Methods and apparatus to identify non-uniformity in a vehicle steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10232873-B2
Application number	US-201715474737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to identify non-uniformity in a vehicle steering system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first sensor to measure a steering wheel angle relative to a first universal joint, a second sensor to measure a pinion angle relative to a second universal joint, and a third sensor to measure a torque relative to a torsion bar. The apparatus further includes a non-uniformity manager to determine a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column, the non-uniformity angle based on the torque and comparing the steering wheel angle to the pinion angle, map the non-uniformity angle to a first position of the steering column, and determine an offset to adjust a steering response based on the first position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a first sensor to measure a steering wheel angle relative to a first universal joint;
a second sensor to measure a pinion angle relative to a second universal joint;
a third sensor to measure a torque relative to a torsion bar; and
a non-uniformity manager to:
determine a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column, the non-uniformity angle based on the torque and comparing the steering wheel angle to the pinion angle;
map the non-uniformity angle to a position of the steering column; and
determine a torque offset to adjust a steering response based on the position; and

an electric power assisted steering system to apply the torque offset to adjust a torque feedback associated with the steering response.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the position is a first position and the non-uniformity manager is to determine the torque offset by comparing a first torque feedback variation at the steering wheel angle and the first position of the steering column to a second torque feedback variation at the steering wheel angle and a second position of the steering column.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first position of the steering column is an adjusted position from a nominal position of the steering column, and the second position of the steering column is the nominal position of the steering column, wherein the first and the second positions include a rake position and a reach position.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-uniformity manager is to map the non-uniformity angle to the position by mapping the non-uniformity angle to a non-uniformity profile in a look-up table.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the non-uniformity manager is to generate the look-up table by determining a non-uniformity angle as a function of a steering wheel angle for a plurality of steering column positions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a column position adjusting system to facilitate manually adjusting the steering column from a nominal position to the position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a column position adjusting system to facilitate electrically adjusting the steering column from a nominal position to the position.

8. An apparatus comprising:
a first sensor to measure a steering wheel angle relative to a first universal joint;
a second sensor to measure a pinion angle relative to a second universal joint;
a third sensor to measure a torque relative to a torsion bar; and
a non-uniformity manager to:
determine a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column, the non-uniformity angle based on the torque and comparing the steering wheel angle to the pinion angle;
map the non-uniformity angle to a position of the steering column; and
determine an angular offset to adjust a steering response based on the position; and
an active steering system to apply the angular offset to an active steering system actuator to adjust a steering ratio associated with the steering response.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the position is a first position and determining the angular offset includes comparing a first velocity variation at the steering wheel angle and the first position of the steering column to a second velocity variation at the steering wheel angle and a second position of the steering column.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first position of the steering column is an adjusted position from a nominal position of the steering column, and the second position of the steering column is the nominal position of the steering column, wherein the first and the second positions include a rake position and a reach position.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the non-uniformity manager is to map the non-uniformity angle to the position by mapping the non-uniformity angle to a non-uniformity profile in a look-up table.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the non-uniformity manager is to generate the look-up table by determining a non-uniformity angle as a function of a steering wheel angle for a plurality of steering column positions.

13. A method comprising:
determining a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column based on (1) a steering wheel angle measured relative to a first universal joint, (2) a pinion angle measured relative to a second universal joint, and (3) a torsion bar torque associated with a torsion bar;
mapping the non-uniformity angle to a position of the steering column;
determining a torque offset to adjust a steering response based on the position; and
applying the torque offset to adjust a torque feedback associated with the steering response.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the position is a first position and determining the torque offset includes comparing a first torque feedback variation at the steering wheel angle and the first position of the steering column to a second torque feedback variation at the steering wheel angle and a second position of the steering column.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first position of the steering column is an adjusted position from a nominal position of the steering column, and the second position of the steering column is the nominal position of the steering column, where the first and the second positions include a rake position and a reach position.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the mapping of the non-uniformity angle to the position includes mapping the non-uniformity angle to a non-uniformity profile in a look-up table.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the look-up table is generated by determining a non-uniformity angle and a torque as a function of a steering wheel angle for a plurality of steering column positions.

18. A method comprising:
determining a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column based on (1) a steering wheel angle measured relative to a first universal joint, (2) a pinion angle measured relative to a second universal joint, and (3) a torsion bar torque associated with a torsion bar;
mapping the non-uniformity angle to a position of the steering column;
determining an angular offset to adjust a steering response based on the position; and
applying the angular offset to an active steering system to adjust a steering ratio associated with the steering response.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the position is a first position and determining the angular offset includes comparing a first velocity variation at the steering wheel angle and the first position of the steering column to a second velocity variation at the steering wheel angle and a second position of the steering column.

20. A method comprising:
determining a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column based on a steering wheel angle, a pinion angle, and a torque associated with a torsion bar;
mapping the non-uniformity angle to a position of the steering column;
determining an offset to adjust a steering response based on the position; and
applying the offset to a steering system to adjust a steering ratio associated with the steering response.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Wijffels Lodewijk
• Codonesu Sergio
• Russell David Michael
• Macfarland Cornelius
• Nehls Oliver
• Bremkens Jan

Classifications

• B62D5/0481 Primary

  monitoring the steering system, e.g. failures · CPC title

• B62D6/10

  characterised by means for sensing {or determining} torque · CPC title

• B62D1/181 Primary

  with power actuated adjustment, e.g. with position memory · CPC title

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title

• B62D1/16 Primary

  Steering columns · CPC title