Method of controlling a vehicle brake with compensation for expansion

1. A method of controlling an electromechanical brake for a vehicle wheel, the brake including an actuator provided with a pusher that is actuated by an electric motor and that is adapted to exert a braking force selectively on friction elements in response to an actuation setpoint, the method comprising the following steps:

from a braking setpoint ( F ), determining a nominal position setpoint ( X ) for the brake actuator;

from said braking setpoint ( F ), estimating a reference current (i*) that ought normally to be flowing in the motor of the actuator to apply a force equal to the braking setpoint;

comparing the reference current (i*) with a current ( i ) actually flowing in the motor of the actuator, and deducing a position correction (x corr ); and

adding the position correction to the nominal position setpoint ( X ).

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein, since the position correction can only increase, the increase takes place only if the current ( i ) flowing in the motor of the actuator is less than the reference current (i*).

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the difference between the reference current (i*) and the current ( i ) flowing in the motor of the actuator is saturated at a maximum value (Δi max ) if the difference exceeds said maximum value.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein the calibrated difference (Δi sat ) is integrated.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the correction is neutralized if it is detected that the actuator is in a situation that makes the calculation of the reference current (i*) not representative of a real current flowing in the motor of the actuator.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein neutralizing the correction blocks the value of the position correction at its then current value.

7. Apparatus for implementing the method of claim 1 , the apparatus comprising:

an input for receiving a braking setpoint ( F );

an input for receiving a measurement of the current ( i ) flowing in the motor of the actuator;

calculation means responsive to the braking setpoint ( F ) to calculate a nominal position setpoint ( X ) for the pusher of the actuator;

calculation means responsive to the braking setpoint ( F ) and to the current ( i ) flowing in the motor of the actuator to calculate a position correction (x corr ); and

an output delivering the sum of the nominal actuation setpoint plus the position correction.