Electric Parking Brake Control for Brake Booster Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle brake systems with hydraulic and electromechanical components face challenges in maintaining braking comfort and adherence to legal requirements when the brake booster is in a functionally limited or failed state, particularly during intense and quick braking, as they require significant driver effort and may not provide adequate resistance sensing.
Innovation Solution
A control device for an electric parking brake that monitors the brake booster's state using existing sensors, such as pressure sensors, to adjust the braking torque applied by an autoelectric parking brake caliper, ensuring reduced driver effort and maintaining braking performance even in booster failure scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the brake booster is in a functionally limited or functionally incapacitated state, then the driver experiences significant braking effort, but the braking system cannot provide adequate resistance sensing and braking comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The control device acts as an intermediary between the failed brake booster and the electric parking brake, detecting the booster's functional state and automatically activating the electric parking brake to compensate for the loss of boosting function, thereby maintaining driver comfort without requiring direct driver intervention
Solution Approach 2:
The brake system performs self-diagnosis and self-compensation by using the control device to monitor the brake booster's state and automatically engaging the electric parking brake when failure is detected, eliminating the need for external monitoring devices or manual driver adjustment
2Measurement precision
If a separate monitoring device is added to monitor the brake booster, then the brake booster state can be detected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls the electric parking brake, monitors the brake booster's functional state, and automatically activates compensation measures, thereby eliminating the need for separate monitoring devices and reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring function for the brake booster is merged into the control device that already manages the electric parking brake, combining detection and control functions in a single integrated unit to avoid additional hardware and simplify the system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
A control device for at least one electric parking brake of a vehicle brake system of a vehicle having a control instrument, to determine a setpoint variable regarding a setpoint braking torque to be generated with the parking brake and to output a control signal, the control instrument being configured to ascertain/detect, based on at least one provided signal, whether a brake booster is in at least one functionally limited or incapacitated state, and, if indicated, to determine the setpoint variable by considering at least one defined parameter regarding a requested total braking torque and to control the electric parking brake so that a corresponding actual braking torque is exertable with the parking brake. Also described is an electric parking brake for a vehicle brake system and to a vehicle brake system, and a method for operating a vehicle brake system having a brake booster and an electric parking brake.