Brake performance monitoring system and method

1. A method for monitoring brake performance in a vehicle having at least four wheels, at least two axles, and an ABS electronic control unit, the method comprising the steps of:

utilizing a program expansion of said ABS electronic control unit configured to determine at least one of sums and differences of braking distances of each wheel of said wheels having a wheel speed sensor, wherein said at least one of sums and differences of braking distances is determined only when said vehicle is braking in at least one preselected vehicle braking operation including predefined brake actuations with brake forces between a minimum and a maximum brake force;

comparing said at least one of sums and differences of braking distances of each wheel of said wheels having a wheel speed sensor with one another over a predefined travel distance; and

recognizing at least one wheel of said wheels having a braking distance of above-average length as being inadequately braked.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said predefined travel distance is approximately 1 km.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said predefined travel distance is determined by the overflow of a counter.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said preselected braking operation includes a minimum vehicle deceleration of approximately 0.1 g.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations in tight curves.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations with high lateral accelerations.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein said high lateral accelerations are lateral accelerations greater than approximately 0.1 g.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations effected by a controlling vehicle system.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said controlling vehicle system includes at least one of an anti-brake lock system, an automatic traction control system and a stability control system.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations involving large fluctuations of engine torque.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of determining at least one of sums and differences of braking distances is effected by counting pulses generated by said wheel speed sensor.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

calculating sums of braking distances of diagonally opposite ones of said wheels; and

comparing said sums of braking distances of diagonally opposite ones of said wheels with one another.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of generating an indication of said diagonally opposite ones of said wheels recognized as being inadequately braked.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of generating an indication of each wheel of said wheels recognized as being inadequately braked.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

calculating differences of braking distances of adjacent ones of said wheels on each of sides of said vehicle; and

comparing said differences on one of said sides with said differences of an opposing one of said sides.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

calculating sums of braking distances of adjacent ones of said wheels on each of sides of said vehicle; and

comparing said sums with one another on a same one of said sides.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of calibrating said wheels before effecting said step of determining at least one of sums and differences of braking distances of each wheel of said wheels having a wheel speed sensor.

18. A system for monitoring brake performance in a vehicle having at least four wheels and at least two axles, the system comprising:

at least one sensor; and

an ABS electronic control unit comprising an activation circuit configured to detect a preselected vehicle braking operation including predefined brake actuations having brake forces between a minimum and a maximum brake force based on output from said at least one sensor, and wherein said ABS electronic control unit is configured to:

determine at least one of sums and differences of braking distances of each wheel of said wheels having a wheel speed sensor only during said preselected vehicle braking operation;

compare said at least one of sums and differences of braking distances of said each wheel of said wheels with one another over a predefined travel distance; and

recognize at least one wheel of said wheels having a braking distance of above-average length as being inadequately braked.

19. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said predefined travel distance is approximately 1 km.

20. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said ABS electronic control unit is further operative to count output signals from said wheel speed sensors.

21. The system according to claim 20 , wherein said predefined travel distance is determined by the overflow of a counter associated with said ABS electronic control unit.

22. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said preselected braking operation includes a minimum vehicle deceleration of approximately 0.1 g.

23. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations in tight curves.

24. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations with high lateral accelerations.

25. The system according to claim 24 , wherein said high lateral accelerations are lateral accelerations greater than approximately 0.1 g.

26. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations effected by a controlling vehicle system.

27. The system according to claim 26 , wherein said controlling vehicle system includes at least one of an anti-brake lock system, an automatic traction control system and a stability control system.

28. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said preselected braking operation excludes braking operations involving large fluctuations of engine torque.

29. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said ABS electronic control unit is further configured to:

calculate sums of braking distances of diagonally opposite ones of said wheels; and

compare said sums of braking distances of diagonally opposite ones of said wheels with one another.

30. The system according to claim 29 , wherein said ABS electronic control unit is further configured to generate an indication of said diagonally opposite ones of said wheels recognized as being inadequately braked.

31. The system according to claim 18 , further comprising an indicator device for generating an indication of each wheel of said wheels recognized as being inadequately braked.

32. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said ABS electronic control unit is further configured to:

calculate differences of braking distances of adjacent ones of said wheels on each of sides of said vehicle; and

compare said differences on one of said sides with said differences of an opposing one of said sides.

33. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said ABS electronic control unit is further configured to:

calculate sums of braking distances of adjacent ones of said wheels on each of sides of said vehicle; and

compare said sums with one another on a same one of said sides.

34. The system according to claim 18 , wherein said ABS electronic control unit is further operative to calibrate said wheels.