Method for controlling a braking system of a vehicle and related system

1 . A method for controlling a braking system of a vehicle, comprising steps of:

detecting, by a first plurality of detection devices distributed on the braking system of the vehicle, first information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

detecting, by a second plurality of detection devices belonging to a first driver-assistance sub-system associated with the vehicle, second information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

determining, by a first data processing device, a first control signal of a braking module of the vehicle based on said first information and said second information;

controlling, by the first data processing device, the braking module of the vehicle based on the determined first control signal;

providing, by the second plurality of detection devices, said second information directly to a second data processing device;

determining, by the second data processing device, further second information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle based on said second information;

providing, by the second data processing device, said further second information to the first data processing device,

the step of determining the first control signal of the braking module of the vehicle being performed by the first data processing device based on said first information and said further second information, and

identifying, by the first data processing device block, a safe or unsafe condition of the vehicle based on said first information and said second information;

if a safe condition of the vehicle is identified, providing, by the first data processing device block, a second control signal to a service braking module to reduce and/or cancel the residual torque generated by the braking system on each brake disc installed on a respective moving member of the vehicle;

if an unsafe condition of the vehicle is identified, providing, by the first data processing device block, a third control signal to the service braking module to reduce the distance between the brake pads and the respective brake disc installed on a respective moving member of the vehicle,

wherein a safe condition is one in which the vehicle is moving and in which a brake pedal is not engaged, the distance from a preceding vehicle is at least a set minimum distance value or the vehicle is traveling more than a set maximum speed value, and

wherein an unsafe condition is one in which the vehicle is moving and a brake pedal is engaged, the distance from the preceding vehicle is less than the set minimum distance value or the vehicle is traveling less than the set maximum speed value.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising a step of providing, by the first plurality of detection devices, said second information directly to the first data processing device.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of determining further comprises:

a respective first step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said first information is representative of a first stopped vehicle condition;

a second step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said second information is representative of a second stopped vehicle condition.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining further comprises:

a respective first step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said first information is representative of a first stopped vehicle condition;

a respective second step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said further second information is representative of a second stopped vehicle condition.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of:

detecting, by a third plurality of detection devices belonging to a second data connection sub-system of the vehicle, third information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

the step of determining the first control signal of the braking module of the vehicle being performed by the first data processing device based on said first information, said further second information and said third information.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the step of determining further comprises:

a respective first step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said first information is representative of a first stopped vehicle condition;

a respective second step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said second information is representative of a second stopped vehicle condition;

a respective third step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said third information is representative of a third stopped vehicle condition.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of:

detecting, by a third plurality of detection devices belonging to a second data connection sub-system of the vehicle, third information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

providing, by the third plurality of detection devices, said third information to the second data processing device;

determining, by the second data processing device, fourth information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle based on said second information and said third information;

providing, by the second data processing device, said fourth information to the first data processing device,

the step of determining the first control signal of the braking module of the vehicle being performed by the first data processing device based on said first information and said fourth information.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of determining further comprises:

a respective step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said first information is representative of a first stopped vehicle condition;

a respective second step of checking, by the first data processing device, whether said fourth information is representative of a second stopped vehicle condition.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the safe or unsafe condition of the vehicle is identified by the first data processing device based on said first information and further second information provided by a second data processing device.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the safe or unsafe condition of the vehicle is identified by the first information device based on said first information, said second information and third information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle detected by a third plurality of detection devices belonging to a second data connection sub-system of the vehicle.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the safe or unsafe condition of the vehicle is identified by the first data processing device based on said first information and fourth information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle determined by a second data processing device based on said second information and said third information.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when a stopped or non-stopped vehicle condition is identified, or when a safe or unsafe condition is identified, or when a further condition of the vehicle and/or of the environment and/or of the road surface and/or of an infrastructure is identified, a step of providing, by the first information device, one or more further control signals to the service braking module to perform further operations on the braking system or on the vehicle in general.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first control signal of the braking module of the vehicle comprises a signal inhibiting the activation of the braking module of the vehicle.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first control signal of the braking module of the vehicle comprises an activation signal of the braking module of the vehicle.

15 . An electronic control system of a braking system of a vehicle, comprising:

a first plurality of detection devices distributed on the braking system of the vehicle configured to detect first information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

a first driver-assistance sub-system associated with the vehicle, said first sub-system comprising a second plurality of detection devices configured to detect second information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

a braking module of the vehicle;

a first data processing device operatively associated with said first plurality of detection devices, to said first driver-assistance sub-system and to said braking module of the vehicle;

the system being configured to:

detect, by the first plurality of detection devices distributed on the braking system of the vehicle, first information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

detect, by the second plurality of detection devices belonging to the first driver-assistance sub-system associated with the vehicle, second information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle;

determine, by the first data processing device, a first control signal of a braking module of the vehicle based on said first information and said second information;

control, by the first data processing device, the braking module of the vehicle based on the determined first control signal,

the system being configured to:

provide, by the second plurality of detection devices, said second information directly to a second data processing device;

determine, by the second data processing device, further second information representative of a condition of motion of the vehicle based on said second information;

provide, by the second data processing device, said further second information to the first data processing device,

the first data processing device determines the first control signal of the braking module of the vehicle based on said first information and said further second information, and

identify, by the first data processing device block, a safe or unsafe condition of the vehicle based on said first information and said second information;

if a safe condition of the vehicle is identified, provide, by the first data processing device block, a second control signal to a service braking module to reduce and/or cancel the residual torque generated by the braking system on each brake disc installed on a respective moving member of the vehicle;

if an unsafe condition of the vehicle is identified, provide, by the first data processing device block, a third control signal to the service braking module to reduce the distance between the brake pads and the respective brake disc installed on a respective moving member of the vehicle,

wherein a safe condition is one in which the vehicle is moving and in which a brake pedal is not engaged, the distance from a preceding vehicle is at least a set minimum distance value or the vehicle is traveling more than a set maximum speed value, and

wherein an unsafe condition is one in which the vehicle is moving and a brake pedal is engaged, the distance from the preceding vehicle is less than the set minimum distance value or the vehicle is traveling less than the set maximum speed value.

16 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the braking module of the vehicle comprises an electric parking brake.

17 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein the braking module of the vehicle comprises an electric service brake.

18 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein each device of said first plurality of detection devices belongs to the group consisting of: rotation speed sensor of a vehicle wheel; position sensor of a brake pedal of the vehicle; position sensor of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle; force or pressure sensors connected to the brake pedal and/or accelerator pedal or connected to brake calipers or respective actuators of the brake calipers of the braking system or other components of the braking system.

19 . The system according to claim 15 , wherein each device of said second plurality of detection devices belongs to the group consisting of: digital camera; infrared digital camera; satellite navigation system, GPS or the like; Long-Range Radar Module; Short/Medium range Radar module; remote sensing module of LIDAR type; ultrasound detection module.

20 . The system according to claim 15 , comprising a third plurality of detection devices of a second data connection sub-system of the vehicle, each device of said third plurality of detection devices belonging to the group consisting of: satellite navigator, GPS or the like, V2V-type communication module, V2I-type communication module.