BRAKE CONTROL METHOD AND BRAKE CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20080125948A1
• Filed: 11/26/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyashita, Naoshi, Matsuda, Jun, Kitazaki, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/83
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2240/06 Wheel load; Wheel lift
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/17636 Microprocessor-based systems

Abstract

A brake control device includes a braking device provided to a wheel, the braking device having a function of applying a brake force to the wheel while adjusting the brake force. The brake control device includes: an acceleration sensor for outputting acceleration data of acceleration acting on the rotating tire in a radial direction of the tire; a contact length calculating unit for calculating contact lengths of the tire based on the acceleration data; a brake sensor for detecting that a brake force is applied and for outputting a detection signal; a judging unit for outputting, to the braking device, a brake information signal for adjusting the brake force according to comparative judgment information which is obtained by comparing the calculated contact lengths; and a brake control unit for outputting a control signal for causing the braking device to adjust a brake force thereof according to the brake information signal.

Claims

1. A brake control method for a braking device having a function of applying a brake force to a wheel equipped with a tire to put a brake on the wheel while adjusting the brake force, the brake control method comprising the steps of:

acquiring, in time series, acceleration data of acceleration acting on the tire in a radial direction of the tire, due to rotation of the tire;

calculating a contact lengths of the tire based on the acceleration data for every round of rotation of the tire; and

controlling the brake force, according to comparative judgment information obtained by comparing a plurality of contact lengths of the tire thus calculated, with one another.

2. The brake control method according to claim 1, wherein the contact lengths are respectively calculated by calculating a displacement caused by contact of the tire with a ground surface, the displacement being calculated by subjecting the acceleration data to integration processing.

3. The brake control method according to claim 1, wherein, when the brake force is applied, assuming that a contact length in a state where the brake force is not applied or in a state immediately after the application of the brake force is set as a reference contact length, and when a contact length calculated after the application of the brake force is longer than a length determined by multiplying the reference contact length by a predetermined value, the step of controlling the brake force is executed.

4. The brake control method according to claim 1, wherein among the contact lengths calculated after the application of the brake force, assuming that a contact length at a preceding time is set to L_i−

1 and a following contact length calculated first after the preceding time is set to L_i, and when the following contact length L_i satisfies 1.02×

L<sub>i−

1</sub>>

L_i>

0.97×

L<sub>i−

1</sub>, the step of controlling the brake force is executed.

5. The brake control method according to claim 1, wherein assuming that a contact length calculated for every round of rotation of the tire after the application of the brake force is set to L_j and a maximum length of contact lengths calculated before a slip ratio of the tire reaches a maximum value thereof is set to L_max, and when the contact length L_j does not satisfy 1.1×

L_max>

L_j>

0.9×

L_max, the step of controlling the brake force is executed.

6. The brake control method according to claim 1, wherein the tire is provided with a plurality of acceleration sensors for outputting the acceleration data, in a width direction or in a circumferential direction of the tire.

7. A brake control device, comprising:

a braking device provided to a wheel equipped with a tire, the braking device having a function of applying a brake force to the wheel to put a brake on the wheel while adjusting the brake force;

an acceleration sensor for outputting, in time series, acceleration data of acceleration acting on the tire in a radial direction of the tire due to rotation of tire;

a contact length calculating unit, to which the acceleration data is input, for calculating a contact length of the tire based on the acceleration data for every round of rotation of the tire;

a brake sensor for detecting that the brake force is applied by the braking device and for outputting a detection signal;

a judging unit connected to the brake sensor, for outputting, to the braking device, a brake information signal indicating whether it is necessary or not to adjust the brake force, according to comparative judgment information which is obtained by comparing calculated contact lengths of the tire, in a case where the detection signal is input from the brake sensor; and

a brake control unit connected to the judging unit, for outputting a control signal for causing the braking device to adjust the brake force thereof, according to the brake information signal output from the judging unit.

8. The brake control device according to claim 7, wherein the contact length calculating unit calculates each contact length by calculating a displacement caused by contact of the tire with a ground surface, the displacement being calculated by subjecting the acceleration data to integration processing.

9. The brake control device according to claim 7, wherein, in a case where the detection signal is input from the brake sensor, assuming that a contact length in one of a state where the brake force is not applied and in a state immediately after the application of the brake force is set as a reference contact length, and when a contact length calculated after the application of the brake force is longer than a length determined by multiplying the reference contact length by a predetermined value, the judging unit outputs the brake information signal to the brake control unit.

10. The brake control device according to claim 7, wherein, among contact lengths calculated after the application of the brake force, assuming that a contact length at a preceding time is set to L_i−

1 and a following contact length calculated first after the preceding time is set to L_i, and when the following contact length L_i satisfies 1.02×

L<sub>i−

1</sub>>

L_i>

0.97×

L<sub>i−

1</sub> and the detection signal is input from the brake sensor, the judging unit outputs the brake information signal to the brake control unit.

11. The brake control device according to claim 7, wherein assuming that a contact length calculated for every round of rotation of the tire after the application of the brake force is set to L_j and a maximum length of contact lengths calculated before a slip ratio of the tire reaches a maximum value thereof is set to L_max, and when the contact length L_j does not satisfy 1.1×

L_max>

L_j>

0.9×

L_max and the detection signal is input from the brake sensor, the judging unit outputs the brake information signal to the brake control unit.

12. The brake control device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a wheel speed sensor provided to the wheel for measuring a wheel speed;

a slip ratio calculating unit connected to the wheel speed sensor, for calculating a slip ratio based on information on the wheel speed; and

a brake judging unit connected to the slip ratio calculating unit and to the brake sensor, for outputting a signal as the brake information signal to the braking device, the signal including information indicating whether it is necessary or not to adjust the brake force, according to the slip ratio determined by the slip ratio calculating unit, when the detection signal is input from the brake sensor, wherein;

the brake judging unit is connected to the brake control unit and outputs the brake information signal to the brake control unit; and

the brake control unit outputs, to the braking device, a control signal for causing the braking device to adjust the brake force, according to the brake information signal.

13. The brake control device according to claim 7, wherein the tire is provided with a plurality of the acceleration sensors in a width direction or in a circumferential direction of the tire.