# US 11,440,545 B2 · Control system for a motor vehicle, motor vehicle, method for controlling a motor vehicle, computer program product and computer-readable medium

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- Number: US 11,440,545 B2
- Document ID: US11440545B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/846,955
- Filed: 2020-04-13
- Published: 2020-07-30
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-10-12
- Assignees: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaA
- Applicants: Hella GmbH & Co. Kgaa
- Inventors: Nikolaus Decius; Ulrich Koehler; Carsten Kuegeler; Sergey Orlov; Juergen Gebert; Peter Grabs; Matthias Korte; Josua Blott; Michael Claus; Heiko Lerch; Sebastian Ludolph; Martin Ott; Sebastian Surmund; Pascal Vollmer; Martin Zillgen; Sven Hillenkoetter; Martin Hopf; Joachim Oechsner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440545B2

## CPC

- B60T 8/885: {using electrical circuitry}
- B60W 30/18: Propelling the vehicle
- B60T 8/88: with failure responsive means, i.e. means for detecting and indicating faulty operation of the speed responsive control means
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/20: including control of steering systems
- B60W 50/0098: {Details of control systems ensuring comfort, safety or stability not otherwise provided for}
- B60W 50/0205: {Diagnosing or detecting failures; Failure detection models}
- B60W 50/023: Avoiding failures by using redundant parts
- B60T 8/321: {deceleration (B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence)}
- B60T 2270/402: Back-up
- B60T 2270/413: Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy
- B60W 2050/0006: {Digital architecture hierarchy}
- B60W 2050/021: {Means for detecting failure or malfunction}
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT

## Abstract

A control system for a motor vehicle having a first control unit for controlling a first function of the motor vehicle and a second control unit for controlling a second function of the motor vehicle. In order to ensure, with the least possible additional complexity, that functions of a motor vehicle that are controlled by means of control units are properly executed even in the event of a faulty control unit, the control system has a third control unit for controlling the first function and the second function of the motor vehicle and, depending on the receipt of a fault signal of the first and/or second control unit by the third control unit, the third control unit can be configured such that the motor vehicle first and/or second function corresponding to the faulty control unit can be controlled by means of the third control unit alone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control system for a motor vehicle, the control system comprising:
a first control unit to control a first function of the motor vehicle;
a second control unit to control a second function of the motor vehicle, the first and second control units being connectable in a signal-transmitting manner to at least one of at least one sensor or at least one actuator for executing a respective function of the motor vehicle; and
a third control unit to control the first function and the second function of the motor vehicle, the third control unit being connectable in a signal-transmitting manner to the first and second control units and to at least one of the at least one sensor corresponding to the first and second control units or the at least one actuator for executing the respective function of the motor vehicle,
wherein, depending on a receipt of a fault signal of at least one of the first or second control unit by the third control unit, the third control unit is configured such that at least one of the first or second function of the motor vehicle corresponding to the faulty control unit is controlled by the third control unit alone,
wherein the control system further comprises at least one actuator with an electric motor for executing the first or second function of the motor vehicle, wherein at least one first winding of the electric motor is drivable by the first or second control unit and at least one second winding of the electric motor is drivable by the third control unit, wherein the at least one second winding of the electric motor is designed such that the at least one second winding is drivable with a second electric power in a faulty operation of the control system, and wherein the second electric power is higher than a first electric power with which the second winding is drivable in a normal operation of the control system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control system according to claim 1, wherein, depending on a receipt of a fault signal of the third control unit by the first and second control units, the first and second control units are configured such that the first function of the motor vehicle is controlled by the first control unit alone and the second function of the motor vehicle is controlled by the second control unit alone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control system according to claim 1, wherein the first function of the motor vehicle is a braking function and the second function of the motor vehicle is a steering function.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control system according to claim 1, wherein the third control unit forms a structural unit with at least one of the first or second control unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A motor vehicle comprising:
the control system according to claim 1.

### Claim 6

A method for controlling a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a first control unit to control a first function of the motor vehicle;
providing a second control unit to control a second function of the motor vehicle,
connecting the first and second control units in a signal-transmitting manner to at least one of at least one sensor or at least one actuator for executing a respective function of the motor vehicle;
providing a third control unit to control the first function and the second function of the motor vehicle; and
connecting the third control unit in a signal-transmitting manner to the first and second control units and to the at least one sensor corresponding to at least one of the first and second control units or the at least one actuator for executing the respective function of the motor vehicle,
wherein, depending on a receipt of a fault signal of at least one of the first or the second control unit by the third control unit, the third control unit is configured such that at least one of the first or second function of the motor vehicle corresponding to the faulty control unit is controlled by the third control unit alone,
wherein the control system has at least one actuator with an electric motor for executing the first or second function of the motor vehicle, wherein at least one first winding of the electric motor is driven by the first or second control unit and at least one second winding of the electric motor is driven by the third control unit, and wherein the at least one second winding of the electric motor is driven with a first electric power in a normal operation of the control system and is driven with a second electric power in a faulty operation of the control system, wherein the second electric power is higher than the first electric power.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein, depending on a receipt of a fault signal of the third control unit by the first and second control unit, the first and second control units are configured such that the first function of the motor vehicle is controlled by the first control unit alone and the second function of the motor vehicle by the second control unit alone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the first function of the motor vehicle is a braking function and the second function of the motor vehicle is a steering function.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on storing a computer program thereon that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to carry out the method according to claim 6.