Method for operating an electromechanical vehicle brake system

1. A method for operating an electromechanical vehicle brake system, comprising:

in advance of a braking request, determining that an activation condition has been met;

selecting a pre-charge pressure based at least in part on the activation condition;

building up at least an initial portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system; and

applying at least the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to at least one wheel brake.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining that an activation condition has been met includes calculating a rate of release of an accelerator pedal.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining that an activation condition has been met includes receiving a signal indicative of a detected object.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein receiving a signal indicative of a detected object includes receiving a signal from a collision warning device of the vehicle.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining that an activation condition has been met includes receiving an instruction to initiate an automatic parking process.

6. A method for operating an electromechanical vehicle brake system, comprising:

determining that an activation condition has been met;

selecting a pre-charge pressure based at least in part on the activation condition;

building up at least an initial portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system;

applying at least the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to at least one wheel brake; and

providing a remaining portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes upon receipt of a braking request.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the braking request is a manual deceleration request or an autonomous deceleration request.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein building up at least an initial portion of the pre-charge pressure includes building up an entirety of the selected pre-charge pressure, and wherein applying at least the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes includes passing substantially all of the pre-charge pressure on to the wheel brake during the buildup of said pre-charge pressure.

9. A method for operating an electromechanical vehicle brake system, comprising:

determining that an activation condition has been met;

selecting a pre-charge pressure based at least in part on the activation condition;

building up at least an initial portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system;

applying at least the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to at least one wheel brake; and

building up a secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure after applying the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising closing a valve device which is arranged upstream of the wheel brake prior to building up the secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure.

11. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising building up a secondary pre-charge pressure after applying the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising closing a valve device which is arranged upstream of the wheel brake prior to building up the secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising maintaining at least one of the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure and the secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system for a period of time, wherein the respective level of the pre-charge pressure and/or the period of time for the maintenance of the pre-charge pressure is calculated as a function of an external condition and/or the activity of a windshield wiper device of the vehicle.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , further comprising reducing the pre-charge pressure in the brake system when the period of time for the maintenance of the pre-charge pressure expires.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising maintaining at least one of the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure and the secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system for a period of time, wherein the respective level of the pre-charge pressure and/or the period of time for the maintenance of the pre-charge pressure is calculated as a function of an external condition and/or the activity of a windshield wiper device of the vehicle.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising reducing the pre-charge pressure in the brake system when the period of time for the maintenance of the pre-charge pressure expires.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising providing a remaining portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes upon receipt of a braking request.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the braking request is a manual deceleration request or an autonomous deceleration request.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein building up at least an initial portion of the pre-charge pressure includes building up an entirety of the selected pre-charge pressure, and wherein applying at least the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes includes passing substantially all of the pre-charge pressure on to the wheel brake during the buildup of said pre-charge pressure.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising maintaining at least one of the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure and the secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system for a period of time, wherein the respective level of the pre-charge pressure and/or the period of time for the maintenance of the pre-charge pressure is calculated as a function of an external condition and/or the activity of a windshield wiper device of the vehicle.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising reducing the pre-charge pressure in the brake system when the period of time for the maintenance of the pre-charge pressure expires.

22. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising building up a secondary pre-charge pressure after applying the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes.

23. The method of claim 22 , further comprising closing a valve device which is arranged upstream of the wheel brake prior to building up the secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure.

24. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining that an activation condition has been met comprises at least one of calculating a release rate of an accelerator pedal, receiving a signal indicative of a detected object, and receiving an instruction to initiate an automatic parking process.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein receiving a signal indicative of a detected object comprises receiving a signal from a collision warning device of the vehicle.

26. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining that an activation condition has been met comprises at least one of calculating a release rate of an accelerator pedal, receiving a signal indicative of a detected object, and receiving an instruction to initiate an automatic parking process.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein receiving a signal indicative of a detected object comprises receiving a signal from a collision warning device of the vehicle.

28. An electromechanical vehicle brake system, comprising:

a controller configured to:

in advance of a braking request, determine that an activation condition has been met;

select a pre-charge pressure based at least in part on the activation condition;

build up at least an initial portion of the pre-charge pressure in the brake system; and

apply at least the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to at least one wheel brake.

29. The electromechanical vehicle brake system of claim 28 , wherein the controller is further configured to provide a remaining portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes upon receipt of a braking request.

30. The electromechanical vehicle brake system of claim 28 , wherein the controller is further configured to build up a secondary portion of the pre-charge pressure after applying the initial portion of the pre-charge pressure to the wheel brakes.