LS400 – NEW FEATURES 7 BRAKES 1. Brake Assist System General Brake Assist interprets a quick push of the brake pedal as emergency braking and supplements the braking power applied if the driver has not stepped hard enough on the brake pedal. In emergencies, drivers, especially inexperienced ones, often panic and do not apply sufficient pressure on the brake pedal. Toyota’s Brake Assist system measures the speed and force with which the brake pedal is pushed to deter- mine whether the driver is attempting to brake rapidly, and applies additional pressure to maximize braking performance of both conventional brakes and ABS equipped brakes.
A key feature of Brake Assist is that the timing and degree of braking assistance are designed to ensure that the driver does not discern anything unusual about the braking operation. When the driver intentionally eases up on the brake pedal, the system reduces the amount of assistance it provides. – REFERENCE – Effects of the Brake Assist System: a. There are some cases where drivers cannot apply the high pedal force required to obtain the shortest pos- sible braking distance in the emergency braking situation. For example, it is the case that the drivers are not accustomed to emergency braking operation or they are in panic.
(But in these situations, they are quick to slam on the brake pedal.) b. And the drivers cannot sometimes apply the uniformly pedal force. c. The Brake Assist system detects the driver’s will to make a emergency stop from the pedal operating speed and force calculated from pressure sensor signals, and provides the brake power assistance automatically. d. When the driver releases the brake pedal, the power assistance is reduced responding to brake operation. c Braking Force d With Brake Assist System b a Without Brake Assist System Time 170CH18