US 11,407,394 B2 · Method and parking brake apparatus for an autonomously drivable vehicle

Abstract

A parking brake apparatus is provided for an autonomously drivable vehicle having components of a parking brake system for applying a parking brake. The parking brake apparatus comprises a first controller arranged to provide one or more control signals to be applied to components of the parking brake system to apply the parking brake in response to a signal requesting the parking brake to be applied. The parking brake apparatus also comprises a second controller arranged to provide one or more control signals to be applied to other components of the parking brake system to apply the parking brake in response to unavailability of the first controller to cause the parking brake to be applied.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A parking brake apparatus for an autonomously drivable vehicle having components of a parking brake system for applying a parking brake, the parking brake apparatus comprising:

a first controller arranged to provide one or more control signals to be applied to components of the parking brake system to apply the parking brake in response to a signal requesting the parking brake to be applied;
a second controller arranged to provide one or more control signals to be applied to other components of the parking brake system to apply the parking brake in response to unavailability of the first controller to cause the parking brake to be applied;
a parking brake valve controllable by the first controller;
a first 3/2 normally-open solenoid valve disposed between a primary compressed air supply and the parking brake valve;
and
a second 3/2 normally-open solenoid valve disposed between a secondary compressed air supply and the parking brake valve;
wherein the second controller is arranged to provide a first control signal to the first normally-open 3/2 solenoid valve, and a second control signal to the second normally-open 3/2 solenoid valve.

4 more elements

A parking brake apparatus for an autonomously drivable vehicle having components of a parking brake system for applying a parking brake, the parking apparatus comprising:

a primary parking brake controller arranged to control one or more parking brake valves to enable one or more parking brake springs to apply the parking brake in response to a signal requesting the parking brake to be applied;
means for, when the vehicle is autonomously driven and without requiring any manual action from an occupant of the autonomously driven vehicle, controlling the one or more parking brake valves to enable the one or more parking brake springs to apply the parking brake when the primary parking brake controller is unable to cause the parking brake to be applied;
a first 3/2 normally-open solenoid valve disposed between a primary compressed air supply and the one or more parking brake valves;
and
a second 3/2 normally-open solenoid valve disposed between a secondary compressed air supply and the one or more parking brake valves;
wherein the means for controlling the one or more parking brake valves to enable the one or more parking brake springs to apply the parking brake when the primary parking brake controller is unable to cause the parking brake to be applied is arranged to provide a first control signal to the first normally-open 3/2 solenoid valve, and a second control signal to the second normally-open 3/2 solenoid valve.

3 more elements

A computer-implemented method for an autonomously drivable vehicle having a parking brake, a primary parking brake controller, and a secondary parking brake controller which is different from the primary parking brake controller, the computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting unavailability of the primary parking brake controller to cause the parking brake to be applied;
electronically by the secondary parking brake controller, causing the parking brake to be applied in response to the unavailability of the primary parking brake controller by providing a first control signal to a first normally-open 3/2 solenoid valve disposed between a primary compressed air supply and a parking brake valve, and a second control signal to a second normally-open 3/2 solenoid valve disposed between a secondary compressed air supply and the parking brake valve.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and parking brake apparatus for an autonomously drivable vehicle

Life of this patent

Method and parking brake apparatus for an autonomously drivable vehicle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21