Electric Brake Torque Estimation from Motor Position and Current

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric brake devices require highly accurate sensors to estimate driving force, increasing costs and complicating control due to the need for wheel movement to acquire accurate force information.

Innovation Solution

An electric brake device comprising an electric motor, a straight-moving portion, a brake pad, and a motor control device that estimates braking torque based on motor position and current relationships, allowing for accurate control without high-precision sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If highly accurate sensors are used to acquire driving force information, then measurement precision is improved, but device cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving force information accuracyVSAvoiddevice cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the thrust sensor from the system by using alternative estimation methods. The control device estimates braking force through motor current detection and braking torque estimation, removing the need for expensive high-precision sensors while maintaining adequate measurement accuracy for control purposes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces expensive high-precision sensors with lower-cost sensing approaches using standard motor current detectors and calculation-based estimation. This substitution uses more economical components that, while not as precise as thrust sensors, provide sufficient accuracy for the control application

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Measurement precision

If wheel movement is required to acquire accurate driving force information, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving force information accuracyVSAvoidcontrol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes mechanical measurement methods (requiring wheel movement and physical thrust sensors) with an electrical and computational approach. By detecting motor current and calculating braking torque through control algorithms, the system eliminates the need for complex mechanical movement and physical sensing infrastructure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own existing components (motor current detector and control device) to generate the required force information. The motor control device leverages data already available from motor operation to estimate braking force, eliminating the need for separate measurement systems or additional mechanical actions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables accurate and cost-effective control of the electric brake device, reducing the need for expensive sensors and simplifying the control process.

Implementation Method 1

an electric motor 8

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

a brake pad 5a, 5b presses a disc rotor 2

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP4541673A1Electric brake device
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP4541673A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4541673A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4541673A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electric brake device capable of accurate control at low cost. The present invention includes a motor control device 11 that controls rotation of an electric motor 8 for pressing brake pads 5a, 5b. The motor control device 11 is provided with: a motor position-current relationship generation portion 43 that acquires a relationship between the rotational position and the current of the electric motor 8; a braking torque estimation portion 41 that estimates braking torque pressing the brake pads 5a, 5b, on the rotational position of the electric motor 8; and a braking torque-position relationship portion generation portion 42 that acquires a relationship between the rotational position and the braking torque of the electric motor 8 on the basis of information from the motor position-current relationship generation portion 43 and the braking torque estimation portion 41. The rotation of the electric motor 8 is controlled on the basis of information from the braking torque-position relationship portion generation portion 42.