# US 12,005,873 B2 · Device and method for operating an automated parking brake with an actuator for a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,873 B2 - Document ID: US12005873B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/634,263 - Filed: 2020-06-12 - Published: 2022-10-06 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-16 - Assignees: Robert Bosch GmbH - Applicants: Robert Bosch GmbH - Inventors: Steffen Zechmeister; Christian Jelenowski; Bernd Stoehr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005873B2 ## CPC - B60T 8/885: {using electrical circuitry} - B60T 17/22: Devices for monitoring or checking brake systems; Signal devices - B60T 7/12: for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} - B60T 8/94: on a fluid pressure regulator - B60T 2201/10: Automatic or semi-automatic parking aid systems - B60T 2270/406: Test-mode; Self-diagnosis - 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 The present disclosure relates to a device for operating an automated parking brake with an actuator for a motor vehicle, wherein the device comprises at least: a central control unit and an application-specific integrated circuit, which application-specific integrated circuit represents an interface between the control unit and the actuator. According to the disclosure, the device is characterized in that the application-specific integrated circuit has a functionally not changeable part and a part that can be functionally changed by means of program code, wherein the functionally changeable part is designed to carry out a specified error check. The disclosure further relates to a method for operating such a device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for operating an automated parking brake having an actuator for a motor vehicle, the device comprising: a central controller; and an application-specific integrated circuit, the application-specific integrated circuit constituting an interface between the central controller and the actuator, the application-specific integrated circuit having a functionally unmodifiable portion and a portion that is functionally modifiable by program code, the functionally modifiable portion being configured to perform a specified error-check. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion that is functionally modifiable by program code comprises a programmable controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion that is functionally modifiable by program code comprises a program memory configured to store instructions that control function blocks. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion that is functionally modifiable by program code comprises a data storage device configured to store at least one of (i) measured values obtained and (ii) expected measured values. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the portion that is functionally modifiable by program code comprises an error-finding module configured to ascertain errors in the program code, the error-finding module being configured to allow stepped execution of the program code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the application-specific integrated circuit is configured to allow access by programmable controller to internal functions of the application-specific integrated circuit. ### Claim 7 A method for operating a device for operating an automated parking brake having an actuator for a motor vehicle, the method comprising: providing the device comprising (i) a central controller and (ii) an application-specific integrated circuit, the application-specific integrated circuit constituting an interface between the central controller and the actuator, the application-specific integrated circuit having a functionally unmodifiable portion and a portion that is functionally modifiable by program code; and performing a specified error-check using the functionally modifiable portion of the application-specific integrated circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the portion that is functionally modifiable by program code comprises a programmable controller, the performing the specified error-check further comprising: performing, with the programmable controller, an error-check based on the program code. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the programmable controller is configured to access internal functions of the application-specific integrated circuit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, the performing the specified error-check further comprising: performing an autonomous error-check of the automated parking brake using the functionally modifiable portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method as claimed in claim 7, the performing the specified error-check further comprising: performing an autonomous error-check of the application-specific integrated circuit using the functionally modifiable portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: giving, in response to an error being identified, feedback from the application-specific integrated circuit to the central controller. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the programmable controller comprises one of (i) a programmable finite state machine and (ii) a processor core. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the programmable controller comprises one of (i) a programmable finite state machine and (ii) a processor core.