Brake Motor ASIC Segmentation for Fail-Safe Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake system control units for vehicles with hydraulic and electromechanical brake systems face challenges in maintaining functionality and safety when components like the microcontroller or communication interfaces fail, leading to potential loss of braking capability during normal driving or parking.
Innovation Solution
The brake system control unit incorporates a separate brake motor ASIC that can independently actuate the electric brake motor based on the current switch state, allowing for continued operation of the electromechanical brake device even in the event of control unit failures, and can generate a maximum braking force or maintain a parking braking force by continuously interrogating the actuation switch and using electronic H bridges to control the electric brake motor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a centralized control unit with microcontroller is used to control both hydraulic and electromechanical brake systems, then the system can be actuated in normal operating mode, but the system loses reliability when the microcontroller or communication interfaces fail
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is divided into two independent parts: a microcontroller for normal operation and a separate brake motor ASIC for emergency operation. This segmentation allows the electromechanical brake system to be controlled independently if the microcontroller fails, maintaining brake functionality under failure conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake motor ASIC is given specific local functionality to independently control the electromechanical brake system without requiring microcontroller intervention. This local quality ensures that critical brake functions remain operational even when the central control system fails.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the electromechanical brake device is integrated into the hydraulic brake system under centralized control, then normal braking operation is achieved, but the system complexity increases and reliability decreases when control components fail
Solution Approach 1:
The control architecture is segmented into a microcontroller for hydraulic brake control and a separate brake motor ASIC for electromechanical brake control. This reduces overall system complexity by dividing functions into independent, manageable modules with dedicated control logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The brake motor ASIC contains self-contained control logic that can independently actuate the electromechanical brake system without requiring continuous microcontroller intervention. This self-service capability simplifies the overall control structure while maintaining integrated brake system functionality.
3Reliability
If the brake motor ASIC independently controls the electromechanical brake system, then reliability is improved under failure conditions, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The brake motor ASIC is designed with multi-functionality to handle both normal operation support and emergency independent control of the electromechanical brake system. This universal design improves reliability without requiring entirely separate control systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A brake system control unit for a vehicle having a hydraulic vehicle brake and electromechanical brake device comprises a microcontroller, a system ASIC and a brake motor ASIC, wherein the microcontroller is connected to the system ASIC and the brake motor ASIC via communication interfaces. In the brake motor ASIC, an interrogation signal sequence for interrogating the switched state of an actuation switch of the electromechanical brake device is generated.