Control system regulated braking arrangement

Claim 2

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: a sensor positioned to provide an indication of wheel velocity; a conversion circuit, coupled to said sensor, for providing a control signal which varies as a function of said wheel velocity; a signal processing circuit, connected to receive said control signal, for providing an output signal responsive to a change in said control signal signifying that the rate of change of said wheel velocity has exceeded a preset value; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; and which control system is characterized by a quickcharge circuit, coupled to said conversion circuit, for rapidly establishing an initial value of said control signal upon issuance of said command to operate the braking system, thus reducing the time interval required for said control signal to denote the actual wheel velocity.

Claim 3

A control system as claimed in claim 1, and further comprising a blanking circuit, coupled to said signal processing circuit, for preventing operation of said signal processing circuit until said initial value of the control signal has been established in the conversion circuit, thus precluding erroneous actuation of the pressure relief unit as the control system initially receives said energizing signal.

Claim 4

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: first and second sensors positioned to provide indications of the velocities of first and second wheels; first and second conversion circuits, respectively coupled to said first and second sensors, for providing first and second control signals which vary as a function of said wheel velocities; a wheel select circuit, connected to receive both of said control signals and to pass only one control signal; a signal processing circuit, connected to receive said control signal passed by the wheel select circuit, for providing an output signal responsive to a change in the received control signal signifying that the rate of change of the wheel velocity represented by the received control signal has exceeded a preset value; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; a quick-charge, coupled to both said conversion circuits, for rapidly establishing an initial value of said control signals upon issuance of said command to operate the braking system, thus reducing the time interval required for said control signal to denote the actual wheel velocity; and a dump extend circuit, connected to receive both a first input signal which varies as a function of said control signal and a second input signal which indicates said output signal is then being supplied to the pressure relief unit, effective to modify operation of said signal processing circuit so as to prolong the possible duration of said output signal whenever the first input signal drops below a predetermined value at the same time that the second input signal is being received.

Claim 5

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: first and second sensors positioned to provide indications of the velocities of first and second wheels; first and second conversion circuits, respectively coupled to said first and second sensors, for providing first and second control signals which vary as a function of said wheel velocities; a wheel select circuit, connected to receive both of said control signals and to pass only one control signal; a signal processing circuit, connected to receive said control signal passed by the wheel select circuit, for providing an output signal responsive to a change in the received control signal signifying that the rate of change of the wheel velocity represented by the received control signal has exceeded a preset value; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; a quick-charge, coupled to both said conversion circuits, for rapidly establishing an initial value of said control signals upon issuance of said command to operate the braking system, thus reducing the time interval required for said control signal to denote the actual wheel velocity; and a dump extend circuit, connected to receive both a first input signal which varies as a function of said control signal and a second input signal which indicates said output signal is then being supplied to the pressure relief unit, effective to modify operation of said signal processing circuit so as to prolong the possible duration of said output signal whenever the first input signal drops below a predetermined value at the same time that the second input signal is being received.

Claim 6

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: a sensor positioned to providE a train of pulses at a frequency which is an indication of wheel velocity; a conversion circuit, connected to receive the train of pulses, and including a capacitor for developing a d-c control signal which varies as a function of said wheel velocity; a signal processing circuit, connected to receive said d-c control signal, for providing an output signal responsive to a change in said control signal signifying that the rate of change of said wheel velocity has exceeded a preset value; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; and which control system is characterized by a quickcharge circuit, coupled to the capacitor in said conversion circuit, for rapidly establishing an initial value of said d-c control signal across said capacitor upon issuance of said command to operate the braking system, thus reducing the time interval required for said d-c control signal to denote the actual wheel velocity, which quick-charge circuit includes a first transistor connected to conduct and pass charging current to said capacitor, and a first RC circuit connected to terminate conduction of the first transistor after a preset time period.

Claim 7

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: a sensor positioned to providE a train of pulses at a frequency which is an indication of wheel velocity; a conversion circuit, connected to receive the train of pulses, and including a capacitor for developing a d-c control signal which varies as a function of said wheel velocity; a signal processing circuit, connected to receive said d-c control signal, for providing an output signal responsive to a change in said control signal signifying that the rate of change of said wheel velocity has exceeded a preset value; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; and which control system is characterized by a quickcharge circuit, coupled to the capacitor in said conversion circuit, for rapidly establishing an initial value of said d-c control signal across said capacitor upon issuance of said command to operate the braking system, thus reducing the time interval required for said d-c control signal to denote the actual wheel velocity, which quick-charge circuit includes a first transistor connected to conduct and pass charging current to said capacitor, and a first RC circuit connected to terminate conduction of the first transistor after a preset time period.

Claim 8

A control system as claimed in claim 4, and further comprising a blanking circuit, coupled to said signal processing circuit, which blanking circuit includes a second transistor connected to conduct and prevent operation of said signal processing circuit until said initial value of the control signal has been established in the conversion circuit, and which blanking circuit also includes a second RC circuit connected to terminate conduction of said second transistor at a time after said preset time period has elapsed, thus precluding erroneous actuation of the pressure relief unit as the control system initially receives said energizing signal.

Claim 9

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: a sensor positioned to provide an indication of wheel velocity; a conversion circuit, coupled to said sensor, for providing a control signal which varies as a function of said wheel velocity; a signal processing circuit, including a signal storage capacitor, a constant current source having a first transistor which passes current to said signal storage capacitor, a voltage divider circuit for determining the conduction level of said first transistor, a differentiator stage coupled between said conversion circuit and the signal storage capacitor to divert current from the constant current source and the signal storage capacitor responsive to a change in said control signal signifying that the rate of change of said wheel velocity has exceeded a preset value, and an output amplifier connected to provide an output signal when the current is diverted as said control signal changes; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; and which control system is characterized by a dump extend circuit, including a second transistor connected in said voltage divider circuit to modify the conduction level of said first transistor responsive to a change in state of said second transistor, which second transistor is connected to receive both a velocity-indicating input signal which varies as a function of said control signal and a dump-indicating input signal which indicates said output signal is then being supplied to the pressure relief unit, effective to modify operation of said signal processing circuit by reducing the conduction level of said first transistor to prolong the possible duration of said output signal whenever the velocity-indicating input signal drops below a predetermined value at the same time that the dump-indicating input signal is being receiveD.

Claim 10

A control system for a vehicle having a plurality of wheels, a braking system including a fluid under pressure, and means for providing an energizing signal responsive to issuance of a command to operate the braking system, which control system comprises: a sensor positioned to provide an indication of wheel velocity; a conversion circuit, coupled to said sensor, for providing a control signal which varies as a function of said wheel velocity; a signal processing circuit, including a signal storage capacitor, a constant current source having a first transistor which passes current to said signal storage capacitor, a voltage divider circuit for determining the conduction level of said first transistor, a differentiator stage coupled between said conversion circuit and the signal storage capacitor to divert current from the constant current source and the signal storage capacitor responsive to a change in said control signal signifying that the rate of change of said wheel velocity has exceeded a preset value, and an output amplifier connected to provide an output signal when the current is diverted as said control signal changes; a pressure relief unit, connected to change the pressure in said braking system responsive to receipt of said output signal; and which control system is characterized by a dump extend circuit, including a second transistor connected in said voltage divider circuit to modify the conduction level of said first transistor responsive to a change in state of said second transistor, which second transistor is connected to receive both a velocity-indicating input signal which varies as a function of said control signal and a dump-indicating input signal which indicates said output signal is then being supplied to the pressure relief unit, effective to modify operation of said signal processing circuit by reducing the conduction level of said first transistor to prolong the possible duration of said output signal whenever the velocity-indicating input signal drops below a predetermined value at the same time that the dump-indicating input signal is being receiveD.