Multi-pressure valve controller and method for a vehicle braking system

A vehicle braking system, the system comprising:

• a brake associated with a respective wheel of the vehicle;
• a multi-pressure valve associated with the brake, the multi-pressure valve receiving fluid at a first pressure at a supply port and being capable of delivering the fluid at a delivery port at a plurality of pressure profiles, the multi-pressure valve including a plurality of electromechanical sub-valves, in a pneumatically parallel arrangement and defaulted to a first state, that receive the pressurized fluid at the first pressure and deliver respective delivery pressures;
• a controller, electrically communicating with the multi-pressure valve, transmitting a control signal to the multi-pressure valve, the multi-pressure valve delivering the pressurized fluid to the brake, via the delivery port, at one of the plurality of delivery pressure profiles based on the control signal, the control signal including a plurality of sub-control signals for the respective plurality of sub-valves;
• a first of the electromechanical sub-valves is set to a second state, based on a respective first of the sub-control signals, to deliver the first of the respective delivery pressures;
• a second of the electromechanical valves is set to a second state, based on a respective second of the sub-control signals, to deliver a second of the respective delivery pressures, the first delivery pressure being higher than the second delivery pressure;
• the controller is configured to transmit the control signal to set the first sub-valve to the second state to deliver the pressurized fluid at the delivery port according to a continuous full pressure profile, which is one of the delivery pressure profiles;
• the controller is configured to transmit the control signal to set the second sub-valve to the second state to deliver the pressurized fluid at the delivery port according to a continuous reduced pressure profile, which is one of the delivery pressure profiles;
• the controller is configured to transmit the control signal to alternately set the second sub-valve to between the first state and the second state to deliver the pressurized fluid at the delivery port according to a stepped-up pressure profile, which is one of the delivery pressure profiles;
• and
• the controller is configured to transmit the control signal to set the first sub-valve to the second state until the full pressure is achieved at the delivery port, the controller then transmits the control signal to alternately set the first sub-valve between the first and second states until a reduced pressure is achieved at the delivery port to deliver the pressurized fluid at the delivery port according to a stepped-down pressure profile, which is one of the delivery pressure profiles.

A controller for controlling delivery pressure of a fluid to a vehicle system, the controller comprising:

• at least one electronic input receiving signals indicating a condition of the vehicle and a deceleration request, the condition of the vehicle including at least one of a speed of the vehicle, a yaw of the vehicle, and an amount of requested service brake pressure;
• and
• electronics configured to determine a discrete one of a plurality of braking profiles, to deliver one of full braking pressure and reduced braking pressure, for a single braking circuit based on at least one of the condition of the vehicle and the deceleration request, the electronics configured to transmit a control signal including respective sub-control signals to sub-valves of a multi-pressure valve providing a braking pressure application to the single braking circuit, each of the sub-valves receiving the fluid at a reservoir pressure at respective first sub-valve supply ports and a service brake pressure at respective second sub-valve supply ports, each of the sub-valves delivering respective delivery pressures, the sub-control signals setting respective states of the sub-valves to achieve the braking pressure application based on the discrete braking profile and controlling the sub-valves to maintain the discrete braking profile in the single braking circuit;
• the electronics being configured to:
• transmit the control signal to set a first of the sub-valves to a second state and to maintain a second of the sub-valves in a first state to deliver a continuous full pressure braking profile;
• transmit the control signal to maintain the first sub-valve in a first state and to set the second sub-valve to a second state to deliver a continuous reduced pressure braking profile;
• transmit the control signal to maintain the first sub-valve in the first state and to alternately set the second sub-valve between the first state and the second state to deliver a stepped-up pressure braking profile;
• and
• transmit the control signal to set the first sub-valve to the second state and to maintain the second sub-valve in the first state until the full pressure is achieved, the electronics then transmit the control signal to alternately set the first sub-valve between the first and second states and to maintain the second sub-valve to the first state to deliver a stepped-down pressure braking profile.

A method for controlling delivery pressure of a fluid to a vehicle system, the method comprising:

• receiving signals, at least one electronic input, indicating a condition of the vehicle and a deceleration request;
• determining a discrete braking profile, to deliver one of full braking pressure and reduced braking pressure, for a single braking circuit based on at least one of the condition of the vehicle and the deceleration request;
• and
• transmitting a control signal including respective sub-control signals to sub-valves of a multi-pressure valve providing a braking pressure application to the single braking circuit, each of the sub-valves receiving the fluid at a reservoir pressure at respective first sub-valve supply ports and a service brake pressure at respective second sub-valve supply ports, each of the sub-valves delivering respective delivery pressures, the sub-control signals setting respective states of the sub-valves to select one of the supply ports on each of the sub-valves to achieve the braking pressure application based on the discrete braking profile and maintaining the discrete braking profile in the single braking circuit, the transmitting step including:
• transmitting the control signal to the multi-pressure valve to achieve a continuous full pressure braking profile by setting a first of the sub-valves to a second state and maintaining a second of the sub-valves in a first state;
• transmitting the control signal to the multi-pressure valve to achieve a continuous reduced pressure braking profile by maintaining the first sub-valve in a first state and setting the second sub-valve to a second state;
• transmitting the control signal to the multi-pressure valve to achieve a stepped-up pressure braking profile by maintaining the first sub-valve in a first state and alternately setting the second sub-valve between the first state and the second state;
• and
• transmitting the control signal to the multi-pressure valve to achieve a stepped-down pressure braking profile by setting the first sub-valve to the second state and maintaining the second sub-valve in the first state until the full pressure is achieved, and then alternately setting the first sub-valve between the first and second states and maintaining the second sub-valve in the first state until a reduced pressure is achieved.

A method for controlling delivery pressure of a fluid to a vehicle system, the method comprising:

• receiving a pressurized fluid into each of a plurality of supply ports of each of a plurality of respective sub-valves of a multi-pressure valve, which provides a braking pressure application to a single braking circuit, from of a valve associated with a brake, each of the sub-valves receiving the pressurized fluid at a reservoir pressure at respective first sub-valve supply ports and a service brake pressure at respective second sub-valve supply ports and delivering respective delivery pressures;
• sensing a vehicle condition;
• determining a discrete desired profile of delivery pressures to be delivered from a delivery port of the multi-pressure valve to the single braking circuit based on the vehicle condition;
• and
• transmitting a pattern of control signals including respective sub-control signals to the sub-valves, the sub-control signals setting the sub-valves between respective first and second states, for causing the multi-pressure valve to deliver the pressurized fluid from the delivery port of the multi-pressure valve to the single braking circuit in the discrete desired profile of delivery pressures, the transmitting step including:
• transmitting the control signal to set a first of the sub-valves to a second state and to maintain a second of the sub-valves in a first state to achieve a continuous full pressure profile application of the fluid at the delivery port;
• transmitting the control signal to maintain the first sub-valve in a first state and to set the second sub-valve to a second state to achieve a continuous reduced pressure profile application of the fluid at the delivery port;
• transmitting the control signal, along with subsequent control signals, to maintain the first sub-valve in the state and to alternately set the second sub-valve between the first state and the second state to achieve a stepped-up pressure profile application of the fluid at the delivery port;
• and
• transmitting the control signal, along with subsequent control signals, to set the first sub-valve to the second state and to maintain the second sub-valve in the first state until the full pressure is achieved at the delivery port, the controller then transmitting additional control signals to alternately set the first sub-valve between the first and second states and to maintain the second sub-valve in the first state until a reduced pressure is achieved at the delivery port to achieve a stepped-down pressure profile application of the fluid at the delivery port.