Patent ID: 7789469

Claim:
In a method for controlling electric aircraft carbon brakes of an aircraft having a plurality of wheels and a corresponding plurality of wheel brakes when the aircraft is taxiing, the method including the step of providing a plurality of brake actuators of each wheel brake with brake clamping force commands, the improvement in the method comprising: providing a first portion of the plurality of electric brake actuators of each wheel brake with a first range of low brake clamping force responsive to low brake clamping force commands, and a second portion of the plurality of electric brake actuators of each brake with a second range of high brake clamping force responsive to high brake clamping force commands; monitoring commanded initiation of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes of the aircraft; setting a residual brake clamping force to a predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force for the plurality of wheel brakes in response to said commanded initiation of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes; actuating said first portion of electric brake actuators to apply said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force once wheel braking is commanded and maintaining said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force despite a commanded release of braking of any of the plurality of wheel brakes; discontinuing applying said predetermined minimum residual brake clamping force in response to at least one control logic condition; determining an average wheel speed; and comparing said average wheel speed with a predetermined wheel speed threshold, and wherein said at least one control logic condition comprises said average wheel speed being below said predetermined wheel speed threshold.