Electric Brake Architecture with Axle Modulators for Central Unit Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle braking systems are complex and costly, requiring two central control units for redundancy, which increases complexity and reduces safety in case of failures.
Innovation Solution
A simplified electric braking system with a single central control unit and axle modulators that receive brake signals directly from a brake value transmitter, enabling redundant braking and improved stability through communication between axle modulators, even if the central control unit fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two central control units are used for redundancy, then safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the braking system into modular components: a single central control unit, multiple axle modulators, and brake units. Each axle modulator operates semi-independently, receiving commands from the central unit while maintaining local autonomy for safety-critical functions. This segmentation allows redundancy at the axle level without requiring duplicate central control units.
Solution Approach 2:
The axle modulators serve as intermediaries between the central control unit and the brake units. They receive braking commands from the central unit and translate them into appropriate brake activation signals. This intermediary layer distributes the control function, reducing the need for complete central control redundancy while maintaining system safety.
2Reliability
If two central control units are used for redundancy, then safety is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control architecture to eliminate the need for expensive duplicate central control units. Instead, it uses a single central unit combined with multiple distributed axle modulators that provide localized redundancy. This segmentation reduces the quantity of expensive electronic control components while maintaining safety through distributed fault tolerance.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than copying the entire central control unit, the patent implements redundancy at the axle modulator level. Each axle modulator contains essential control logic that can operate independently if needed, providing a cheaper form of redundancy that copies only the necessary safety-critical functions at the distributed level.
3Reliability
If axle modulators receive brake signals directly from brake value transmitter, then reliability is improved during central control failure, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The axle modulators are pre-configured with the capability to receive brake signals directly from the brake value transmitter. This preliminary setup ensures that when normal operation occurs, they receive commands from the central unit, but when central control fails, they can immediately switch to receiving signals directly from the brake value transmitter without requiring complex real-time reconfiguration or additional hardware switches.
Solution Approach 2:
The axle modulators are designed with multi-functionality, serving dual purposes: receiving braking commands from the central control unit during normal operation and receiving commands directly from the brake value transmitter during central control failure. This universal design allows a single component to perform multiple functions, reducing the need for separate redundant signal paths and reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electric brake system (100) for vehicles (200) is provided, which brake system (100) has a brake value encoder (210), at least one first axle (220) with at least two wheels (221, 222) and a second axle (230) with at least two wheels (231, 232). A first axle modulator (120) is assigned to the first axle (220). A second axle modulator (130) is assigned to the second axle (230). In addition, a single central control unit (110) is provided which generates and outputs a first brake signal (111) for the first axle modulator (120) and a second brake signal (112) for the second axle modulator (130) as a function of a brake signal (211) from the brake value encoder (210) or as a function of a further braking request (400). The first and second axle modulators (120, 130) are each configured to decelerate the wheels (221, 222, 231, 232) of the first and second axles (220, 230) as a function of the first and second brake signals (111, 112) from the central control unit (110).