Electric Brake Control Branch Switching Under Random Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing brake-by-wire systems in electric vehicles face high failure risks due to random errors, which can lead to severe vehicle instability and crashes, necessitating costly redundancy solutions.
Innovation Solution
A brake control unit with a primary and backup control branch, diagnostic utilities, and mode control utilities to ensure high integrity and efficient failure mitigation, allowing seamless transition to a backup system upon primary failure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dual control channel brake control unit with auto-diagnostic units is provided for each wheel, then the potential impact of random failure is reduced, but the cost of material increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary diagnostic actions by continuously monitoring the operational status of brake control units before failures occur. The diagnostic unit detects anomalies in real-time during normal operation, allowing the system to prepare for potential failures by switching to backup control channels or adjusting brake forces, thereby reducing the impact of random failures without requiring full redundancy for each wheel
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal diagnostic and control system that can serve multiple wheels through shared diagnostic units and centralized control architecture. Instead of providing dedicated dual control channels for each wheel, the system uses multi-functional diagnostic units that can monitor multiple brake control units, and a central controller that can manage failures across different wheels, reducing material costs while maintaining reliability
2Reliability
If electronic components are designed with higher ASIL classes to reduce PMHF values, then the probability of random failure is reduced, but the cost of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous feedback mechanisms through diagnostic units that monitor the operational status, electrical parameters, and mechanical responses of brake control units. This real-time feedback allows the system to detect deviations from normal operation, identify potential failures early, and switch to backup modes or adjust control strategies, effectively reducing the impact of random failures without requiring higher ASIL class components
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-correction by automatically detecting failures through integrated diagnostic units and switching to backup control channels or adjusting brake forces without external intervention. The diagnostic units continuously self-test the brake control units, and the control unit automatically implements corrective actions, reducing reliance on expensive high-reliability components while maintaining safety
Data Source
AI summary
A brake control unit is provided comprising a primary control branch, a backup control branch, and mode control utilities, wherein the mode control utilities are configured to select in accordance with integrity diagnostic indications an operational mode of the brake control unit from a plurality of potential operational modes comprising at least a normal operational mode and a degraded operational mode, wherein respectively the primary control branch and the backup control branch are configured to generate a brake motor drive signal with their respective inverter being controlled by their respective control module in response to an external brake control signal, wherein the primary control module is configured to provide the integrity diagnostic indications in that it includes at least a first and a second mutually cooperating primary control component that are configured to diagnose each other's integrity status, and in that it is further configured to diagnose an integrity status of the backup control branch by verifying a response signal of the backup control branch in response to a test signal.