenerative braking force and the regenerative braking force in response to the actual regenerative braking force being less than the regenerative braking force; adjusting the hydraulic braking force based on the braking force difference; The method (200) of claim 1, further comprising:

9. determining a braking force offset for the vehicle; braking the vehicle using the braking force offset, the regenerative braking force, and the hydraulic braking force in response to an emergency braking request of the vehicle; The method (200) of claim 1, further comprising:

10. A device for comfortable braking, comprising: a comfort braking determination unit configured to determine a comfort braking force based on an opening of a brake pedal of the vehicle; a hydraulic regeneration determination unit configured to determine a hydraulic braking force and a regenerative braking force based on the comfortable braking force; a comfort braking control unit configured to perform comfort braking on the vehicle based on the hydraulic braking force and the regenerative braking force; An apparatus comprising:

11. a controller, at least one processor; a memory coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 9; and A controller comprising:

12. 10. A computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising machine-executable instructions used to implement the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.

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