Vehicle brake apparatus and method

A vehicle brake apparatus comprising:

• braking force generating means for generating a braking force with a fluid pressure of a fluid transmitted from a fluid source;
• fluid pumping means for selectively rotating in one of a first direction for transmitting a discharge pressure of a fluid to the braking force generating means and a second direction for not transmitting the discharge pressure of the fluid to the braking force generating means;
• channel closing means for selectively closing a channel between the fluid pumping means and the braking force generating means;
• brake control means for
• controlling the channel closing means to open the channel between the fluid pumping means and the braking force generating means and controlling the fluid pumping means to rotate in the first direction so that the discharge pressure of the fluid is transmitted to the braking force generating means when the braking force is increased in accordance with a brake operation by a driver,
• controlling the channel closing means to close the channel between the fluid pumping means and the braking force generating means when the braking force is maintained in accordance with the brake operation by the driver, and
• controlling the fluid pumping means to rotate in the second direction when the brake operation by the driver is not performed, the vehicle is traveling and the channel closing means is open to open the channel;
• and
• diagnosing means for detecting a rotation state of the fluid pumping means while the fluid pumping means is controlled to rotate in the second direction and for diagnosing abnormalities in the fluid pumping means based on the rotation state of the fluid pumping means.

A pump abnormality diagnosing method for a vehicle comprising:

• selectively rotating a pump disposed in a channel between a fluid source and a wheel cylinder in one of a first direction that generates the braking force in the wheel cylinder and a second direction that does not generate the braking force in the wheel cylinder;
• controlling the pump to rotate in the second direction when a brake operation by a driver is not performed;
• detecting a rotation state of the pump while the pump is controlled to rotate in the second direction, the vehicle is traveling and the channel between the fluid source and the wheel cylinder is open;
• and
• diagnosing abnormalities in the pump based on the rotation state of the pump.