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US 12,623,645 B2Granted
Methods and systems for implementing a redundant brake system
AssigneeWaymo LLC
InventorsTimothy Alexander Buchert, David James Smith, Juan Manual Gomez-Ramos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example embodiments relate to triple redundant brake systems for trucks and other types of vehicles. Disclosed systems offer additional redundancy for braking applications by incorporating a third service brake actuator (e.g., a third ECU), which may be installed parallel to the second controller (e.g., a second ECU). In some examples, the third service brake actuator is an electronically activatable pressure valve and can be implemented using pneumatic select-high valves. These valves can be used to perform a mechanical max arbitration between pressure provided by the second controller and the third controller.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- providing, by a computing system coupled to a vehicle, a first signal to a first electronic control unit (ECU), wherein the first ECU is communicably coupled to a pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly;
- determining a speed of the vehicle remains unchanged for a threshold duration after providing the first signal to the first ECU;
- and
- based on determining the speed of the vehicle remains unchanged for the threshold duration, providing, by the computing system, a second signal to at least a second ECU from a set of additional ECUs, wherein the set of additional ECUs includes at least the second ECU and a third ECU communicably coupled in parallel to the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly, and wherein the second ECU activates, based on the second signal, one or more vehicle brake sets of the vehicle via the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly.
1 more element
A system comprising:
- a vehicle having a vehicle brake system, wherein the vehicle brake system comprises:
- a pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly coupled to one or more vehicle brake sets, and
- a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) communicably coupled to the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly;
- and
- a computing system coupled to the vehicle, wherein the computing system is configured to:
- provide a first signal to a first ECU;
- determine a speed of the vehicle remains unchanged for a threshold duration after providing the first signal to the first ECU;
- and
- based on determining the speed of the vehicle remains unchanged for the threshold duration, provide a second signal to at least a second ECU from the plurality of ECUs, wherein the plurality of ECUs includes at least the second ECU and a third ECU communicably coupled in parallel to the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly, and wherein the second ECU activates, based on the second signal, one or more vehicle brake sets of the vehicle via the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly.
6 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing, from a pressurized fluid source, a pressurized fluid stream to a pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly is fluidly coupled to a vehicle brake set of the autonomous vehicle;
- providing sensor data from a vehicle sensor of the autonomous vehicle to a set of electronic control units (ECUs) communicably coupled to the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly, wherein the set of ECUs includes a primary electronic control unit and a pair of additional ECUs, and wherein the pair of additional ECUs are communicably coupled in parallel to the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly;
- based on the sensor data, controlling, by at least one ECU, the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly to adjust a pressure of the pressurized fluid stream provided to the vehicle brake set of the autonomous vehicle;
- determining a speed of the vehicle remains unchanged for a threshold duration after controlling the pressure-controlled electronic braking assembly based on the sensor data;
- and
- based on determining the speed of the vehicle remains unchanged for the threshold duration, providing a second signal to at least one of the pair of additional ECUs to activate the vehicle brake set.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.