Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Nexteer (beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.

Nexteer (beijing) Technology O., Ltd.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Michael K Hales

Anthony J Champagne

Steven D Klein

Tejas M Varunjikar

Shrenik P Shah

Prerit Pramod

Timothy Wesley Kaufmann

Nicholas M Trewhella

Daniel W Fuesz

Julie Ann Kleinau

Joel Edward Birsching

Dennis B Skellenger

William Henry Wittig

Jeffrey T Klass

Qi Wang

Chang Wang

Bertram Moeller

Jeffrey A Zuraski

Eduardo Audino Novo

Daniel Carriazo-Rabadán

Anand P Naik

A vehicle steering control method includes receiving a sensed handwheel angle corresponding to a position of a handwheel and receiving a sensed handwheel toque value indicating an amount of torque applied by an operator on the handwheel. The method also includes, in response to a determination that the handwheel motor is in an unlocked condition, generating a roadwheel angle based on the sensed handwheel angle and a vehicle speed. The method also includes, in response to a determination that the handwheel motor is in a locked condition generating the roadwheel angle based on the sensed handwheel torque value and the vehicle speed and, in response to a determination that the locked condition of the handwheel motor is an intermittent condition, maintaining the handwheel motor in the locked condition.

Torque-based directional control in steer-by-wire steering systems

A method for scaling a stability signal in a steering system is provided and includes computing, by a torque boost module, an assist torque command to cause a motor of the steering system to generate an assist torque. Further, the method includes computing, by a stability compensation module, a stabilized torque command based on an input signal, the stabilized torque command modifying the assist torque command. Further, the method includes computing, by a stability monitoring module, a stability scaling factor to adjust the stabilized torque command based on a duration and severity of an instability detected in the input signal.

Real-time stability monitoring in steering systems

A method for determining whether hands of an operator of a vehicle are positioned on a hand wheel of the vehicle is provided. The method generates a first frequency content below a first frequency from a hand wheel torque signal. The method generates a second frequency content above a second frequency from the first frequency content of the hand wheel torque signal. The method generates a hands on wheel (HOW) estimate signal based on the first frequency content and the second frequency content by determining a first contribution of the first frequency content to the HOW estimate signal, determining a second contribution of the second frequency content to the HOW estimate signal, and combining the first contribution and the second contribution to generate the HOW estimate signal. The method causes a system in a vehicle to operate based on the HOW estimate signal.

Hands on steering wheel detect

Technical solutions are described for providing driver warning using steering systems. An example steering system includes a motor control system that sends a command to a motor. The steering system further includes a fault monitoring system that sets a fault indication flag by monitoring one or more components of the steering system. The steering system further includes a driver warning feedback system that generates a warning injection signal based on and in response to the fault indication flag being set. Further, the motor control system generates a driver feedback by modifying the command to the motor using the warning injection signal, and sending the modified command to the motor.

Driver warning in electric power steering systems

A power steering system includes a gain module that generates an estimated driver torque, and a blending module for determining a blend value. The blend value is based at least in part on a derivative of the estimated driver torque, and the blend value is applied to a return torque of a handwheel.

Disabling controlled velocity return based on torque gradient and desired velocity error

Technical solutions are described for a motor control system, such as one used in a steering system, the motor control system including multiple controllers. In an example, the motor control system includes a first arbitration module associated with a first controller, and a second arbitration module associated with a second controller. The first arbitration module generates a first arbitrated input signal based on a first input signal directed to the first controller, and a second input signal directed to the second controller. The second arbitration module generates a second arbitrated input signal based on the first input signal and the second input signal. The first controller generates a first control output using the first arbitrated input signal, and the second controller generates a second control output using the second arbitrated input signal.

Electrical power steering with two controllers and closed-loop integral action

A control system for a power steering system includes a motor; a control module in communication with the motor, the control module providing a compensated velocity loop command to the motor. The control module includes a stability compensation filter module that receives a vehicle speed and a velocity loop command, the stability compensation filter applies a second order filter on the velocity loop command to generate the compensated velocity loop command used by the motor.

Inertia compensation frequency shaping for improved EPS system stability

An embodiment of a system for evaluating a torque sensor includes an input module configured to receive torque signals from a hand wheel torque sensor in a vehicle, and a sensor evaluation module configured to perform monitoring a condition affecting the hand wheel torque sensor, and determining whether the condition indicates a desired situation in which a probability of an input torque being applied to the hand wheel is below a selected threshold. The sensor evaluation module is also configured to perform, based on detecting the desired situation, automatically analyzing the torque signals received during a time duration of the desired situation to estimate one or more torque sensor error values, and outputting at least one of a corrected torque signal and the one or more error values to a torque command generation module, the torque command generation module configured to generate a torque command to an electric motor.

Methods to control a steering system

A method for determining whether hands of an operator of a vehicle are positioned on a hand wheel of the vehicle is provided. The method generates a first frequency content below a first frequency from a hand wheel torque signal. The method generates a second frequency content above a second frequency from the hand wheel torque signal. The method generates a hands on wheel (HOW) estimate signal based on the first frequency content and the second frequency content. The method causes a system in a vehicle to operate based on the HOW estimate signal.

A method of controlling an electric motor that generates an output current from an input voltage command that includes a sum of a first voltage command and a second voltage command is provided. The method receives the output current from the motor as a feedback. The method determines a first set of gain factors to generate the first voltage command based on the feedback such that the input voltage command causes the motor to generate the output current with reduced influence of variations of a set of operating parameters of the motor. The method determines a difference between the feedback and a desired current. The method determines a second set of gain factors to generate the second voltage command based on the difference such that the input voltage command causes the motor to generate the output current as a first, second or higher order response.

Decoupling current control utilizing direct plant modification in electric power steering system

A control system and method for a hydraulic-power steering system of a vehicle including magnetic torque overlay (MTO) is provided. The control system and method minimize undesirable vibration in a handwheel of the vehicle as a result of disturbance in its front road wheels (e.g., road-wheel imbalance). In the control system and method, a base torque command is determined or generated. At least the base torque command is passed to a disturbance-rejection module. The disturbance-rejection module modifies the base torque command to minimize the vibration.

Wheel imbalance rejection module

A control system for a power steering system is provided. The control system includes a scaling module for calculating a scale factor based on a wheel frequency. The control system also includes a command module that evaluates a wheel disturbance based on a wheel speed and that determines a wheel disturbance cancel amount based on the wheel speed. The command module generates an assist command to the power steering system based on the wheel disturbance cancel amount and the scale factor.

Wheel speed velocity variation scaling system

A method for controlling a steering system of a vehicle is provided. The method includes receiving a measured hand wheel torque signal indicating a measured hand wheel torque of the steering system. A desired hand wheel torque signal is generated, the desired hand wheel torque signal being indicative of a desired hand wheel torque for the steering system. A hand wheel torque tracking error signal based on the measured hand wheel torque signal and the desired hand wheel torque signal is then calculated. To adjust an amount of motor torque applied to the steering system, a desired compensation torque signal is generated based on the hand wheel torque tracking error signal multiplied by a calibration constant.

Method for power steering systems

A control method for an electric power steering system is provided. The method includes providing a power steering control signal; providing a disturbance cancel command; varying at least one filter based on a frequency of the disturbance cancel command; applying the at least one varied filter to the disturbance cancel command to generate a compensation signal; applying the compensation signal to the power steering control signal to generate a compensated control signal; and controlling the power steering system based on the compensated control signal.

Dynamic system compensator for actively controlled power steering systems

A control system for an electric power steering system is provided. The system includes a motor and a control module in communication with the motor. The control module provides a compensation command to the motor. The control modules includes a frequency dependent damping module for determining a frequency dependent damping (FDD) coefficient based on a base assist command and a vehicle speed. The control module includes a coefficient module for determining a plurality of filter coefficients. The filter coefficients are based on the FDD coefficient, the vehicle speed, and an inertia compensation coefficient. The control module includes a filter module for determining the compensation command based on the plurality of filter coefficients.

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Midland, MI, United States of America

Michael K Hales