Circuit configuration for detecting wheel sensor malfunctions

Fluid-pressure and analogous brake systems – Speed-controlled – With failure responsive means

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

303195, B60T 888

Patent

active

054763118

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a circuit configuration, or system, for detecting wheel sensor malfunctions intended for automotive vehicle brake systems with electronic anti-lock control and/or traction slip control. Such a circuit configuration includes circuits which process and assess the sensor signals, which ascertain speed, deceleration and acceleration of the individual wheels and compare these values with one another as well as with predefined limit values. In addition, such a circuit configuration includes circuits which disconnect the control at least temporarily once signals or combinations of signals typical of a sensor malfunction are detected.
Monitoring the individual component parts and the operability of an electronically controlled brake system is of great significance. This is because once malfunctions are detected, the conventional functioning of the brakes can be safeguarded by disconnecting the control. Since a great variety of errors and types of errors can occur, the control systems are monitored by different measures in practice.
For instance, one monitoring method involves regularly generating test pulses and observing the reaction of the component parts to these pulses. Another monitoring method involves performing the signal processing in the electronic control unit of the system in parallel in separate circuits and monitoring the output signals generated this way for coincidence. A large number of errors can be detected by the so-called plausibility criteria method. This method of error detection is based on that specific measured values or combinations of signals are not physically possible when the system is intact. Thus, if such values or combinations of signals occur, an error is indicated. However, difficulties are involved in many cases to distinguish between signals caused by malfunctions and correct control signals.
Some types of errors or problems cannot be detected at all, or not reliably or not fast enough by all known monitoring methods. The monitoring of the wheel sensors is among these problems. Erroneous signals occur in a variety of circumstances, e.g. in the presence of too large of an air gap, when the toothed disc loosens or is mounted incorrectly, in the event of pulse generator teeth missing partly or wholly, etc. In these circumstances, it is difficult to determine whether the absence of sensor signals on starting the vehicle is due to a standstill of the wheel or due to the sensor wheel missing. Problems of this kind are known among specialists under the phrase "detection on starting".
An anti-lock system with a safety function is already known from European patent specification EP 0 075 932 B1, wherein specific pairs of signals are detected and an error is identified once a combination of signals occurs which is not possible during fail-safe operation. Specific sensor errors are unidentifiable this way because the signals caused by the malfunction can occur in certain control situations as well during a malfunction.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The circuit configuration of the present invention detects the sensor errors of different types occurring in practice very quickly and reliably and safeguards the conventional brake function in these cases by disconnecting the control.
The circuit configuration of the present invention disconnects or disables the control unit in the presence of a measured acceleration value at one, two or three wheels which is below a so-termed overspeed threshold and in the presence of a measured speed value at the remaining wheel or at least one of the remaining wheels which is below a bottom speed threshold, as soon as a measured wheel speed value exceeds a top speed threshold.
This circuit configuration serves to very quickly detect a sensor malfunction when the vehicle starts to drive and the acceleration is below the overspeed threshold.
Once a considerable deceleration occurs, i.e. when a wheel deceleration is below a predetermined deceleration limit value, a time monitoring function with a pre

REFERENCES:
patent: 3803425 (1975-04-01), Carp
patent: 3920280 (1975-11-01), Luhdorff et al.
patent: 4192180 (1980-03-01), Gerstenmeier et al.
patent: 4428224 (1984-01-01), Farazi et al.
patent: 4499543 (1985-02-01), Matsuda
patent: 4722576 (1988-02-01), Matsuda
patent: 4841446 (1989-06-01), Leiber et al.
patent: 4955671 (1990-09-01), Higashimura

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Circuit configuration for detecting wheel sensor malfunctions does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Circuit configuration for detecting wheel sensor malfunctions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Circuit configuration for detecting wheel sensor malfunctions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-988502

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.