Device for assisting or automatic guiding of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10526004-B2
Application number	US-201314439519-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2012
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

A device for assisting or automatic guiding of a motor vehicle, having a first steering actuator with an allocated steering control unit, a gear rack, a steering column and a steering handle, wherein the steering column and the steering actuator have effect on the common gear rack, wherein there is at least one second steering actuator having an additional allocated steering control unit, wherein the second steering actuator has effect on the common gear rack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for automated guiding of a transportation vehicle, the device comprising:
a first steering actuator with an assigned steering control unit to provide automated guiding of the transportation vehicle;
a gear rack;
a steering column;
a steering handle, the steering column and the first steering actuator having an effect on the gear rack;
a second steering actuator with a further assigned steering control unit to provide automated guiding of the transportation vehicle, the second steering actuator having an effect on the gear rack, and
a higher-level control unit arranged in communication with each of the assigned steering control unit of the first steering actuator and the further assigned steering control unit of the second steering actuator to communicate setpoint values,
wherein the assigned steering control unit and the further assigned steering control unit are arranged in communication with each other to provide setpoint values from at least one of the assigned steering control units to the other under fault conditions.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the fault conditions include fault of a bus system providing communication between the higher-level control unit and the one of the assigned steering control units.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the two steering actuators are formed as electrical servomotors which are connected to electrical energy supply units that are independent of one another.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the two electrical servomotors are connected to the gear rack by a steering pinion of their own in each case.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the two electrical servomotors are connected to the gear rack by a common steering pinion.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the two servomotors act on different sides of the common steering pinion.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the two servomotors are seated on a common shaft.

8. The device of claim 3 , wherein the two servomotors are connected to the gear rack by a recirculating ball gear with a belt drive.

9. The device of claim 3 , wherein the shafts of the servomotors are connected to a common intermediate gear with steering pinions, the steering pinion is connected to the gear rack.

10. The device of claim 3 , wherein one electrical servomotor is arranged on the steering column and the other electrical servomotor is arranged in an engine compartment.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the two servomotors are formed as double motors arranged in a common housing, wherein permanent magnets are fixedly arranged on a common rotor shaft and the windings of the two servomotors are arranged alternately on the stator.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein automated guidance of the transportation vehicle includes operation of at least one of the first and second actuators to act on the gear rack with no driver-provided guidance.

13. A vehicle for automated guidance, the vehicle comprising:
a first steering actuator with an assigned steering control unit;
a gear rack;
a steering column coupled with the gear rack to guide the vehicle responsive to user input; and
at least one second steering actuator with a further assigned steering control unit, and
a higher-level control unit arranged in communication with each of the assigned steering control unit of the first steering actuator and the further assigned steering control unit of the second steering actuator to communicate setpoint values,
wherein the first steering actuator and the second steering actuator are each adapted to act on the gear rack according to the respective assigned steering control unit to provide partially, highly, or fully automated guidance of the transportation vehicle according to setpoint values communicated with the higher-level control unit,
wherein the assigned steering control unit and the further assigned steering control unit are arranged in communication with each other to provide setpoint values from at least one to the other under fault conditions.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the fault conditions include fault of a bus system providing communication between the higher-level control unit and the one of the assigned steering control units.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the two steering actuators are formed as electrical servomotors which are connected to electrical energy supply units that are independent of one another.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the two electrical servomotors are connected to the gear rack by a steering pinion of their own in each case.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein one electrical servomotor is arranged on the steering column and the other electrical servomotor is arranged in an engine compartment.

18. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein automated guiding of the transportation vehicle includes operation of at least one of the first and second actuators to act on the gear rack with no driver-provided guidance.

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Witte Bastian

Classifications

• B62D5/04 Primary

  electrical, e.g. using an electric servo-motor connected to, or forming part of, the steering gear · CPC title

• B62D5/0421

  Electric motor acting on or near steering gear · CPC title

• B62D5/003 Primary

  Backup systems, e.g. for manual steering (B62D5/30 takes precedence) · CPC title