Brake-by-Wire Test Control With Relay Failover
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Solution Overview
Problem
The evaluation of brake-by-wire (BBW) systems in vehicles is inconsistent and labor-intensive, leading to potential injuries and accidents due to reliance on human testers, who may vary in proficiency, and repeated testing causes fatigue and increases man-hours without ensuring reproducibility.
Innovation Solution
An automated braking test system that includes a test request input unit, an automated test controller, and a braking controller, which generates and transmits automated test signals to evaluate braking performance, detects errors in relays, and switches to backup relays to ensure consistent and safe braking control, reducing the need for human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual testing by human testers is used, then flexibility in test execution is maintained, but evaluation consistency and reliability deteriorate due to varying tester proficiency and fatigue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical testing operations with an automated test system that uses electronic controllers to execute braking tests. The automated test controller generates test signals and controls the braking system without human physical intervention, eliminating variability from manual execution while maintaining test flexibility through programmable test sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated test system performs self-testing and self-evaluation functions where the system automatically executes test protocols, collects data, and evaluates braking performance without requiring continuous human operation. The system serves itself by autonomously managing the testing process while human operators only need to initiate and monitor tests.
2Reliability
If repeated braking tests are conducted by human testers, then comprehensive evaluation is achieved, but tester injury risk and work fatigue increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces human testers who physically operate braking mechanisms with an automated controller that generates electronic test signals. This substitution eliminates the physical strain and injury risk associated with repeated manual braking operations while maintaining comprehensive evaluation capabilities through automated test sequences.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated test controller acts as an intermediary between the test protocol requirements and the braking system execution. It translates test requirements into controlled signals, eliminating the need for human physical intervention in the braking process while ensuring reproducible evaluation results.
3Productivity
If manual braking control is used, then real-time adjustment capability is maintained, but testing efficiency and productivity decrease due to increased man-hours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual braking control operations with automated electronic control systems that execute test sequences without human intervention. This substitution dramatically increases testing efficiency by eliminating the time-consuming manual operations while maintaining the ability to adjust test parameters through software configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated test system provides dynamic test execution capabilities where test parameters, sequences, and conditions can be adjusted in real-time through software control. This maintains the flexibility of manual adjustment while achieving the speed and efficiency of automated execution, allowing adaptive testing without human physical intervention.
4Reliability
If backup relays are added to the system, then system reliability improves through error detection and failover capability, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements backup relays as a preemptive measure to cushion against potential main relay failures. The backup relays remain dormant during normal operation but are ready to activate immediately if the main relay fails, providing fault tolerance without adding operational complexity during normal testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The backup relay system applies redundancy selectively only to critical control functions where failure would compromise braking safety. Not all system components have backup relays, but only those where failure risk justifies the added complexity, optimizing the balance between reliability and system simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated braking test system may include a test request input unit of an automated braking test request, an automated test controller electrically connected to the test request input unit and configured to generate an automated test signal for evaluating braking performance of a vehicle according to the automated braking test request received from the test request input unit, and a braking controller electrically connected to the automated test controller and configured to control braking of a vehicle based on the automated test signal or a braking request signal from a pedal sensor electrically connected to the automated test controller.