Steering stabilizing apparatus for a model vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016303485-A1
Application number	US-201615132183-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic system for stabilizing steering of a model vehicle may provide a curvature steering control of an RC vehicle. The approximate curvature control of the RC vehicle determined using error integration to achieve full steering. Application of a leaky integrator may be used to minimize steering memory. The leak factor may be based off gain scheduling of the steering input.

First claim

1 . An electronic system for stabilizing steering of an RC model vehicle providing a curvature steering control of an RC model vehicle, the electronic system comprising:
an input for receiving a user steering command corresponding to a commanded curvature; a gyroscopic sensing system for sensing rotation rate and linear acceleration of the ground model vehicle; and an adder for producing an error signal from the input and a feedback signal; a proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller, wherein the PID controller receives the error signal and produces an output signal; a steering servo coupled to the PID controller for receiving the output signal, wherein the steering servo controls steering of a ground model vehicle; a feedback system comprising a curvature estimator coupled to the gyroscopic sensing system for estimating at least one parameter of a turn; wherein the inverse of the output of the feedback system is applied to the adder to achieve the commanded curvature.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a speed sensor for sensing the speed of the ground model vehicle, wherein the speed sensor is coupled to the curvature estimator.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the approximate curvature control of an RC model vehicle is determined.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein error integration is used to achieve full steering.

5 . The system of claim 4 , where the application of a leaky integrator is used to minimize steering memory.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the leak factor is a time-based function of the steering input.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control system provides curvature control of the RC model vehicle where the driver's input is the desired curvature and the electronic system controls the vehicle's steering to match the driver's commanded curvature.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic system functions as a heading-hold system when the user steering command is set to 0 steering (infinite curvature).

9 . A method for stabilizing steering of an RC model vehicle providing a curvature steering control of an RC model vehicle, the method comprising:
detecting a steering wheel angle of a steering wheel on a radio-control transmitter and determining whether the steering wheel angle exceeds a preset limit; activating an integrator leak circuit when the steering wheel angle exceeds the preset limit; deactivating the integrator leak circuit when the steering wheel angle is less than the preset limit.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of estimating a measured yaw rate based upon the steering wheel angle and certain dynamic properties of the RC model vehicle as measured by internal sensors.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the certain dynamic properties may comprise vehicle attitude and the vector acceleration of the vehicle.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of estimating a vehicle turn curvature based upon the steering wheel angle, the dynamic properties of the RC model vehicle as measured by internal sensors, and speed of the RC model vehicle as measured by an internal sensor.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the dynamic properties of the vehicle comprise vehicle attitude, the vector acceleration of the vehicle, and the speed of the vehicle.

14 . A method for stabilizing steering of an RC model vehicle providing a curvature steering control of an RC model vehicle, the method comprising:
generating a user input representing a commanded curvature of a turn; measuring parameters of the turn; calculating measured parameters of the turn; and providing the calculated measured parameters as feedback representing the turn; comparing the user input to feedback representing a turn; generating an error signal representing a difference between the user input and the feedback; performing a proportional-integral-differential process upon the error signal; controlling a steering servo to a commanded position; and executing a turn in a model vehicle to achieve the commanded curvature

15 . A method for stabilizing steering of an RC model vehicle providing a curvature steering control of an RC model vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving a user steering input; processing the user steering input to calculate a servo command for steering the RC Model vehicle; measuring parameters of an actual turn executed by the model vehicle; providing feedback indicative of the actual turn to the processing of the user steering input for modifying the servo command; calculating a servo command from the user steering input as modified by the feedback.

Assignees

• Traxxas Lp

Inventors

• Kawamura Thomas Michael
• Erhart Wesley Ronald
• Schmitz Scott Rollin Michael

Classifications

• G07C5/008

  communicating information to a remotely located station (transmission systems for measured values G08C) · CPC title

• B62D15/025

  Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63H17/395 Primary

  steered by program · CPC title

• A63H30/00

  Remote-control arrangements specially adapted for toys, e.g. for toy vehicles (steering mechanisms for toy vehicles A63H17/36; for model railways A63H19/24, A63H19/28) · CPC title

• G05D1/0011

  associated with a remote control arrangement · CPC title