# US 11,993,179 B2 · Brake assist for an inoperable electronic booster brake system

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- Number: US 11,993,179 B2
- Document ID: US11993179B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/557,789
- Filed: 2021-12-21
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-21
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Chad Korte; Daniel A. Gabor; Thomas Svensson; Harold Felch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993179B2

## CPC

- B60L 7/26: Controlling the braking effect
- B60L 15/2009: {for braking}
- B60T 7/042: {by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors}
- B60T 8/885: {using electrical circuitry}
- B60T 8/92: automatically taking corrective action
- B60T 8/94: on a fluid pressure regulator
- B60T 8/96: on speed responsive control means
- B60L 2240/14: Acceleration
- B60L 2240/423: Torque
- B60L 2250/26: by pedal actuation
- 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
- 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 vehicle control system may include a brake pedal position sensor, a braking torque module, an accelerator pedal position sensor, and a brake augmenter. The brake pedal position sensor is operably coupled to a brake pedal to determine a brake pedal position responsive to actuation of the brake pedal by an operator. The braking torque module is operably coupled to wheels of the vehicle to provide negative torque to the wheels based on the brake pedal position when an EBB system is in an operable state. The accelerator pedal position sensor is operably coupled to an accelerator pedal to determine accelerator pedal position for generation of positive torque to the wheels based on the accelerator pedal position when the EBB system is in the operable state. The brake augmenter is operably coupled to the accelerator pedal position sensor to provide a negative torque input to the wheels responsive to the accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a first range of pedal positions and a positive torque input to the wheels responsive to the accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a second range of pedal positions when the EBB system is in an inoperable state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle control system of a vehicle, the system comprising:
a brake pedal position sensor operably coupled to a brake pedal to determine a brake pedal position responsive to actuation of the brake pedal by an operator of the vehicle;
a braking torque module operably coupled to one or more wheels of the vehicle to provide negative torque to the one or more wheels based on the brake pedal position when an electronic brake boost (EBB) system of the braking torque module is in an operable state;
an accelerator pedal position sensor operably coupled to an accelerator pedal to determine accelerator pedal position for generation of positive torque to provide to the one or more wheels based on the accelerator pedal position when the EBB system is in the operable state; and
a brake augmenter operably coupled to the accelerator pedal position sensor to provide a negative torque input to the one or more wheels responsive to the accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a first range of pedal positions and a positive torque input to the one or more wheels responsive to the accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a second range of pedal positions when the EBB system is in an inoperable state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the first range of pedal positions and the second range of pedal positions are separated by a neutral point, and wherein at the neutral point, both the positive torque input and the negative torque input are substantially equal to zero.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle control system of claim 2, wherein the neutral point is disposed between opposite extreme ends of the first range of pedal positions and the second range of pedal positions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the first range of pedal positions and the second range of pedal positions are defined in an alternate pedal map that maps the accelerator pedal position to a range of negative torque values in the first range of pedal positions and to a range of positive torque values in the second range of pedal positions, and wherein the alternate pedal map is implemented responsive to an indication of the EBB system being in the inoperable state.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle control system of claim 4, wherein the range of positive torque values increase linearly over the second range of pedal positions as the accelerator pedal is depressed past the neutral point.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The vehicle control system of claim 4, wherein the range of negative torque decrease linearly over the first range of pedal positions as the accelerator pedal is depressed toward the neutral point.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the brake pedal is inoperable responsive to the EBB system being in the inoperable state based on a positive indication that the EBB system is inoperable.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the brake pedal is inoperable responsive to the EBB system being in the inoperable state based on a negative indication that the EBB system is operable.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein the braking torque module is operably coupled to a braking system comprising electro-mechanical brakes, hydraulic brakes, electric parking brakes or regenerative brakes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle control system of claim 1, wherein a power source of the braking torque module or the brake augmenter changes to or is always supplied by a backup power source when the EBB system is in the inoperable state.

### Claim 11

A torque control module of a vehicle, the module comprising:
a braking torque module operably coupled to one or more wheels of the vehicle to provide negative torque to the one or more wheels based on brake pedal position when an electronic brake boost (EBB) system of the braking torque module is in an operable state;
a positive torque module operably coupled to the one or more wheels to provide positive torque to the one or more wheels based on accelerator pedal position when the EBB system is in the operable state; and
a brake augmenter operably coupled to an accelerator pedal position sensor to provide a negative torque input to the one or more wheels responsive to the accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a first range of pedal positions and a positive torque input to the one or more wheels responsive to the accelerator pedal position sensor indicating a second range of pedal positions when the EBB system is in an inoperable state.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The module of claim 11, wherein the first range of pedal positions and the second range of pedal positions are separated by a neutral point, and wherein at the neutral point, both the positive torque input and the negative torque input are substantially equal to zero.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The module of claim 12, wherein the neutral point is disposed between opposite extreme ends of the first range of pedal positions and the second range of pedal positions.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The module of claim 11, wherein the first range of pedal positions and the second range of pedal positions are defined in an alternate pedal map that maps the accelerator pedal position to a range of negative torque values in the first range of pedal positions and to a range of positive torque values in the second range of pedal positions, and wherein the alternate pedal map is implemented responsive to an indication of the EBB system being in the inoperable state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The module of claim 14, wherein the range of positive torque values increase linearly or nonlinearly over the second range of pedal positions as the accelerator pedal is depressed past the neutral point.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The module of claim 14, wherein the range of negative torque decrease linearly or nonlinearly over the first range of pedal positions as the accelerator pedal is depressed toward the neutral point.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The module of claim 11, wherein the brake pedal is inoperable responsive to the EBB system being in the inoperable state based on a positive indication that the EBB system is inoperable.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The module of claim 11, wherein the brake pedal is inoperable responsive to the EBB system being in the inoperable state based on a negative indication that the EBB system is operable.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The module of claim 11, wherein the braking torque module is operably coupled to a braking system comprising electro-mechanical brakes, hydraulic brakes, electric parking brakes or regenerative brakes.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The module of claim 11, wherein a power source of the braking torque module or the brake augmenter changes to or is always supplied by a backup power source when the EBB system is in the inoperable state.