Vehicle Neutral Hold Control Against Brake Failure and Rolling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle control systems fail to maintain fuel efficiency and safety when the vehicle brake system cannot keep the vehicle fully stopped at a complete stop, and inadvertently deactivate brake hold or neutral hold due to accidental driver inputs, leading to potential forward rolling.

Innovation Solution

A system with a controller that activates the parking brake and maintains neutral hold even when the vehicle braking system fails, and overrides accidental accelerator pedal inputs to prevent rolling and maintain idling, ensuring the vehicle remains stopped.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the vehicle braking system cannot work properly while the vehicle is at a complete stop in DRIVE, then fuel efficiency is improved by maintaining neutral hold, but the vehicle may roll forward causing safety issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidvehicle stopping reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system activates the parking brake in advance when brake hold control is determined to be unavailable, creating a backup safety mechanism before neutral hold is engaged. This prior cushioning ensures that even if the primary braking system fails, the vehicle remains securely stopped while maintaining fuel efficiency through neutral hold.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Use of energy by moving object

If the gearbox is put into neutral while the vehicle is at a complete stop in DRIVE, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the vehicle may roll forward if the braking system fails

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidvehicle rolling forward
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The parking brake serves as an intermediary safety mechanism between the neutral hold control and the vehicle's stopping reliability. When neutral hold is activated to improve fuel efficiency, the parking brake intermediary ensures that the vehicle cannot roll forward even if the primary braking system fails, thus resolving the contradiction between fuel efficiency and safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If the system cancels brake hold and neutral hold due to accidental accelerator pedal input, then safety is improved by preventing unintended vehicle movement, but fuel efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesafetyVSAvoidfuel efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts its response to accelerator pedal input based on the detection of target objects. When no target objects are detected, the system maintains brake hold and neutral hold for fuel efficiency. When target objects are detected, the system dynamically switches to canceling these controls for safety, thus resolving the contradiction between fuel efficiency and safety through conditional dynamics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Use of energy by moving object

If the system maintains brake hold and neutral hold despite accidental accelerator pedal input, then fuel efficiency is improved, but the vehicle may roll forward causing safety issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel efficiencyVSAvoidvehicle rolling forward
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses obstacle sensors to provide feedback about the environment around the vehicle. This feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish between intentional and accidental accelerator pedal inputs. When target objects are detected within a predetermined distance, the feedback triggers the system to cancel brake hold and neutral hold, preventing unintended vehicle movement while maintaining fuel efficiency when safe to do so.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4230489B1System and method for controlling a road vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.09.10 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
  • EP4230489B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4230489B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2G
  • EP4230489B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3G

AI summary

A system for controlling a road vehicle is disclosed. The system includes a controller (10). The controller (10) controls the vehicle braking system (4) in accordance with a brake hold control logic to keep the vehicle (1) fully stopped even after the vehicle driver lifts his/her foot off the brake pedal (22A) while the vehicle is at a complete stop in DRIVE, and put the gearbox (3) into neutral in accordance with a neutral hold control logic while the vehicle is at a complete stop in DRIVE. The controller (10) activates the parking brake (5), in order for "Neutral Hold" to continue, following determination that the vehicle braking system (4) cannot work properly in accordance with the brake hold control logic, thus failing to keep the vehicle (1) fully stopped. The controller (10) allows "Neutral Hold" to continue despite an inadvertent and rapid increase in driver input via the accelerator pedal (21A) following determination that at least one of the target objects detected is too close to and an obstacle to the vehicle (1) while the vehicle (1) is at a complete stop.