Method for determining a brake state

1. A method for determining the state of a motor vehicle brake having a temperature sensor arranged in or on a brake lining, said method comprising:

said temperature sensor detecting a first temperature value;

said temperature sensor detecting at least one second temperature value after the first temperature value;

determining a time duration between detection time points of said first and said at least one second temperature values; and

determining said state of said brake, based on a time profile of said temperatures detected by said sensors;

wherein said first and at least one second temperature values are detected during a brake application for determining a brake-state, which brake application is initiated by a control unit at predeterminable time points or intervals during vehicle operation, without driver intervention.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the brake state determined is a brake-lining thickness.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

a temperature gradient associated with a braking operation is determined from at least the first temperature value, the at least one second temperature value and the time duration between detection of said temperature values; and

the temperature gradient is used to determine the brake state.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during a braking operation, an initial and a final temperature at the temperature sensor are also used to determine the brake state.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the determination of the brake state takes place only when predeterminable limitation conditions which allow a reliable determination of the brake state or prevent injury to the driver, are satisfied.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, on the basis of the determined brake state of a motor vehicle brake, one of i) action on a drive train or engine management system, ii) brake action and iii) action on brake-force distribution takes place.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, one of a driver's warning and an adaptation of a brake-pedal characteristic is performed, based on a determined brake state of a motor vehicle brake.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said control unit also controls a drive train of said vehicle during said brake application, in a manner which compensates a braking effect, so that performance of said brake application is substantially unnoticeable to a driver of the vehicle.

9. A method for determining the state of a motor vehicle brake having a temperature sensor arranged in or on a brake lining, said method comprising:

said temperature sensor detecting a first temperature value;

said temperature sensor detecting at least one second temperature value after the first temperature value;

determining a time duration between detection time points of said first and said at least one second temperature values; and

determining said state of said brake, based on a time profile of said temperatures detected by said sensors; wherein,

a brake application for determining a brake-state is initiated by a control unit at predeterminable time points or intervals during vehicle operation, without driver intervention,

the first temperature value is detected at or near commencement of said brake application;

a determination is made whether a temperature difference by which the at least one second temperature value exceeds the first temperature value is greater than a predetermined threshold value;

when said temperature difference is greater than said threshold value, the time duration between the detection of the first temperature value and the at least one second temperature value is employed as a heat propagation time, characteristic of the brake state; and

the predetermined threshold value has a magnitude such that it is indicative of a temperature rise that is caused by the braking.