Electronic Brake Control Device Adaptive Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing complexity of commercial vehicles' technical equipment leads to high service and maintenance costs, necessitating a more efficient method to optimize these costs without significant additional effort.

Innovation Solution

An electronic brake control device with output connections for actuating non-brake vehicle components, equipped with memory for storing operating data, allowing for adaptive maintenance scheduling based on specific component usage, and featuring a telematics unit for remote data transmission and monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If service intervals are defined synchronously with vehicle service intervals for all components, then a standardized maintenance schedule is established, but maintenance costs increase due to unnecessary servicing of components with lower usage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance schedulingVSAvoidmaintenance costs
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the maintenance monitoring by creating separate memory locations for different vehicle components (brake system components and non-brake components). Each component has its own total operating value stored independently, allowing differentiated maintenance scheduling based on actual usage of each specific component rather than a unified vehicle-wide schedule.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter basis for maintenance scheduling from fixed time-based intervals to usage-based total operating values. By storing and comparing actual operating data (switch-on times, switch-on frequencies) against limit values, the system adapts maintenance intervals to real component usage patterns, reducing unnecessary maintenance for low-usage components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If separate monitoring systems are added for each vehicle component, then component-specific maintenance data is obtained, but device complexity increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent usage monitoringVSAvoidmonitoring system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the electronic brake control device multi-functional by enabling it to monitor both brake system components and non-brake vehicle components through its existing output connections. The single control device stores total operating values for multiple different components in separate memory locations, eliminating the need for separate monitoring systems while achieving comprehensive component-specific monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the monitoring function for multiple vehicle components into a single electronic brake control device. By combining the memory storage and evaluation capabilities within this one device, the system achieves component-specific monitoring without the complexity of multiple distributed monitoring systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If comprehensive operating data is collected for all vehicle components, then maintenance needs are accurately identified, but data processing and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance need detectionVSAvoiddata storage requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential operating data needed for maintenance decisions - specifically total operating values (switch-on times and switch-on frequencies) for each component. Rather than storing all possible operational parameters, the system focuses on collecting and storing only these key metrics that directly indicate maintenance needs, reducing data storage requirements while maintaining reliable maintenance detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2734429B1Electronic brake control device for a vehicle and diagnostic device, receiver station and computer program
Publication Date: 2016.09.21 ZF CV SYST HANNOVER GMBH
  • EP2734429B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2734429B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to an electronic brake control device (1) for a vehicle (3, 4) having one or more output connections (21) for activating one or more vehicle components (7) which are not part of the brake system of the vehicle (3, 4), wherein the electronic brake control device (1) has a memory (9) for storing data, which memory (1) has at least one memory location (11, 12) for storing operational data of a vehicle component (7) which is connected to the respective output connection (7), wherein the electronic brake control device (1) is configured to detect data characterizing the operation of the connected vehicle component (7) and to collect said data as an overall operating value of the vehicle component (7) and to store said data in the assigned memory location (11, 12). The invention also relates to a diagnostic device, a receiver station and a computer program therefor.