Device for brake light control

• US 6,628,197 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Prestl, Willibald, Poguntke, Oliver, Toelge, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): TONG, NINA C
• Application Number:
  US09/563,529
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 340/479, 340/467, 340/463, 340/464, 340/468, 340/471, 340/472
• US Class Current: 340/479
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/44 for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/66 Electrical control in fluid-pressure brake systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/741 acting on an ultimate actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/22 initiated by contact of vehicle, e.g. bumper, with an external object, e.g. another vehicle , or by means of contactless obstacle detectors mounted on the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/00 Arrangements for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or ground-surface conditions, e.g. limiting or varying distribution of braking force by changing number of effective brake cylinders in power brake systems B60T17/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4809 Traction control, stability control, using both the wheel brakes and other automatic braking systems

Abstract

A device is provided for controlling brake lights in a vehicle. The vehicle has a braking system designed for outside force actuation, a control device for controlling the vehicle brakes, and a brake light switch located in the vicinity of a brake pedal, which is connected with a control device for controlling at least one brake light. In order to indicate to following traffic a brake application by active braking intervention in a vehicle, the control unit is connected with the control device and operates the latter such that the brake light, even without actuation of the brake light switch, is activatable under first specified vehicle operating conditions and is deactivatable under second specified vehicle operating conditions.

Claims

1. A brake light control device for a vehicle having a brake system operated by outside force actuation, comprising:

a control unit of a brake assembly which controls brakes of the vehicle under defined vehicle operating conditions;

a brake light switch operatively coupled with a brake operating member;

a control device coupled to said switch and controlling an operation of at least one brake light in the vehicle upon activation of the brake light switch by the brake operating member;

a device for determining a vehicle actual deceleration, wherein a value corresponding to the vehicle actual deceleration is supplied to said control unit from said device;

wherein said control unit is coupled with said control device, said control unit operating said control device to control an activation of the at least one brake light under first defined vehicle operating conditions in which the vehicle actual deceleration exceeds a defined deceleration threshold value and a deactivation of the at least one brake light under second defined vehicle operating conditions, said activation and deactivation occurring even without operation of the brake light switch.

2. The brake light control device according to claim 1, wherein said device comprises at least one wheel rpm sensor, said sensor determining the vehicle actual deceleration.

3. A control system for a vehicle brake light, comprising:

a brake system comprised of a hydraulic assembly and including a hydraulic pressure determining device;

a control unit coupled with the hydraulic assembly for controlling brakes of the vehicle under defined vehicle operating conditions;

a brake light switch operatively coupled with a brake operating member;

a control device coupled to said switch and controlling an operation of at least one brake light in the vehicle upon activation of the brake light switch by the brake operating member;

a vehicle actual deceleration device for determining an actual vehicle deceleration and supplying said actual vehicle deceleration as a signal to said control unit;

wherein said control unit is coupled with said control device, said control unit operating said control device to control an activation of the at least one brake light under first defined vehicle operating conditions in which the actual vehicle deceleration exceeds a defined deceleration threshold value and a deactivation of the at least one brake light under second defined vehicle operating conditions, said activation and deactivation occurring even without operation of the brake light switch.

4. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said hydraulic pressure determining device is a processor that estimates hydraulic pressure based on control times of valves installed in the hydraulic assembly and a recycling pump based on a model.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the first defined vehicle operating conditions additionally comprise at least one of the following:

(1) a determination of an active pressure buildup in the hydraulic assembly; and

(2) an exceeding of a first hydraulic boundary pressure.

6. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the second defined vehicle operating conditions include one of the following:

(1) a determination of a termination of an active pressure build-up in the hydraulic assembly;

(2) an undershooting of a specific second vehicle deceleration limiting value;

or

(3) an undershooting of a second hydraulic boundary pressure.

7. The control system according to claim 3, wherein said hydraulic pressure determining device is at least one pressure sensor arranged between the hydraulic assembly and the vehicle brakes.

8. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the first defined vehicle operating conditions additionally comprise at least one of the following:

(1) a determination of an active pressure buildup in the hydraulic assembly; and

(2) an exceeding of a first hydraulic boundary pressure.

9. The control system according to claim 7, wherein the second defined vehicle operating conditions include one of the following:

(1) a determination of a termination of an active pressure build-up in the hydraulic assembly;

(2) an undershooting of a specific second vehicle deceleration limiting value;

or

(3) an undershooting of a second hydraulic boundary pressure.

10. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the first defined vehicle operating conditions additionally comprise at least one of the following:

(1) a determination of an active pressure buildup in the hydraulic assembly; and

(2) an exceeding of a first hydraulic boundary pressure.

11. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the second defined vehicle operating conditions include one of the following:

(1) a determination of a termination of an active pressure build-up in the hydraulic assembly;

(2) an undershooting of a specific second vehicle deceleration threshold value;

or

(3) an undershooting of a second hydraulic boundary pressure.

12. The control system according to claim 11, wherein said first and second vehicle deceleration threshold values differ from one another by an offset amount.

13. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the first specific vehicle deceleration threshold value at a hydraulic pressure of zero bars is composed of a velocity-dependent deceleration and a defined offset value.

14. The control system according to claim 10, wherein the first specific vehicle deceleration threshold value increases with hydraulic pressure.

15. The brake light control device according to claim 14, wherein said increase in the vehicle deceleration threshold value is a linear increase.

16. The brake light control device according to claim 15, wherein said vehicle deceleration threshold value intersects a zero deceleration line at a hydraulic pressure that compensates a downhill driving force on a given slope.

17. The brake light control device according to claim 14, wherein said vehicle deceleration threshold value intersects a zero deceleration line at a hydraulic pressure that compensates a downhill driving force on a given slope.

18. The control system according to claim 3, wherein the second defined vehicle operating conditions include one of the following:

(1) a determination of a termination of an active pressure build-up in the hydraulic assembly;

(2) an undershooting of a specific second vehicle deceleration threshold value;

or

(3) an undershooting of a second hydraulic boundary pressure.

19. A method of controlling a vehicle brake light coupled with a vehicle brake light switch, the method comprising the acts of:

detecting an automatic active braking intervention occurring in the vehicle via a control unit coupled with a brake assembly; and

automatically controlling operation of the vehicle brake light even without operating the brake light switch upon detecting the automatic active braking intervention in accordance with defined vehicle operating conditions in which an actual vehicle deceleration exceeds a defined deceleration threshold value by signalling a control device that controls the vehicle brake light, the control device being also coupled to the brake light switch to control the vehicle brake light under normal operator initiated braking.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the act of:

deactivating the vehicle brake light under second defined vehicle operating conditions.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein said brake system is a hydraulic brake system having a hydraulic assembly, the method further comprising the acts of:

additionally selecting as said vehicle operating conditions at least one of the following;

(1) an active pressure build-up in the hydraulic assembly; and

(2) an exceeding of a first hydraulic pressure threshold value.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising the act of selecting as said second defined vehicle operating conditions one of the following:

a termination of the active pressure build-up in the hydraulic assembly;

an undershooting of a defined second vehicle deceleration threshold value;

or

an undershooting of a second hydraulic pressure threshold value.