US 11,046,330 B1Granted

Redundant vehicle actuator system

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsDiomidis Katzourakis, Huibert Mees, Robert M. Cammarata, Bo Guo

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A vehicle actuator system includes an actuator, a first actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a first value for a parameter that relates to operation of the actuator, a second actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a second value for the parameter, and at least one additional component that is operable to determine a third value for the parameter. A fault is identified in response to determining that the first value does not agree with at least one of the second value or the third value. In response to identification of the fault, the first actuator controller changes from an activated state to a deactivated state and the second actuator controller changes from a deactivated state an activated state.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A vehicle actuator system of a vehicle, comprising:

an actuator that is configured to affect motion of the vehicle according to an actuator command;
a first actuator controller that is configured to determine a first command value and is further configured to control operation of the actuator in a first control state of the vehicle actuator system;
a second actuator controller that is configured to determine a second command value and is further configured to control operation of the actuator in a second control state of the vehicle actuator system;
and
a supervisor that determines a third command value,
wherein a fault of the vehicle actuator system is identified by at least one of the first actuator controller, the second actuator controller, or the supervisor when the first command value differs from the second command value by more than a threshold value and the second command value does not differ from the third command value by more than the threshold value,
wherein the vehicle actuator system changes from the first control state to the second control state in response to identification of the fault,
wherein the first actuator controller is in control of the actuator in the first control state, the first actuator controller sends the first command value to the actuator as the actuator command in the first control state, and the second actuator controller is not in control of the actuator in the first control state, and
wherein the first actuator controller is not in control of the actuator in the second control state, the second actuator controller is in control of the actuator in the second control state, and the second actuator controller sends the second command value to the actuator as the actuator command in the second control state.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/666,799Filed 2 Aug 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 14 Sep 2016
Granted: 29 Jun 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification25 codes

B60G 17/0195
The regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements: characterised by the regulation being combined with other vehicle control systems
B60W 50/029
Ensuring safety in case of control system failures, e.g. by diagnosing, circumventing or fixing failures: adapting to failures or work around with…
B60G 17/0185
Characterised by the use of a specific signal treatment or control method: for failure detection
B60T 17/221
Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices: procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning…