PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11845453-B1
Application Number: US-202117308089-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Redundant actuator system

Abstract:
An actuator system includes an actuator, a first actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a first value for a parameter that relates to operation of the actuator, a second actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a second value for the parameter, and at least one additional component that is operable to determine a third value for the parameter. A fault is identified in response to determining that the first value does not agree with at least one of the second value or the third value. In response to identification of the fault, the first actuator controller changes from an activated state to a deactivated state and the second actuator controller changes from a deactivated state an activated state.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle actuator system of a vehicle, comprising:
 a common actuator component that is configured to affect motion of the vehicle; 
 a first actuator component that is operated by an actuator command, wherein the first actuator component controls the common actuator component in a first control state of the vehicle actuator system; 
 a second actuator component that is operated by the actuator command, wherein the second actuator component controls the common actuator component in a second control state of the vehicle actuator system; 
 a first actuator controller that determines a first command value; 
 a second actuator controller that determines a second command value; and 
 a supervisor that determines a third command value,
 wherein the vehicle actuator system changes from the first control state to the second control state in response to identification of a fault of the vehicle actuator system based on a comparison of the first command value, the second command value, and the third command value, 
 wherein the first actuator controller sends the first command value to the first actuator component as the actuator command in the first control state and thereby operates the common actuator component by the first actuator component, and 
 wherein the second actuator controller sends the second command value to the second actuator component as the actuator command in the second control state and thereby operates the common actuator component by the second actuator component. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the fault of the vehicle actuator system is identified by at least one of the first actuator controller, the second actuator controller, or the supervisor when the first command value differs from the second command value by more than a threshold value and the second command value does not differ from the third command value by more than the threshold value. 
     
     
       3. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 2 , wherein the first command value and the second command value differ from the third command value by less than the threshold value when no fault of the vehicle actuator system is present. 
     
     
       4. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the second actuator component does not control the common actuator component in the first control state and the first actuator component does not control the common actuator component in the second control state. 
     
     
       5. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 1 , wherein the first command value, the second command value, and the third command value are determined according to a desired output of the common actuator component. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 5 , wherein the desired output of the common actuator component is a desired steering angle. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 5 , wherein the desired output of the common actuator component is a desired braking force. 
     
     
       8. A vehicle actuator control method for controlling a vehicle actuator system, comprising:
 determining, by a first actuator controller, a first command value; 
 determining, by a second actuator controller, a second command value; 
 determining, by a supervisor, a third command value; 
 determining whether the first command value differs from the second command value and the third command value by more than a threshold value; and 
 controlling a common actuator component using one of a first actuator component or a second actuator component,
 wherein the common actuator component is controlled by the first actuator component according to the first command value when it is determined that the first command value does not differ from the second command value and the third command value by more than the threshold value, and 
 wherein the common actuator component is controlled by the second actuator component according to the second command value when it is determined that the first command value differs from the second command value and the third command value by more than the threshold value. 
 
 
     
     
       9. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 8 , wherein the first actuator component and the second actuator component are each physically connected to the common actuator component in a manner that allows each of the first actuator component and the second actuator component to exercise control over the common actuator component. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 9 , wherein the first actuator component and the second actuator component are physically connected to the common actuator component by one or more linkages. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 9 , wherein the first actuator component and the second actuator component are physically connected to the common actuator component by one or more fluid lines. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 switching the first actuator controller from an activated mode of the first actuator controller to a deactivated mode of the first actuator controller when it is determined that the first command value differs from the second command value and the third command value by more than the threshold value. 
 
     
     
       13. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 12 , wherein:
 in the activated mode of the first actuator controller, the first actuator component controls the common actuator component, and 
 in the deactivated mode of the first actuator controller, the first actuator component does not control the common actuator component. 
 
     
     
       14. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 switching the second actuator controller from a deactivated mode of the second actuator controller to an activated mode of the second actuator controller when it is determined that the first command value differs from the second command value and the third command value by more than the threshold value. 
 
     
     
       15. The vehicle actuator control method of  claim 14 , wherein:
 in the activated mode of the second actuator controller, the second actuator component controls the common actuator component, and 
 in the deactivated mode of the second actuator controller, the second actuator component does not control the common actuator component. 
 
     
     
       16. A vehicle actuator system of a vehicle, comprising:
 a common actuator component that is configured to affect motion of the vehicle; 
 a first actuator component that is operated by an actuator command, wherein the first actuator component controls the common actuator component in a first control state of the vehicle actuator system; 
 a second actuator component that is operated by the actuator command, wherein the second actuator component controls the common actuator component in a second control state of the vehicle actuator system; 
 a first actuator controller that determines a first command value and transmits the first command value to the first actuator component as the actuator command and thereby controls the common actuator component by the first actuator component when the vehicle actuator system is in the first control state; 
 a second actuator controller that determines a second command value and transmits the second command value to the second actuator component as the actuator command and thereby controls the common actuator component by the second actuator component when the vehicle actuator system is in the second control state; and 
 a supervisor that determines a third command value and determines whether to operate the vehicle actuator system in the first control state or the second control state based on the first command value, the second command value, and the third command value. 
 
     
     
       17. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 16 , wherein the supervisor operates the vehicle actuator system in the first control state when the first command value does not differ from at least one of the second command value or the third command value by more than a threshold value. 
     
     
       18. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 16 , wherein the supervisor operates the vehicle actuator system in the second control state when the first command value differs from the second command value by more than a threshold value and the second command value does not differ from the third command value by more than the threshold value. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 16 , wherein the first actuator controller is in control of the common actuator component in the first control state and the second actuator controller is in control of the common actuator component in the second control state. 
     
     
       20. The vehicle actuator system of  claim 16 , wherein the first actuator controller is not in control of the common actuator component in the second control state and the second actuator controller is not in control of the common actuator component in the first control state.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/666,799, filed on Aug. 2, 2017, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/394,365, filed on Sep. 14, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The application relates generally to actuator systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Actuators are controllable systems that cause or affect motion of a structure. Proper functioning of the actuator systems allows for proper control of the structure. A failure of one or more of these actuator systems may render the structure uncontrollable, and thus, unable to continue operating. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of the disclosure is vehicle actuator system that includes an actuator, a first actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a first value for a parameter that relates to operation of the actuator, a second actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator and is operable to determine a second value for the parameter, and at least one additional component that is operable to determine a third value for the parameter. A fault is identified in response to determining that the first value does not agree with at least one of the second value or the third value. The first actuator controller changes from an activated state in which the first actuator controller is responsible for control of the actuator to a deactivated state in which the first actuator controller is not responsible for control of the actuator in response to identification of the fault. The second actuator controller changes from a deactivated state in which the second actuator controller is not responsible for control of the actuator to an activated state in which the second actuator controller is responsible for control of the actuator in response to identification of the fault. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure is a vehicle actuator system that includes an actuator, a first actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator based on a desired value for a parameter, a second actuator controller that is operable to control operation of the actuator, and one or more sensors that are operable to determine an actual value that corresponds to the parameter, wherein a fault is identified in response to determining that the actual value does not agree with the desired value. The first actuator controller is switched from an activated state in which the first actuator controller is responsible for control of the actuator to a deactivated state in which the first actuator controller is not responsible for control of the actuator in response to identification of the fault. The second actuator controller is switched from a deactivated state in which the second actuator controller is not responsible for control of the actuator to an activated state in which the second actuator controller is responsible for control of the actuator in response to identification of the fault. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure is a vehicle actuator control method. The method includes controlling operation of an actuator using a first component, determining a first value for a parameter that relates to operation of the actuator using the first component, determining a second value for the parameter using a second component, and determining a third value for the parameter using a third component. The method also includes determining that the first value does not agree with at least one of the second value or the third value. In response to determining that the first value does not agree with at least one of the second value or the third value, the method includes determining that a fault is present. In response to determining that the fault is present, the method includes deactivating the first component and activating the second component, such that the actuator is controlled using the second component. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure is a vehicle actuator control method. The method includes controlling an actuator based on a desired value using a first actuator controller, obtaining an actual value from one or more sensors, determining that a fault is present based on the actual value and the desired value. In response to determining that the fault is present, the method includes deactivating the first actuator controller and activating a second actuator controller, such that the actuator is controlled based on the desired value using the second actuator controller. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an illustration showing a vehicle. 
         FIG.  2    is an illustration showing a vehicle actuator system. 
         FIG.  3    is a flowchart showing an actuator control process according to a first example. 
         FIG.  4    is a flowchart showing an actuator control process according to a second example. 
         FIG.  5    is an illustration showing a vehicle actuator system. 
         FIG.  6    is an illustration showing a braking system. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Vehicle actuators may include hardware components and software components. Hardware components may include, as examples, a motor, a pump, a piston, or a sensor. Software components may regulate operation of the hardware components based on information received from sensors and/or information received from other vehicle actuators and/or other vehicle systems. In some scenarios, failure of a hardware or software component of a vehicle actuator system may not be readily detectable. In other scenarios, failure of a hardware or software component of a vehicle actuator system may leave the vehicle inoperable. 
     The systems and methods described herein function to detect hardware and/or software component failures. In some embodiments, redundancies are provided to allow continued operation of the vehicle after a failure. 
       FIG.  1    shows a vehicle  100  that has a vehicle body  102 . The vehicle body  102  may include internal structural portions and external portions that are aesthetic and/or structural in nature. As examples, the vehicle body  102  may include one or more of a unibody, a frame, a subframe, a monocoque, and body panels. 
     The vehicle  100  includes road wheels  104 . Four of the road wheels  104  are included in the illustrated example, but other implementations are possible. The road wheels  104  are the portion of the vehicle  100  that contacts the surface on which the vehicle  100  is travelling, and the characteristics of the road wheels  104  are responsible, in part, for the amount of friction available. The road wheels  104  may include tires, such as conventional pneumatic tires formed in part from synthetic rubber, or other friction-enhancing structures may be incorporated in the road wheels  104 . 
     The vehicle  100  includes suspension components  106 . The suspension components  106  typically include numerous individual components, many of which are associated with one or more of the road wheels  104 . The suspension components  106  may include components that are operable to control characteristics of the motion of the road wheels  104  relative to the vehicle body  102 , such as shocks, struts, springs, and sway bars. The suspension components  106  may include either or both of non-adjustable passive components or adjustable active components that allow modification of suspension characteristics during operation of the vehicle  100 . The suspension components  106  may include sensors that output signals indicative of the states and operating characteristics of some or all of the suspension components  106  at a given time. The suspension components  106  may also include actuators that are able to cause modification of characteristics of the components of the suspension components  106  in response to control signals. 
     The vehicle  100  includes steering components, which may include front steering components  108   a  and rear steering components  108   b . The steering components  108   a ,  108   b  are operable to modify a steering angle of some or all of the road wheels  104  relative to the vehicle body  102 . As one example, the steering components  108   a ,  108   b  may be or include a conventional rack and pinion arrangement. In some implementations, the steering components  108   a ,  108   b  are operable to control the steering angles of the road wheels  104  independently. The steering components  108   a ,  108   b  may include one or more sensors to output signals indicative of the steering angles of the road wheels  104 . The steering components  108 ,  108   b  may include actuators operable to cause adjustment of the steering angles of the road wheels  104  in response to control signals. 
     The vehicle  100  includes braking components  110 . The braking components  110  include components that are operable to slow the speeds of the road wheels  104 , such as conventional disk brakes. Other types of components may be utilized to slow the speeds of the road wheels  104 . The braking components  110  also include components that cause and control application of braking forces. These components may include, as examples, a brake control module, a master cylinder, and a brake booster. The braking components  110  are operable to apply braking to each of the road wheels  104  individually. The braking components  110  include sensors that output signals that are indicative of the current operating characteristics of the braking components  110 . The braking components  110  may also include actuators that are operable to cause and control application of braking forces in response to control signals. 
     The vehicle  100  includes propulsion components  112 , which may also be referred to as a powertrain. The propulsion components  112  include a prime mover that is operable to convert stored energy into driving force, and components that are operable to supply this force to some or all of the road wheels  104  in order to propel the vehicle  100 . As one example, the propulsion components  112  may include an internal combustion engine that burns liquid fuel. As another example, the propulsion components  112  may include an electric motor that utilizes electrical energy that is stored in batteries or supplied by a generator. 
     The vehicle  100  includes an electronic control unit  114 . Although the electronic control unit  114  is shown as a single device, the same functions may be implemented using multiple devices, such as individual electronic control units associated with each of the various components of the vehicle  100 . The electronic control unit  114  may be in electrical communication with components including the suspension components  106 , the steering components  108   a ,  108   b , the braking components  110 , and the propulsion components  112  to transmit commands to the components and/or to receive information from the components. The electronic control unit  114  may include a memory and a processor that is operable to execute instructions that are stored in the memory in order to perform operations as will be described herein. 
     The vehicle  100  also includes sensors  116  that are in communication with the electronic control unit  114 . The sensors  116  monitor and report information regarding operating characteristics of the vehicle  100 . Some of the sensors  116  may be incorporated in the suspension components  106 , the steering components  108   a ,  108   b , the braking components  110 , and the propulsion components  112 . 
       FIG.  2    is an illustration showing a vehicle actuator system  218 . The vehicle actuator system  218  includes a supervisor  220 , a primary actuator controller  222 , a secondary actuator controller  224 , and an actuator  226 . The vehicle actuator system  218  may be incorporated in the vehicle  100  for controlling, for example, the suspension components  106 , the steering components  108   a ,  108   b , the braking components  110 , or the propulsion components  112 . 
     The supervisor  220  is responsible for coordinating operation of various actuator systems and components of the vehicle  100 . The supervisor  220  may be implemented as part of the electronic control unit  114  of the vehicle  100  or may be implemented as a separate computing device. The supervisor  220  may receive information based on control inputs from a human driver or based on control commands from an autonomous control system. As an example, control inputs from an autonomous control system may include information that describes a desired trajectory and a desired velocity profile. The supervisor  220  may also receive information describing the environment around the vehicle  100  and/or information describing operating state of the various system and components of the vehicle  100 , such as from the sensors  116 . 
     Based on the control inputs, the supervisor  220  may determine desired states for the actuator  226  and, optionally, additional actuators that are regulated by the supervisor  220 . The desired states are intended to cause the vehicle  100  to move in a manner that is consistent with the control inputs or control commands. In some implementations, the desired states determined by the supervisor  220  may deviate from the intention of control inputs or control commands, as examples, to avoid a loss of stability, to regain stability, or to avoid violating a constraint such as a minimum distance from an obstacle. To cause operation of the vehicle  100  according to these desired states, supervisor  220  transmits commands to the various actuators. The command may be, for example, in the form of a request for a specific action. As an example, a request for braking may specify a desired braking force, a desired deceleration rate, or a desired fluid pressure to be supplied to the pistons of the brakes. 
     The primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  are similar components that are each configured to control operation of the actuator  226 . The primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  may be connected in parallel between the supervisor  220  and the actuator  226 . Thus, the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  may each send information to and receive information (including commands) from the supervisor  220 . Similarly, the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  may each send information (including commands) to and receive information from the actuator  226 . The primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  are also connected to one another such that each is able to send information to and receive information from the other. 
     In some embodiments, only one of the primary actuator controller  222  or the secondary actuator controller  224  are able to exercise control over the actuator  226  at a given time. Control of the actuator  226  may be transferred between the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224 . For example, control of the actuator  226  may be transferred in response to detecting a fault or failure of one of the primary actuator controller  222  or the secondary actuator controller  224 . 
     Each of the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  are configured to calculate values for one or more parameters that relate to operation of the actuator  226 . The parameters include, as examples, commands for controlling operation of the actuator  226  or status information describing operation of the actuator  226 . Commands for controlling the actuator  226  may be in the form of signals or data that may be transmitted from the primary actuator controller  222  and/or the secondary actuator controller  224  to electrical control components that are incorporated in the actuator  226 . 
     In some embodiments, two or more components such as the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  may each calculate a value for the same parameter using a different algorithm, such as a first algorithm utilized by the supervisor  220 , a second algorithm utilized by the primary actuator controller  222 , and a third algorithm utilized by the secondary actuator controller  224 . The different algorithms may use a common set of input values, such as values received from sensors, or the different algorithms may use different input values. In these embodiments, if the values calculated by the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  disagree (e.g. differ by more than a threshold value), the disagreement may be indicative of one or more of a hardware fault, a software fault, or a sensor fault, as will be described further herein. 
     In some embodiments, two or more components such as the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  may each calculate a value for the same parameter using the same algorithm. The same set of inputs may be utilized for calculating the value for the parameter by the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224 . In some embodiments, the hardware components that perform the calculations (e.g., a microprocessor or an application-specific integrated circuit) may be different for each of the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224 . In these embodiments, if the values calculated by the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  disagree (e.g. differ by more than a threshold value), the disagreement may be indicative of a hardware fault or an incompatibility between the hardware and the algorithm. 
       FIG.  3    is a flowchart that shows an actuator control process  330  according to a second example. The actuator control process  330  may be implemented using the vehicle actuator system  218 . As an example, the actuator control process  330  may be implemented in part by software executed by some or all of the components of the vehicle actuator system  218 . 
     In operation  331 , an actuator is controlled based on a desired value. Operation  331  may be performed, for example, by the primary actuator controller  222  to control operation of the actuator  226 . The primary actuator controller  222  may determine the desired value based on control inputs or commands received from the supervisor  220 . The desired value may also be determined based on information that is collected by sensors, such as the sensors  116  of the vehicle  100 . The primary actuator controller  222  causes operation of the actuator  226  in order to achieve the desired value, such as by sending a command to the actuator  226 . As examples, the desired value may be a steering angle or a braking force. 
     In operation  332 , an actual value is obtained from one or more sensors, such as from the sensors  116  of the vehicle  100 . The actual value represents an operating characteristic of the actuator that was controlled in operation  331 . The actual value may directly correspond to the desired value from operation  331 , or the actual value may be an indirect measurement that is related to the desired value from operation  331 . As an example, if the desired value from operation  331  is a steering angle, it may be directly measured by the sensors  116  by measuring the angle of one or more of the road wheels  104 , or it may be indirectly measured by the sensors  116  by measuring a lateral acceleration value. 
     In operation  333 , a determination is made as to whether a fault is present based on the desired value from operation  331  and the actual value from operation  332 . In some embodiments, where the actual value is a direct measurement, operation  333  may include determining whether the actual value differs from the desired value by more than a threshold value. In some embodiments, one or both of the direct measurement and the actual value may be converted to a different form in order to allow comparison of the two values, or another comparison method be utilized, such as a lookup table that specifies acceptable ranges for the actual value based on the desired value. If the determination in operation  333  indicates that the actual value is consistent with the desired value, it is determined that no fault is present at operation  334  and the process then returns to operation  331 . If the determination at operation  334  indicates that the actual value is not consistent with the desired value, it is determined that a fault is present at operation  335  and the process continues to operation  336 . 
     At operation  336 , control of the actuator  226  may be modified in response to the determination, at operation  335 , that a fault may be present. As an example, the responsibility for control of the actuator  226  may be changed from a first actuator controller that is currently responsible for controlling operation of the actuator  226 , such as the primary actuator controller  222 , to a second actuator controller, such as the secondary actuator controller  224 . This determination may be made by any involved component, such as the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , or the secondary actuator controller  224 . Thus, the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  may switch between activated and deactivated states base on a self-determination regarding modification of control or in response to a command from another component. 
     Subsequent to modification of operation of the actuator  226  at operation  336 , the process may return to operation  331 . 
       FIG.  4    is a flowchart that shows an actuator control process  440  according to a second example. The actuator control process  440  may be implemented using the vehicle actuator system  218 . As an example, the actuator control process  440  may be implemented in part by software executed by some or all of the components of the vehicle actuator system  218 . 
     In operation  441 , three or more components from the vehicle actuator system  218  determine values for at least a first parameter. The values may be or include, for example, one or more values describing the state of the actuator  226 , and/or one or more values describe one or more commands to be sent to the actuator  226 . As an example, in some embodiments, each of the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  each determine values for one or more parameters. 
     In operation  442 , the values that were determined in operation  441  are reported from the components that determined the value to at least one other component. Thus, in operation  442 , some or all of the components of the vehicle actuator system  218  may each transmit information to one or more other components of the vehicle actuator system  218 . As an example, the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  each report the values determined in operation  441  to one or more other components of the vehicle actuator system  218 . In some embodiments, each component that determined a value at operation  441  receives values from all of the other components that determined values at operation  441 . As an example, the supervisor  220  transmits the values determined in operation  441  to the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224 , the primary actuator controller  222  transmits the values determined in operation  441  to the supervisor  220  and the secondary actuator controller  224 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  transmits the values determined in operation  441  to the supervisor  220  and the primary actuator controller  222 . 
     In operation  443 , the values that were transmitted in operation  442  are utilized to determine whether a fault may be present at one or more components. As an example, operation  443  may be performed by one of more of the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224 . Operation  443  may include determining whether all of the values determined by the components for a specific parameter agree, such as by differing from one another by less than a threshold value. 
     In some embodiments, if all of the values for a single parameter agree, then it may be determined that no fault is present at operation  444 , and the process returns to operation  441 . If no fault is present, operation of the vehicle actuator system  218  may continue without modification. In some embodiments, if all of the values reported for a single parameter do not agree, then it is determined that a fault may be present at operation  445 , and the process continues to operation  446 . 
     In some embodiments, the values that were transmitted at operation  442  may also be used to understand the location of the fault. For example, in the vehicle actuator system  218 , if the values reported by the supervisor  220  and the secondary actuator controller  224  agree with each other but not with the value reported by the primary actuator controller  222 , it may be determined that the fault is located at the primary actuator controller  222 . If the values reported by the supervisor  220  and the primary actuator controller  222  agree with each other but not with the value reported by the secondary actuator controller  224 , it may be determined that the fault is located at the secondary actuator controller  224 . If the values reported by the primary actuator controller  222  and the secondary actuator controller  224  agree with each other but not with the value reported by the supervisor  220 , it may be determined that the fault is located at the supervisor  220 . This manner of determining the fault location may be applied to systems that have different numbers of components that are calculating values for the same parameter. For example, assuming a number n of devices determine values for the one or more parameters in operation  441 , agreement as to the value for the parameter by n-1 devices may be used as a basis for determining that a fault exists at the location of the component that produced the value that does not agree with the other values. 
     In some embodiments, the location of the fault may be identified by determining whether all but one of the values produced by the components for the parameter are in agreement, in which case it is determined that the component that produced the inconsistent value has a fault. In other embodiments, the location of the fault may be identified by determining whether at least two of the values produced by the components for the parameter are in agreement, in which case it is determined that the at least two components that produced the consistent values do not have faults. 
     At operation  446 , control of the actuator  226  may be modified in response to the determination, at operation  445 , that a fault may be present. As an example, the responsibility for control of the actuator  226  may be changed from a first actuator controller, such as the primary actuator controller  222 , to a second actuator controller, such as the secondary actuator controller  224 . 
     In some embodiments, a determination is made as to whether control of the actuator  226  should be changed from the actuator controller that is currently responsible for control of the actuator  226  to a different actuator controller based on the location of the fault and based on which actuator controller is currently responsible for control of the actuator  226 . For example, if the primary actuator controller  222  is currently responsible for control of the actuator  226 , the determination made at operation  446  may determine whether to change responsibility for control of the actuator to the secondary actuator controller  224 . In this example, if the values produced by the other components agree and indicate that the fault is located at the primary actuator controller  222 , the primary actuator controller  222  may be deactivated such that it is no longer responsible for control of the actuator  226 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  may be activated such that it is now responsible for control of the actuator  226 . 
     In the vehicle actuator system  218 , agreement by two of the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224  may be one condition for determining whether control of the actuator  226  will be changed to a different actuator controller, such as by switching control of the actuator  226  from the primary actuator controller  222  to the secondary actuator controller  224 . 
     In some embodiments, an actuator controller such as the primary actuator controller  222  or the secondary actuator controller  224  may switch itself from the activated state to the deactivated state in response to a determination made by the actuator controller itself. For example, the primary actuator controller  222  may determine that it has encountered a fault. In response, the primary actuator controller  222  may switch itself from the activated state to the deactivated state. The primary actuator controller  222  may, concurrently with switching itself from the activated state to the deactivated state, transmit a message to a different component, such as the secondary actuator controller  224 , which causes the secondary actuator controller  224  to switch from the deactivated state to the activated state in order to take over responsibility for controlling operation of the actuator  226 . 
     In some embodiments, an actuator controller such as the primary actuator controller  222  or the secondary actuator controller  224  may switch from the activated state to the deactivated state in response to a command. For example, the supervisor  220  may determine that the primary actuator controller  222  has encountered a fault, and the supervisor  220  may transmit a command from to the primary actuator controller  222 . The command transmitted from the supervisor  220  to the primary actuator controller  222  may be configured to cause the primary actuator controller  222  to switch from the activated mode to the deactivated mode. In response to receiving the command from the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222  may switch itself from the activated state to the deactivated state. The supervisor  220  may transmit a similar command to a different actuator controller, such as the secondary actuator controller  224 , to cause the secondary actuator controller  224  to switch from the deactivated state to the activated state in order to take over responsibility for controlling operation of the actuator  226 . 
     In some embodiments, an actuator controller such as the primary actuator controller  222  or the secondary actuator controller  224  may be switched from the activated state to the deactivated state by another component, such as the supervisor  220 , without action by the actuator controller itself. As one example, the supervisor  220  may terminate supply of power and/or data to the primary actuator controller  222 . As another example, the supervisor  220  may block transmission of commands from the primary actuator controller  222 . As another example, in implementations where there is physical control of the actuator  226  by the primary actuator controller  222 , the supervisor may cause the physical connection between the primary actuator controller  222  to be disconnected, blocked, locked, or otherwise rendered inoperable. 
     Subsequent to modification of operation of the actuator  226  at operation  446 , the process may return to operation  441 . 
       FIG.  5    is an illustration showing a vehicle actuator system  518 , which is similar to the vehicle actuator system  218  expect as noted herein. The vehicle actuator system  518  includes a supervisor  520 , a primary actuator controller  522 , a primary actuator component  523 , a secondary actuator controller  524 , a secondary actuator component  525 , and an actuator  526 . The vehicle actuator system  518  may be incorporated in the vehicle  100  for controlling, for example, the suspension components  106 , the steering components  108 , the braking components  110 , or the propulsion components  112 . 
     The supervisor  520 , the primary actuator controller  522  and the secondary actuator controller  524  are operable to determine values for one or more parameters that relate to operation of the actuator  526 , as described with respect to the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224 . The primary actuator controller  522  and the secondary actuator controller  524  may be switched between activated and deactivated states, for example, as described with respect to the actuator control process  440 . 
     The primary actuator component  523  and the secondary actuator component  525  are electromechanical components that may be controlled by commands, such as in the form of signals and/or data. The primary actuator component  523  is controlled by commands received from the primary actuator controller  522 , and the secondary actuator component  525  is controlled by commands received from the secondary actuator controller  524 . The primary actuator component  523  and the secondary actuator component may be activated and deactivated with the primary actuator controller  522  and the secondary actuator controller  524 . Thus, when the primary actuator controller  522  is activated, the primary actuator controller  522  and the primary actuator component  523  are utilized to control operation of the actuator  526 , and when the secondary actuator controller  524  is activated, the secondary actuator controller  524  and the secondary actuator component  525  are utilized to control operation of the actuator  526 . 
     The primary actuator component  523  and the secondary actuator component  525  are able to exercise control over the actuator  526  by a physical connection. As examples, the physical connection may be a linkage or a pressurized fluid line. The physical connections of the primary actuator component  523  and the secondary actuator component  525  with respect to the actuator  526  may be separated connections or may be a shared connection. In an example where the vehicle actuator system  518  is a friction braking system, the primary actuator component  523  and the secondary actuator component  525  may be pressure-generating components, such as a linear actuator or a pump, that supply fluid pressure to the actuator  526 , which in this example may be a fluid-pressure operated piston that controls motion of a friction braking pad or similar component, with the separate or shared pressurized fluid lines connecting the primary actuator component  523  and the secondary actuator component  525  with respect to the actuator  526 . 
       FIG.  6    is an illustration showing a braking system  618  that includes a supervisor  620 , a primary brake control module  622 , a secondary brake control module  624 , braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654 , and pressurized fluid lines  656  (i.e., brake lines) that deliver pressurized fluid from the primary brake control module  622  and/or the secondary brake control module  624  in order to cause operation of the braking actuators,  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654 , which may be fluid pressure operated pistons that cause engagement of friction braking components, such as brake pads and rotors, to cause deceleration of one or more road wheels of a vehicle, such as the road wheels  104  of the vehicle  100 . The braking system  618  is similar to the vehicle actuator system  518  except as described otherwise herein. 
     The primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  are electromechanical components that include a computing device and a pressure-generating component, with the computing device being configured to regulate operation of the pressure-generating component in response to, for example, commands received from the supervisor  620 . The pressure generating components of the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  may be, for example, a linear actuator the extends and retracts a piston within a fluid filled cylinder, or a pump. 
     The primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  are connected to the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654  in a parallel configuration. In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  are each connected to the pressurized fluid lines  656  in order to supply pressurized fluid independently to each of the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654 . In other embodiments, the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  may each be connected to the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654  by separate pressurized fluid lines. The pressurized fluid may be supplied from a fluid source such as reservoir, which may be a single reservoir that is shared by the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624 , or may be separate reservoirs that are each associated with a respective one of the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624 . 
     The supervisor  620 , the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  are operable to determine values for one or more parameters that relate to operation of the braking actuators, as described with respect to the supervisor  220 , the primary actuator controller  222 , and the secondary actuator controller  224 . The primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  may be switched between activated and deactivated states, for example, as described with respect to the actuator control process  440 . 
     The supervisor  620  may control the primary brake control module  622  and/or the secondary brake control module  624  by transmitting commands that request a specific braking pressure for each of the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 , and  654 . The braking pressures requested by the supervisor  620  may be determined based on control inputs, commands, and/or sensor information provided by one or more other systems, and the supervisor  620  may function to arbitrate the commands and determine which will be executed. 
     The primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  may each be connected to the pressurized fluid lines  656  by valves  658 ,  659 . The valves  658 ,  659  may be normally-closed valves, meaning that the valves  658 ,  659  are in a closed position in the absence of power and/or commands that cause the valves  658 ,  659  to move from the closed position to an open position. As a result, the valves  658  of the primary brake control module  622  will be closed when the primary brake control module  622  is in the deactivated state, and the valves  659  for the secondary brake control module  624  will be closed when the secondary brake control module  624  is in the deactivated state. In the activated states, the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  may modulate opening and closing of the valves  658 ,  659  to cause desired operation of the brake actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654 . 
     In some embodiments, determination of whether a fault is present at the primary brake control module  622  or the secondary brake control module  624  may be performed by determining that performance of one or more of the brake actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654  does not match expected performance, as described with respect to the actuator control process  330 . In such embodiments, deviation of actuator performance from expected performance may be identified by the actuator controller that is responsible from regulating operation of the brake actuators  651 ,  652 ,  652 ,  654 , or by another component of the braking system  618 . 
     In some embodiments, determination of whether a fault is present at one or more of the supervisor  620 , the primary brake control module  622 , and the secondary brake control module  624  may be performed as by determining that values calculated by two or more components do not agree, as described with respect to the actuator control process  440 . In some embodiments, a fault may be detected based on performance information as described with respect to the actuator control process  330 . 
     In some embodiments, a hydraulic leak can be determined by comparing expected brake pressure values to measured brake pressure values. The expected brake pressure values are determined by the responsible actuator controller, such as the primary brake control module  622 . The expected brake pressure values are utilized to control the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654  and are also transmitted to other components of the braking system  618 . Each of the components of the braking system  618  may also receive actual brake pressure values from the sensors  116 , which may include pressure-sensing components that are associated with each of the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654 . 
     In response to identifying a hydraulic leak, the valves  658  or the valves  659  may be closed, as appropriate, as part of deactivation of the primary brake control module  622  or the secondary brake control module  624 . In embodiments where the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  are connected to the braking actuators  651 ,  652 ,  653 ,  654  by separate pressurized fluid lines, control may be switched, such as from the primary brake control module  622  to the secondary brake control module  624 . In embodiments where the primary brake control module  622  and the secondary brake control module  624  share the pressurized fluid lines  656 , responsibility for braking may be switched to a different actuator system, such as to the propulsion components  112  of the vehicle  100 .

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20210505
Publication Date: 20231219
Grant Date: 20231219
Priority Date: 20160914
Inventors: KATZOURAKIS, Diomidis
MEES, HUIBERT
CAMMARATA, ROBERT M.
GUO, BO
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "B60W50/029", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G17/0185", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60T17/221", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/18", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W50/0205", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B62D5/0484", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60T2270/413", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/022", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/0292", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/0295", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G17/0195", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W50/029", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G2202/40", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G2400/104", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G2600/084", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G2600/09", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60T17/221", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G2400/39", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G2400/37", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W50/0205", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/0295", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W50/029", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/18", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/022", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/0292", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60T17/221", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B62D5/0484", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60G17/0185", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W50/0205", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/18", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/20", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W10/22", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60T2270/413", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/021", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/022", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/0295", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B60W2050/0292", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 76548286