SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INDICATION OF BRAKING FOR ELECTRIC BRAKES

• US 20120145490A1
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Goodrich Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: May, William P., Summers, Paul L., Clary, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,028,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 188/1.11E
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/741 acting on an ultimate actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/402 Back-up
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/413 Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/885 using electrical circuitry

Abstract

A system for electrical braking of a vehicle comprises a power bus coupled to a first driver associated with a first electromechanical actuator (EMA). The power bus is also coupled to a second driver associated with a second EMA, and the first EMA and the second EMA are associated with a wheel of the vehicle. The power bus provides braking power to the first EMA via the first driver and to the second EMA via the second driver. A normal braking command interface provides a first braking signal to the first driver and a second braking signal to the second driver. An emergency/park brake interface bypasses the normal braking command interface and sends a first emergency/park braking signal to the first driver and a second emergency/park braking signal to the second driver. A sensor measures a current at a single location of the power bus that is proportional to a braking force exerted on the wheel.

Claims

1. A system for electrical braking of a vehicle, comprising:

a power bus coupled to a first driver associated with a first electromechanical actuator (EMA), wherein the power bus is coupled to a second driver associated with a second EMA, wherein the first EMA and the second EMA are associated with a wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the power bus provides braking power to the first EMA via the first driver and to the second EMA via the second driver;

a normal braking command interface for providing a first braking signal to the first driver and a second braking signal to the second driver;

an emergency/park brake interface for sending a first emergency/park braking signal to the first driver and a second emergency/park braking signal to the second driver, wherein the first emergency/park braking signal and the second emergency/park braking signal bypass the normal braking command interface; and

a sensor coupled to the power bus for measuring a current at a single location of the power bus, wherein the current is proportional to a braking force exerted by the first EMA and the second EMA on the wheel.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the current measured by the sensor indicates to a vehicle operator that the first EMA and the second EMA are exerting the braking force on the wheel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the normal braking command interface comprises a brake control unit (BCU), and wherein the first braking signal and the second braking signal include a normal braking signal from a normal braking signal interface of the vehicle.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the current measured by the sensor indicates to a vehicle operator that the braking force complies with the normal braking signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the current measured by the sensor relates to at least one of a drawn current and a consumed power, and wherein the current indicates to a vehicle operator that the braking force complies with the first emergency/park braking signal and the second emergency/park braking signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first driver is disposed in the first EMA, and wherein the second driver is disposed in the second EMA.

7. The system of claim 3, further comprising an electromechanical actuator controller (EMAC), wherein the first driver and the second driver are disposed in the EMAC.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the EMAC is coupled to the BCU for receiving the first braking signal and the second braking signal from the BCU, wherein the EMAC comprises a processor coupled to the first driver and the second driver for instructing the first EMA and the second EMA to exert the braking force on the wheel.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first emergency/park braking signal and the second emergency/park braking signal bypass the processor.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power controller coupled to the power bus for providing power to the first driver and the second driver in response to at least one of the first braking signal, the second braking signal, the first emergency/park braking signal, or the second emergency/park braking signal.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a second sensor disposed between the power controller and the first driver and the second driver, wherein the second sensor is for measuring, at a second single location, the current associated with at least one of the first braking signal, the second braking signal, the first emergency/park braking signal, or the second emergency/park braking signal.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the EMAC comprises a plurality of EMA drivers for providing a plurality of driving signals to a plurality of EMAs, wherein the sensor measures the current at the single location for estimating the braking force exerted by the plurality of EMAs.

13. The system of claim 3, wherein the normal braking signal interface and the emergency/park brake interface individually comprise at least one of a handle, a lever, a pedal, a button, a dial, a switch, a digital display, or a touch screen.

14. A system for electrical braking of a vehicle, comprising:

a power bus coupled to a first driver associated with a first electromechanical actuator (EMA), wherein the power bus is coupled to a second driver associated with a second EMA, wherein the first EMA and the second EMA are associated with a wheel of the vehicle, and wherein the power bus provides braking power to the first EMA via the first driver and to the second EMA via the second driver;

a normal braking command interface for providing a first braking signal to the first driver and a second braking signal to the second driver;

an emergency/park brake interface for sending a first emergency/park braking signal to the first driver and a second emergency/park braking signal to the second driver, wherein the first emergency/park braking signal and the second emergency/park braking signal bypass the normal braking command interface;

a power controller coupled to the power bus and the first driver and the second driver; and

a sensor coupled between the power bus and the first driver and the second driver for measuring a current at a single location, wherein the current is proportional to a braking force exerted by the first EMA and the second EMA on the wheel.

15. A method for electrical braking of a vehicle, the method comprising:

sending a first braking signal from a normal braking command interface to a first driver associated with a first electromechanical actuator (EMA);

sending a second braking signal from the normal braking command interface to a second driver associated with a second EMA, wherein the first EMA and the second EMA exert a braking force on a wheel of the vehicle;

sending a first emergency/park braking signal from an emergency/park brake interface to the first driver, wherein the first emergency/park braking signal bypasses the normal braking command interface;

sending a second emergency/park braking signal from an emergency/park brake interface to the second driver, wherein the second emergency/park braking signal bypasses the normal braking command interface;

providing braking power from a power bus, through a power controller through the first driver and the second driver to the first EMA and the second EMA; and

measuring a current at a single location with a sensor coupled between a power source and the first driver and the second driver, wherein the current is proportional to the braking force exerted by the first EMA and the second EMA on the wheel.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sending the first braking signal and the second braking signal from a brake control unit to a processor in an electromechanical actuator controller (EMAC), wherein the normal braking command interface includes the brake control unit.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling, with the processor, a plurality of braking forces exerted by a plurality of EMAs.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising cross-checking a desired braking force associated with the first braking signal and the second braking signal and the first EMA and the second EMA using the current measured at the single location.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising feeding a signal corresponding to the current measured at the single location through normal braking command interface to facilitate cross-checking the braking force exerted by the first EMA and the second EMA.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein measuring the current comprises measuring an amount of current drawn by the first EMA and the second EMA at the single location, wherein the amount of current drawn is proportional to the braking force exerted by the first EMA and the second EMA on the wheel.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising indicating to a vehicle operator that the first EMA and the second EMA are exerting the braking force on the wheel in accordance with at least one of the first braking signal, the second braking signal, the first emergency/park braking signal, or the second emergency/park braking signal.