US-20260125037-A1 - AXLE INTEGRATED IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM

US20260125037A1US 20260125037 A1US20260125037 A1US 20260125037A1US-20260125037-A1

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for an off-highway (OH) machine or vehicle immobilization system, that when activated, prevents the OH machine from being moved, as an anti-theft device. The vehicle immobilization system relies on a Spring Applied Hydraulic Release (SAHR) brake that is integrated into an axle of the OH machine. Without oil pressure, the SAHR brake is engaged, and wheels of the OH machine or vehicle cannot rotate. The SAHR brake cannot be disengaged except by applying pressure in a hydraulic line of the SAHR brake. The hydraulic line passes through an electric immobilizer valve that is integrated inside the axle. If the valve is closed (e.g., no oil flow through the valve), the SAHR cannot be disengaged, and the vehicle cannot move. When the valve is opened, oil flows through the valve and the SAHR is disengaged, allowing movement.

Inventors

Riccardo MORSELLI

Assignees

DANA MOTION SYSTEMS ITALIA S.R.L.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241101

Claims (20)

1 . An immobilization system for a vehicle, comprising: a valve positioned on a hydraulic line supplying pressurized oil to a Spring Applied Hydraulic Release (SAHR) braking mechanism of the vehicle, that when actuated to a closed position, prevents a pressure of the oil from releasing the SAHR braking mechanism, immobilizing the vehicle; wherein the valve is integrated inside an axle of the vehicle.
2 . The immobilization system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an off-highway machine.
3 . The immobilization system of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control board integrated inside the axle and electrically coupled to the valve, the electronic control board configured to actuate the valve in response to an electric signal from a controller of the vehicle.
4 . The immobilization system of claim 3 , further comprising a second hydraulic line that connects the hydraulic line and the valve, such that in response to the pressure in the hydraulic line increasing above a threshold pressure, the pressure is applied to the valve via the second hydraulic line, the pressure maintaining the valve open.
5 . The immobilization system of claim 4 , wherein the valve is actuated by a solenoid, the solenoid energized by the electronic control board.
6 . The immobilization system of claim 5 , wherein: in a first, closed state of the valve, the pressurized oil is routed through a first chamber of the valve, through which the pressurized oil is blocked from passing; in a second, open state of the valve, the pressurized oil is routed through a second chamber through which the pressurized oil can pass; the valve is switched from the first, closed state to the second, open state when the solenoid is energized; the valve is maintained in the second, open state after the solenoid is de-energized by a pressure of the pressurized oil in the second hydraulic line; and the valve is switched from the second, open state to the first, closed state by a spring in response to the pressure decreasing below the threshold pressure.
7 . The immobilization system of claim 1 , wherein activating the immobilization system includes leaving the valve in the closed position, and the immobilization system is released, permitting movement of the vehicle, by one of: a parking brake of the vehicle being disengaged; a key of the vehicle being recognized as valid; a control element of the vehicle being selected by an operator of the vehicle; and a signal being received at the vehicle via a wireless network.
8 . The immobilization system of claim 6 , wherein instructions are stored in a memory of the electronic control board that when executed by a processor of the electronic control board, cause the processor to: when the immobilization system is activated: in response to receiving a valid unlock code from the electronic control board, energize the solenoid to actuate the valve to the second, open state to release the SAHR braking mechanism; and in response to the unlock code not being valid, maintain the valve in the first, closed state to maintain the vehicle immobilized.
9 . The immobilization system of claim 8 , wherein instructions are stored in a memory of the controller that when executed, cause the controller to: in response to detecting a disengagement of a parking brake, the valve in the second, open state, increase a pressure of the oil above the threshold pressure; and in response to the pressure of the oil increasing above the threshold pressure, de-energizing the solenoid, the valve maintained in the second, open state by the pressure of the oil.
10 . The immobilization system of claim 8 , wherein the unlock code comprises a sequence of electric signals of varying durations.
11 . The immobilization system of claim 10 , wherein the controller is electrically coupled to the electronic control board via a circuit including a capacitor used to supply power to the electronic control board.
12 . The immobilization system of claim 1 , wherein the SAHR braking mechanism is configured to have a first braking torque that is higher than a second torque applied to the axle through a transmission of the vehicle, and/or higher than a maximum torque permissible by at least one element of the axle.
13 . A method for a vehicle, the method comprising: in response to receiving an ignition signal, charging a capacitor of an electric circuit coupling a controller of the vehicle to an electronic control board of the vehicle to provide power to the electronic control board; detecting a disengagement of a parking brake of the vehicle at the controller, and in response, increasing a pressure of oil in a hydraulic line to a Spring Applied Hydraulic Release (SAHR) braking mechanism of the vehicle locking one or more wheels of the vehicle and sending an electronic code to the electronic control board; determining a validity of the electronic code at the electronic control board; in response to the electronic code being valid, energizing a solenoid to actuate an immobilizer valve positioned on the hydraulic line to an open position, to allow a pressure of the oil to disengage the SAHR braking mechanism; and in response to the electronic code not being valid, not energizing the solenoid and maintaining the SAHR braking mechanism in an engaged state.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the valve and the electronic control board are integrated inside an axle of the vehicle.
15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising de-energizing the solenoid in response to the pressure of the oil increasing above a threshold pressure.
16 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising sending an electric signal to prevent an operation of an engine of the vehicle over a controller area network (CAN) bus in response to detecting an ignition using an invalid key.
17 . A valve positioned on a hydraulic line supplying pressurized oil to a Spring Applied Hydraulic Release (SAHR) braking mechanism of a vehicle, the valve comprising: a first chamber where the pressurized oil is blocked from passing through the hydraulic line in a first, closed state of the valve, preventing a pressure of the oil from releasing the SAHR braking mechanism, the first, closed state of the valve immobilizing one or more wheels of the vehicle; a second chamber through which the pressurized oil is routed in a second, open state of the valve to release the SAHR braking mechanism, releasing the one or more wheels of the vehicle to move; a solenoid, that when energized, switches the valve from the first, closed state to the second, open state; and a second hydraulic line that connects the hydraulic line and the valve, such that in response to the pressure in the hydraulic line increasing above a threshold pressure, the pressure is applied to the valve via the second hydraulic line, the pressure maintaining the valve in the second, open state when the solenoid is not energized.
18 . The valve of claim 17 , wherein the solenoid is energized by an electronic control board of the vehicle, the electronic control board and the valve integrated into an axle of a vehicle.
19 . The valve of claim 18 , wherein instructions are stored in a memory of the electronic control board that when executed by a processor of the electronic control board, cause the processor to: in response to detecting a disengagement of a parking brake of the vehicle, increase a pressure of the pressurized oil; receive an unlock code from a controller of the vehicle, the unlock code a sequence of electric signals of varying durations; determine a validity of the unlock code, by comparing the sequence to a stored, predetermined sequence; in response to the unlock code being valid, energize the solenoid to actuate the valve to the second, open state to release the SAHR braking mechanism; in response to the unlock code not being valid, maintain the valve in the first, closed state to maintain the one or more wheels immobilized; and in response to the pressure of the pressurized oil increasing above a threshold pressure, de-energizing the solenoid.
20 . The valve of claim 19 , wherein the valve is actuated to the first, closed state in response to one of: the parking brake being engaged; a control element of the vehicle being selected by an operator of the vehicle; and a signal being received by the controller via a wireless network.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to vehicle anti-theft devices. BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY Off-highway (OH) vehicles and machines such as back hoes, overhead cranes, etc., are often left in remote areas with limited surveillance, making them an easy target for theft. Machines with anti-theft features have access to discounted insurance. However, to qualify for the discounted insurance, an OH machine must have an anti-theft certification. To get the anti-theft certification, the OH machine must withstand theft attacks such as electronic control unit (ECU) replacement, hydraulic/mechanical modification, re-routing electrical wires, etc., for a threshold duration, such as 60 minutes. To ensure that an easy modification or replacement is not sufficient to move the vehicle, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) often frame ECUs in heavy frames, which make vehicle maintenance more difficult and increase a cost of an immobilizer function. OH engines may not be equipped with the immobilizer function, where if the OH vehicle is disconnected from a controller area network (CAN), the engine may be started in a recovery mode and the vehicle can be moved and stolen. Thus, there is a need for a robust and inexpensive immobilization solution for OH vehicles that covers a variety of circumstances. For example, a rental company could use an immobilization system to lock an OH machine and prevent operation when the rental has expired, via a telematics system. In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by an immobilization system for an off-highway vehicle, comprising a valve positioned on a hydraulic line supplying pressurized oil to a Spring Applied Hydraulic Release (SAHR) braking mechanism of the vehicle, such that when actuated to a closed position, prevents a pressure of the oil from releasing the SAHR braking mechanism, immobilizing the vehicle; wherein the valve is integrated inside an axle of the vehicle. The valve may be actuated to the closed position after the vehicle is parked, for example, when an emergency brake is engaged, at a time when a pressure of the oil is below a threshold for releasing the SAHR braking mechanism. Once the valve is closed, the SAHR braking mechanism cannot be released, and the vehicle is immobilized. When the vehicle is restarted, the valve may be actuated to an open position, thereby allowing the pressurized oil to release the SAHR braking mechanism, freeing the vehicle to move. A coded electrical signal may be used to open the valve, to prevent unauthorized intervention into the system. In this way, a robust way to immobilize a vehicle is provided that is based on a simple electrical circuit. The valve is physically protected from attacks by integrating the valve and an electronic control board that controls the valve into the axle. It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a prophetic example of an OH vehicle; FIG. 2 is an illustration of an axle of the OH vehicle including an exemplary immobilization system; FIG. 3 is a first schematic diagram of an exemplary immobilizer hydraulic valve of the immobilization system; FIG. 4 is a second schematic diagram of the exemplary immobilizer hydraulic valve; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the immobilization system including the immobilizer hydraulic valve; FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for unlocking the immobilization system; FIG. 7 is a first timing diagram illustrating a first exemplary sequence of events during unlocking the immobilization system in a first condition; and FIG. 8 is a second timing diagram illustrating a second exemplary sequence of events unlocking the immobilization system in a second condition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Systems and methods are proposed herein for an off-highway (OH) machine or vehicle immobilization system, also referred to herein as an immobilizer, that when activated, prevents the OH machine from being moved, as an anti-theft device. Current OH machines may be operable without key recognition, meaning, using a key that is valid for a plurality of machines. As a result, if a key is not available, an OH machine may be started via an easy workaround. OH vehicles are typically not equipped with an immobilizer function, and an OH vehicle may be easily moved and stolen by disconnecting the OH vehicle