Driver warning in electric power steering systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10946894-B2
Application number	US-201816017155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steering system comprising:
a first motor control system that sends a first command to a first motor in a handwheel actuator;
a second motor control system that sends a second command to a second motor in a roadwheel actuator;
a controller configured that;
sets a fault indication flag by monitoring one or more components of the steering system; and
generates a warning injection signal in response to the fault indication flag being set;
the handwheel actuator configured to generate a first driver feedback by modifying the first command using the warning injection signal, and sending the modified first command to the first motor; and
the roadwheel actuator configured to generate a second driver feedback by modifying the second command using the warning injection signal, and sending the modified second command to the second motor, wherein the warning injection signal comprises a first injection signal and a second injection signal, and the controller;
generates the first injection signal based on a fault detected in the handwheel actuator;
generates the second injection signal based on a fault detected in the roadwheel actuator; and
arbitrates the first injection signal and the second injection signal to generate the warning injection signal.

2. The steering system of claim 1 , wherein the second command that is modified is a voltage command.

3. The steering system of claim 2 , wherein the first command that is modified is a torque command.

4. The steering system of claim 2 , wherein the first command that is modified is a current command.

5. The steering system of claim 1 , wherein the second command that is modified in response to a sensor signal simulation by the controller.

6. The steering system of claim 1 , wherein that the controller monitors a duration of the fault indication being set, wherein the warning injection signal is determined based on the duration.

7. The steering system of claim 6 , wherein that the controller determines a type of the driver feedback based on the fault indication flag, wherein the type of driver feedback includes at least one of a tactile feedback and an acoustic feedback.

8. The steering system of claim 7 , wherein that the controller computes the warning injection signal based on the type of the driver feedback to be provided, the computation includes determining at least a frequency and an amplitude of the warning injection signal.

9. The steering system of claim 1 , wherein the
controller detects a fault in the operation of the handwheel actuator; and
detects a fault in the operation of the roadwheel actuator.

10. A method for providing driver warning feedback using a steer by wire system, the method comprising:
receiving an indication flag that is indicative of a fault in one or more components of the steering system;
generating a warning injection signal based on the fault indication flag being set;
generating, by a handwheel actuator, a first driver feedback by modifying a first input command with the warning injection signal, and sending the modified first input command to a first motor of the handwheel actuator;
generating, by a roadwheel actuator, a second driver feedback by modifying a second input command with the warning injection signal, and sending the modified second input command to a second motor of the roadwheel actuator, wherein the warning injection signal comprises at least one of a first injection signal and a second injection signal, and wherein;
the first injection sinal is generated in response to a fault being detected in the handwheel actuator, and
the second injection signal is generated in response to a fault being detected in the roadwheel actuator; and
arbitrating, in response to generating the first injection signal and the second injection signal the first injection signal and the second injection signal to generate the waming injection signal.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the warning injection signal is determined based on a duration for which the fault indication flag is set.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein first driver feedback is at least one of a tactile feedback and an acoustic feedback, and the second driver feedback is at least one of a tactile feedback and an acoustic feedback.

13. A driver warning feedback system comprising:
a controller configured to;
monitor a first fault indication flag that is indicative of a fault in operation of one or more components of a handwheel actuator;
generate a first driver feedback via the handwheel actuator based on the first fault indication flag being set; and

compute a warning injection signal based on the first driver feedback and the second driver feedback, and send the warning injection signal to modify a command sent to a motor to generate a driver warning, wherein the warning injection signal comprises a first injection signal and a second injection signal, and wherein the controller is further configured to arbitrate between the first injection signal and the second injection signal to generate the warning injection signal.

14. The driver warning feedback system of claim 13 , wherein the warning injection signal is superimposed on at least one of a torque command, a current command, a voltage command, and a sensor signal.

15. The driver warning feedback system of claim 13 , wherein the driver warning that is generated includes at least one of a tactile feedback and an acoustic feedback.

16. A warning system comprising:
a first motor control system that sends a first command to a first motor in a first actuator;
a second motor control system that sends a second command to a second motor in a second actuator;
a controller that;
sets a fault indication flag by monitoring one or more components of the first and second motor control systems and generates a warning injection signal in response to the fault indication flag being set, wherein
the warning injection signal comprises a first injection signal and a second injection signal,
the first injection signal is generated based on a fault detected in the first actuator;
the second injection signal is generated based on a fault detected in the second actuator; and
the controller arbitrates the first injection signal and the second injection signal to generate the warning injection signal;

the first actuator configured to generate a first feedback using the first motor by modifying the first command using the warning injection signal, and sending the modified first command to the first motor; and
the second actuator configured to generate a second feedback by modifying the second command using the warning injection signal, and sending the modified second command to the second motor.

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding
• Steering Solution Ip Holding Corp

Inventors

• Pramod Prerit
• Varunjikar Tejas M
• Skellenger Dennis B
• Trewhella Nicholas M
• Zuraski Jeffrey A
• Klass Jeffrey T
• Hales Michael K

Classifications

• B62D5/006 Primary

  power actuated · CPC title

• B62D5/0487

  detecting motor faults (B62D5/0496 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D5/0484

  for reaction to failures, e.g. limp home · CPC title

• B62D5/005

  means for generating torque on steering wheel or input member, e.g. feedback · CPC title

• B62D6/008 Primary

  Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications · CPC title