Continental's Electronic Brake, Safety Systems Provide Foundation for Increased 'Smart' Car Functionality

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 26, 2004 -- Continental's new Electronic Brake Systems (EBS) for model year 2005 vehicles mark a milestone in the organization's movement toward a completely integrated active vehicle safety system -- the "smart" car that helps "anticipate" crashes and mitigate injuries.

"Active safety systems are increasingly more important in today's vehicles," said Bill Kozyra, president and CEO, Continental Teves North America. "Technologies available today and in the near future will include additional functionality to make vehicles safer and more comfortable to drive. This equipment will contribute to preventing crashes and reducing the risk of injury."

New systems are smaller, lighter, more powerful and more cost-effective to produce than their predecessors. First launched by Continental Teves in 1984, electronic brake systems have achieved 80 percent weight reduction and nearly 90 percent cost reduction over the past two decades.

They build upon antilock brake systems (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC), and contain newly designed, integrated circuits for higher levels of integration, and allow additional functions to be incorporated into the vehicle, providing a platform for the integration of both active and passive safety systems to create an "anticipatory" vehicle.

New EBS generations also include valves with analog control that are infinitely variable, replacing digital hydraulic valves. This allows shorter stopping distances, minimized pedal vibrations and finely tuned pressure build-up for the adaptive cruise control (ACC) braking function.

In combination with the analog valves, the ABS hydraulic systems brake booster function also helps when the engine does not generate enough vacuum to ensure reliable brake boosting, as is the case after a cold start, as well as with direct-injection engines optimized for high efficiency. Further potential for improving stopping distances and stability is created by adding brake pressure sensors on all wheels.

Some additional highlights of increased functionality of Continental's new EBS systems include:

-- Active Rollover Protection (ARP). Excessive lateral force, generated by aggressive maneuvers, may result in a rollover in a high-center-of-gravity vehicle. ARP automatically responds whenever it detects a potential rollover, and rapidly applies the brakes with a high burst of pressure to the appropriate wheels to help avoid a rollover. ARP counteracts critical body roll before it starts to cause the kind of dynamic changes in wheel load that lead to rollover.

-- Brake Assist recognizes a driver's intent to perform a sudden stop by monitoring the rate of the brake application and initiates full braking within a fraction of a second, reducing the car's braking distance by as much as 20 percent.

-- Electronic Stability Control II (ESC II) combines the brake control unit with Electric Steer Assisted Steering (ESAS). ESC II automatically optimizes the driver's steering inputs to further stabilize the vehicle when ESC is activated. When braking on surfaces with different grip on either side of the vehicle, ESC II also makes for much shorter stopping distances with minimum steering intervention and optimized directional stability.

-- The Electric Parking Brake can be activated either automatically or at the touch of a button, reliably holding the vehicle in position when parked. The system prevents rolling back on hill starts, and also acts as a theft- deterrent device because it is a highly efficient immobilizer.

-- Hill Start Assist keeps the vehicle stationary, with no drift-back, on an uphill grade, when the driver shifts the car into gear.

-- Trailer Stability Assist recognizes when a trailer being towed starts to oscillate, or move from side to side. Trailer Stability Assist engages to help keep the trailer on its intended course and in line with the vehicle.

-- The Rain Brake Support (RBS) recognizes when the brake components are wet, and induces just enough brake drag to slightly heat the brakes to dry them off.

Additional innovations in development that will revolutionize active vehicle safety include:

-- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses either a radar sensor or an infrared laser (LIDAR) on the front of the vehicle to measure the distance and the relative velocity from the vehicle ahead and, using that information, automatically adapts the speed set by the driver to ensure a safe distance between the vehicles. If necessary, a feature called Stop and Go is enabled, which causes the ACC to slow the vehicle to a standstill. After coming to a standstill -- in which a brake system will be engaged, if necessary, to hold the vehicle on a hill -- this new system will also detect any movement by the vehicle ahead, and will give the driver an acoustic signal. After the driver acknowledges the signal by pressing a button, the ACC will accelerate the vehicle automatically to the speed set by the driver, or to the maximum speed possible under the actual traffic conditions ahead.

-- Brake Assist Plus helps reduce stopping distance by building brake pressure faster.

-- Ready Alert Brakes (RAB) -- pre-charges the brake system to improve the responsiveness of the brakes. The Ready Alert function uses the ACC sensors to reduce stopping distances even if the ACC itself is switched off. As soon as the sensors detect a vehicle at a critical distance ahead, the system prepares the brake system by reducing the air gap between the brake pads and disk so that full braking power can be developed much faster, when required. This function may serve to prevent an accident or at least reduce the impact energy if a collision is unavoidable.

-- Traffic Sign Recognition uses cameras in the front of the vehicle to recognize and read road signs, such as stop signs and speed limit signs, and then alerts the driver to any dangerous situations.

-- The Lane Departure Warning (LDW) uses a camera to detect unintentional deviation from the selected lane. The system warns the driver by means of an audible alarm or steering wheel vibrations.

-- The Lane Keeping Support (LKS) system incorporates the Intelligent Power Assisted Steering to include steering wheel vibrations, and a tugging force on the steering wheel to issue a clear recommendation to the driver to steer back into his lane.

-- Smart Airbag - Preconditioning of non-reversible restraint systems.

Continental's goal is to apply technology to help prevent crashes from happening and to mitigate injuries when they do, as part of an integrated, comprehensive assistance and occupant protection system that will provide drivers and occupants with the best possible support.

With 2003 sales of approximately $13 billion (US), Continental AG is a major supplier of brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics, tires and technical rubber products. Continental Automotive Systems' North American operation is headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich. and is a leading global supplier of quality automotive systems that contribute to driver safety, comfort and peace-of-mind. For additional information, visit these websites: http://www.conti-online.com/ and http://www.contitevesna.com/ .