Braking apparatus and method for vehicle

1. A braking apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a pedal stroke sensing unit configured to sense a pedal stroke of a brake pedal, and output a pedal stroke signal; and

a control unit configured to:

calculate a braking force based on the pedal stroke signal inputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit,

drive a brake actuator of the vehicle according to the calculated braking force,

generate a voltage signal based on the pedal stroke signal inputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit,

determine that the brake pedal is stepped on based on a comparison of the generated voltage signal to a reference voltage signal, and

output, based on the determination that the brake pedal is stepped on, a ramp signal to a brake lamp of the vehicle to cause the brake lamp to be turned on, wherein the brake lamp is configured to indicate a braking action of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit is configured to use the pedal stroke signal inputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit both (i) to calculate the braking force according to which the brake actuator is to be driven and (ii) to output the ramp signal for turning on the brake lamp.

2. The braking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pedal stroke sensing unit is configured to output the pedal stroke signal as a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal.

3. The braking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control unit comprises:

an integration circuit configured to generate the voltage signal by integrating the pedal stroke signal outputted as the PWM signal; and

a comparison circuit configured to compare the voltage signal and the reference voltage signal and output the ramp signal.

4. The braking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the reference voltage signal is preset in consideration of a first pedal stroke signal outputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit in a state where the brake pedal is not stepped on and a second pedal stroke signal outputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit in a state where the brake pedal is stepped on to a maximum.

5. The braking apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to compare the reference voltage signal and another voltage signal through the comparison circuit, change the ramp signal according to said another voltage signal, and output the changed ramp signal.

6. The braking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a brake lamp configured to be turned on/off based on the ramp signal outputted from the control unit.

7. The braking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to use the pedal stroke signal inputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit both (i) to calculate the braking force according to which the brake actuator is to be driven and (ii) to generate a sawtooth wave as the voltage signal to be compared to the reference voltage signal.

8. The braking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pedal stroke signal is associated with a first duty ratio between a maximum duty ratio corresponding to the brake pedal not being stepped on and a minimum duty ratio corresponding to the brake pedal being fully stepped on, and the reference voltage signal is associated with a second duty ratio between the maximum duty ratio and the minimum duty ratio.

9. The braking apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the reference voltage signal is an average of (i) a maximum voltage value of a reference sawtooth wave generated based on a reference pedal stroke signal having a reference duty ratio between the maximum duty ratio and the minimum duty ratio and a minimum voltage and (ii) a minimum voltage value of the reference sawtooth wave generated based on the reference pedal stroke signal having the reference duty ratio.

10. A braking method for a vehicle, comprising:

outputting, by a pedal stroke sensing unit, a pedal stroke signal by sensing a pedal stroke of a brake pedal;

calculating, by a control unit, a braking force based on the pedal stroke signal from the pedal stroke sensing unit,

driving, by the control unit, a brake actuator of the vehicle according to the calculated braking force,

generating, by the control unit, a voltage signal based on the pedal stroke signal from the pedal stroke sensing unit,

determining, by the control unit, that the brake pedal is stepped on based on a comparison of the generated voltage signal to a reference voltage signal, and

outputting, by the control unit and based on the determination that the brake pedal is stepped on, a ramp signal to a brake lamp of the vehicle to cause the brake lamp to be turned on, wherein the brake lamp is configured to indicate a braking action of the vehicle,

wherein the control unit uses the pedal stroke signal from the pedal stroke sensing unit both (i) to calculate the braking force according to which the brake actuator is to be driven and (ii) to output the ramp signal for turning on the brake lamp.

11. The braking method of claim 10 , wherein in the outputting of the pedal stroke signal, the pedal stroke sensing unit outputs the pedal stroke signal as a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal.

12. The braking method of claim 11 , wherein in the outputting of the ramp signal, the control unit is configured to generate the voltage signal by integrating the pedal stroke signal outputted as the PWM signal, compare the voltage signal and the reference voltage signal, and output the ramp signal.

13. The braking method of claim 12 , wherein the reference voltage signal is preset in consideration of a first pedal stroke signal outputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit in a state where the brake pedal is not stepped on and a second pedal stroke signal outputted from the pedal stroke sensing unit in a state where the brake pedal is stepped on to a maximum.

14. The braking method of claim 13 , wherein subsequent to outputting of the ramp signal, the control unit is configured to compare the reference voltage signal and another voltage signal, change the ramp signal according to said another voltage signal, and output the changed ramp signal.