US 8,948,965 B2Granted

Electronic parking brake system, assistant starting method thereof for motor vehicle

AssigneeWuhu Bethel Automotive Safety Systems Co. Ltd.

InventorsZhaoyong Liu, Yongbin Yuan, Qindong Gu, Sheng Zhang, Liping Liu, Yulin Qiang

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Abstract

An electronic parking brake system and assistant starting method thereof for a motor vehicle are provided, wherein, the electronic parking brake system receives a plurality of sensor signals indicative of vehicle condition and releases the electronic parking brake when any one of the plurality of sensor signals indicates a predetermined condition to assist the driver, the conditions including a relation between a torque transmitted by a clutch and a torque needed for starting the motor vehicle, an engine rotational speed being greater than an engine idle speed and simultaneous depression of the accelerator and clutch pedals, a starting trend, a detected engine rotational speed lower than a threshold value calculated according to a throttle opening data, and a detected rotational speed or angle of driving wheel greater than a predetermined threshold value, thereby providing a method and system adapted to accurately judge whether the brake can be automatically released.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An assistant starting method of electronic parking brake system for a motor vehicle, characterized in that, the electronic parking brake system receives all sensor signals and detection signals of the motor vehicle, and processes the received signals through a control unit therein, wherein the sensor signals received by the electronic parking brake system from the motor vehicle include an engine rotate speed signal, an effective torque signal output by an engine, a clutch pedal signal, an acceleration pedal signal, an acceleration signal, and a rotate speed or angle of a driving wheel, and wherein a torque Tc transmitted by a clutch is calculated by the control unit based on the engine rotate speed signal and the effective torque signal output by the engine;

when any one of the following conditions is satisfied, the brake is released to assist a driver in starting:
a first condition where the calculated torque Tc transmitted by the clutch is greater than a torque Tn needed for starting the motor vehicle;
a second condition where an engine rotate speed is greater than an engine idle speed, and an accelerator pedal and a clutch pedal are depressed simultaneously;
a third condition where starting trend of the motor vehicle is detected based on the acceleration signal;
a fourth condition where the detected engine rotate speed is lower than a first predetermined threshold value calculated according to a throttle opening data;
a fifth condition where a detected rotate speed or angle of the driving wheel is greater than a predetermined threshold value of rotate speed or angle.

3 more elements

An electronic parking brake system for a motor vehicle, comprising an EPB controller and an actuating mechanism, characterized in that, the EPB controller also comprises a main control module and a CAN interface module, wherein the main control module includes a main control unit, a storage unit and one or more of calculation units;

wherein, the CAN interface module is designed to transmit signals or commands between the motor vehicle body CAN bus and the main control unit;
according to the received sensor signals or the detection signals, the main control unit judges the type of the sensor signals or the detection signals, selects the corresponding calculation unit to make calculation, wherein the received sensor signals include an engine rotate speed signal and an effective torque signal output by an engine, and the calculation includes calculating a torque Tc transmitted by a clutch based on the engine rotate speed signal and the effective torque signal output by the engine;
according to the calculated results obtained by the calculation unit or the sensor signals or detection signals received by the main control unit, the main control unit determines whether the current motor vehicle meets the condition for releasing the brake;
when the condition for releasing the brake is satisfied, the main control unit controls the actuating mechanism to operate and thus release the braking completed by the parking brake system;
or through the CAN interface module, the main control unit sends to the ESP system of the motor vehicle by way of the vehicle body CAN bus the command to release the braking pipeline pressure, so as to release the braking completed by ESP system;
according to the sensor signals or the detection signals sent by the main control unit as well as the relevant parameters in the storage unit, the one or more of calculation units make calculation, and the calculated results are provided to the main control unit to determine whether the condition for releasing brake is satisfied.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/701,812Filed 20 Dec 2010
Priority: CN 2010 1 025895213 Aug 2010
Published: US 2013/0073163 A121 Mar 2013
Granted: 3 Feb 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

B60T 7/12
Brake-action initiating means: for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger
B60T 7/042
Foot actuated: by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors
B60W 10/182
Including control of braking systems: including control of parking brakes
B60W 30/18027
Related to particular drive situations: drive off, accelerating from standstill