Patent ID: 7837278

Claim:
A vehicle brake system comprising: a first power supply supplying electrical power to a first power supply network; a second power supply supplying electrical power to a second power supply network; a first central control unit in communication with a first control network, said first central control unit receiving electrical power from the first power supply network; a second central control unit in communication with a second control network, said second central control unit receiving electrical power from the second power supply network; a plurality of brake units, each of said plurality of brake units comprising: a brake component; a self-enforcing mechanism associated with and acting upon said brake component; a first actuation mechanism, said first actuation mechanism acting upon said self enforcing mechanism, in response to a first actuation control signal, to cause actuation of the brake component; a second actuation mechanism, said second actuation mechanism acting upon said self enforcing mechanism, in response to a second actuation control signal, to cause actuation of the brake component; a first local control unit in direct communication with said first central control unit via said first control network and receiving power from the first power supply network, said first local control unit in communication with said first actuation mechanism and transmitting the first actuation control signal to said first actuation mechanism, under certain circumstances, to cause actuation of the brake component; and a second local control unit in direct communication with said second central control unit via said second control network and receiving power from the second power supply network, said second local control unit in communication with said second actuation mechanism and transmitting the second actuation control signal to said second actuation mechanism, under certain circumstances, to cause actuation of the brake component; wherein each first local control unit and each second local control unit comprises: a mode control module that transmits an actuation enable signal which causes the actuation mechanism with which that control unit is in communication to be enabled; and an actuation control module that transmits an actuation control signal which causes the actuation mechanism with which that control unit is in communication to be actuated.