Daimler Chrysler Ag

Mercedes-benz Aktiengesellschaft

Thomas Thurner

Bernd Haussler

Thomas Vogel

Karlheinz Muller

The invention relates to a braking and steering system for a vehicle which provides at least fail-safe braking and steering. In a fault-tolerant, preferably redundant, computing unit, a desired braking effect is determined at least for each wheel of the vehicle, and a desired steering effect is determined for each wheel with a steering function, in each case in response to sensor signals. The braking function and the steering function for the wheels are regulated or controlled by means of adjusting systems on the basis of the determined desired braking effect and desired steering effect. The adjusting system for the braking function contains a service brake and that for the steering function additionally contains a steering adjuster. A fault-tolerant communication device connects the adjusting systems to the computing unit. The energy supply of the computing unit and of the adjusting systems is designed with fault tolerance.

Braking and steering system for a vehicle

A method for programming a bus-compatible electronic motor vehicle controller that is equipped with at least one microcomputer to implement its control function and with ROM and RAM in order to accommodate and handle applications software required for the control function, and is also equipped with at least one bus protocol chip, the ROM being programmed such that the applications software communicates with a bus via the bus protocol chip and via a specific instruction and communications interface forming a first interface of the bus protocol chip. The method includes providing a second interface, which is independent of the bus protocol chip, and defining the second interface as a further, universal instruction and communications interface. The first and second interfaces are coupled with a driver module that is independent of the applications software and adapted to the bus protocol chip and has the properties of an adapter. The applications software are matched and aligned exclusively to the second interface with respect to the bus communication and the applications software is produced independently of the bus protocol chip. The applications software and the driver module are linked to one another by a link process. Program code is obtained as a result of the link process. The program code is stored such that the program code is resident in the ROM.

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Kirchheim/Teck, Germany

Thomas Thurner