Method for estimating the achievable total braking forces for the automated deceleration of a utility vehicle, braking system and utility vehicle having said braking system

1. A method for estimating achievable total braking force for an automated deceleration of a utility vehicle or of a vehicle combination having a plurality of axles and a plurality of wheel brakes, the method comprising:

performing, for each respective one of a plurality of brake units, a respective estimation braking operation including:

outputting, by a valve arrangement of the respective brake unit, a respective estimation braking pressure to an activation system of one or more respective wheel brakes of the plurality of wheel brakes included in the respective brake unit so as to apply, by the one or more respective wheel brakes, an estimation braking force, wherein the estimation braking force is applied in the respective estimation braking operation while no braking force is output by any wheel brake, of the utility vehicle or vehicle combination, that is not part of the respective brake unit,

determining, from measured values, a current deceleration caused by the respective estimation braking force,

determining, by taking into account the current deceleration caused by the respective estimation braking force, a determined or specified total mass of the utility vehicle or of the vehicle combination, and a design factor of the respective brake unit, a respective braking characteristic value of the respective brake unit, the design factor representing lever ratios of the one or more respective wheel brakes, the braking characteristic value representing a ratio between a partial braking force of the respective brake unit and a brake pressure which is set for the respective brake unit, and

determining, based on the design factor of the respective brake unit and a dynamic rolling radius thereof, a respective achievable partial braking force that can be achieved by the respective brake unit from the determined respective braking characteristic value; and

estimating, as a sum of respective achievable partial braking forces of the plurality of brake units, the achievable total braking force,

wherein, during each respective estimation braking operation, an application pressure is provided to valve arrangements of brake units different than the respective brake unit for which the respective estimation braking operation is performed, and

wherein providing the application pressure to valve arrangements of the different brake units is performed without any braking force being output by any wheel brake of the different brake units.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the respective brake units include wheel brakes of individual axles or groups of axles.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising aborting the respective estimation braking operation in response to receiving a request for a braking force greater than a previously determined achievable partial braking force for the respective brake unit.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the estimation braking operations are carried out and repeated successively for all the plurality of brake units.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the wheel brakes are activated pneumatically.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measured values are provided by rotational speed sensors of the wheel brakes.

7. A brake system for the utility vehicle or the vehicle combination, the brake system configured to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1 .

8. The brake system as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:

a pneumatic activation system of the wheel brakes.

9. A utility vehicle or vehicle combination, comprising:

a brake system as claimed in claim 7 ;

the plurality of axles;

the plurality of brake units;

the plurality of wheel brakes; and

a plurality of wheels configured to be braked by the plurality of wheel brakes.

10. A method for estimating achievable total braking force for an automated deceleration of a utility vehicle or of a vehicle combination, the utility vehicle or the vehicle combination having a plurality of axles and a plurality of brake units, the method comprising:

sequentially selecting, until a respective achievable partial braking force has been determined for each respective brake unit of the plurality of brake units, one of the plurality of brake units as an active brake unit and determining, by performing an estimation braking operation for the active brake unit, the respective achievable partial braking force that can be achieved by the active brake unit, wherein the estimation braking operation for the active brake unit comprises:

receiving a requested braking force,

setting an application pressure at an activation system of one or more wheel brakes of each of one or more non-active braking units, wherein setting the application pressure at the activation system is performed without any braking force being output by any of the one or more wheel brakes of any of the non-active braking units,

applying, by the active brake unit independently of the other brake units, the requested braking force as an estimation braking force, wherein the applying the estimation braking force is performed by applying a corresponding brake pressure at one or more wheel brakes of the active brake unit, and wherein the applying the estimation braking force is performed without any braking force being output by any wheel brake that is not part of the active brake unit,

determining, from measured values, a current deceleration caused by the estimation braking force,

determining, by taking into account the current deceleration caused by the estimation braking force, a determined or specified total mass of the utility vehicle or of the vehicle combination, and a design factor of the active brake unit, a respective braking characteristic value of the active brake unit, the design factor representing lever ratios of the one or more wheel brakes of the active brake unit, the respective braking characteristic value representing a ratio between a partial braking force of the active brake unit and a partial brake pressure applied at the one or more wheel brakes of the active brake unit, and

determining, based on the design factor of the active brake unit and a dynamic rolling radius thereof, the respective achievable partial braking force that can be achieved by the active brake unit from the determined respective braking characteristic value; and

estimating the achievable total braking force as a sum of the respective achievable partial braking forces, the achievable total braking force.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the requested braking force is received by a brake controller from a brake signal encoder to which a brake pedal is coupled, or

wherein the requested braking force is received by the brake controller from a driver assistance system as an external braking force request for automatic deceleration.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the brake controller determines the corresponding brake pressure based on the estimation braking force.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the brake controller is configured to abort the estimation braking operation in response to the requested braking force increasing above a previously determined achievable partial braking force of the active brake unit.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the brake controller is further configured to abort the estimation braking operation in response to a detected wheel slip exceeding a predefined threshold value.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein at least some of the measured values are provided by an acceleration sensor and/or a rotational speed sensor of a wheel.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the braking characteristic value of the active brake unit is determined according to the following equation:

C L =b×m tot ×r dyn /P×c d ,

wherein C L is the braking characteristic value of the active brake unit, b denotes the current deceleration, m tot denotes the total mass of the vehicle or of the vehicle combination, r dyn denotes the dynamic rolling radius of the active brake unit, P is the partial brake pressure, and C D is the design factor of the active brake unit.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the respective achievable partial braking force that can be achieved by the nth respective brake unit is determined according to the following equation:

F B,n =P×C D,n ×C L,n /r dyn,n

wherein F B,n is the achievable partial braking force that can be achieved by the nth respective brake unit, C D,n denotes the design factor of the nth respective brake unit, C L,n is the braking characteristic value of the nth respective brake unit, and r dyn,n is the dynamic rolling radius of the nth respective brake unit.