Method for monitoring a steering system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12583513-B2
Application number	US-202218578800-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Aug 5, 2021
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A method is for monitoring a steering system during operation in a vehicle. The steering system includes at least one steering actuator. In order to determine a force-closure detachment and/or torque detachment in the steering system, at least one operating signal of the at least one steering actuator is determined and evaluated, and a jerk signal is determined from the at least one operating signal and is monitored for changes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for monitoring a steering system during operation in a vehicle, the steering system comprises at least one steering actuator, the method comprising:
operating the at least one steering actuator to cause rotation of a rotor of the at least one steering actuator; determining at least one operating signal of the at least one steering actuator during the rotation of the rotor, the at least one operating signal based on the rotation of the rotor; evaluating the determined at least one operating signal to determine a force-closure detachment and/or torque detachment in the steering system; determining a jerk signal from the at least one operating signal; and monitoring the determined jerk signal for changes to determine the force-closure detachment and torque detachment in the steering system.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the force-closure detachment and torque detachment in the steering system based on at least one signal peak in the jerk signal, and/or determining the force-closure detachment and torque detachment in the steering system when the jerk signal exceeds a threshold value.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a position signal, a speed signal, or an acceleration signal of the at least one steering actuator is used as the at least one operating signal.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the jerk signal based on a time rate of change of the at least one operating signal and/or based on a time derivation of the at least one operating signal.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the force-closure detachment and torque detachment in the steering system corresponds to a force-closure detachment and torque detachment in a sensor train and/or a force-closure detachment and torque detachment in a servo train.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the steering system comprises at least one traction device and/or at least one tolerance ring, and the force-closure detachment and torque detachment is caused by a slippage, sliding, and/or a jump of the at least one traction device and/or the at least one tolerance ring.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
using an event counter to determine the force-closure detachment and torque detachment in the steering system; and initiating a system response when a counter value of the event counter exceeds a limit value.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
when determining the force-closure detachment and/or torque detachment in the steering system at least one plausibility variable is considered, and the at least one plausibility variable is a sensor train-side operating and/or detection signal, a servo train-side operating and/or detection signal, and/or an operating and/or detection signal correlated with a driving state of the vehicle.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the steering system comprises at least one traction device including a tooth belt with a plurality of teeth, the force-closure detachment and/or torque detachment in the steering system is determined based on a signal peak in the jerk signal, and a number of signal peaks in the jerk signal is used to determine a number of jumped teeth of the plurality of teeth.

10 . A control unit comprising:
a processor configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 .

11 . A steering system comprising:
at least one steering actuator; and a processor configured to perform the method according to claim 1 .

12 . The steering system according to claim 11 , wherein a motor vehicle includes the steering system.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
initiating a system response of the vehicle when the force-closure detachment and/or the torque detachment has been determined to have occurred.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
the system response includes a degradation of the steering system and/or the vehicle.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Heilig Arnulf
• Ebert Patrick
• Friedel Michael

Classifications

• F16H2057/018

  Detection of mechanical transmission failures · CPC title

• F16H57/01

  Monitoring wear or stress of gearing elements, e.g. for triggering maintenance · CPC title

• B62D5/0424

  the axes of motor and final driven element of steering gear, e.g. rack, being parallel · CPC title

• F16H7/023

  with belts having a toothed contact surface or regularly spaced bosses or hollows for slipless or nearly slipless meshing with complementary profiled contact surface of a pulley · CPC title

• B62D5/0481 Primary

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