Accelerator Pedal Signal Modifier Safety Bypass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Throttle-by-wire systems in vehicles often suffer from lack of pedal response sensitivity and can enter 'Limp' mode if sensors fail, leading to reduced power output and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A fail-safe system with a central processing unit (CPU) electronically between the accelerator pedal position signal and the vehicle ECU, which monitors faults and activates a safety bypass to send unmodified signals to the ECU, ensuring safe operation and rerouting the signal through a reverse gear bypass circuit to prevent aggressive modes in reverse gear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If accelerator pedal signal modifiers are used to enhance pedal response sensitivity, then pedal response and engine sensitivity are improved, but system complexity and potential safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary safety monitoring system between the accelerator pedal position sensor and the ECU. This intermediary layer continuously monitors the signal modifier's operation and can bypass it if faults are detected, thereby enhancing pedal response through the signal modifier while mitigating safety risks through the monitoring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct functional components: the original pedal position sensor, the signal modifier module, the safety monitoring system, and the ECU. This segmentation allows the signal modifier to enhance responsiveness independently while the safety monitoring system separately ensures safety, resolving the contradiction between improved responsiveness and system complexity.
2Productivity
If signal modifiers modify the pedal signal to increase acceleration demand, then engine response is improved, but harmful factors such as unintended acceleration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety monitoring system continuously monitors the signal modifier's operation and provides feedback about its status. When faults are detected in the signal modifier, the system activates a bypass route that sends unmodified pedal position signals directly to the ECU, preventing unintended acceleration while maintaining improved engine response during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares safety measures in advance by establishing a bypass route before faults occur. The monitoring system is continuously active, and the bypass mechanism is pre-configured to activate immediately when faults are detected, cushioning against potential harmful effects of signal modifier failures before they can cause unintended acceleration.
3Reliability
If the system enters Limp mode to prevent dangerous acceleration, then safety is improved, but power output is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a dedicated safety monitoring module that can be independently activated or deactivated based on fault conditions. This modular approach allows the system to maintain full power output during normal operation while having a safety mechanism ready to limit power only when necessary, avoiding continuous power reduction while maintaining safety.
Data Source
AI summary
A fail-safe system for accelerator pedal signal modifiers of throttle-by-wire systems for vehicles has a CPU electronically between an accelerator pedal position signal and a vehicle ECU using routines to modify the accelerator pedal position signal to the ECU. The system is monitored for faults and bypasses the modification routines to transmit the unmodified accelerator pedal position signal to the ECU when the accelerator pedal signal modifier has failed. The ECU is also monitored to detect the status of the vehicle transmission. When reverse gear is initiated, the modification routines are bypassed to transmit the unmodified accelerator pedal position signal to the ECU.