The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jan. 26, 1988

Filed:

Oct. 22, 1984
Applicant:
Inventors:

John S Frait, Ann Arbor, MI (US);

Michael D Warner, Oak Park, MI (US);

David T Ayers, Birmingham, MI (US);

Assignee:

Kelsey-Hayes Company, Romulus, MI (US);

Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B60T / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
303 20 ; 303-7 ; 307356 ;
Abstract

An electric brake control circuit is responsive to an activation signal and a vehicle deceleration signal for generating a brake control signal representing a predetermined amount of braking. A comparator compares the voltage level of the brake control signal with the voltage level of a sawtooth waveform to produce a pluse width modulated signal having a duty cycle corresponding to the predetermined amount of braking. This pulse width modulated signal is supplied to an output driver for generating a brake driving signal to energize the brakes. The activation signal is generated at the voltage level of the vehicle power supply when the driver actuates the vehicle stop light switch. The circuit is responsive to the activation signal for disabling the output driver when the voltage level of the activation signal is below a predetermined level. The circuit also senses the current load on the brake driving signal to protect the output driver in the event of a full or partial short circuit condition. As the sensed current load progressively exceeds a predetermined level, the circuit progressively increases the average voltage level of the sawtooth waveform, thus causing the comparator to reduce the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal.


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