# US 11,897,441 B2 · Control system and method for controlling an activation state of a braking-torque assistance system for reducing intake of braking energy in a service-brake system of a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,441 B2 - Document ID: US11897441B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/944,496 - Filed: 2020-07-31 - Published: 2021-02-04 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-01 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Thomas Wilwers; Thomas Svensson; Eugen Weber; Lowell Kubik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897441B2 ## CPC - B60T 8/17: Using electrical or electronic regulation means to control braking {(detecting or indicating faulty operation B60T8/885)} - B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits - B60L 3/0076: {relating to braking} - B60L 7/26: Controlling the braking effect - B60L 15/2009: {for braking} - B60L 58/15: Preventing overcharging - B60T 1/02: acting by retarding wheels - B60T 1/10: by utilising wheel movement for accumulating energy, e.g. driving air compressors - B60T 8/171: Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation - B60T 13/586: {the retarders being of the electric type} - B60T 13/74: with electrical assistance or drive - B60T 17/221: {Procedure or apparatus for checking or keeping in a correct functioning condition of brake systems (hydraulic pressure systems in general F15B19/00, F15B21/04; testing structures or apparatus G01M)} - F16D 61/00: Brakes with means for making the energy absorbed available for use (F16D57/00 takes precedence) - F16D 66/00: Arrangements for monitoring working conditions, e.g. wear, temperature - B60L 2240/12: Speed - B60L 2240/36: Temperature of vehicle components or parts - B60L 2240/662: Temperature - B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation - B60T 2201/03: Brake assistants - B60T 2210/30: Environment conditions or position therewithin - B60T 2250/00: Monitoring, detecting, estimating vehicle conditions - B60T 2250/04: Vehicle reference speed; Vehicle body speed - B60T 2260/09: Complex systems; Conjoint control of two or more vehicle active control systems - B60T 2270/402: Back-up - B60T 2270/406: Test-mode; Self-diagnosis - B60T 2270/604: Merging friction therewith; Adjusting their repartition - F16D 2066/001: {Temperature} - Y02T 10/64: Electric machine technologies in electromobility - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/72: Electric energy management in electromobility - Y02T 90/16: Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles - 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 - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A method for controlling an activation state of a braking-torque assistance system for reducing intake of braking energy in a service-brake system of a vehicle includes capturing and evaluating a plurality of demand indications for a startup of the braking-torque assistance system. If the evaluation of the captured plurality of demand indications reveals a demand for the startup of the braking-torque assistance system, a plurality of operating conditions of the service-brake system are captures and evaluated over a monitoring period. If, in turn, the evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions reveals that an overheating of the service-brake system is imminent, the braking-torque assistance system is actuated and one or more deactivation conditions of the braking-torque assistance system are checked. If the deactivation conditions are satisfied, the braking-torque assistance system is deactivated. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for controlling an activation state of a braking-torque assistance system for reducing intake of braking energy in the service-brake system of a vehicle, the method comprising: capturing and evaluating of a plurality of demand indications for a startup of the braking-torque assistance system; starting a capture of a plurality of operating conditions of the service-brake system and evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions over a monitoring period responsive to the evaluation of the captured plurality of demand indications revealing a demand for the startup of the braking-torque assistance system; activating the braking-torque assistance system and checking of one or more deactivation conditions of the braking-torque assistance system responsive to the evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions revealing that an overheating of the service-brake system is imminent; and deactivating the braking-torque assistance system responsive to the one or more deactivation conditions being satisfied. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing the plurality of demand indications comprises the following: capturing a current speed of the vehicle and capturing of at least one associated current local temperature value of the service-brake system of the vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein evaluating the captured plurality of demand indications includes checking whether: the at least one current local temperature value exceeds a first limiting temperature value of the service-brake system, and the associated current speed lies within an operating range of the braking-torque assistance system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing the plurality of operating conditions of the service-brake system comprises: capturing a braking duration of an actuation of the service-brake system during the monitoring period; capturing an average speed of the vehicle during the monitoring period; capturing a motion duration in which the speed of the vehicle is greater than zero during the monitoring period; and capturing a temperature-rise gradient of the at least one current local temperature value during the monitoring period. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein evaluating the captured plurality of operating conditions over the monitoring period reveals that an overheating of the service-brake system is imminent responsive to the evaluation revealing that: the braking duration during the monitoring period amounts to at least one minimum value of the braking duration, the average speed of the vehicle attains at least one lower limiting value for the average speed during the monitoring period and does not exceed an upper limiting value for the average speed, the motion duration during the monitoring period amounts to at least one minimum value of the motion duration, and the temperature-rise gradient attains at least one threshold value for the temperature-rise gradient. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing the plurality of demand indications for the startup of the braking-torque assistance system includes, in addition, capturing a current ambient temperature of the vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein evaluating the captured plurality of demand indications includes, in addition, a checking whether the captured current ambient temperature exceeds a threshold value of ambient temperature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein capturing the plurality of demand indications for the startup of the braking-torque assistance system includes, in addition, capturing a charging-capacity limit of an accumulator device of the vehicle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein evaluating the captured plurality of demand indications includes, in addition, checking whether the captured charging-capacity limit exceeds a threshold value for the charging-capacity limit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein checking the one or more deactivation conditions of the braking-torque assistance system includes checking whether the at least one current local temperature value falls short of a second limiting temperature value of the service-brake system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, wherein checking the one or more deactivation conditions of the braking-torque assistance system includes checking whether, in addition, the captured charging-capacity limit falls short of the threshold value for the charging-capacity limit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein activating the braking-torque assistance system causes a braking torque of a motor/engine of the vehicle to be transmitted to one or more wheels of the vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein activating the braking-torque assistance system causes one or more energy-consumption devices of the vehicle to be activated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein activating the braking-torque assistance system causes a heater and/or an air-conditioning system of the vehicle to be activated. ### Claim 15 A control system for controlling an activation state of a braking-torque assistance system for reducing intake of braking energy in the service-brake system of a vehicle, the control system comprising processing circuitry configured for: capturing and evaluating of a plurality of demand indications for a startup of the braking-torque assistance system; starting a capture of a plurality of operating conditions of the service-brake system and evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions over a monitoring period responsive to the evaluation of the captured plurality of demand indications revealing a demand for the startup of the braking-torque assistance system; activating the braking-torque assistance system; and checking of one or more deactivation conditions of the braking-torque assistance system responsive to the evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions revealing that an overheating of the service-brake system is imminent; and deactivating the braking-torque assistance system responsive to the one or more deactivation conditions being satisfied. ### Claim 16 A vehicle comprising: a service-brake system; a braking-torque assistance system; and a control system for controlling an activation state of the braking-torque assistance system for reducing intake of braking energy in the service-brake system, the control system comprising processing circuitry configured for: capturing and evaluating of a plurality of demand indications for a startup of the braking-torque assistance system; starting a capture of a plurality of operating conditions of the service-brake system and evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions over a monitoring period responsive to the evaluation of the captured plurality of demand indications revealing a demand for the startup of the braking-torque assistance system; activating the braking-torque assistance system and checking of one or more deactivation conditions of the braking-torque assistance system responsive to the evaluation of the captured plurality of operating conditions revealing that an overheating of the service-brake system is imminent; and deactivating the braking-torque assistance system responsive to the one or more deactivation conditions being satisfied.