Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Bing Zheng

Yixin Yao

Gregory James Stout

Brian James Andonian

Maged Radamis

M Yi-Yang Huang

Muqtada Husain

Deanna L Carroll

Mary Yi-Yang Huang

Clifford Altemare Jr

Zhao Zilai

Mary Y Huang

John Balint

Barry Lenart

A active steering apparatus includes a housing, an input shaft, an output shaft, and an electrical motor. The electric motor has a stator fixed to the housing and a rotor. A first gear set interconnects the input shaft and the output shaft and includes a sun gear fixed to an end of the input shaft, a ring gear fixed to the output shaft, and a plurality of planet gears positioned between and interconnecting the ring gear and the sun gear. A second gear set is mounted onto the rotor and interconnects the ring gear and the housing such that rotation of the rotor relative to the housing imparts movement of the ring gear relative to the housing.

Actuator for active front steering system

A bi-directional smooth transition switch with bumpless transfer is disclosed. It is composed of two feedback loops, each with feedback and forward-loop compensators. During loop operation, one feedback loop is active, while the other is inactive. The smooth transition switch operates in the following manner. The switch output is measured. Next, an error signal is formed as the difference between the forward-loop compensator output and the switch output, which is fed to the input of a high gain feedback compensator. The output of the feedback compensator is a feedback signal. When no switching occurs, the feedback signal remains zero in the active loop, and the output signal of the inactive loop will track the output signal of the active loop. When the switchover occurs, the inactive loop will replace the original active loop and provide smooth transition switch's output.

Advanced smooth transition switch

The present invention provides a system for compensating understeer and oversteer in a vehicle having a steer by wire system. The system includes a driver interface system, a sensor system, a controller, and a road wheel steering actuation system. The driver interface system receives steering input from the driver. The sensor system senses the steering input and generates a steering control signal that is received by the controller. The controller determines if an understeer or oversteer condition exists and generates an appropriate steering assist signal that is then communicated to the road wheel steering actuation system. In response to the steering assist signal, the road wheel steering actuation system adjusts the road wheel angle to compensate for the understeer or oversteer condition.

Oversteering/understeering compensation with active front steering using steer by wire technology

The present invention involves a distributed control system for controlling a steering movement of a vehicle. The system includes a driver interface assembly, a driver interface node having a first time-triggered protocol (TTP) processing system and a road wheel node having a second time-triggered protocol (TTP) processing system. The driver interface node having a first time-triggered protocol (TTP) processing system is coupled to the driver interface assembly, where the driver interface node receives steering wheel parameters from the driver interface assembly. The road wheel node having the second time triggered protocol (TTP) processing system is coupled to the driver interface node, where the road wheel node transmits sensor measurements from a vehicle to the driver interface node. The road wheel node generates an applied torque that adjusts a wheel of the vehicle.

Distributed steering by wire control using time-triggered protocol communication network

The present invention involves a steer-by-wire actuating system and method of actuating road wheels of a vehicle with the steer-by-wire actuating system. The system includes a steering linkage assembly including an input shaft, an output shaft, and a gear unit linking the input shaft and the output shaft for linear movement of the output shaft to rotate the road wheels of the vehicle. The system further comprises a microcontroller for controlling an actuation strategy including normal and fault detection modes. The microcontroller is configured to receive a steering signal indicative of steering input at a steering interface. The system further includes first and second power electronic drivers in electrical communication with the microcontroller for electric power supply. The system further includes a first motor and a second motor for simultaneous operation with the steer-by-wire steering device. The first motor is in electrical communication with the first power electronic driver to receive electric power therefrom and the second motor is in electrical communication with the second power electronic driver to receive electric power therefrom. The first and second motors are connected to the input shaft for movement thereof to rotate the road wheels based on the steering signal. The first and second motors are configured to cooperate simultaneously to rotate the road wheels during the normal mode.

Steer-by-wire system and method for actuating road wheels of a vehicle

The present invention involves a system and method of controlling a steering wheel for simulated steering feel on a steering wheel of a vehicle with front road wheels in a steer-by-wire system. The method includes sensing actual torsion on the steering wheel, comparing the actual torsion to a threshold torque value, sensing actual angular velocity of the steering wheel, and comparing the actual angular velocity to a threshold angular velocity. The method further includes generating a simulated steering feel torque on the steering wheel, if the actual torsion is greater than the threshold torque value and the actual angular velocity is less than the threshold angular velocity. The method further comprises returning the steering wheel to the center position at a specified angular velocity, if the actual torsion is less than the threshold torque value and the actual angular velocity is greater than the threshold angular velocity.

System for controlling a steering wheel feel of a vehicle steering wheel assembly

Method for controlling a steering wheel feel of a vehicle steering wheel assembly

A turn-limited column assembly comprises a column rotatable about an axis. The column rotates a first plate that defines a first spiral track. The first plate rotates relative to a second plate that defines a second spiral track. The plates are arranged such that the spiral tracks overlap to define an intersection, whereat a sliding element is disposed. The column is rotatable between a first stop wherein the sliding element is disposed between the inboard ends of the spiral tracks and a second stop wherein the sliding element is disposed between the outboard ends of the spiral tracks.

Turn-limited column assembly

A steer-by-wire system of the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a steering sensor, a turning subsystem, a vehicle sensor, and a controller subsystem. The turning subsystem further includes a first turning actuator to adjust a turning angle of a first road wheel, a first turning sensor to sense first turning factors of the first turning actuator, a second turning actuator to adjust a turning angle of a second road wheel, and a second turning sensor to sense second turning factors of the second turning actuator. The controller subsystem is connected to the steering sensor, to the first turning sensor, to the second turning sensor, and to the vehicle sensor. The control subsystem independently controls the first turning actuator and the second turning actuator.

Steer-by-wire system with first and second steering actuators

System and method of controlling a steering wheel feel of a vehicle steering wheel assembly

The present invention involves a system and method of simulating a steering resistance torque on a vehicle steering wheel of a steer-by-wire system. The steer-by-wire system uses a magnetorheological device and a motor to apply torque on the steering wheel for simulating the steering resistance torque. The method includes sensing an actual angular velocity of the steering wheel, comparing the actual angular velocity with a threshold angular velocity, and calculating a magnetorheological torque signal based on the comparison. The method further includes determining an error signal based on the MR signal and a torque reference signal, and calculating a motor torque signal indicative of motor torque to be applied to the steering wheel. The method further includes applying torque generated by the MR device and the motor on the steering wheel.

System and method of simulating a steering resistance torque on a vehicle steering wheel

An apparatus and method for a steering system which compensates a drive current for certain variables in a steer-by-wire and electrical power assist steering system. The present invention utilizes a steering wheel angle sensor, a road wheel angle sensor, and a controller for determining a precise time and amount of compensation for the drive current.

Method and apparatus for compensating drive current for an electric motor vehicle steering system

A steer-by-wire system of the preferred embodiment of the invention includes a steering subsystem, a turning subsystem, and a controller subsystem. The steering subsystem further includes a steering sensor to sense steering factors of a steering input, and a steering actuator to generate a steering feedback. The turning subsystem further includes a turning actuator to adjust a turning angle of a road wheel of the vehicle, and a turning sensor to sense turning factors of the turning actuator. The controller subsystem is connected to the steering sensor and to the turning sensor and controls the turning actuator and the steering actuator.

Steer-by-wire system with steering feedback

The present invention involves a system and method of implementing a fault detection and management system for road wheel position sensor faults of a vehicle steer-by-wire system. The method comprises providing primary and secondary road wheel position sensors configured to generate road wheel angle signals indicative of a road wheel angle to a microprocessor. The primary road wheel sensor is in an active control mode and the secondary road wheel sensor is in a stand-by control mode within the steer-by-wire system. The method further includes receiving road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors, and detecting a fault based on the road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors. The method further includes calculating an estimated road wheel angle based on a vehicle variable and comparing the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle. The method further includes managing control of the system based on the comparison of the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle.

Method of detecting and managing sensor fault for safety-critical road-wheel position in vehicle steer-by-wire systems

The present invention involves a method of controlling a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system with enhanced yaw stability during a yaw motion disturbance. The method includes generating a steering angle signal of the steer-by-wire system. The steering angle signal is indicative of a steering angle. The method further includes generating an extra road wheel angle signal using a gain scheduled proportional-integral control strategy and an instant proportional-integral control strategy configured to attenuate after a predetermined time lapse from a time zero. The extra road wheel angle signal is indicative of an extra road wheel angle to compensate for the yaw motion disturbance defining the time zero. The method further includes generating a road wheel angle signal indicative of a road wheel angle and applying torque to the road wheels to move the road wheels consistent with the road wheel angle based on the road wheel angle signal.

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Dublin, OH, United States of America

Bing Zheng