Patents by Inventor Anthony J. Champagne

Anthony J. Champagne has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9061701
    Abstract: A control method for an electric power steering system is provided. The method includes providing a power steering control signal; providing a disturbance cancel command; varying at least one filter based on a frequency of the disturbance cancel command; applying the at least one varied filter to the disturbance cancel command to generate a compensation signal; applying the compensation signal to the power steering control signal to generate a compensated control signal; and controlling the power steering system based on the compensated control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Michael K. Hales, Anthony J. Champagne
  • Patent number: 8880295
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a steering system near an end of travel region is provided. The control system includes a first module that selectively estimates a command adjust value based on a hand wheel position and a hand wheel torque. A second module generates a motor assist command based on the command adjust value to control the steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Lonnie Newton
  • Publication number: 20140324294
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric power steering system of a vehicle is provided. The method determines that one or more hand wheel torque sensors of the vehicle are not enabled. The method generates an assist torque command by estimating a lateral acceleration of the vehicle based on a hand wheel angle and determining an amount of assist torque based on the estimated lateral acceleration. The method controls the electric power steering system using the generated assist torque command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Applicant: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Timothy W. Kaufmann, Kathryn L. Pattok, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Publication number: 20140257641
    Abstract: A control system for a steering system is provided, and includes an acceleration module, a scaling module, and a final command module. The acceleration module determines a hand wheel acceleration. The scaling module determines a rejection command. The rejection command is based on the hand wheel acceleration and a road wheel frequency. The final command module determines an adjusted assist command that is based on a normal assist command and the rejection command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Jens Dittmer
  • Patent number: 8798864
    Abstract: A control method for an electric power steering system is provided. The control method includes evaluating wheel disturbance based on a wheel velocity. A wheel disturbance cancel amount is determined based on the wheel velocity. An assist command is generated to the power steering system based on the wheel disturbance cancel amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Patent number: 8739920
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a steering system is provided. The control system includes a first module that determines a position control value based on a handwheel position. A second module generates a torque command based on the position control value to simulate an end of travel stop in the steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventor: Anthony J. Champagne
  • Patent number: 8660742
    Abstract: A control method for a vehicle is provided. The control method includes estimating a magnitude of wheel disturbance based on wheel velocity, and generating a disturbance status signal based on the magnitude of wheel disturbance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Patent number: 8612094
    Abstract: A method for controlling a power steering system, the method including, receiving a first signal, determining a velocity from the first signal, determining a scale factor from a function of the velocity, multiplying the scale factor with a damping factor, and outputting a scaled damping factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Publication number: 20130158805
    Abstract: A control system for a power steering system is provided. The control system includes a scaling module for calculating a scale factor based on a wheel frequency. The control system also includes a command module that evaluates a wheel disturbance based on a wheel speed and that determines a wheel disturbance cancel amount based on the wheel speed. The command module generates an assist command to the power steering system based on the wheel disturbance cancel amount and the scale factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Publication number: 20130151078
    Abstract: A control system for a power steering system is provided. The control system includes an amplitude calculation module and a command module. The amplitude calculation module receives a compensation command. The amplitude calculation module determines a command amplitude that is based on the compensation command. The command module generates a command to the power steering system. The command is based on the command amplitude.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Jeffrey R. Meyer
  • Publication number: 20130131926
    Abstract: A control method for an electric power steering system is provided. The control method includes evaluating wheel disturbance based on a wheel velocity. A wheel disturbance cancel amount is determined based on the wheel velocity. An assist command is generated to the power steering system based on the wheel disturbance cancel amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: NEXTEER (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Publication number: 20130131916
    Abstract: control method for a vehicle is provided. The control method includes estimating a magnitude of wheel disturbance based on wheel velocity, and generating a disturbance status signal based on the magnitude of wheel disturbance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: NEXTEER (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Patent number: 8336413
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes a housing defining a chamber. A rack is disposed within the chamber and is moveable along a longitudinal axis. A pinion extends into the chamber for meshing engagement with the rack. A bearing supports the rack relative to the housing and is moveable relative to the housing to re-position the rack relative to the pinion. An adjustment mechanism continuously biases the bearing in response to loosening of the meshing engagement to re-position the rack. A dampener resists the movement of the bearing to slow the re-positioning of the bearing. Preferably, the dampener includes a plastic fluid having a very high viscosity. The plastic fluid is disposed between adjacent moving parts to resist the relative movement between the bearing and the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Tony M. Dodak, Anthony J. Champagne, Michael A. Eickholt, George E. Arlt
  • Patent number: 8296011
    Abstract: A method for controlling a steering system, including, receiving a first signal representative of a torque applied to a steering wheel, receiving a second signal representative of a motor velocity of a motor operatively linked to the steering wheel, multiplying the first signal with the second signal resulting in a product signal, applying a backlash function to the product signal, wherein the backlash function imparts a defined hysteresis in the system, multiplying a defined first-third quadrant scaling factor with an active damping signal, and sending a resultant motor command signal to the motor responsive to determining that the product signal is a positive signal, and multiplying a defined second-fourth quadrant scaling factor with the active damping signal, and sending the resultant motor command signal to the motor responsive to determining that the product signal is a negative signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporations
    Inventors: Michael K Hales, Anthony J Champagne
  • Publication number: 20120232754
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a steering system near an end of travel region is provided. The control system includes a first module that selectively estimates a command adjust value based on a hand wheel position and a hand wheel torque. A second module generates a motor assist command based on the command adjust value to control the steering system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: NEXTEER (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Anthony J. Champagne, Lonnie Newton
  • Publication number: 20120205185
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a steering system is provided. The control system includes a first module that determines a position control value based on a handwheel position. A second module generates a torque command based on the position control value to simulate an end of travel stop in the steering system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: August 16, 2012
    Applicant: NEXTEER (BEIJING) TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Anthony J. Champagne
  • Patent number: 8116944
    Abstract: A method for controlling a steering system, the method including, receiving a first signal including a position of a component in the steering system, receiving a second signal including a disturbance signal operative to indicate an effect of a first torque disturbance in the steering system, calculating a first counter acting torque command signal operative to minimize the first torque disturbance as a function of the position of the component and the disturbance signal, and sending the first counter acting torque command signal to a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Inventors: Michael K. Hales, William H. Wittig, Anthony J. Champagne
  • Publication number: 20120004807
    Abstract: A control method for an electric power steering system is provided. The method includes providing a power steering control signal; providing a disturbance cancel command; varying at least one filter based on a frequency of the disturbance cancel command; applying the at least one varied filter to the disturbance cancel command to generate a compensation signal; applying the compensation signal to the power steering control signal to generate a compensated control signal; and controlling the power steering system based on the compensated control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Michael K. Hales, Anthony J. Champagne
  • Patent number: 8069745
    Abstract: A power steering device includes a first gear provided on the first shaft, the first gear having a centerline axis, and a second gear operatively connected to the first gear. The second gear includes a rotational axis that is maintained substantially coplanar with the centerline axis. The power steering device further includes a compliant member operatively connected with the second gear. The compliant member allows rotational compliance of the second gear while avoiding axial and radial compliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Inventors: Troy P. Strieter, Anthony J. Champagne
  • Patent number: 7933700
    Abstract: A control system for controlling a steering system is provided. The control system includes a first module that selectively determines a gain curve based on a position of a hand wheel of the steering system. A second module determines a motor assist command based on the gain curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Inventor: Anthony J. Champagne