Appeal Number: 2006-3054
Application Number: 10/672,625
FINDINGS OF FACT
Appellants’ invention is a brake system for heavy vehicles that includes a
central control unit which receives signals from a vehicle performance sensor and
generates a central control signal for controlling a plurality of brake components
based on the received sensor signal [0012]. A distributed electronic control
receives sensor signals from a vehicle performance sensor a generates a local
control signal for only some of the brake components based on the received sensor
signal [0018]. In the invention of claim 1 there is also included a conflict
resolution scheme for resolving conflicts between the central control signal and the
local control signal [0010].
In the invention of claim 2, the central control unit includes a first control
scheme to generate a first central control signal and a second control scheme to
generate a second central control signal [0014]. There is also a central control unit
conflict resolution scheme for resolving conflicts between the first and second
central control schemes [0025].
A control scheme is defined by the specification as a plurality of rules
concerning actuation of actuators in response to various sensor signals [0038]. The
control schemes may relate to the brake system, emergency brake system,
suspension system, anti-lock braking system, shock-absorbing system or safety
system. For example, the specification describes a safety control scheme as one or
more rules that direct safety requirements imposed by a government body allowing
these mandated rules to be incorporated into the overall control scheme. It is well
known to include control schemes in vehicle. For instance, it is well known to
include an anti-lock braking control scheme with the rule that if wheel slippage is
sensed, a pulsed control signal is generated for the brake actuators.
4
Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next
Last modified: September 9, 2013