Patents by Inventor Alan Leslie Harris

Alan Leslie Harris has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6824228
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal, and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, at least as far as the front brakes are concerned, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressures are applied to the braking devices at the front wheels of the vehicle by way of a tandem master cylinder coupled mechanically to the brake pedal, wherein, in the situation where push-through operation has been selected at the front brakes but the rear brakes are continuing to be operated under EHB, a rear brake demand is calculated as a “multiple average” from the expression: [P2+(P1+P3)/2]/2 where P1 and P3 are signals from the master cylinder and a front brake sensor in the same push-through circuit and P2 is a signal from the front brake sensor in the ot
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: TRW Limited
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Peter Martin
  • Publication number: 20030205934
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal, and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, at least as far as the front brakes are concerned, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressures are applied to the braking devices at the front wheels of the vehicle by way of a tandem master cylinder coupled mechanically to the brake pedal, wherein, in the situation where push-through operation has been selected at the front brakes but the rear brakes are continuing to be operated under EHB, a rear brake demand is calculated as a “multiple average” from the expression: [P2+(P1+P3)/2]/2 where P1 and P3 are signals from the master cylinder and a front brake sensor in the same push-through circuit and P2 is a signal from the front brake sensor in the other c
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Peter Martin
  • Publication number: 20030205928
    Abstract: A vehicle electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which can operate in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to brake actuators (16a, 16b) at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand (DD) as sensed electronically at a brake pedal (12), wherein the pressure demand (RBD) for the rear brake actuators (16b) is arranged to be delayed until at least one or two conditions has been fulfilled, namely (a) the pressure of at least one front brake actuator (16a) has reached a predetermined pressure (Pmin), and/or (b) a delay threshold (Tmax) of a predetermined level has been exceeded and/or wherein delivery to the fluid to the rearbrake actuators (16b) is limited to a predetermined value that is relatively low with respect to that for the front brakes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Publication date: November 6, 2003
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Mark Ian Phillips
  • Patent number: 6634221
    Abstract: A method of detection and identification of pressure sensor faults in an electro-hydraulic braking system of the type comprising a brake pedal, respective braking devices connected to the vehicle wheels and which communicate with electronically controlled proportional control valves in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking devices, respective pressure sensors for measuring the hydraulic pressures at the individual braking devices, a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor, a high pressure hydraulic pressure accumulator fed by the pump for the provision of hydraulic fluid under pressure which can be passed to the braking devices via the proportional control valves in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking devices in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed at the brake pedal, and a supply pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure supplied to the electronically controlled proportional control valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Mark Leighton Howell, Mark Ian Phillips
  • Patent number: 6598943
    Abstract: A vehicle braking system comprising an electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels (18a-d) in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal (10), and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels (18) by way of a master cylinder (34) coupled mechanically to the braked pedal (10), and an electric parking braking system for enabling the braking devices to be actuated for parking braking purposes. For supplementing the push-through braking provided by the electro-hydraulic braking system in the event that the brake-by-wire mode has failed, it is arranged that the operation of the brake pedal (10) by the driver also causes operation of the electric parking braking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Patent number: 6595598
    Abstract: A vehicle braking system of the type in which a stored volume of fluid is used to apply the wheel brakes of the vehicle under the control of an electronic unit, the stored volume being held in an accumulator arranged to be replenished by pumping additional working fluid using a pump driven by an electric motor. The speed of the pump electric motor is arranged to be controlled in dependence upon whether or not any vehicle dynamic intervention, such as ABS, TC and VSC, is active. If it is deduced that one or more vehicle dynamic functions is active, then the pump is arranged to be run at high/full, and relatively noisy, speed, but if it is concluded that only base braking is being applied with no vehicle dynamic function being active, then the pump is arranged to be operated at a relative slower and hence quieter speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Limited
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Andrew Kingston
  • Patent number: 6588855
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire (EHB) mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal, but which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels by way of a master cylinder coupled mechanically to the brake pedal. In order to minimize jolting within the system when changeover from push-through to brake-by-wire braking takes place, the existence of a push-through condition is recognized during an initialization stage of the EHB mode and the initial EHB demand is set at the prevailing push-through braking or deceleration level and then adapted smoothly to the desired EHB demand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Public Limited Company
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Patent number: 6582030
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal (10), and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels by way of a master cylinder (34) coupled mechanically to the brake pedal (10), the system including also an electric parking braking device for enabling the braking devices to be actuated for parking braking purposes but which is also arranged to be activated to supplement push-through braking in the event of failure of the brake-by-wire mode. Electro-hydraulic braking at the rear axle of the vehicle is allowed only when a control unit (13) of the electro-hydraulic braking system has confirmation that the electric parking device is in a satisfactory operational state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Publication number: 20020166369
    Abstract: A method of detection and identification of pressure sensor faults in an electro-hydraulic braking system of the type comprising a brake pedal, respective braking devices connected to the vehicle wheels and which communicate with electronically controlled proportional control valves in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking devices, respective pressure sensors for measuring the hydraulic pressures at the individual braking devices, a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor, a high pressure hydraulic pressure accumulator fed by the pump for the provision of hydraulic fluid under pressure which can be passed to the braking devices via the proportional control valves in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking devices in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed at the brake pedal, and a supply pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure supplied to the electronically controlled proportional control valves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Mark Leighton Howell, Mark Ian Phillips
  • Publication number: 20020130549
    Abstract: A vehicle braking system of the type in which a stored volume of fluid is used to apply the wheel brakes of the vehicle under the control of an electronic unit, the stored volume being held in an accumulator arranged to be replenished by pumping additional working fluid using a pump driven by an electric motor. The speed of the pump electric motor is arranged to be controlled in dependence upon whether or not any vehicle dynamic intervention, such as ABS, TC and VSC, is active. If it is deduced that one or more vehicle dynamic functions is active, then the pump is arranged to be run at high/full, and relatively noisy, speed, but if it is concluded that only base braking is being applied with no vehicle dynamic function being active, then the pump is arranged to be operated at a relative slower and hence quieter speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Andrew Kingston
  • Publication number: 20020117891
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal (10), and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels by way of a master cylinder (34) coupled mechanically to the brake pedal (10), the system including also an electric parking braking means for enabling the braking devices to be actuated for parking braking purposes but which is also arranged to be activated to supplement push-through braking in the event of failure of the brake-by-wire mode. Electro-hydraulic braking at the rear axle of the vehicle is allowed only when a control unit (13) of the electro-hydraulic braking system has confirmation that the electric parking means is in a satisfactory operational state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Publication number: 20020113488
    Abstract: A vehicle braking system comprising an electro-hydraulic braking means of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels (18a-d) in proportion tot he driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal (10), and which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels (18) by way of a master cylinder (34) coupled mechanically to the brake pedal (10), and an electric parking braking means for enabling the braking devices to be actuated for parking braking purposes. For supplementing the push-through braking provided by the electro-hydraulic braking means in the event that the brake-by-wire mode has failed, it is arranged that the operation of the foot pedal (10) by the driver also causes operation of the electric parking braking.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Patent number: 6360592
    Abstract: A method of detection and identification of pressure sensor faults in an electro-hydraulic braking system of the type comprising a brake pedal, respective braking devices connected to the vehicle wheels and which communicate with electronically controlled proportional control valves in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking devices, respective pressure sensors for measuring the hydraulic pressures at the individual braking devices, a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor, a high pressure hydraulic pressure accumulator fed by the pump for the provision of hydraulic fluid under pressure which can be passed to the braking devices via the proportional control valves in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking devices in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed at the brake pedal, and a supply pressure sensor for monitoring the hydraulic pressure supplied to the electronically controlled proportional control valves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Lucas Industries public limited company
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Mark Leighton Howell, Mark Ian Phillips
  • Patent number: 6345871
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type capable of operating in a braking-by-wire mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal, in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels by way of a master cylinder coupled mechanically to the brake pedal and in an ABS mode in which the braking pressures at the individual wheels are controlled in dependence, inter alia, on the detected rotational behavior of the vehicle wheels, and which includes a hydraulic travel simulator which is connected hydraulically to the master cylinder by way of an electrically controlled isolation valve for providing improved feel for the driver through the brake pedal in the push-through operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2002
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Karl-Friedrich Wörsdorfer
  • Publication number: 20020000750
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system of the type which operates normally in a brake-by-wire (EHB) mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to braking devices at the vehicle wheels in proportion to the driver's braking demand as sensed electronically at a brake pedal, but which, if the brake-by-wire mode should fail, operates in a push-through mode wherein hydraulic pressure is applied to the braking devices at the vehicle wheels by way of a master cylinder coupled mechanically to the brake pedal. In order to minimize jolting within the system when changeover from push-through to brake-by-wire braking takes place, the existence of a push-through condition is recognized during an initialization stage of the EHB mode and the initial EHB demand is set at the prevailing push-through braking or deceleration level and then adapted smoothly to the desired EHB demand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2001
    Publication date: January 3, 2002
    Inventor: Alan Leslie Harris
  • Patent number: 6318817
    Abstract: An electro-hydraulic braking system for motor vehicles. The system includes a brake pedal and a braking device associated with at least one vehicle wheel which is brought into communication with an electronically controlled valve arrangement in order to apply hydraulic fluid under pressure to the braking device. A fluid pressure accumulator fed by the pump provides a pressurized hydraulic fluid which can be passed to the braking device by way of an electronically controlled valve arrangement in order to apply hydraulic fluid in proportion to the driver braking demand as sensed at the brake pedal in the “brake by wire” mode. A first device within the system provides a level of fluid pressure supply within the electro-hydraulic system whose highest value is less than that sufficient for the maximum possible braking demand level which may be required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Lucas Industries plc
    Inventors: Peter Martin, Barry John Bridgens, Alan Leslie Harris, Michael John Holt, Andrew William Kingston, Robert Louis Ferger, Salvatore Oliveri
  • Patent number: 6234585
    Abstract: An electronic braking system for a vehicle wherein control of the vehicle brakes is achieved by the use of electric control signals generated at a brake pedal in response to a driver's braking demand and an electronic controller which is adapted to control the supply of fluid under pressure from a power source to the brakes in accordance with said electronic signals corresponding to the driver's demand, the system being adapted to raise the brake pressure to a first predetermined level(jump-in) at a prescribed level of initial brake pedal travel and to release the brake pressure (reverse jump-in) as a second predetermined level, which is lower than at jump-in. The jump-in brake pressure level can be arranged to be variable with vehicle speed. In some cases, the brakes are arranged to be prefilled to a low pressure at a low pressure at an early stage in the pedal travel and then maintained at that low level until jump-in is triggered, whereupon the braking pressure is raised to the jump-in level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2001
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Mark Leighton Howell, Simon David Stevens
  • Patent number: 6205783
    Abstract: A reservoir assembly for a vehicle hydraulic braking system includes two chambers (2, 3) for the storage of hydraulic fluid. The reservoir assembly is provided with a structure for increasing the effective volume of one of the chambers (2), for example a bellows (12) or a bucket (30), and which may be operable in conjunction with the fitting of a filler cap (17) to seal a filler opening (5) for that chamber. This enables a volume of fluid to be accommodated in a chamber of increased volume, thereby substantially eliminating the possibility of volume in excess of a given volume from overflowing from the chamber (2, 3). When the reservoir assembly is installed in a vehicle braking system of a brake-by-wire electro-hydraulic type (EMB) having a first power circuit (51), and a second back-up hydrostatic circuit (60), the one chamber (2) supplies fluid to the hydrostatic circuit, and the other chamber (3) supplies fluid to the power circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2001
    Assignee: Lucas Industries public limited company
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Keith Lawrence Holding, Robert George Uzzell, Ivan Mortimer
  • Patent number: 6189982
    Abstract: An hydraulic braking system of the brake-by-wire type has an hydraulic pressure source comprising an hydraulic accumulator adapted to be charged by a pump. An accumulator isolating valve is so positioned and biased to correspond to the direction of flow from the accumulator to a solenoid-operated proportional valve. The valve is biased into a closed position in opposition to the flow from the pump to the accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2001
    Assignee: Lucas Industries Limited
    Inventors: Alan Leslie Harris, Robert Gregory Fuller, Robert George Uzzell, Ivan Mortimer
  • Patent number: 6074019
    Abstract: A vehicle hydraulic braking system of the brake-by-wire type is disclosed in which proportional solenoid-operated valves (12, 13) are adapted to control the pressure in wheel brake actuators of the brakes (8, 9) on a single axle of a vehicle, and a balance valve (20) is provided to enable individual hydraulic brake circuits to be hydraulically connected so that the pressure applied to each brake is guaranteed to be substantially the same, a first one (13) of the proportional valves (12, 13) is adapted to be isolated so that the hydraulic circuit is fed by a second, single, proportional valve (12). Applying both brakes under the control of a single proportional valve ensures that any fluid leakages are balanced since substantially equal brake-applying pressures are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Lucas Industries public limited company
    Inventors: Mark Ian Phillips, Alan Leslie Harris, Mark Leighton Howell, Peter Martin, Karl Friedrich Worsdorfer