Programmable electronic pedal simulator

A pedal simulator for a vehicle braking system comprising:

• a brake pedal;
• an electrical actuator operatively coupled to said brake pedal to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal, said electrical actuator including a rotary to linear motion converter for coupling an electric motor to said brake pedal;
• a position sensor for generating a position signal indicative of the position of said brake pedal;
• a force sensor for generating a force signal indicative of the force exerted upon said brake pedal by a driver;
• and
• an electronic control unit having programmed therein a desired relationship between said position signal and said force signal, said electronic control unit determining an actual relationship between said position signal and said force signal and comparing said actual relationship with said desired relationship and controlling said electrical actuator to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal to conform said actual relationship to said desired relationship, the electrical control unit developing a brake demand signal adapted to be supplied to a brake unit to cause the brake unit to supply all of a braking force.

A pedal simulator for a vehicle braking system comprising:

• a brake pedal;
• an electrical actuator operatively coupled to said brake pedal to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal, said electrical actuator including a rotary to linear motion converter for coupling an electric motor to said brake pedal, said rotary to linear motion converter includes a spindle having threads formed thereon, a spindle nut having threads formed on an inner surface thereof and a plurality of planetary rollers engaging said threads of said spindle and said threads of said spindle nut for operatively coupling said spindle and said spindle nut, said spindle being coupled to said brake pedal to move axially with movement of said brake pedal, said spindle nut being operatively coupled to the rotary output of said electric motor, one of said threads on said spindle and said threads on said spindle nut being self-locking;
• a position sensor for generating a position signal indicative of the position of said brake pedal;
• a force sensor for generating a force signal indicative of the force exerted upon said brake pedal by a driver;
• and
• an electronic control unit having programmed therein a desired relationship between said position signal and said force signal, said electronic control unit determining an actual relationship between said position signal and said force signal and comparing said actual relationship with said desired relationship and controlling said electrical actuator to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal to conform said actual relationship to said desired relationship.

A pedal simulator for a vehicle braking system comprising:

• a brake pedal;
• an electrical actuator operatively coupled to said brake pedal to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal, said electrical actuator including a rotary to linear motion converter for coupling an electric motor to said brake pedal;
• a position sensor for generating a position signal indicative of the position of said brake pedal;
• a force sensor for generating a force signal indicative of the force exerted upon said brake pedal by a driver;
• an electronic control unit having programmed therein a desired relationship between said position signal and said force signal, said electronic control unit determining an actual relationship between said position signal and said force signal and comparing said actual relationship with said desired relationship and controlling said electrical actuator to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal to conform said actual relationship to said desired relationship;
• and
• a spring/damper operatively disposed between said brake pedal and said electrical actuator for providing a spring-loaded lost motion between said brake pedal and said electrical actuator.

A pedal simulator for a vehicle braking system comprising:

• a brake pedal;
• an electrical actuator operatively coupled to said brake pedal to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal, said electrical actuator including a rotary to linear motion converter for coupling an electric motor to said brake pedal;
• a position sensor for generating a position signal indicative of the position of said brake pedal;
• a force sensor for generating a force signal indicative of the force exerted upon said brake pedal by a driver;
• an electronic control unit having programmed therein a desired relationship between said position signal and said force signal, said electronic control unit determining an actual relationship between said position signal and said force signal and comparing said actual relationship with said desired relationship and controlling said electrical actuator to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal to conform said actual relationship to said desired relationship;
• and
• a structure adapted to couple said brake pedal to a standby braking system through said electric actuator.

An electronic pedal simulator for use in a brake system, said electronic pedal simulator comprising:

• an input member which is selectively urged to movement by a driver of the vehicle;
• means for determining a relationship between a position of said input member and a force with which said driver is urging movement of said input member;
• programmable spring means for selectively assisting and resisting movement of said input member by the driver of the vehicle;
• and
• an electronic control unit for developing a brake demand signal adapted to be supplied to a brake unit to cause the brake unit to supply all of a braking force, said electronic control unit controlling operation of said programmable spring means according to a predetermined relationship of said position and said force.

An electronic pedal simulator for use in a brake system, said electronic pedal simulator comprising:

• an input member which is selectively urged to movement by a driver of the vehicle;
• means for determining a relationship between a position of said input member and a force with which said driver is urging movement of said input member;
• and
• an electrical actuator for selectively assisting and resisting movement of said input member by the driver of the vehicle according to a predetermined relationship of location and force, said electrical actuator including a rotary to linear motion converter for coupling an electric motor having a rotary output to said input member, said rotary to linear motion converter including a spindle having threads formed thereon, a spindle nut having threads formed on an inner surface thereof and a plurality of planetary rollers engaging said threads of said spindle and said threads of said spindle nut for operatively coupling said spindle and said spindle nut, said spindle being coupled to said input member to move axially with movement of said input member, said spindle nut being operatively coupled to the rotary output of said electric motor, one of said threads on said spindle and said threads on said spindle nut being self-locking.

An electronic pedal simulator for use in a brake system, said electronic pedal simulator comprising:

• an input member which is selectively urged to movement by a driver of the vehicle;
• means for determining a relationship between a position of said input member and a force with which said driver is urging movement of said input member;
• programmable spring means including a rotary to linear motion converter for coupling an electric motor having a rotary output to said input member for selectively assisting and resisting movement of said input member by the driver of the vehicle according to a predetermined relationship of said position and said force;
• and
• a spring/damper operatively disposed between said input member and said electrical actuator for providing a spring-loaded lost motion between said input member and said electrical actuator.

An electronic pedal simulator for use in a brake system, said electronic pedal simulator comprising:

• an input member which is selectively urged to movement by a driver of the vehicle;
• means for determining a relationship between a position of said input member and a force with which said driver is urging movement of said input member;
• programmable spring means for selectively assisting and resisting movement of said input member by the driver of the vehicle;
• an electronic control unit for developing a brake demand signal adapted to be supplied to a brake unit to cause the brake unit to supply all of a braking force, said electronic control unit controlling operation of said programmable spring means according to a predetermined relationship of said position and said force;
• and
• a structure adapted to couple said input member to a standby braking system through said programmable spring means.

A vehicle braking system comprising:

• a brake unit selectively operable for braking a vehicle;
• a brake pedal;
• an electrical actuator operatively coupled to said brake pedal to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal;
• a position sensor for generating a position signal indicative of the position of said brake pedal;
• a force sensor for generating a force signal indicative of the force exerted upon said brake pedal by a driver;
• and
• an electronic control unit for generating braking signals for controlling the operation of the brake unit to supply all of the braking force for braking the vehicle and having programmed therein a desired relationship between said position signal and said force signal, said electronic control unit determining an actual relationship between said position signal and said force signal and comparing said actual relationship with said desired relationship and controlling said electrical actuator to selectively exert a force on said brake pedal to conform said actual relationship to said desired relationship independent of the braking signals and the operation of the brake unit.