One-Side Brake Locking for Vehicle Theft Prevention and Portability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems face challenges in simultaneously preventing theft and ensuring the portability of a vehicle to a safe location after driver emergency control, as prioritizing theft prevention often impairs portability, and vice versa.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle control apparatus that includes processors and storage media to perform a brake control process, locking one side of the wheels when the vehicle is stopped, using a locking unit and bypass valve configuration to maintain the locked state even without power, and applying brake fluid pressure to drag the vehicle if attempted to be driven by an unauthorized person.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brake fluid pressure is applied to all wheels to prevent theft, then theft prevention is improved, but portability of the vehicle to a safe place deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The brake control system segments the wheel locking function by side. The control unit can independently lock the left-side wheels or right-side wheels based on the direction of road slope detection, rather than locking all wheels simultaneously. This segmentation allows the vehicle to be moved by lifting the non-locked side, resolving the contradiction between theft prevention and portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different brake control strategies to different sides of the vehicle based on local conditions (road slope direction). When the road slopes to the right, the right-side wheels are locked while left-side wheels remain unlocked, and vice versa. This local differentiation enables selective locking that prevents theft while allowing movement on the unlocked side.
2Reliability
If one side wheels are locked to balance theft prevention and portability, then both objectives are achieved, but system complexity increases due to side determination requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the vehicle's own suspension height changes as a natural indicator of road slope. The height detection unit measures the vertical position of the vehicle body, which automatically changes with road inclination. This self-service approach eliminates the need for external GPS or complex mapping systems, reducing overall system complexity while achieving accurate side determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex electronic navigation systems with a simple mechanical height detection mechanism. By using suspension height changes and gravitational effects on the vehicle body, the system determines road slope direction through purely mechanical means, significantly reducing system complexity compared to GPS-based or map-matching approaches.
3Reliability
If brake control locks wheels to prevent unauthorized driving, then theft prevention is improved, but drag resistance increases making vehicle movement difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The brake force is segmented and applied only to wheels on one side of the vehicle rather than all wheels. This reduces the total drag resistance compared to full-wheel locking, while still providing sufficient theft prevention. The vehicle can be moved by lifting the side with locked wheels, as the drag force is distributed only on one side.
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
This solution effectively prevents theft by locking one side of the wheels, reducing drag resistance and making it difficult for thieves to move the vehicle, while allowing authorized individuals to easily relocate the vehicle to a safe place, thus balancing theft prevention and portability.
Implementation Method 1
brake fluid pressure is applied to the brake mechanisms of one-side wheels that are either the left wheels or the right wheels to bring the one-side wheels to a locked state
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle control apparatus in a vehicle that includes left wheels, right wheels and brake mechanisms each provided for both. The apparatus includes one or more processors and one or more storage media storing a program causing a brake control process in which brake fluid pressure is applied to the brake mechanisms of one-side wheels, either left or right wheels, to bring the one-side wheels to a locked state under the condition including that the vehicle is in a stopped state or in a substantially stopped state through driver emergency control that is to be applied to the vehicle in response to detection of emergency of a driver who drives the vehicle.