Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Nexteer (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.

Kathryn L Pattok

Ashok Chandy

William Henry Wittig

Julie Ann Kleinau

Mark Philip Colosky

Geoff P Krieger

Tony M Dodak

Steve R Bannister

Deepak Chhaya

Yuen-Kwok Chin

Anthony J Champagne

Tejas M Varunjikar

Steven James Collier-Hallman

Weiwen Deng

Timothy Wesley Kaufmann

Troy P Strieter

Sanket S Amberkar

William Chin-Woei Lin

Bertram Moeller

Terrence D Smith

Djilani P Merzoug

Yves J Rodenas

Jeff Zuraski

Gregory Katch

Timoty W Kaufmann

A method of controlling an electric power steering system of a vehicle is provided. The method determines that one or more hand wheel torque sensors of the vehicle are not enabled. The method generates an assist torque command by estimating a lateral acceleration of the vehicle based on a hand wheel angle and determining an amount of assist torque based on the estimated lateral acceleration. The method controls the electric power steering system using the generated assist torque command.

Providing assist torque without hand wheel torque sensor

A system and a method for determining an absolute rotational position of the vehicle handwheel are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes monitoring an amount of torque applied to the vehicle handwheel. The method further includes monitoring a rotational speed of the vehicle handwheel. The method further includes setting an absolute position value indicating the absolute position of the vehicle handwheel equal to a predetermined steering travel limit of the vehicle handwheel when both the amount of torque applied to the vehicle handwheel is greater than or equal to a threshold torque level, and the rotational speed of the vehicle handwheel is less than or equal to a threshold rotational speed. The method further includes storing the absolute rotational position value in a memory device.

System and method for determining an absolute rotational position of a vehicle handwheel

A method for determining an absolute rotational position of a vehicle steering column is provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the method determines a relative position of a steering assist motor utilizing a relative position sensor. Thereafter, the method determines the absolute rotational position of the vehicle steering column based upon the relative position of the steering assist motor.

Method for determining an absolute rotational position of a vehicle steering column

System and method for determining an absolute rotational position of a vehicle steering column

A method, system, and apparatus for providing enhanced steering pull compensation are provided. The method compensates for steering pull in a vehicle steering system that includes a handwheel. The method includes monitoring the vehicle to determine whether the vehicle is heading forward along a substantially linear straight-ahead path and, if so, measuring handwheel torque, as a sensed torque signal, to determine an amount of steering pull existing at the handwheel. The method also includes generating a torque assist signal in response to the sensed torque signal and calculating an offset signal for reducing the amount of steering pull to substantially zero. The method further includes producing a modified torque assist signal by adding the offset signal to the torque assist signal, and applying the modified torque assist signal to the vehicle steering system.

Method, system, and apparatus for providing enhanced steering pull compensation

A method for generating an active damping torque signal for a vehicle steering system includes receiving a vehicle speed input, receiving a handwheel velocity input, receiving a handwheel torque input, and generating an active damping torque output from each of the inputs, wherein the active damping torque output is non-linear with respect to the handwheel velocity input.

Method and system for improved active damping of steering systems

An electric power steering control system comprising: an electric motor disposed in a vehicle to apply torque to a steerable wheel; a torque sensor disposed in the vehicle for detecting a steering wheel torque and generating a torque signal indicative thereof; a vehicle speed sensor, the vehicle speed sensor generating a vehicle speed signal; a controller coupled to the torque sensor, the vehicle speed sensor and the electric motor. The controller generates a scheduled compensated torque command to the electric motor. The scheduled compensated torque command is based on at least one of: a torque command signal responsive to the torque signal; a compensated torque command signal; and a blend of the torque command signal and the compensated torque command signal. At least one of the torque command signal, the compensated torque command signal and the blend is based the vehicle speed signal.

Vehicle speed dependent compensator for electric steering systems

A controller () for a vehicular system () that includes a hand-wheel () and an electric motor () includes a torque-assist function () responsive to a signal representing the torque applied to the hand-wheel () for providing a torque-assist command to the motor (), and a steering-pull compensator () responsive to a signal representing a valid ignition cycle for modifying the torque-assist command to the motor () by an offset corresponding to a detected steering-pull condition; where the method of control includes receiving the signal indicative of the torque applied to the hand-wheel (), providing a torque-assist command to the motor () in response to the received torque signal, detecting an enabling signal related to the signal representing a valid ignition cycle, quantifying a steering-pull condition in response to the received and detected signals, and modifying the torque-assist command to the motor () by an offset corresponding to the quantified steering-pull condition.

Robust steering-pull torque compensation

A method for updating a sensor offset and a medium encoded with a machine-readable computer program code for updating a sensor using a robust sensor learning algorithm wherein the method includes obtaining vehicle data signals, obtaining a position sensor data signal, the position sensor data signal being responsive to a stored positional offset data signal, determining whether algorithm initial conditions are satisfied, formulating a new positional offset data signal conditioned on satisfaction of the initial conditions, and storing said new positional offset data signal so as to combine said new positional offset data signal with said stored positional offset data signal and replace said stored positional offset data signal.

Method for updating a sensor using a robust sensor offset learning algorithm

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method for controlling application of return torque in a vehicle power steering system. The method includes detecting a current hand wheel center and comparing the current hand wheel center to a previous hand wheel center. A change in hand wheel center is detected in response to the comparison. Application of return torque is controlled in response to detecting a change in hand wheel center.

Method and system for applying return torque in a vehicle power steering system

An electric motor actuator used in an environment of varying loads for varying time periods is efficiently designed to a predetermined specification in terms of both motor load and time and operated up to but not exceeding this specification over the full expected operating range. A motor load signal is low pass filtered with a plurality of time constants spanning a range of expected motor operation to generate a plurality of filtered motor load signals each associated with one of the time constants. Each of these filtered motor load signals is compared with a predetermined reference value corresponding to the associated time constant. If one or more of the filtered motor load signals exceeds the predetermined reference value with which it is compared, the one that so exceeds by the greatest margin is selected. A command current limit factor is derived from the selected filtered motor load signal and used to limit the commanded motor current. The motor load signal preferably indicates motor operating current and may be derived from a motor current sensor or from the limited command current signal, motor speed and operating voltage to compensate for a decrease of current with motor speed due to inductance/slope compensation and voltage limit effects.

Thermal current limiting apparatus and method for vehicle system with

A vehicle power steering system has a steering shaft with a rotational position sensor providing signal rollover so that each sensor output indicates a plurality of potential absolute steering positions separated from each other by multiples of a rollover angle. Upon each initiation of vehicle operation, the system selects, as an unadjusted steering position, one of the plurality of absolute steering positions corresponding to an initial sensor output; and the system repeatedly updates the unadjusted steering position in response to sensor output changes, including sensed rollover events. The system repeatedly tests a set of revolution offsets with the updated unadjusted steering position and excludes any which indicate an out-of-range absolute steering position. The final remaining revolution offset is latched as the correct value. Preferably, a temporary value of revolution offset used with the unadjusted position during the testing provides a return or centering torque of zero; and, once the final value is latched, the temporary value is walked incrementally toward the final value, when the return torque value is in the correct centering direction, to avoid a sudden increase in return torque or a return torque in the wrong direction. The walk ends when (1) the temporary value of revolution offset reaches the final value or (2) the true value of steering position, derived from the final value of revolution offset and the unadjusted position, reaches center, whichever occurs first. Thereafter, the final value of revolution offset is used with the updated unadjusted value to determine the absolute value, and thus return torque.

Apparatus and method for producing a desired return torque in a vehicle

A vehicle power steering system has a steering shaft with a rotational position sensor providing signal rollover so that each sensor output indicates a plurality of potential absolute steering positions separated from each other by multiples of a rollover angle. Upon each initiation of vehicle operation, the system selects an absolute steering positions corresponding to an initial sensor output as an unadjusted steering position and repeatedly updates the unadjusted steering position in response to sensor output changes, including sensed rollover events. The system stores data dividing a two dimensional map of possible vehicle steering operating points defined by total steering torque and steering position into a first region of likely vehicle steering system operating points, a second region of unlikely steering system operating points indicating a revolution offset in a first direction, and a third region of unlikely steering system operating points indicating a revolution offset in an opposite direction. While a minimum vehicle velocity and, optionally, other enabling conditions exist, a vehicle steering operating point derived from sensed total steering torque, the updated unadjusted steering position and a revolution offset compared with the stored data; and the revolution offset is updated as indicated if the derived vehicle steering system operating point is within the second or third stored regions of steering system operating points. A second return torque command is derived from the updated unadjusted steering position and updated revolution offset and provided to the actuator to produce a second return torque, preferably after the revolution offset is walked incrementally to the updated value, with return torque provided in a single, correct direction only during the walk.

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Frankenmuth, MI, United States of America

Kathryn L Pattok