System for actuating a brake system

• US 6,052,641 A
• Filed: 02/27/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Poggenburg, Ruediger, Sonntag, Eberhard, Wuerth, Gebhard, Grossardt, Bernd, Mueller, Elmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US08/807,908
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/71, 701/72, 701/78
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2270/313 with less than three sensors (yaw rate, steering angle, lateral acceleration)
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1755 Brake regulation specially adapted to control the stability of the vehicle, e.g. taking into account yaw rate or transverse acceleration in a curve road vehicle drive control systems for control of driving stability otherwise than by controlling a particular sub-unit B60W30/02

Abstract

An instability value for at least one wheel is derived from the detected variables such as rotational velocity of the wheels, and as a function of this instability value, the brake systems are actuated to change the brake pressure, such that in addition, the present invention can calculate a variable which modifies or represents the driving dynamics of the vehicle and wherein the instability value can be modified as a function of the calculated driving dynamics variable.

Claims

1. System for actuating the brakes of at least one wheel of a vehicle, said system comprising detection means for detecting at least one variable representing wheel motion, detection means for detecting vehicle state variables comprising steering angle δ

and at least one of vehicle longitudinal velocity v₁, transverse acceleration ay and yaw velocity ω

, calculation means for calculating a driving dynamics variable (Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist) based on said vehicle state variables, which driving dynamics variable represents the driving dynamics of the vehicle,

generation means for generating an instability value ISS based on at least one of said variables representing wheel motion and said driving dynamics variable, and

actuation means for changing the brake pressure as a function of the instability value.

2. Method for actuating the brakes of at least one wheel of a vehicle, said method comprising

detecting at least one variable representing wheel motion,

detecting vehicle state variables comprising steering angle δ

and at least one of vehicle longitudinal velocity v₁, transverse acceleration ay, and yaw velocity ω

,

calculating a driving dynamics variable (Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist) based on said vehicle state variables, which driving dynamics variable represents the driving dynamics of the vehicle,

generating an instability value ISS based on at least one of said variables representing wheel motion and said driving dynamics variable, and

changing the brake pressure as a function of the instability value.

3. Method as in claim 2 comprising deriving at least two dynamic wheel values (λ

, a_ij) from at least one of said variables representing wheel motion, modifying at least one of said dynamic wheel values (λ

, a_ij) as a function of said driving dynamics variable (Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist),

generating said instability value as a function of said dynamic wheel values (λ

, a_ij) as modified by said driving dynamics variables.

4. System for actuating the brake systems (106_ij)of at least one wheel of a vehicle with

detection means (103_ij) for detecting at least one variable (N_ij) representing the motions of the wheel;

generation means (1024) for generating an instability value (ISS) for at least one wheel, derived from the detected variables; and

actuation means (1025) for changing the brake pressure as a function of the generated instability value (ISS); and

determination means (104, 105,

     101) for determining a variable (ay/ω

, δ

, Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist) which represents or modifies the driving dynamics of the vehicle, wherein

the generation means (1024) are designed in such a way that the instability value (ISS) can be modified as a function of the determined variable (ay/(ω

, δ

, Δ

ω

, fzstabi_ist).

5. System according to claim 4, wherein, in the case where the instability value (ISS) is modified, the gradient of the change in brake pressure is selected differently from the case where the instability value (ISS) is not modified.

6. System according to claim 4, wherein the changes in brake pressure are implemented in stages by means of pre-definable pressure buildup and/or pressure release pulses separated by pre-definable pressure hold phases (T_hold).

7. System according to claim 4, wherein the generation means (1024) derives at least two dynamic wheel values (λ

, a_ij) from the detected variables (N_ij) for generating the instability value (ISS), and wherein at least one of these dynamic wheel values can be modified as a function of the calculated variable (ay/ω

, δ

,Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist).

8. System according to claim 7, wherein a value (λ

) representing the wheel slip is determined from the detected variables (N_ij ) representing the wheel motions, and wherein this determined value (λ

) can be modified as a function of the determined variable (ay/ω

, δ

, Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist) which modifies and/or represents the driving dynamics of the vehicle.

9. System according to claim 4, wherein the magnitude of the instability value (ISS) unmodified by the determined variable (ay/ω

, δ

, Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist) indicates whether the associated wheel has an instability comprising locking or a tendency to lock.

10. System according to claim 9, wherein in the case where the instability value (ISS) is modified, the gradient of the change in brake pressure is selected as a function of the degree to which the instability value (ISS) is modified.

11. System according to claim 9, wherein as a result of the modification of the instability value (ISS) belonging to a wheel, the brake pressure at this wheel can be changed in such a way that, even though there is no indication of locking and loo indication of a tendency to lock, the brake pressure is increased (overbraking of a wheel).

12. System according to claim 9, wherein, as a result of the modification of the instability value (ISS) belonging to a wheel, the brake pressure at this wheel can be changed in such a way that, even though there is no indication of locking and no indication of a tendency to lock, the brake pressure is lowered from a higher pressure level (P_hoch) to a lower pressure level (p_tief) (underbraking of a wheel).

13. System according to claim 12, wherein the pressure buildup following the pressure reduction is carried out as a function of at least one of the following:

an instability value (ISS_akt) currently being generated, an instability value (ISS_start) generated at the beginning of the modification of the instability value, and

the difference between the higher pressure level (P_hoch) and the lower pressure level (P_tief).

14. System according to claim 13, wherein the calculation means (104, 105, 101) are also designed to calculate at least one threshold value (SW, fzstab_soll) for the calculated variable (ay/(Δ

, δ

, Δ

ω

, fzstab_ist) which modifies and/or represents the driving dynamics of the vehicle, and wherein the pressure hold phases (T_hold) are pre-defined as a function of the extent of the deviation between the calculated threshold value and the calculated variable.