Park-brake monitoring-system for a vehicle

• US 6,732,026 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Arnold, Norman K., Fleming, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/254,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 701/29, 701/36, 701/70, 188/156, 188/72.6, 188/251.A, 188/32, 188/353, 188/171, 188/155, 188/73.1, 188/72.4, 188/265, 744/91, 745/12, 745/34, 745/35, 745/42, 745/60, 303/191, 303/72, 303/84.1, 192/219.4, 192/35, 180/370, 307/10.1, 307/115, 307/116, 307/139
• US Class Current: 701/29
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/686 in hydraulic systems or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/22 Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/045 with locking and release means, e.g. providing parking brake application
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2066/003 Position, angle or speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 66/00 Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature

Abstract

A park-brake monitoring-system monitors the operating state of a park-brake system of a vehicle. The park-brake monitoring-system comprises operating-state sensors that produce and communicate sensed operating-state signals in manners dependent upon the operating state of the park-brake system to other components of the vehicle. The configuration and interaction with the park-brake system and the park-brake monitoring system of the operating-state sensors is refined such that the sensed operating-state signals produced thereby include signal types that are implicative of the park-brake system having a fully-set operating state, signal types that are implicative of the park-brake system having a fully-released operating state, signal types implicative of the park-brake system having a not-fully-released operating state, and signal types implicative of the park-brake system having a not-fully-set operating state.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

(a) one or more frame structures to which a majority of other components of said vehicle are engaged directly or indirectly and which functions to locate said other components of said vehicle relative to one another;

(b) a suspension system that is engaged to and supports said one or more frame structures;

(c) wherein said suspension system comprises one or more ground-engaging components that are rotatable relative to said one or more frame structures of said vehicle, at least when certain subsystems of said vehicle have certain operating states, and that provide said vehicle with a relatively low resistance to movement along the ground when they are rotatable relative to said one or more frame structures;

(d) one or more body structures that are engaged directly or indirectly to and supported by said one or more frame structures and upon or within which occupants and/or cargo of said vehicle may reside;

(e) a park-brake system that is constructed in such a manner that, when it has a park-brake fully-set operating state, said park-brake system prevents rotation of one or more of said ground-engaging components relative to said one or more frame structures;

(f) wherein said park-brake system is further constructed such that when it has a park-brake fully-released operating state said park-brake system does not prevent rotation of any of said ground-engaging components relative to said one or more frame structures;

(g) wherein said park-brake system comprises park-brake-actuating components that retract and actuate one another and braking components of said park-brake system in order to transition said park-brake system between said park-brake fully-set-operating state and said park-brake fully-released operating state;

(h) wherein said park-brake system further comprises park-brake-system controls that are operable by an operator of said vehicle to effect actuation and retraction of said park-brake-actuating components;

(i) a park-brake monitoring-system that comprises one or more operating-state sensors that sense the value of one or more set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system and produce and communicate to other components of said vehicle sensed operating-state signals in a manner that is dependent upon said value of said set-degree-dependent parameters that said operating-state sensors sense;

(j) wherein one or more of said set-degree-dependent parameters, upon which said manner of production and communication of said sensed operating-state signals is dependent, is a set-degree-dependent parameter that may have, at any given time, any one of a plurality of values which include one or more park-brake fully-set values, one or more park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values, and one or more park-brake fully-released values;

(k) wherein said operating-state sensors include at least one complimentary pair of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor;

(l) wherein each of said full-release-detection sensors senses a value of one of said set-degree-dependent parameters and produces and communicates sensed operating-state signals in a manner dependent upon said value of said set-degree-dependent parameter that it senses;

(m) wherein each of said full-set-detection sensors senses a value of one of said set-degree-dependent parameters and produces and communicates sensed operating-state signals in a manner dependent upon said value of said set-degree-dependent parameter that it senses;

(n) wherein each of said full-release-detection sensors is configured and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that it produces and communicates a park-brake fully-released signal to other components of said vehicle when said set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which it senses has at least certain ones of its park-brake fully-released values;

(o) wherein each of said full-set-detection sensors is configured and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that it produces and communicates a park-brake fully-set signal to other components of said vehicle when said set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which it senses has at least certain ones of its park-brake fully-set values;

(p) wherein each of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor is configured and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that there exist circumstances during normal, non-malfunctioning operation of said park-brake system and said park-brake monitoring-system during which said set-degree-dependent parameters, said values of which said full-release-detection sensor and said full-set-detection sensor sense, have/has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values and said full-release-detection sensor does not produce a park-brake fully-released signal and said full-set-detection sensor does not produce a park-brake fully-set signal.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said park-brake monitoring-system further comprises one or more logic devices to which one or more of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor are communicatively linked;

(b) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the steps of;

subsequent to an initiation of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system, if one of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal before any of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal, producing an initial monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal;

subsequent to an initiation of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system, if one of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal before any of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal, producing an initial monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal;

subsequent to any production of a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal, when and only when one of said full-set-detection sensors subsequently produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal; and

subsequent to any production of a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal, when and only when one of said full-release-detection sensors subsequently produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the step of;

if one of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor simultaneously produce and communicate to said logic devices both a park-brake fully-released signal and a park-brake fully-set signal, producing a monitoring signal that is an error signal.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein:

(a) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the step of;

if, during a period of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system in which an operator of said vehicle has not utilized an operator interface to change a selected operating state of said park-brake system, one of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor do not produce and communicate to said logic devices at least one park-brake fully-released signal or park-brake fully-set signal for a period of time equal to or greater than a malfunction-verification period, producing a monitoring signal that is an error signal.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein:

(a) said park-brake monitoring-system further comprises a park-brake-set indicator that is communicatively linked to said logic devices in such a manner that said logic devices can activate said park-brake-set indicator to indicate to an operator of said vehicle that said park-brake system has a park-brake fully-set operating state;

(b) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the steps of;

anytime one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-set signal is produced, activating said park-brake-set indicator and causing said park-brake-set indicator to remain activated until one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-released signal is subsequently produced or operation of said park-brake monitoring-system is terminated; and

anytime said park-brake-set indicator is activated and one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake released signal is produced, deactivating said park-brake-set indicator and causing said park-brake-set indicator to remain deactivated until one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-set signal is subsequently produced.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein:

(a) said park-brake monitoring-system further comprises one or more park-brake system/park-brake monitoring-system malfunction-indicators that is/are communicatively linked to said one or more logic devices in such a manner that said logic devices can activate said park-brake system/park-brake monitoring-system malfunction-indicator to indicate to a user of said vehicle that said park-brake system and/or said park-brake monitoring-system has malfunctioned; and

(b) said one or more logic devices of said park-brake monitoring-system operate in accordance with logic that cause it/them to operate in such a manner that it/they perform the step of;

activating one or more of said one or more park-brake system/park-brake monitoring-system malfunction-indicators anytime one of said monitoring signals that is an error signal is produced.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

(a) one or more of said set-degree-dependent parameters said value of which either one of said full-release-detection sensors or one of said full-set-detection sensors senses is a set-degree-dependent parameter that is a position of one or more of said park-brake-actuating components, a fluid pressure of a working fluid of said park-brake system, or a voltage of a control circuit of said park-brake system.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

(a) said park-brake system comprises a park-brake-actuating component that is a powered actuator that is driven by working fluid of said park-brake system to actuate and/or retract other park-brake-actuating components of said park-brake system; and

(b) one of said set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system is a fluid pressure of said working fluid that drives said powered actuator and one or more of said one or more full-release-detection sensors and/or full-set-detection sensors is a fluid-pressure sensor that senses said fluid pressure of said working fluid and produces and communicates said sensed operating-state signals produced and communicated thereby in a manner dependent upon said fluid pressure of said working fluid.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein:

(a) at least one of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor comprise a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor that are separate and distinct components from one another and that sense values of different set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein:

(a) one of said set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system is a position of one of said park-brake-actuating components of said park-brake system and one of said full-release-detection sensors or one of said full-set-detection sensors is a position sensor that senses said position of said park-brake-actuating component and produces and communicates said sensed operating-state signals in a manner dependent upon said position of said park-brake-actuating component.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein:

(a) said fluid-pressure sensor is a fluid-pressure-activated switch that is constructed and communicatively linked to said logic devices in such a manner that when said pressure of said working fluid is below a switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is above said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is below said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch;

(b) said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to a boundary-value of said fluid pressure of said working fluid; and

(c) said boundary-value of said fluid pressure that said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to is either a boundary-value between park-brake fully-released values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure or is a boundary value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein:

(a) said position sensor is a binary-digital position-sensor that is constructed and interacted with said park-brake-actuating component said position of which it senses in such a manner that, when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is within a range disposed upon a first side of a switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor, said binary-digital position-sensor produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and, when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is within a range disposed upon a second side of said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor, said binary-digital position-sensor produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is disposed within said range of positions upon said first side of said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor;

(b) said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor is equal to a boundary-value of said position of said park-brake-actuating component; and

(c) said boundary-value of said park-brake-actuating component that said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor is equal to is either a boundary-value between park-brake fully-released values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said position of said park-brake-actuating component or is a boundary value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said position of said park-brake-actuating component.

13. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said park-brake monitoring-system further comprises a park-brake-set indicator that is communicatively linked to said logic devices in such a manner that said logic devices can activate said park-brake-set indicator to indicate to an operator of said vehicle that said park-brake system has a set operating state;

(b) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the steps of;

anytime one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-set signal is produced, activating said park-brake-set indicator and causing said park-brake-set indicator to remain activated until one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-released signal is subsequently produced or operation of said park-brake monitoring-system is terminated; and

anytime said park-brake-set indicator is activated and one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-released signal is produced, deactivating said park-brake-set indicator and causing said park-brake-set indicator to remain deactivated until one of said monitoring signals that is a park-brake-set signal is subsequently produced.

14. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) at least one of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor comprises a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor that are separate and distinct components from one another and that sense values of different set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system.

15. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said park-brake system comprises a park-brake-actuating component that is a powered actuator that is driven by working fluid of said park-brake system to actuate and/or retract other park-brake-actuating components of said park-brake system; and

(b) one of said set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system is a fluid pressure of said working fluid that drives said powered actuator and one or more of said one or more full-release-detection sensors and/or full-set-detection sensors is a fluid-pressure sensor that senses said fluid pressure of said working fluid and produces and communicates said sensed operating-state signals produced and communicated thereby in a manner dependent upon said fluid pressure of said working fluid.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein:

(a) at least one of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor comprise a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor that are separate and distinct components from one another and that sense values of different set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system.

17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein:

(a) one of said set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system is a position of one of said park-brake-actuating components of said park-brake system and one of said full-release-detection sensors and/or one of said full-set-detection sensors is a position sensor that senses said position of said park-brake-actuating component and produces and communicates said sensed operating-state signals in a manner dependent upon said position of said park-brake-actuating component.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein:

(a) said position sensor is a binary-digital position-sensor that is constructed and interacted with said park-brake-actuating component said position of which it senses in such a manner that, when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is within a range disposed upon a first side of a switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor, said binary-digital position-sensor produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and, when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is within a range disposed upon a second side of said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor, said binary-digital position-sensor produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is disposed within said range of positions upon said first side of said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor;

(b) said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor is equal to a boundary-value of said position of said park-brake-actuating component; and

(c) said boundary-value of said park-brake-actuating component that said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor is equal to is either a boundary-value between park-brake fully-released values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said position of said park-brake-actuating component or is a boundary value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said position of said park-brake-actuating component.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein:

(a) said fluid-pressure sensor is a fluid-pressure-activated switch that is constructed and communicatively linked to said logic devices in such a manner that when said pressure of said working fluid is below a switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is above said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is below said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch;

(b) said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to a boundary-value of said fluid pressure of said working fluid; and

(c) said boundary-value of said fluid pressure that said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to is either a boundary-value between park-brake fully-released values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure or is a boundary value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein:

(d) said fluid-pressure sensor is a fluid-pressure-activated switch that is constructed and communicatively linked to said logic devices in such a manner that when said pressure of said working fluid is below a switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is above said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is below said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch;

(e) said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to a boundary-value of said fluid pressure of said working fluid; and

(f) said boundary-value of said fluid pressure that said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to is either a boundary-value between park-brake fully-released values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure or is a boundary value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure.

21. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein:

(a) one of said fluid-pressure sensors is one of said full-set-detection sensors of said park-brake monitoring-system.

22. The vehicle of claim 21, wherein:

(a) one or more of said fluid-pressure sensors that are full-set-detection sensors is a fluid-pressure-activated switch that is constructed and communicatively linked to said logic devices in such a manner that when said pressure of said working fluid is below a switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is above said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch said fluid-pressure-activated switch produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said fluid pressure of said working fluid is below said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch;

(b) said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to a boundary-value of said fluid pressure of said working fluid; and

(c) said boundary-value of said fluid pressure that said switch-trigger pressure of said fluid-pressure-activated switch is equal to is a boundary-value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said fluid pressure.

23. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) one of said set-degree-dependent parameters of said park-brake system is a position of one of said park-brake-actuating components of said park-brake system and one of said full-release-detection sensors and/or one of said full-set-detection sensors is a position sensor that senses said position of said park-brake-actuating component and produces and communicates said sensed operating-state signals in a manner dependent upon said position of said park-brake-actuating component.

24. The vehicle of claim 23, wherein:

(a) said position sensor is a binary-digital position-sensor that is constructed and interacted with said park-brake-actuating component said position of which it senses in such a manner that, when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is within a range disposed upon a first side of a switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor, said binary-digital position-sensor produces and communicates to said logic devices either a logic low signal or a logic high signal and, when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is within a range disposed upon a second side of said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor, said binary-digital position-sensor produces and communicates to said logic devices whichever of a logic low signal and a logic high signal it does not produce and communicate to said logic devices when said position of said park-brake-actuating component is disposed within said range of positions upon said first side of said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor;

(b) said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor is equal to a boundary-value of said position of said park-brake-actuating component; and

(c) said boundary-value of said position of said park-brake-actuating component that said switch-trigger position of said park-brake-actuating component relative to said binary-digital position-sensor is equal to is either a boundary-value between park-brake fully-released values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said position of said park-brake-actuating component or is a boundary value between park-brake fully-set values and park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values of said position of said park-brake-actuating component.

25. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) one or more of said full-set-detection sensors is a binary-digital sensor that is constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that when said set-degree-dependent parameter, said value of which said binary-digital sensor that is said full-set-detection sensor senses, has park-brake fully-set values, said binary-digital sensor that is said full-set-detection sensor produces and communicates a logic low signal or logic high signal to other components of said vehicle; and

(b) said full-set-detection sensor that is a binary-digital sensor is further constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that when said set-degree-dependent parameter, said value of which said binary-digital sensor that is said full-set-detection sensor senses, has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values, said binary-digital sensor that is said full-set-detection sensor produces and communicates to other components of said vehicle whichever of a logic low signal and logic high signal it does not produce and communicate thereto when said set-degree-dependent parameter has park-brake fully-set values.

26. The vehicle of claim 25, wherein:

(a) one or more of said full-release-detection sensors is a binary-digital sensor that is constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that when said set-degree-dependent parameter, said value of which said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor senses, has park-brake fully-released values, said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor produces and communicates a logic low signal or logic high signal to other components of said vehicle; and

(b) said full-release-detection sensor that is a binary-digital sensor is further constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that when said set-degree-dependent parameter, said value of which said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor senses, has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values, said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor produces and communicates to other components of said vehicle whichever of a logic low signal and logic high signal it does not produce and communicate thereto when said set-degree-dependent parameter has park-brake fully-released values.

27. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) one or more of said full-release-detection sensors is a binary-digital sensor that is constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that when said set-degree-dependent parameter, said value of which said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor senses, has park-brake fully-released values, said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor produces and communicates a logic low signal or logic high signal to other components of said vehicle; and

(b) said full-release-detection sensor that is a binary-digital sensor is further constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that when said set-degree-dependent parameter, said value of which said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor senses, has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values, said binary-digital sensor that is said full-release-detection sensor produces and communicates to other components of said vehicle whichever of a logic low signal and logic high signal it does not produce and communicate thereto when said set-degree-dependent parameter has park-brake fully-released values.

28. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) one or more full-set-detection sensors, of one or more of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor, produces and communicates to said logic devices park-brake not-fully-set signals when a set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which said full-set-detection sensor senses has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values;

(b) one or more full-release-detection sensors, that is a full-release-detection sensor of a same complimentary pair of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor as one of said full-set-detection sensors that produces park-brake not-fully-set signals, produces and communicates to said logic devices park-brake not-fully-released signals when a set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which said full-release-detection sensor senses has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values;

(c) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the step of;

when a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor of a complimentary pair thereof simultaneously produce and communicate a park-brake not-fully-released signal and a park-brake not-fully-set signal to said logic devices for a period of time equal to or greater than a malfunction-verification check-period, producing a monitoring-signal that is an error signal.

29. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) one or more full-set-detection sensors, of one or more of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor, produces and communicates to said logic devices park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signals when a set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which said full-set-detection sensor senses has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values;

(b) one or more of said full-release-detection sensors, that is a full-release-detection sensor of a same complimentary pair of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor as one of said full-set-detection sensors that produces park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signals, produces and communicates to said logic devices park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signals when a set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which said full-release-detection sensor senses has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values;

(c) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the step of;

when a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor of a complimentary pair thereof simultaneously produce and communicate a park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signal for a period of time equal to or greater than a malfunction-verification period, producing a monitoring-signal that is an error signal.

30. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) said vehicle further comprises a service-brake system that comprises braking components; and

(b) braking components of said park-brake system are separate and distinct components from said braking components of said service-brake system.

31. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said park-brake monitoring-system further comprises one or more logic devices;

(b) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the steps of;

subsequent to an initiation of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system, if one or more of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal before any of said full-set-detection sensors produce and communicate to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal;

subsequent to an initiation of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system, if one or more of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal before any of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal;

subsequent to any production of a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal, when and only when one or more of said full-set-detection sensors subsequently produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal; and

subsequent to any production of a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal when one or more of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake not-fully-set signal or a park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signal or one or more of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signal or a park-brake fully-released signal.

32. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

(a) said park-brake monitoring-system further comprises one or more logic devices;

(b) said logic devices and logic according to which they operate are configured in such a manner that said logic devices perform the steps of;

subsequent to an initiation of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system, if one or more of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal before any of said full-release-detection sensors produce and communicate to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal;

subsequent to an initiation of operation of said park-brake monitoring-system, if one or more of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal before any of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-set signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal;

subsequent to any production of a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal, when and only when one or more of said full-release-detection sensors subsequently produces and communicates to said logic devices an uncontested park-brake fully-released signal; and

subsequent to any production of a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-released signal, producing a monitoring signal that is a park-brake-set signal when one or more of said full-release-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake not-fully-released signal or a park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signal or one or more of said full-set-detection sensors produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signal or a park-brake fully-set signal.

33. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein:

(a) one or more of said complimentary pairs of a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor consists of a single sensor that constitutes both said full-release-detection sensor and said full-set-detection sensor thereof;

(b) each of said single sensors that constitutes both a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor of one of said complimentary pairs thereof is constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that it produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set signal when a set-degree-dependent parameter a value of which said single sensor senses has park-brake not-fully-released/not-fully-set values;

(c) each of said single sensors that constitutes both a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor of one of said complimentary pairs thereof is constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that it produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake fully-released signal when said set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which it senses has at least certain ones of its park-brake fully-released values; and

(d) each of said single sensors that constitutes both a full-release-detection sensor and a full-set-detection sensor of one of said complimentary pairs thereof is constructed and interacted with said park-brake system in such a manner that it produces and communicates to said logic devices a park-brake fully-set signal when said set-degree-dependent parameter said value of which it senses has at least certain ones of its park-brake fully-set values.