Electric Parking Brake Actuator Control During Mid-Process Requests

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric parking brake control devices fail to accurately determine the operation of the electric actuator when a new operation request is received during the application or release process, leading to potential misalignment with user intent.

Innovation Solution

The electric parking brake control device ensures that operation requests are only executed after the completion of the current process, allowing for accurate determination of the electric actuator's operation by ignoring new requests during the process and only acting on the last received request after completion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If the electric parking brake control device executes a new operation request during the application or release process, then the response to user requests becomes faster, but the accuracy of determining the electric actuator's operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponse timeVSAvoidoperation determination accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control device stores the new operation request in advance during the execution of the current process, and queues it for execution after the current process completes. This preliminary storage action allows the system to be ready to respond quickly once the current process ends, without interfering with the accuracy of the ongoing operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the electric parking brake control device ignores new operation requests during the current process, then the operation determination accuracy is maintained, but the response time to user requests increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoperation determination accuracyVSAvoidresponse time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The control device introduces an intermediary storage mechanism (request queue) that holds new operation requests during the execution of the current process. This intermediary allows the system to maintain operational accuracy by ignoring requests during execution, while still preserving them for future execution, thus balancing both accuracy and responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the electric parking brake control device performs multiple processes based on multiple new operation requests received during the current process, then the user intent is better captured, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser intent recognitionVSAvoidcontrol logic complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control device dynamically adjusts its behavior based on the state of the current process. During process execution, it maintains a queue of new operation requests without executing them. After the current process completes, it executes the queued requests dynamically. This dynamic state-based control captures user intent while managing system complexity through clear state transitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4180290B1Electric parking brake control device
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 ASTEMO LTD
  • EP4180290B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4180290B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP4180290B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present invention discloses an electric parking brake control device capable of accurately determining operation of an electric actuator . The electric parking brake control device is capable of performing an application process for controlling the electric actuator to move in the direction in which a friction member is pressed against a rotation body that rotates integrally with a wheel and a release process for controlling the electric actuator to move in the direction in which the friction member is moved away from the rotation body. Even upon receiving (time t12) a new operation request for operating the electric actuator during a period (time t1 to t5) from the start of the application process or the release process to the completion of the process, the electric parking brake control device does not change the operation of the electric actuator on the basis of the operation request.