Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Other

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Nexteer (beijing) Technology Co., Ltd.

Sanket S Amberkar

Brian Thomas Murray

Scott Alan Millsap

Yuen-Kwok Chin

Joel Edward Birsching

Farhad Bolourchi

Jon Dee Demerly

Ahmed Soliman

Michael D Byers

Giorgio Rizzoni

Scott E Weiss

Pierluigi Pisu

William C Lin

Robert J Disser

Ashok Chandy

Patrick Allen Mescher

Weiwen Deng

Brian Jerome Magnus

Karen Ann Boswell

Suat Ali Ozsoylu

Mark Philip Colosky

Jeffery Alan Zuraski

Joseph Gerard D'Ambrosio

Kathryn L Pattok

Michael J Augustine

James Myrl Card

Jeff Allan Foust

Robert Allan Perisho, Jr

William Chin-Woei Lin

Jeffrey Heinrichs

Joseph G A'Dmbrosio

Systems and methods for determining an absolute position of a motor of an active front steering system of the vehicle are provided. In particular, the systems and methods accurately determine an absolute position of the motor upon startup of the active front steering system.

Systems and methods for determining an absolute position of a motor in an active front steering system of a vehicle

A steering system with reduced coupling between a position overlay unit and a torque overlay unit may include a remote valve assembly for controlling a hydraulic assist force or an electric motor for providing torque overlay and electric assist to a rack of a rack and pinion steering system. In one embodiment, the position overlay unit may provide the assist force and the torque overlay unit may provide a motor command signal to the motor of a differential positioned on a steering shaft. In another embodiment, the position overlay unit may provide the motor command signal and the torque overlay unit may provide the assist force. In either embodiment, the position overlay unit may include variable ratio gain that uses a position signal to output a variable ratio command.

Force and position control for active front steering

A power steering system for a vehicle includes a hydraulic system for controlling resistance of a steering wheel. A valve of the hydraulic system is connected to a coil which varies positioning of the valve. A method for controlling the resistance of the steering wheel includes turning the steerable wheels of the vehicle in response to rotation of the steering wheel. The angle of the steering wheel and the speed of the vehicle are sensed and inputted into a controller. A lateral acceleration is determined based on the sensed signals by the controller. A recommended current rate of the coil is determined based on the lateral acceleration. An adjustment to the recommended current rate of the coil is determined based upon the speed of the vehicle. The recommended current rate is also modified based upon the adjustment. The modified current rate of the coil is then applied to the coil to vary the stiffness of the valve, which in turn varies the resistance to turning the steerable wheels of the vehicle.

Electric preload for variable effort steering system

The invention provides a method for controlling valve stiffness in a power steering system. The method includes the step of engaging a pinion and a spool shaft with respect to one another for turning at least two wheels of a vehicle in response to rotation of a steering wheel from an on-center orientation. The method also includes the step of variably assisting movement of the pinion with a hydraulic power steering device having a valve movable between a closed configuration and an open configuration. The method also includes the step of moving the valve from the open configuration to the closed configuration in response to rotation of the spool shaft relative to the pinion from an on-center orientation to assist the pinion in rotation for turning the at least two wheels. The method also includes the step of first disposing a torsion rod having a first stiffness between the pinion and spool shaft to resist rotation of the spool shaft relative to the pinion from the on-center orientation and resist movement of the valve from the open configuration to the closed configuration. The method also includes the step of second disposing a magnetic coupling having a variable second stiffness in parallel with the torsion rod to resist rotation of the spool shaft relative to the pinion from the on-center orientation and resist movement of the valve from the open configuration to the closed configuration. The first stiffness and the variable second stiffness cooperate to define an overall valve stiffness. The method also includes the step of varying the variable second stiffness generated by the magnetic coupling with an electric coil to vary the overall valve stiffness. The method also includes the step of maximizing the variable second stiffness generated by the magnetic coupling when the spool shaft and the pinion are on-center with respect to one another.

A method for synchronizing data utilized in a redundant, closed-loop feedback control system is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes configuring a plurality of control nodes within the control system, with each of the plurality of control nodes transmitting and receiving data through a common communication bus. At each of the plurality of control nodes during a given control loop time T=N, the receipt of externally generated data with respect to each control node is verified, the externally generated data having been generated during a preceding control loop time T=N&#x2212;1. At each of the plurality of control nodes during the given control loop time T=N, output control data is calculated using the externally generated data. During the given control loop time T=N, the calculated output control data from each individual control node is further transmitted over the communication bus to be later utilized by other control nodes during a subsequent control loop time T=N+1.

Method for synchronizing data utilized in redundant, closed loop control 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 model-based Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) system and method based on a hierarchical structure for monitoring overall vehicle system performance and diagnosing faults is disclosed. The FDI scheme uses the available sensors in a vehicle system and divides them into subsystems of smaller dimensions containing one or more modules that are related or interconnected. The same module may appear in a different subsystem, but the set of all subsystems does not have to contain all of the modules. For this structure, an FDI scheme comprising several detector units is created. Each detector unit receives information from the sensors and outputs a residual that is sent to a residual evaluation unit which processes the data and performs the residual evaluation for the selected subsystem. Finally, each subsystem outputs a decision that is sent to a supervisor unit performing the final diagnosis.

Model-based fault detection and isolation system and method

A model-based Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) method and system for monitoring the overall performance in a vehicle system based on a hierarchical structure is disclosed. The FDI scheme uses the available sensors in a vehicle system and divides them into subsystems of smaller dimensions containing one or more modules that are related or interconnected. The same module may appear in a different subsystem, but the set of all subsystems does not have to contain all of the modules. For this structure, an FDI scheme comprising several detector units is created. Each detector unit receives information from the sensors and outputs a residual that is sent to a high-level detector unit which processes the data and performs the residual evaluation for the selected subsystem. Finally, each subsystem outputs a decision that is sent to a supervisor hazard detector performing the final diagnosis.

Fault detection and isolation system and method

Disclosed herein is steer-by-wire control systems comprising: a road wheel unit responsive to a road wheel command signal including a road wheel position sensor and a road wheel force sensor. The steer-by-wire control system also includes a steering wheel unit responsive to a steering wheel torque command signal, including a steering wheel position sensor and a torque sensor. The steer-by-wire control system further includes a vehicle speed sensor, and a master control unit operatively connected to the vehicle speed sensor, the steering wheel unit, and the road wheel unit. The road wheel unit is also responsive to the road wheel force signal.

Complementary force and position control for an automotive steering system

A steer-by-wire control system comprising a master control system, a road wheel system, and a hand wheel system is disclosed. The road wheel system is connected to the master control system and includes a road wheel position sensor and a rack force sensor. The hand wheel system is connected to the master control system and the road wheel system and includes a hand wheel position sensor and a torque sensor. The steer-by-wire system also includes a vehicle speed sensor for producing a vehicle speed signal. In addition a hand wheel actuator configured to receive commands from the hand wheel system and a road wheel actuator configured to receive commands from the road wheel system are utilized. The hand wheel system and road wheel system each include a configurable control topology.

User-configurable steering control for steer-by-wire systems

A method for estimating the yaw rate of a vehicle. The method includes receiving at least one signal indicative of a vehicular lateral acceleration and receiving at least one signal indicative of a vehicular wheel velocity. A plurality of yaw rate estimation functions are provided. A first yaw rate estimation function of the plurality of yaw rate estimation functions is selected in response to at least one of the received signals. A first estimated yaw rate is estimated in accordance with the selected first yaw rate estimation function and at least two signals each indicative of a wheel velocity. If the first estimated yaw rate is not within a threshold value of an actual measured yaw rate, a second yaw rate estimation function is selected to obtain a second estimated yaw rate using a signal indicative of lateral acceleration for correlation with the actual measured yaw rate.

Enhanced yaw rate estimation and diagnosis for vehicular applications

A safety redundant drive by wire system includes a plurality of first control members to which control signals may be communicated and a plurality of device controllers adapted to deliver control signals to a respective first control member. Each device controller includes a first microprocessor for communicating control signals to the first control member and all other device controllers. Each device controller further includes a second microprocessor for redundantly communicating control signals to all other device controllers and for communicating with the first microprocessor. The system includes a dual redundant communication channel system having a first communication channel controlled by the first microprocessor of each device controller and a second communication channel controlled by the second microprocessor of each device controller.

Electric caliper hardware topologies for a safety system

An adaptive, variable effort power steering system is responsive signals from one or more low friction road surface vehicle handling controls which indicate when the system has become active in modifying handling, and thus indicates the existence of a near limit or at limit vehicle handling situation. Such controls include anti-lock braking systems (ABS), traction control systems (TCS) and integrated chassis control systems (ICCS). When such a handling limit signal is received, the power steering system responds by decreasing steering assist to provide a more 'manual' steering feel as long as the handling limit situation is indicated. The handling limit signal may be a binary signal, indicating activity or no activity of an anti-lock brake system, traction control system or a chassis control system such a yaw rate control. Alternatively, or in addition, the handling limit signal may be a magnitude signal indicating the degree or amount of yaw rate error, lateral acceleration error, wheel slip or vehicle side-slip and thus potentially anticipating the vehicle handling limit as indicated by a binary signal. If binary and magnitude signals are used together, the magnitude signal is preferably used as an anticipatory signal with a partial and growing correction to smooth the application of the full correction signaled by the binary signal.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Sanket S Amberkar