METHOD TO DEGRADE BRAKING MODES

• US 20100078519A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Cahill, Eric D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,590,985 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/111
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/406 Test-mode; Self-diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/416 Wheel speed sensor failure
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method of controlling a braking system of a vehicle having a plurality of rotating wheels and a plurality of brakes, each brake corresponding to one of the plurality of wheels, is provided. In controlling the brakes, an operational status of the braking system is determined. Based on the determined operational status, different feedback regulation schemes are selectively implemented to control the brake force applied by the brakes.

Claims

1. A brake system for applying a braking force to a plurality of rotatable wheels of a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of brakes, each brake associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of wheels and operative to provide a braking force thereto; and

a controller configured to selectively implement one of a plurality of different feedback regulation schemes to regulate the braking force applied to the wheels, wherein the feedback regulation scheme is selected based on an operational status of the brake system.

2. The brake system according to claim 1, wherein the feedback regulation scheme is at least one of deceleration braking control, force braking control, pressure braking control, or open-loop braking control.

3. The brake system according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of wheel speed sensors, each wheel speed sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of wheels and to the controller, each respective sensor operative to provide data indicative of wheel speed, wherein said controller is configured to

monitor an operational status of each wheel speed sensor,

select deceleration braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of each wheel speed sensor is determined to be functional, and

select force braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one wheel speed sensor is malfunctioning.

4. The brake system according to claim 3, wherein when the controller implements deceleration braking control as the feedback regulation scheme, the controller is configured to use deceleration braking control for each of the plurality of brakes.

5. The brake system according to claim 3, wherein when the controller implements force braking control as the feedback regulation scheme, the controller is configured to use force braking control for each of the plurality of brakes.

6. The brake system according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of brakes includes a corresponding actuator, further comprising a plurality of force sensors, each force sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the actuators and to the controller, each respective force sensor operative to provide data indicative of a force applied by the corresponding actuator, wherein said controller is configured to

monitor an operational status of each force sensor, and

select open-loop control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one force sensor is malfunctioning.

7. The brake system according to claim 6, wherein when the controller selects open-loop control as the feedback regulation scheme, the controller is configured to implement open-loop control only on brakes that have a malfunctioning force sensor.

8. The brake system according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to maintain anti-skid brake operation for wheels having functional wheel speed sensors.

9. The brake system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of wheel speed sensors, each wheel speed sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of wheels and to the controller, each respective wheel speed sensor operative to provide data indicative of wheel speed of the corresponding wheel; and

a plurality of force sensors, each force sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the actuators and to the controller, each respective force sensor operative to provide data indicative of a force applied by the corresponding actuator,

wherein said controller is configured to

monitor an operational status of each force sensor,

select force braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of each force sensor is determined to be functional, and

select deceleration braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one force sensor is malfunctioning.

10. A method of controlling a braking system of a vehicle having a plurality of rotating wheels and a plurality of brakes, each brake corresponding to one of the plurality of wheels, comprising:

determining an operational status of the braking system; and

selectively implementing one of a plurality of different feedback regulation schemes based on said determination.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the braking system further includes a plurality of wheel speed sensors, each sensor corresponding to one of the plurality of wheels and operative to provide data indicative of wheel speed, the method further comprising:

monitoring an operational status of each wheel speed sensor;

selecting deceleration braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of each wheel speed sensor is determined to be normal; and

selecting force braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one wheel speed sensor is malfunctioning.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the braking system further includes a plurality of wheel speed sensors, each wheel speed sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of wheels and to the controller, each respective wheel speed sensor operative to provide data indicative of wheel speed of the corresponding wheel, and a plurality of force sensors, each force sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of the actuators and to the controller, each respective force sensor operative to provide data indicative of a force applied by the corresponding actuator, the method further comprising

monitoring an operational status of each force sensor,

selecting force braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of each force sensor is determined to be functional, and

selecting deceleration braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one force sensor is malfunctioning.

13. A brake controller for controlling a braking force applied by a plurality brakes to a plurality of rotatable wheels of a vehicle, wherein each brake is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of wheels, said brake controller comprising:

a processor and memory; and

logic stored in memory and executable by the processor, said logic including

logic configured to determine an operational status of the plurality of brakes, and

logic configured to selectively implement one of a plurality of different feedback regulations schemes based on said determination.

14. The controller according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of different feedback regulation schemes includes at least one of deceleration braking control logic, force braking control logic, pressure braking control logic, and open-loop braking control logic.

15. The controller according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of wheel speed sensors, each sensor corresponding to one of a plurality of wheels and operative to provide data indicative of wheel speed of the corresponding wheel, the controller further comprising:

logic configured to monitor an operational status of each wheel speed sensor;

logic configured to select deceleration braking control logic as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of each wheel speed sensor is determined to be functional; and

logic configured to select force braking control logic as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one wheel speed sensor is malfunctioning.

16. The controller according to claim 15, wherein the logic configured to select deceleration braking control includes logic configured to implement deceleration braking control to control the brake force applied by each of the plurality of brakes.

17. The controller according to claim 15, wherein the logic configured to select force braking control includes logic configured to implement force braking control to control the brake force applied by each of the plurality of brakes.

18. The controller according to claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of force sensors, each force sensor associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of brake actuators and operative to provide data indicative of a force applied by the corresponding actuator, the controller further comprising:

logic configured to monitor an operational status of each force sensor; and

logic configured to select open-loop braking control when the operational status of at least one force sensor is malfunctioning.

19. The controller according to claim 18, wherein the logic configured to select open-loop braking control includes logic configured to implement open-loop braking control only on brakes that have a malfunctioning force sensor.

20. The controller according to claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of wheel speed sensors, each wheel speed sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of wheels and operative to provide data indicative of wheel speed of the corresponding wheel, and communicate with a plurality of force sensors, each force sensor operatively coupled to a corresponding one of a plurality of actuators and operative to provide data indicative of a force applied by the corresponding actuator, the controller further comprising

logic configured to monitor an operational status of each force sensor,

logic configured to select force braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of each force sensor is determined to be functional, and

logic configured to select deceleration braking control as the feedback regulation scheme when the operational status of at least one force sensor is malfunctional.