Brake Booster Control Device Using Pressure Sensor Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional brake booster systems fail to maintain driving comfort when the brake booster or its components malfunction, leading to a sudden increase in driver workload due to insufficient support force, and existing solutions require additional hardware or sensors that increase costs and complexity.

Innovation Solution

A control device that uses existing vehicle components, such as pressure sensors from ABS or ESP systems, to determine the total braking force and adjust the brake booster's operation without additional hardware, thereby bridging functional failures and maintaining system functionality by increasing the braking torque through additional components like electric actuators.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a brake booster is used to provide support force, then driving comfort is improved, but reliability deteriorates when the brake booster malfunctions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving comfortVSAvoidsystem reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors the actual support force and compares it with the target support force to detect functional impairments before they lead to complete failure. When a deviation exceeds a threshold, the system activates additional braking torque to compensate, cushioning the driver from sudden loss of braking assistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from pressure sensors to continuously measure the actual support force generated by the brake booster. This feedback is compared with the target support force to detect malfunctions and trigger compensatory measures, ensuring reliable operation even when the brake booster deteriorates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If actuating element sensors are installed to measure driver braking force, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver braking force measurementVSAvoidsensor system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of directly measuring driver braking force with sensors on the actuating element, the system uses pressure sensors in the hydraulic circuit as an intermediary to indirectly determine the total braking force. This mediator approach provides the necessary measurement information without adding complex sensor systems to the actuating element.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses existing pressure sensor data from the brake control system to derive information about driver braking force, creating a virtual copy of the measurement function without requiring physical sensors on the actuating element itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If additional braking torque is applied to compensate for brake booster failure, then reliability is improved, but force requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebraking system reliabilityVSAvoidtotal braking force
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the additional braking torque based on the detected deviation between actual and target support force. The compensation is not fixed but adapts to the severity of the brake booster malfunction, applying only the necessary additional force to maintain reliable braking performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP2416995B1Control device and method for a vehicle brake system comprising a brake booster
Publication Date: 2016.12.14 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2416995B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2416995B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2416995B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a control device(10) for a brake-power-assisted brake system of a vehicle having a first input device (26) for a supplied first information item (28) relating to a supplied assistance force (Fu) of a brake booster (14) of the brake-power-assisted brake system, a second input device (30) for a supplied second information item (32) relating to a total force (Fg) comprising the assistance force (Fu) and a driver braking force (Ff) supplied by activation of an activation element (12) of the brake-power-assisted brake system, an evaluation device (36) which is configured to define a third information item relating to a proportional relationship between the total force (Fg) and the assistance force (Fu) taking into account the first information item (28) and the second information item (32), and an output device (44, 50) which is configured to supply at least one control signal (46, 52) to at least one component (14, 54) of the brake-power-assisted brake system taking into account the defined third information item relating to the proportional relationship between the total force (Fg) and the assistance force (Fu). In addition, the invention relates to methods for operating a brake-power-assisted brake system of a vehicle.