Jtekt Europe

Dimitri Barthes

Pascal Moulaire

André Michelis

Nicolas Baudouin

Arnaud Thiery

Julien Ponte

A method for estimating the absolute angular position of a steering wheel equipping a power-steering device, referred to as 'relative steering wheel position', of the shaft of a power-steering motor is assessed, a first estimation (Angle) of the absolute angular position of the steering wheel is assessed from at least one first model using the speed difference between the left and right rear wheels, a first dynamic offset equal to the difference between the first estimation (Angle) of the absolute angular position of the steering wheel and the relative steering wheel position is estimated, and the absolute angular position of the steering wheel is calculated by adding to the relative steering wheel position a total compensation offset determined from the first dynamic offset, also when restarting the vehicle, a switching-off offset corresponds to the value of the total compensation offset at the time when the vehicle was previously switched off.

Assessment of the absolute angular position of a steering wheel by considering its situation when switching off the vehicle

A method for managing a power steering system assist motor, includes defining, over the functional length of the actuator member, at least one reduced assist area separate from a normal assist area by an end-of-travel virtual threshold, a step of assessing an instantaneous position and a direction of the movement of the actuator member on the functional length, a step of applying an input resistance set point value to the assist motor when the actuator member crosses the end-of-travel virtual threshold in such a way as to move from the normal assist area into the reduced assist area. After the step of applying an input resistance set point value, an output resistance set point value is applied when the actuator member is in the reduced assist area and the direction of the movement of the actuator member is directed from the reduced assist area towards the normal assist area.

Differentiation of a resisting torque according to direction of movement of a steering rack for improving feel of driver at the approach to an end-of-travel virtual stop

A power steering system including a steering wheel, a return function to automatically return the steering wheel to a given reference position, and includes a function for calculating a return-speed setpoint which calculates a steering wheel speed setpoint from the steering wheel position error differentiating between the effective instantaneous position of the steering wheel and the reference position, then a function for calculating the return assistance, defining from the steering wheel speed error which is the difference between the effective speed of the steering wheel and the steering wheel speed setpoint, a return assistance setpoint, the system including a dynamic saturation function defining at least one saturation threshold, that the dynamic saturation function sets according to the value of the steering wheel speed setpoint, and the dynamic saturation function applies to clip the peaks of the return assistance setpoint calculation to confine the return assistance setpoint to an authorized domain.

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Lyons, France

Dimitri Barthes