System and method for determining vehicle steering misalignment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10435063-B2
Application number	US-201715809394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Nov 11, 2016
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

A method for detecting steering misalignments in an adaptive steering system of a motor vehicle, wherein the adaptive steering system has a steering wheel angle sensor for detecting a value representative of a steering wheel angle, an adaptive angle unit for detecting a value representative of an adaptive angle, and a wheel angle detection unit for detecting a value representative of a wheel angle. The method including detecting a value representative of the steering wheel angle, detecting a value representative of the adaptive angle, detecting or determining a value representative of the wheel angle, and computing a comparison value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining a steering misalignment of an adaptive steering system of a motor vehicle having a steering wheel angle sensor for detecting a value representative of a steering wheel angle, an adaptive angle unit for detecting a value representative of an adaptive angle, and a wheel angle detection unit for detecting a value representative of a wheel angle comprising:
obtaining a value representative of the steering wheel angle;
obtaining a value representative of the adaptive angle;
obtaining a value representative of the wheel angle;
determining a comparison value based on the steering wheel angle value, the adaptive angle value, and the wheel angle value; and
generating an error signal when the comparison value is greater than a limiting value.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps to compute the comparison value include:
determining a total value from the steering wheel angle value and the adaptive angle value; and
computing a difference value from the total value and the wheel angle value and using the difference value in determining the comparison value.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the steering wheel angle value represents a steering wheel angle and an adaptive angle value represents the adaptive angle and a wheel angle represents the wheel angle.

4. The method of claim 1 including an error counter, the error counter incrementally increased based on each occurrence of an error signal.

5. The method of claim 4 including obtaining a pressure values for each wheel of the motor vehicle and suppressing generation of the error signal upon a deviation in the pressure values.

6. A device for detecting steering misalignments comprising:
a steering wheel angle sensor;
an adaptive angle detection unit;
a wheel angle detection unit;
a controller, connected to and receiving output from said steering wheel angle sensor; adaptive angle detection unit; and wheel angle detection unit to determine a comparison value based on said output and generate an error signal when the comparison value is greater than a limiting value.

7. The device of claim 6 including the device computes a total value from a steering wheel angle and adaptive angle; and
computes a difference value based on the total value and the wheel angle to determine the comparison value.

8. The device of claim 6 including an error counter, the error counter incrementally increased based on each error signal.

9. The device of claim 6 including first and second pressure sensors associated with first and second wheels said generation of the error signal suppressed based on a deviation between an output of said first and second pressure sensors.

10. A vehicle comprising:
a controller, connected to and receiving output from a steering wheel angle sensor; an adaptive angle detection unit; and a wheel angle detection unit to determine a comparison value based on said output and generate an error signal when the comparison value is greater than a limiting value;
first and second pressure sensors, said error signal suppressed based on a difference in an output of said first and second pressure sensors.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 including an error counter, the error counter incrementally increased based on each error signal.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Benak Attila
• Wijffels Lodewijk
• Codonesu Sergio
• Nehls Oliver
• Rawlings Jeremy Alan

Classifications

• B62D5/0481 Primary

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

• B62D5/008

  Changing the transfer ratio between the steering wheel and the steering gear by variable supply of energy, e.g. by using a superposition gear · CPC title

• B62D6/00

  Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits (means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00) · CPC title

• B62D6/10

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

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title