Control device, method, computer program and computer readable medium for enabling power steering of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12240539-B2
Application number	US-202118020280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Aug 27, 2020
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

A control device and a method for enabling power steering of a vehicle in case of unintentional shutdown of a combustion engine of the vehicle are provided. The vehicle comprises, in addition to the combustion engine, a starter configured to crank the combustion engine and a hydraulic power steering system comprising a hydraulic pump configured to be driven by the combustion engine. The method comprises a step of, in response to an indication of need of power steering, activating the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump. A computer program, a computer-readable medium and a vehicle are also provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for enabling power steering of a vehicle in case of unintentional shutdown of a combustion engine of the vehicle,
the method performed by a control device,
the vehicle comprising:
the combustion engine,
a starter configured to crank the combustion engine, and
a hydraulic power steering system comprising a hydraulic pump configured to be driven by the combustion engine;

the method comprising a step of:
in response to an indication of need of power steering, activating the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of determining said indication of need of power steering based on a detection of at least one parameter selected from the group comprising steering angle, steering angle velocity, steering input torque, difference in angle of steered wheels, brake pedal position, and/or rate of change of brake pedal position.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of activating the starter is performed in response to a determination that the vehicle travelling speed is below a preselected vehicle speed limit.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of activating the starter is made in response to a determination that the combustion engine is disconnected from any drive wheel of the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a non-synchronized gearbox, the gearbox configured to selectively transfer driving torque from the combustion engine to drive wheels of the vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising a step of determining an unintentional shutdown of the combustion engine based on a rotational speed of the combustion engine being below a threshold rotational speed while the vehicle is travelling.

7. A computer program product comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program product configured for enabling power steering of a vehicle in case of unintentional shutdown of a combustion engine of the vehicle, the vehicle comprising: the combustion engine, a starter configured to crank the combustion engine, and a hydraulic power steering system comprising a hydraulic pump configured to be driven by the combustion engine, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause at least one control device to perform the following operation:
in response to an indication of need of power steering, activating the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising computer instructions to cause at least one control device to perform the following operation: determining said indication of need of power steering based on a detection of at least one parameter selected from the group comprising steering angle, steering angle velocity, steering input torque, difference in angle of steered wheels, brake pedal position, and/or rate of change of brake pedal position.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising instructions to cause the at least one control device to perform the operation of activating the starter in response to a determination that the vehicle travelling speed is below a preselected vehicle speed limit.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising instructions to cause the at least one control device to perform the operation of activating the starter in response to a determination that the combustion engine is disconnected from any drive wheel of the vehicle.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a non-synchronized gearbox, the gearbox configured to selectively transfer driving torque from the combustion engine to drive wheels of the vehicle.

12. A control device configured to enable power steering of a vehicle in case of unintentional shutdown of a combustion engine of the vehicle,
the vehicle comprising:
the combustion engine,
a starter configured to crank the combustion engine, and
a hydraulic power steering system comprising a hydraulic pump configured to be driven by the combustion engine;

wherein the control device is configured to, in response to an indication of need of power steering, activate the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump.

13. The control device according to claim 12 , further configured to determine said indication of need of power assistance based on at least one detected parameter selected from the group comprising steering angle, steering angle velocity, steering input torque, difference in angle of steered wheels, brake pedal position, and/or rate of change of brake pedal position.

14. The control device of claim 12 , wherein the control device is configured to operate computer instructions of computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium to thereby perform the operation of, in response to an indication of need of power steering, activating the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump.

15. The control device according to claim 12 , further configured to perform said activation of the starter in response to a determination that the vehicle travelling speed is below a preselected vehicle speed limit.

16. The control device according to claim 12 , further configured to perform said activation of the starter in response to a determination that the combustion engine is disconnected from any drive wheel of the vehicle.

17. The control device according to claim 12 , wherein the vehicle further comprises a non-synchronized gearbox, the gearbox configured to selectively transfer driving torque from the combustion engine to drive wheels of the vehicle.

18. The control device according to claim 12 , further configured to determine an unintentional shutdown of the combustion engine based on rotational speed of the combustion engine being below a threshold rotational speed while the vehicle is travelling.

19. A vehicle comprising:
a combustion engine;
a starter configured to crank the combustion engine;
a hydraulic power steering system comprising a hydraulic pump configured to be driven by the combustion engine; and
at least one control device wherein the control device is configured to, in response to an indication of need of power steering, activate the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump.

20. The vehicle according to claim 19 further comprising computer program code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program code comprising computer instructions to cause the at least one control device to perform the operation of, in response to an indication of need of power steering, activating the starter to crank the combustion engine so that the combustion engine drives the hydraulic pump.

Assignees

• Scania Cv Ab

Inventors

• Udd Jonas
• Hagström Joachim

Classifications

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title

• B62D5/30 Primary

  Safety devices, e.g. alternate emergency power supply or transmission means to ensure steering upon failure of the primary steering means · CPC title

• B60W30/18

  Propelling the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D5/063 Primary

  Pump driven by vehicle engine (B62D5/065 takes precedence) · CPC title