Patent ID: 9434362
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: B60L,B60T,B60W,B60Y

Claim Text:
1. A braking system for an electric vehicle, comprising: a first wheel coupled to the electric vehicle, the first wheel having a first friction brake and an electric motor; a second wheel coupled to the electric vehicle, the second wheel having a second friction brake; a first user-actuated brake lever coupled to the first friction brake, the first user-actuated brake lever having a first sensor indicating actuation of the first user-actuated brake lever; a second user-actuated brake lever coupled to the second friction brake, the second user-actuated brake lever having a second sensor indicating actuation of the second user-actuated brake lever; and an electronic control unit electronically coupled to the first and second sensors and the electric motor; a hydraulic pressure sensor for use in conjunction with at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor, wherein the hydraulic pressure sensor, based on an amount of hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic line of at least one of the first friction brake and the second friction brake, being indicative of a desire for a braking torque; wherein the first sensor is a switch indicating whether the first user-actuated brake lever is actuated and the electronic control unit commands the motor to generate electricity up to a first fraction of a maximum regeneration capacity of the motor when the first user-actuated brake lever is actuated and the second user-actuated brake lever is unactuated; wherein the second sensor is a switch indicating whether the second user-actuated brake lever is actuated and the electronic control unit commands the motor to generate electricity up to a second fraction of the maximum regeneration capacity of the motor when the second user-actuated brake lever is actuated and the first user-actuated brake lever is unactuated; wherein the electronic control unit commands the motor to generate electricity at a third fraction of the maximum regeneration capacity of the motor when both the first and second user- actuated brake levers are actuated, the third fraction is greater than the first fraction, and the third fraction is greater than the second fraction; wherein a total braking torque is determined as a sum of a friction braking torque and a regenerative braking torque, the friction braking torque is generated by at least one of following: the first friction brake and the second friction brake, the regenerative braking torque is determined by a maximum available regenerative braking torque limited by at least one of the following: the first fraction, the second fraction, and the third fraction of the maximum regeneration capacity of the motor, wherein upon attaining the maximum available regenerative braking torque, at least one of the first friction brake and the second friction brake is actuated, wherein the braking torque increases monotonically until a maximum possible regenerative braking torque.