Method for improving the regulatory behavior of motor vehicle regulatory systems

• US 7,174,247 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Gronau, Ralph, Woywod, Ju
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US10/507,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20050171671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 701/70, 701/71, 701/76, 701/78, 701/83, 701/92, 303/114.1, 303/113.4, 303/113.5, 303/115.1, 303/166, 303/115.4, 303/116.1, 188/181.A, 188/181.C
• US Class Current: 701/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4045 involving ON/OFF switching
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/4291 having means to reduce or eliminate pedal kick-back

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for improving the control behavior of motor vehicle control systems such as ABS, ESP, etc. comprising electrically driven hydraulic pumps, inlet and outlet valves and low-pressure accumulators, wherein the low-pressure accumulators accommodate, at least in part, pressure fluid that is discharged from wheel brakes in a control operation, wherein the hydraulic pumps are used to return the pressure fluid into a master cylinder, in particular tandem master cylinder, wherein the delivery behavior of the hydraulic pumps is controlled in dependence on pressure values, and wherein the actuation of the hydraulic pumps takes place in conformity with demand, i.e. by evaluating slip variation, wherein in a pressure increase phase, the pressure fluid is intermediately stored in the low-pressure accumulators and there is no return delivery of the pressure fluid into the master cylinder until either a pressure increase phase or pressure buildup commences, or a critical filling level of the low-pressure accumulator necessitates actuation of the hydraulic pumps for safety reasons, with the result of balancing the volume flow demand and the delivery volume flow and thus achieving a reduction of vibrations of the brake pedal. Further, the invention relates to a computer program product defining an algorithm that comprises a method for improving the control behavior of motor vehicle control systems.

Claims

1. Method for improving the control behavior of motor vehicle control comprising electrically driven hydraulic pumps, inlet and outlet valves and low-pressure accumulators, wherein the low-pressure accumulators accommodate, at least in part, pressure fluid that is discharged from wheel brakes in a control operation, wherein the hydraulic pumps are used to return the pressure fluid into a master cylinder, in particular tandem master cylinder, wherein the delivery behavior of the hydraulic pumps is controlled in dependence on pressure values, and wherein the actuation of the hydraulic pumps takes place in conformity with demand,

wherein in a pressure decrease phase, the pressure fluid is intermediately stored in the low-pressure accumulators and there is no return delivery of the pressure fluid into the master cylinder until either a pressure increase phase commences, or a critical filling level of the low-pressure accumulator necessitates actuation of the hydraulic pumps for safety reasons, with the result of balancing the volume flow demand and the delivery volume flow and thus achieving a reduction of vibrations of the brake pedal.

2. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a measured pilot pressure of a brake pedal is used as a pressure value.

3. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the pressure value is a pressure value calculated by producing a model from values acquired on the basis of the valve actuation, the control variation etc.

4. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the critical filling level of the low-pressure accumulator is fixed in response to vehicle-related conditions such as the variation of slip, wheel acceleration, pilot pressure, locking pressure level, etc., in particular by means of characteristic curves.

5. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein in a pressure increase phase, the pressure fluid is returned by means of the hydraulic pumps from the low-pressure accumulators into the master cylinder in such a fashion that the volume flow demand of the wheel brake is provided to the greatest possible extent by the delivery volume flow of the hydraulic pump so that pedal movements due to volume flow differences are greatly minimized.

6. Method as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the volume flow demand of the wheel brake is stored in the form of volume characteristic curves.

7. Method as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the hydraulic pump is actuated in response to the volume characteristic curves.

8. Computer program product,

wherein said product defines an algorithm comprising a method as claimed in claim 1.

9. Method for controlling a motor vehicle control system comprising at least one hydraulic pump, inlet and outlet valves and at least one low-pressure accumulator, wherein the low-pressure accumulator accommodates, at least in part, pressure fluid that is discharged from one or more wheel brakes in a control operation, wherein the at least one hydraulic pump is used to return the pressure fluid into a master cylinder, the method comprising:

controlling the delivery behavior of the at least one hydraulic pump in dependence on pressure values; and

actuating the at least one hydraulic pump in conformity with demand, wherein in a pressure decrease phase, the pressure fluid is intermediately stored in the at least one low-pressure accumulator and the at least one hydraulic pump is deactivated until either a pressure increase phase commences or a critical filling level of the low-pressure accumulator is reached.

10. Method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein a measured pilot pressure of a brake pedal is used as a pressure value.

11. Method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the pressure value is a pressure value calculated by producing a model from values acquired on the basis of the valve actuation and the control variation.

12. Method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the critical filling level of the low-pressure accumulator is fixed in response to vehicle-related conditions such as the variation of slip, wheel acceleration, pilot pressure, and locking pressure level.

13. Method as claimed in claim 12,

wherein the critical filling level of the low-pressure accumulator is fixed by means of characteristic curves.

14. Method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein in a pressure increase phase, the pressure fluid is returned by means of the at least one hydraulic pump from the at least one low-pressure accumulator into the master cylinder in such a fashion that a volume flow demand of the wheel brake is provided to the greatest possible extent by the delivery volume flow of the hydraulic pump so that pedal movements due to volume flow differences are greatly minimized.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14,

wherein the volume flow demand of the wheel brake is stored in the form of volume characteristic curves.

16. Method as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the hydraulic pump is actuated in response to the volume characteristic curves.

17. Computer program product,

wherein said product defines an algorithm comprising a method as claimed in claim 9.