Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Nexteer (beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.

Christian E Ross

Mohammad S Islam

Tomy Sebastian

Sainan Feng

Eric D Pattok

Paul M Fisher

Ryan J Pavlawk

Sayeed Ahmad Mir

James Edward Rouleau

Steven James Collier-Hallman

Patrik M Ryne

Matthew Mielke

Abraham Gebregergis

Scott Blehm

Jeffrey E Beyerlein

Troy P Strieter

Xiaoyu Li

Larry W Burr

Michael J Augustine

Mohammed Rakibul Islam

Shaotang Chen

Alan C Davis

Douglas M Schneider

Zaki Ryne

Tom Cheuk-In Wong

James S Baughman

Keith A Kidder

Carl D Tarum

Harley D Burkhard

Sanian Feng

Ricardo A Pastor

Samuel El-Nashef

Timothy S Keister

Darryl L Greathouse

Scott T Blehm

Matthew W Mielke

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a control system for controlling a steering system having a tie rod is provided. The control system includes a sensor coupled to the tie rod, the sensor configured to measure forces exerted on the tie rod and to generate a signal indicative of the measured forces, and a control module communicatively coupled to the sensor to receive the signal from the sensor. The control module is programmed to generate a motor assist command based on the generated signal to control the steering system.

Tie rod force sensing systems and methods

A steering system for detecting a hand wheel position is provided and includes an input shaft connected to a hand wheel, a main gear disposed around the input shaft, a puck gear meshingly engaged with the main gear, and a control module. The control module receives an angular main position of the main gear and an angular puck position of the puck gear. The control module includes a rotational calculation module for calculating the hand wheel position based on at least the angular main position and the angular puck position.

Hand wheel position detection system

A diagnostic system and method for an electric power steering system are provided. The diagnostic system includes a first microprocessor that determines a first relative position value indicating the relative rotational position of the rotatable shaft at the first time based on the signals from first and second position sensors. A second microprocessor determines a second relative position value indicating the relative rotational position of the rotatable shaft at the first time based on the signals from third and fourth position sensors. The first microprocessor determines whether the first relative position value is an acceptable value based on a difference between the first relative position value and the second relative position value.

Diagnostic system and method for an electric power steering system

A system and a method for determining an absolute position of a motor shaft in an electric power steering system during an ignition off state are provided. The system includes a microprocessor that energizes first and second position sensors to generate first and second signals, respectively, at a first time, and third and fourth signals, respectively, at a second time. The microprocessor determines a first relative position value based on the first and second signals, and a second relative position value based on the third and fourth signals. The microprocessor determines an amount of relative rotation of the shaft during the ignition off state based on the first and second relative position values, and determines a current absolute position value based on a previously stored absolute position value and the amount of relative rotation of the rotatable shaft.

System and method for determining an absolute position of a motor shaft in an electric steering system

A torque sensing system having a torque sensor, and a steering system, are provided. The torque sensor includes a first rotor having apertures extending therethrough and bar magnets disposed in the apertures. The torque sensor further includes a second rotor defining an interior region with the first rotor being disposed in the interior region. The second rotor has tooth members extending toward the first rotor. The torque sensor further includes first and second Hall effect sensors disposed in an open region of the second rotor proximate to the first rotor. The first and second Hall effect sensors generate first and second signals, respectively, indicative of an amount of torque applied between the first rotor and the second rotor.

Torque sensing system having torque sensor, and steering system

A method for designing a pole piece for a power assist steering system, includes: selecting a number of teeth, k, for the pole piece where k=n/2 and n represents an even number of poles; and selecting a ratio between an angle made by an inner tooth tip and an outer tooth tip, &#x3b8;, and an angle made by a magnet pole width, &#x3b8;, to provide a desired torque function for the steering system.

Methods of making torque overlay actuators

A method for reducing current and torque ripple in a brushed electric motor is disclosed. The motor includes a stator and a rotor. The stator includes a brush housing having a plurality of circumferentially spaced brushes disposed about a commutator, each brush having a contact face that is in electrical contact with the commutator, an opposed bias face and a peripheral wall, each brush disposed in a brush pocket having a pocket wall, a base and a bias spring that is configured to apply a contact force to the bias face, thereby urging the contact face into electrical contact with the commutator. The method includes inserting a damper between each pocket wall or respective base and the respective brush.

Method for reducing current and torque ripple in a brushed electric motor and motor employing the same

Magnetic ring systems for attachment to a shaft and methods of making and using are provided. According to an embodiment, a magnetic ring system for attachment to a shaft comprises: a magnetic ring; and an adaptor configured to fit inside the magnetic ring, the adaptor comprising an inner wall spaced from an outer wall, wherein the inner wall comprises a plurality of grooves for engaging the shaft.

Magnetic ring systems for attachment to a shaft and methods of making and using

Disclosed herein is an apparatus that relates to a gear set. The apparatus includes, a housing, a first gear movable in the housing such that a first axis defined by the first gear is repositionable relative to the housing, a second gear in mesh with the first gear, and a second axis defined by the second gear. The apparatus constrains movement of the first axis to a plane containing both the first axis and a line commonly perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis, and a biasing member that urges the first gear toward the second gear.

Sprung gear set and method

A sensors casing supports torque sensors and the position sensors and segment magneto-sensitive elements to detect the relative rotation between an input shaft and an output shaft and the angular position of the shaftsin a steering column housing. The sensor casing is removeably attached to the support housing by a mounting flange for detaching the electrical components from the steering column housing assembly.

Non-contact position sensor housing using existing torque sensor probe

A method of interfacing an electromagnetic sensor with a controller in a motor control system, the method including: applying an excitation signal to the electromagnetic sensor; receiving a first electromagnetic sensor output signal based on the excitation signal, the first electromagnetic sensor signal comprising an amplitude modulated signal corresponding to a position of a rotor of the electromagnetic sensor; and receiving a second electromagnetic sensor output signal based on the excitation signal, the second electromagnetic sensor signal comprising another amplitude modulated signal corresponding to the position of the rotor of the electromagnetic sensor. The method also includes sampling the first electromagnetic sensor signal and the second electromagnetic sensor signal at about an instance synchronous with the excitation signal to demodulate the first electromagnetic sensor signal and the second electromagnetic sensor signal and decoding a resultant of the sampling to identify the position of a rotor of the electromagnetic sensor.

Electromagnetic sensor direct communication algorithm to a digital microprocessor

An apparatus for measuring relative displacement between a first shaft and a second shaft includes first and second rotor assemblies. The first rotor assembly is coupled to the first shaft and is centered on an axis. The second rotor assembly is coupled to the second shaft. The second rotor assembly has first and second stator plates. Each of the first and second stator plates includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper and lower surfaces are parallel. The first and second stator plates include a plurality of teeth extending in a direction radial of the axis. The first and second stator plates form a gap between the lower surface of the first stator plate and the upper surface of the second stator plate. The apparatus further includes at least one magnet having a magnetic field and disposed on the first rotor assembly and a sensing device disposed within the gap for sensing a magnetic flux of the magnetic field.

Apparatus for sensing position and/or torque

An integrated torque and position sensor is set forth for measuring the relative rotational movement between an input and an output shaft and for measuring the final angle position of the output shaft. The integrated sensor includes a wheel that rotates with the shaft. An incremental sensing mechanism detects the incremental rotation of the shaft. In response to the shaft rotating to a predetermined angle, an actuation mechanism engages the wheel with a change gear for every new revolution in which the shaft passes. A segment sensing mechanism detects the segment in which the shaft is disposed. A method is set forth to calibrate and compensate the electrical outputs generated by the integrated torque and position sensor. The method produces common amplitudes and establishes a common angle with an expected phase angle shift for the electrical outputs. The compensated electrical outputs are inserted into a solver equation and the values generated by the solver equation are inserted into an algorithm to calculate the final angle position of the shaft.

Integrated non-contacting torque and absolute position sensor for steering applications

A collapsible steering column is used with motor vehicle. The motor vehicle has a frame. The steering column has an outer jacket and a stationery bracket. The outer jacket is releasably coupled to the frame. The stationery bracket is coupled to the frame. The outer jacket and stationery bracket are collapsible in response to release of the outer jacket from the frame. An electrically actuated brake mechanism is coupled between the stationery bracket and the outer jacket and provides an infinitely variable resistive force to the collapse of the outer jacket and the stationery bracket.

Growing community of inventors

Hemlock, MI, United States of America

Christian E Ross