Redundant Brake Control Networks for Fault-Isolated Vehicle Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern commercial vehicle brake systems with electronic control circuits face challenges in maintaining reliable electronic control during component failures, leading to the need for a system that can handle failures safely and maintain operational control.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control system with dual communication networks and control units, where each operation component can be physically separated from a control unit upon detecting erroneous data, allowing for redundant control and preventing failure propagation through switchable data connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single electronic control circuit is used in the brake system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability decreases because a malfunction results in switchback to pneumatic control
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the electronic control circuit into two separate control circuits (first and second), each capable of independently controlling the brake actuator. This segmentation allows the system to maintain electronic control functionality even when one circuit fails, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each control circuit is equipped with dedicated communication lines and error detection capabilities specific to its own data transmission path. This local quality ensures that errors in one communication line do not affect the other circuit, allowing isolated fault management and maintaining overall system reliability.
2Reliability
If communication lines are not physically separable, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability worsens because failure propagation can occur through shared communication infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The communication infrastructure is segmented into separate communication lines for each control circuit. The first control circuit has its own dedicated communication line, and the second control circuit has its own dedicated communication line. This physical separation prevents failure propagation between circuits while maintaining manageable system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Switching mechanisms act as intermediaries that can physically disconnect faulty communication lines from the control system. When an error is detected in a communication line, the switching mechanism isolates that line, preventing failure propagation while allowing the system to continue operating through the other control circuit.
3Reliability
If the driver manually operates the brake system during electronic failures, then the ease of operation is reduced, but the reliability is maintained through direct driver control
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs self-diagnosis and automatic failover operations without requiring driver intervention. Error detection units continuously monitor communication lines, and when failures are detected, the system automatically switches to the functional control circuit, maintaining ease of operation while ensuring reliability through autonomous fault management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring of communication line status through error detection units. This feedback mechanism allows the system to automatically recognize failures and switch between control circuits without driver input, maintaining both reliability and ease of operation by keeping the brake system under electronic control even during partial failures.
Data Source
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AI summary
The application relates to a Vehicle control system comprising a first communication network, a first operation component, a first vehicle control unit connected to the communication network and to the first operation component, wherein the first vehicle control unit is configured to control a first data connection between the first operation component and the first vehicle control unit by a first signal to the first operation component, and a second vehicle control unit connected to the first operation component, wherein the second vehicle control unit is configured to control a second data connection between the first operation component and the second vehicle control unit by a second signal to the first operation component, wherein the first data connection and the second data connection can be controlled so that at least one of the first data connection and the second data connection is enabled or disabled.