Patent ID: 8042885

Claim:
A brake control apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a brake operating member operated by a driver; an operation amount sensor for detecting an operation amount of the brake operating member; first and second front wheel cylinders mounted at first and second front wheels respectively; first and second rear wheel cylinders mounted at first and second rear wheels respectively; a reservoir for storing brake fluid; a main conduit connecting the first and second front wheel cylinders and the first and second rear wheel cylinders with the reservoir, the main conduit branching into four conduits respectively connected with the first and second front wheel cylinders and the first and second rear wheel cylinders; pump means for pressurizing the first and second front wheel cylinders and the first and second rear wheel cylinders via the main conduit by drawing in and discharging the brake fluid stored in the reservoir; motor means for driving the pump means; pressure modulating means modulating a wheel cylinder pressure generated within each of the first and second front wheel cylinders and the first and second rear wheel cylinders respectively by means of an actuation of the pump means; controlling means actuating the pressure modulating means and the motor means based upon a detection signal of the operation amount sensor; a battery supplying electric power in order to actuate the controlling means, the pressure modulating means and the motor means; a capacitor supplying electric power when the battery stops supplying electric power; and the controlling means configured to: calculate a target braking force corresponding to the operation amount detected by the operation amount sensor, when an operation of the brake operating member is detected based upon the detection signal of the operation amount sensor; drive the motor means and the pressure modulating means on the basis of the electric power supplied by one of the battery and the capacitor, so that a braking force corresponding to the target braking force is generated; the controlling means including a memorizing portion memorizing a memorized target braking force at which the driving of the motor means is to be started; and, the controlling means configured to drive the motor means on the basis of the electric power supplied by the capacitor, only when the target braking force corresponding to the operation amount reaches the memorized target braking force at which the driving of the motor means is to be started in an electric power supply stopped situation, in which electric power is not supplied by the battery or the amount of electric power supplied by the battery is insufficient, while the operation amount detected by the operation amount sensor increases.