# US 11,897,489 B2 · Protective device for decoupling electric control circuits in a redundant system for autonomous driving > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,489 B2 - Document ID: US11897489B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/274,409 - Filed: 2019-08-26 - Published: 2021-09-02 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-10 - Assignees: KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH - Applicants: Knorr-Bremse Systeme Fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH - Inventors: Michael Herges; Dieter Woerner; Falk Hecker - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897489B2 ## CPC - B60W 50/023: Avoiding failures by using redundant parts - B60T 13/68: by electrically-controlled valves {(B60T13/662 and B60T13/665 take precedence)} - B60T 13/683: {in pneumatic systems or parts thereof (in vacuum systems B60T13/72)} - B60T 17/22: Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices - 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)} - B60W 60/00: Drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles - B60T 2270/402: Back-up - B60T 2270/413: Plausibility monitoring, cross check, redundancy - B60T 2270/414: Power supply failure - B60W 2510/18: Braking system - 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 - 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 ## Abstract A device for decoupling and/or protecting against compensation currents when at least one electropneumatic actuator is used jointly by a plurality of independently voltage-supplied control unit devices in redundant systems for autonomous driving. The electropneumatic actuator has, in each case, a common connection, via which the electropneumatic actuator can be coupled and switched to a common connection of other electropneumatic actuators, and has at least one dedicated connection via which the at least one electropneumatic actuator can be individually supplied with current. Switching devices, corresponding to the common connection and the number of dedicated connections of all the electropneumatic actuators, are arranged to apply or not apply a switched current in the at least one electropneumatic actuator. Provided is at least one current flow blocking device to prevent an unwanted current flow to a non-active electronic control unit of the first and second control unit devices. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A protective device for decoupling electric control circuits when at least one electropneumatic actuator is jointly used by a plurality of independently voltage-supplied control unit devices in a redundant system for autonomous driving, comprising: at least one current flow blocking device configured to prevent a resulting flow of current to an electronic control unit of another of a first control unit device and a second control unit device when one of the first and second control unit devices applies a switched current to the at least one electropneumatic actuator; wherein the at least one electropneumatic actuator has, in each case, a common connection, via which the at least one electropneumatic actuator can be coupled and switched to a common connection of at least one other electropneumatic actuator, and at least one dedicated connection, via which the at least one electropneumatic actuator can be individually supplied with current, wherein the plurality of control unit devices has the at least one first control unit device including a first electronic control unit and a first number of switching devices corresponding to the common connection and the number of dedicated connections of all the electropneumatic actuators, and has the at least one second control unit device including a second electronic control unit and a second number of switching devices corresponding to the common connection and the number of dedicated connections of all the electropneumatic actuators, and wherein the at least one first and second control unit devices are arranged to apply or not apply a switched current to the at least one electropneumatic actuator using the switching devices. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second control unit devices include a main brake control unit with the first electronic control unit and a backup brake control unit with the second electronic control unit, and the at least one electropneumatic actuator includes a solenoid valve or a pressure control module containing solenoid valves, wherein the first and second control unit devices are arranged to jointly access coils of the solenoid valves and/or of the pressure control modules, the coils being configured to be activated via the switching devices, and wherein the switching devices contain semiconductor switches and/or output stages configured to be supplied via a common supply and ground path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the switching devices are configured as electronic output stages, which are arranged to be controlled by a logic unit of the first or second electronic control unit, one output stage in each case being an output stage that connects the supply leads of an electropneumatic actuator to a positive potential, or an output stage that connects the return leads of the electropneumatic actuator to a negative potential or ground potential. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the current flow blocking device is formed as a diode arranged on a connection of each of the switching devices. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4, wherein the diode is arranged inside the first and second electronic control units or outside the first and second electronic control units between the at least one electropneumatic actuator and each of the switching devices. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of diodes are arranged in a diode circuit arrangement forming a T-piece, which operates equivalent to a single diode in each case. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein on the supply-potential side a reverse-polarized and actively switched output stage is arranged in a common current path section between the switching devices and the first and second electronic control units as the current blocking device, and on the ground-potential side a diode is arranged in a common current path section between the switching devices and the first and second electronic control units as the current blocking device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein on the supply-potential side a diode is arranged in a common current path section between the switching devices and the first and second electronic control units as the current blocking device, and on the ground-potential side a reverse-polarized and actively switched output stage is arranged in a common current path section between the switching devices and the first and second electronic control units as the current blocking device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein on the supply-potential side a reverse-polarized and actively switched output stage is arranged in a common current path section between the switching devices and the first and second electronic control unit as the current blocking device, and on the ground-potential side a reverse-polarized and actively switched output stage is arranged in a common current path section between the switching devices and the first and second electronic control unit as the current blocking device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein: the first and second electronic control units are configured to block the switching devices of both a positive and a ground line if no electropneumatic actuator is to be supplied with current, in a fault-free operation in accordance with predetermined criteria, specifically only one of the first and second electronic control units performs the control of the at least one electropneumatic actuator, an electronic control unit of the first and second electronic control units in a passive state is configured not to carry out an active supply of current to an electropneumatic actuator for testing purposes, the electronic control unit in the passive state is configured to switch to an active state in the event of a fault in an active control unit of the first and second electronic control units that prevents further operation of the active control unit and, as a new active electronic control unit, to assume the control of the electropneumatic actuator instead of the faulty electronic control unit from then on, and the electronic control unit in the passive state is configured to monitor voltage levels on its leads to the at least one electropneumatic actuator, to plausibility-check this monitoring with information transmitted to it by the active electronic control unit regarding a current activation of the at least one electric actuator, and to monitor a safe blocking of the current blocking device.