With Electric Power Assist Patents (Class 180/412)
  • Patent number: 11897559
    Abstract: A steering control device for controlling drive of a motor that drives a steering mechanism according to an operation amount of a steering wheel, includes a first torque command controller that instructs the motor on motor torque according to the operation amount of the steering wheel, and a second torque command controller that instructs the motor on the motor torque according to the operation amount of the steering wheel in parallel with the first torque command controller. The second torque command controller suppresses a frequency region corresponding to disturbance added to the steering mechanism with respect to the operation amount of the steering wheel with a filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ishimura, Shuji Endo, Hanyu Sun
  • Patent number: 11794804
    Abstract: Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for controlling a motor driven power steering system. The apparatus for controlling a motor driven power steering system includes a steering angle position controller configured to control a steering angle by adjusting a gain value based on a steering angle error between a command steering angle inputted by an autonomous driving system and a current steering angle; a current controller configured to compensate for a current error between a second command current outputted from the steering angle position controller and a sensor current; and a disturbance estimator configured to estimate noise due to an external factor, to remove the estimated noise in advance from a third command current outputted from the current controller, and to apply the third command current with no noise to an MDPS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tae Hong Kim
  • Patent number: 11124230
    Abstract: A steering controller sets a steer angle ratio to a high value in a high angle ratio mode that is high relative to a reference value in a normal mode. A control section controls operation of a reaction force motor and a tire turning motor based on a steer angle ratio mode input to a switch. The control section controls an output of the reaction force motor provided for a driver based on (i) a “reaction force amount” based on road surface information calculated from output of the tire turning motor and (ii) a “viscosity compensation amount” negatively correlated with a steering speed of a steering device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11059516
    Abstract: Provided is a steering control apparatus capable of performing adjustment so as to suppress deterioration in a steering feel that is caused by a twist of a torsion bar. A torsional stiffness control circuit includes a torsion angle calculation circuit, a gain calculation circuit, multiplication circuits, and an addition circuit. The torsion angle calculation circuit calculates a torsion angle based on a steering torque. The gain calculation circuit calculates a gain having a positive or negative value based on a value obtained by multiplying the steering torque and a steering speed together by the multiplication circuit. The multiplication circuit calculates a compensation amount by multiplying the torsion angle and the gain together. The addition circuit calculates a target pinion angle having a compensated phase by adding the compensation amount to a target steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kodera
  • Patent number: 11034383
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a first steered axle and a second steered axle behind the first steered axle. The second steered axle is steerable independently from the first steered axle. The vehicle includes wheels on the second steered axle. An electric steering motor is connected to the at least one of the wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Renato Bernardinetti Slave
  • Patent number: 10967902
    Abstract: A method and equipment for calibrating the steering angle sensor system of an electric steering system of a transportation vehicle during a software update, wherein the steering angle sensor system has a rotor position sensor for determining the rotor position of the electric motor of the electric steering system and the steering angle is derived from the rotor position. The method includes starting the software update, reading in and saving the present position data of the electric motor of the steering system, reading in and saving the memory values of the present calibration of the steering angle sensor system, cyclically monitoring the rotor position of the electric motor using the rotor position sensor, performing the software update, terminating the software update, and writing back the memory values of the calibration and releasing the software update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Inventors: Ingo Swieter, Luis Alberto Cisterna
  • Patent number: 10830320
    Abstract: Provided is an electric actuator, including: a motor part; a motion conversion mechanism part; an operation part; and a terminal part, wherein a hollow rotary shaft configured to support a rotor core of the motor part is supported by a rolling bearing so as to be rotatable, wherein the motion conversion mechanism part is coupled to the hollow rotary shaft, and includes a ball screw, wherein a ball screw nut of the ball screw is arranged inside the hollow rotary shaft, wherein the operation part is coupled to the motion conversion mechanism part, and wherein an inner raceway surface of the rolling bearing is formed on the hollow rotary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takushi Matsuto, Yoshinori Ikeda, Yuuki Naitou
  • Patent number: 10689031
    Abstract: A tilting vehicle having a steering system actively steering a front axle and a rear axle having two wheels that can be deflected individually in a vertical manner with respect to a vehicle body and that are independent of the steering system. The wheels of the rear axle can be steered by passive steering device configured to generate a steering force because of a vertical deflection of the wheels as the vehicle body tilts to one side. The steering force causing wheels to steer towards the opposite side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marc Simon, Lutz Eckstein
  • Patent number: 10661827
    Abstract: A motor vehicle for piloted driving including a front axle steering system and a rear axle steering system. In the active, trouble-free driving state with a piloted driving, the driving task for steering the front axle is performed by a front axle steering control which automatically controls the front axle steering system. A failure of the automatic front axle steering control is automatically recognized with a failure recognition device and the vehicle steering is taken over by the rear axle steering system. The motor vehicle is equipped with a device for controlled wheel-selective brake intervention. In case of a failure of the automatic front axle steering control, this device is controlled in such a way that an automatic centering of the front axle steering system is performed by wheel-selective braking interventions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Michael Redeker, Arne Minninger, Thomas Müller
  • Patent number: 10633018
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus for assisting steering of a motor vehicle by conferring torque generated by an electric motor to a steering mechanism, includes a steering controller, which receives signals representative of at least the torque (TTS) applied to a steering wheel and determining a target motor torque (Td), with a microcontroller unit (MCU) and an electronic control unit (WD). A motor controller includes an inverter which transforms from target motor torque (Td) generated target voltages (U1) into motor currents (I1). The WD comprises a memory in which state variables of the MCU are stored and a timer which monitors a blackout time of the MCU, wherein the MCU and WD are linked via a communication bus and a reset line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignees: THYSSENKRUPP PRESTA AG, THYSSENKRUPP AG
    Inventor: Zoltán Thimár
  • Patent number: 10589782
    Abstract: A power steering apparatus includes: a first detection element arranged to sense a rotation angle of the first gear based on a variation of a magnetic field generated by the first magnetic member; a second detection element arranged to sense a rotation angle of the second gear based on a variation of a magnetic field generated by the second magnetic member; an absolute steering angle calculating circuit configured to calculate an absolute steering angle of the steering wheel from an neutral position of the steering wheel at which the steered wheel directs in a straight direction, by a combination between the rotation angle of the first gear and the rotation angle of the second gear; and a control section configured to drive and control the electric motor based on the absolute steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventor: Naoki Takayanagi
  • Patent number: 10415962
    Abstract: A non-contact and optical measuring automation system, configured to electrically connect to a computer to measure the profile accuracy of a disk cam, includes a base, a rotating chuck, a moving stage module and a laser displacement meter. The rotating chuck is disposed for clamping the disk cam. The moving stage module includes a first linear motion stage movable relative to the base in a first direction and a second linear motion stage movable relative to the first linear motion stage in a second direction. The computer is able to control the rotation of the rotating chuck and the movement of the moving stage module, and is able to control a beam emitted from the laser displacement meter projecting onto a profile surface of the disk cam so as to obtain a profile deviation value of the disk cam by using the laser triangulation method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: National Taiwan Ocean University
    Inventors: Wen-Tung Chang, Chun-Cheng Lu, Hsiang-Lun Kao
  • Patent number: 10363787
    Abstract: An eccentric adjusting unit is disclosed, for example, for adjusting a connection point for a control arm of a wheel suspension. The unit may include an electric motor and an eccentric gear section. The eccentric gear section may have an input shaft and an output shaft, wherein the input shaft is configured to be driven by the electric motor and the output shaft rotates eccentrically with respect to an output axis of rotation and can be in operative connection with the connection point or forms this connection point. The eccentric gear section may have a star wheel gear stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventor: Alexander Hausmann
  • Patent number: 10266173
    Abstract: The vehicle behavior control device is designed to control a behavior of a vehicle having steerable front road wheels. The vehicle behavior control device comprises a PCM configured to perform control to reduce a driving force for the vehicle according to a steering speed of the vehicle, wherein the PCM is operable to reduce a change rate during increasing of a reduction amount of the driving force according to the steering speed of the vehicle, to a smaller value, as a steering wheel angle of the vehicle becomes larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Osamu Sunahara, Daisuke Umetsu
  • Patent number: 10246084
    Abstract: A vehicle behavior control device comprises: a steer-by-wire type steering apparatus (6) having a steering wheel-side mechanism and a road wheel-side mechanism which are mechanically separated from each other; and a controller (8) performs a driving force reduction control when a steering speed in the steering apparatus (6) becomes equal to or greater than a given threshold. The steering apparatus (6) comprises a first steering angle sensor (14) provided in the steering wheel-side mechanism and a second steering angle sensor (19) provided in the road wheel-side mechanism. The controller (8) performs the driving force reduction control using the first steering angle sensor (14) when a yaw rate or a steering speed is equal to or greater than a given value, and performs the driving force reduction control using the second steering angle sensor (19) when the yaw rate or the steering speed is less than the given value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoji Izumi, Yasunori Takahara, Daisuke Umetsu, Osamu Sunahara, Masaki Chiba
  • Patent number: 10202114
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an electric vehicle and an active safety control system and method thereof. The system includes: a wheel speed detection module configured to detect a wheel speed to generate a wheel speed signal; a steering wheel rotation angle sensor and a yaw rate sensor module, configured to detect state information of the electric vehicle; a motor controller; and an active safety controller configured to receive the wheel speed signal and state information, obtain state information of a battery pack and state information of four motors, obtain a first side slip signal or a second side slip signal according to the wheel speed signal, the state information, the battery pack and the four motors, and according to the first side slip signal or the second side slip signal, control four hydraulic brakes of the electric vehicle and control the four motors by using the motor controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: BYD COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yubo Lian, Hongbin Luo, Jintao Zhang, Dongsheng Yang
  • Patent number: 10189499
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a steering control apparatus comprising: a sensing unit configured to sense at least one among a vehicle speed, a steering angle, first lateral acceleration, and a steering angle speed; an estimation unit configured to estimate second lateral acceleration on the basis of the vehicle speed and the steering angle; and a controller configured to control a steering device so that a steering torque increases, on the basis of a slip gradient which indicates a difference between the first lateral acceleration and the second lateral acceleration, wherein the controlling of the steering device is released when the steering angle speed is inverted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sung Gun Lee
  • Patent number: 10137930
    Abstract: A method for controlling an actuator for steering a wheel of a motor vehicle including an electrical actuator controlling steering angle of the steering wheel and a mechanism determining temperature of the actuator. The method includes: completing deactivating the actuator; and a counter-steering operation triggered when the temperature of the actuator is higher than or equal to a determined prevention threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Gareth Pugsley, Jerome Utter, Sylvain Facchin, Sandrine Calixte
  • Patent number: 10029571
    Abstract: An electric work vehicle includes a left motor which supplies rotating power to a left drive wheel, a right motor which supplies rotating power to a right drive wheel, a motor control unit which provides drive signals to the left motor and the right motor independently of each other in response to an operation relative to a steering operation unit, a yaw rate detector which detects an actual yaw rate of a vehicle body, an arithmetic yaw rate computing unit which derives an arithmetic yaw rate based on a rotating speed of the left motor or the left drive wheel and a rotating speed of the right motor or the right drive wheel, and a slip detection unit detecting occurrence of slipping based on the arithmetic yaw rate and an actual yaw rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Kubota Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Ito, Kazuaki Matsuda
  • Patent number: 9994251
    Abstract: A method for controlling an output of a power steering system may include sensing at least one of a driving speed of a vehicle, a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, and a steering torque; obtaining a target steering torque by using at least one of the driving speed, the steering angle, the steering angular velocity, and the steering torque; and determining a motor assist output of the power steering system by using the target steering torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Sehyun Chang, Byung Rim Lee, Minjun Kim, Youngdae Park, Hyeonseok Cho
  • Patent number: 9956891
    Abstract: Provided is an electric vehicle, including: left and right rear wheels, which are suspended from a vehicle body by suspensions that elastically allow displacements in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body, the rear wheels being capable of being driven by corresponding motors independently of each other; and a control device configured to control driving forces of the rear wheels. Target driving forces Ti for the left and right rear wheels are calculated during traveling, a value ?G relevant to a difference between relative displacement amounts of the rear wheels in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle body is calculated, and the target driving forces are corrected based on the value relevant to the difference between the relative displacement amounts so that a magnitude of the value relevant to the difference between the relative displacement amounts becomes smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideki Fukudome
  • Patent number: 9950736
    Abstract: A method for characterizing a stick-slip condition in a steering system includes transmitting a periodic steering control signal to a rotary actuator to cause rotation of a steering shaft, through a torsion bar and inertia wheel, over a range of steering angles, and applying an axial force to a rack to resist rack displacement from a centered position. A steering torque output value is measured via a torque transducer. A control action is executed when a measured difference between a maximum value of a steering torque required to initiate rack motion/torque breakaway and a minimum value of the steering torque after breakaway for start-up or subsequent steering reversal exceeds a calibrated threshold. A system includes the rotary actuator, steering system, torque transducer, torsion bar, inertia wheel, linear actuator(s) providing an axial force along the rack axis to resist rack displacement from a centered position, and controller programmed as noted above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Ian Y. Hwa
  • Patent number: 9932068
    Abstract: A power steering system of a vehicle and a control method are provided. The system includes a main hydraulic motor that receives engine power and generates a hydraulic pressure and an auxiliary hydraulic motor that generates a hydraulic pressure. A front wheel steering cylinder receives hydraulic pressure and generates power for steering front wheels and auxiliary steering of a driver. A rear wheel steering cylinder receives hydraulic pressure and generates power for steering rear wheels. An integrated control valve connected to the hydraulic motors and the steering cylinders through hydraulic pressure pipelines, and adjusts the hydraulic pressure of a main hydraulic motor to supply the pressure to the front wheel steering cylinder and adjusts the hydraulic pressure generated of the auxiliary hydraulic motor to supply the pressure to the front or rear wheel steering cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Seung Hyun Oh
  • Patent number: 9802596
    Abstract: A method for furnishing a sensor signal in a braking system, in which in the event of a failure of the brake control unit signal transfer is switched over and the signal is transmitted to a further control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Helmut Binder, Peter Sautter, Wolfgang Peveling
  • Patent number: 9550523
    Abstract: A system and a method of controlling a power steering system of a vehicle are provided. A control system includes a control module operable to receive sensor data and control the power steering system. The control module is configured to determine whether the vehicle is operating in a low surface friction condition based on a handwheel angle and one of a handwheel torque and a pinion torque. The control module generates a control signal based on the determination and sends the control signal to the power steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mariam Swetha George, Shrenik P. Shah, Farhad Bolourchi
  • Patent number: 9469339
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a rear wheel steering includes a sensor configured to detect a vehicle speed, a steering angle, yaw rate, and a lateral acceleration of a vehicle; a target yaw rate calculator configured to determine a target yaw rate from information detected by the sensor; a side slip angle estimator configured to estimate a side slip angle from information detected by the sensor; and a rear wheel steering angle control amount calculator configured to determine a rear wheel steering angle control amount by using the yaw rate information detected by the sensor, the target yaw rate calculated by the target yaw rate calculator, and the side slip angle estimated by the side slip angle estimator. The determined rear wheel steering angle control amount is implemented to control the vehicle yaw rate to follow the target yaw rate and the side slip angle to follow 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Rae Wook Chung, Jun Wook Oh, Yang Soo Noh
  • Patent number: 9452779
    Abstract: A power steering system includes a first steering device which controls the steering of the first wheels of the vehicle according to a first steering angle ?1 and includes a first actuator capable of providing a steering assistance effort, a second steering device including a second actuator controlled by a controller as a function of a parameter related to the steering wheel movement, and controlling the steering of the second wheels, according to a second steering angle ?2. In normal operation of the power steering system, ?2 is set according to a first rule depending on the first steering angle ?1. In case the steering wheel torque is greater than a predetermined threshold, the second steering device is operated in a forced mode by setting the second steering angle according to a rule depending on the first steering angle and taking into account at least one different or additional data, in order to cause an offset-oversteering of the second wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Volvo Truck Corporation
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Blond, Jean-Baptiste Doray
  • Patent number: 9376006
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle provided with left and right electric motors electrically connected to a battery and mechanically connected respectively to left and right vehicle wheels, a power generator mechanically connected to an internal combustion engine being electrically connected to the battery, wherein the battery is reliably protected during traction control and at other such times. Two electric motors, specifically first and second electric motors, are temporarily handled integrally to determine a torque down amount (TD), which is the total allowable power variation width (?) of the two electric motors, on the basis of left and right total power (Y), and the respective motive powers of the first and second electric motors are controlled while being limited by values obtained by simply dividing the determined torque down amount (TD) equally, whereby the allowable input/output power (allowable input power (Z)) of the battery is reliably protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshito Terayama, Yoshinori Ando, Toshinori Tsukamoto, Masaki Negoro, Yoshikazu Fujimoto, Masatoshi Noguchi, Yusuke Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 9296416
    Abstract: A method for operating a steering apparatus of a motor vehicle includes detecting interference-induced vibrations which act on a torsion bar of the steering apparatus and analyzing a frequency and amplitude of the interference-induced vibrations. A steering-stabilization function of the steering-assistance device is activated when a limit value for the amplitude of the interference-induced vibrations is exceeded. A drive signal is provided, with the steering stabilization function, for an electric motor of the steering-assistance device, so that the electric motor generates a compensation torque Mbar which acts on the torsion bar and at least partially counteracts the interference-induced vibrations. An indicator is formed from the frequency and the amplitude of the interference-induced vibrations and the carriageway induced vibrations are distinguished from vibrations caused by instabilities in the steering apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Kim Michael Krueger
  • Patent number: 9272729
    Abstract: Front wheels (6L, 6R) a steering operation of which is possible by a steering mechanism (12) are mounted on a vehicle body (2). Steering cylinders (22L, 22R) of the steering mechanism (12) extend and contract in response to an operation of a steering handle (27) provided in a cab (5) to perform the steering operation of the front wheels (6L, 6R). The steering mechanism (12) is provided with a rotation angle sensor (28) for detecting a steering angle ? of the left front wheel (6L) and a proximity switch (29) for detecting whether or not the front wheel (6L) is in a straight-ahead state. A controller (30) determines that the rotation angle sensor (28) or the proximity switch (29) is abnormal when the steering angle (?) detected by the rotation angle sensor (28) is different from the detection result by the proximity switch (29).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: HITACHI CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Toshikazu Minoshima, Yuusuke Shibue, Yohei Nakate, Takanobu Ikari
  • Patent number: 9272732
    Abstract: A method for determining a rack force for a steering apparatus of a vehicle, in which the rack force is determined as a function of a steering angle variable which characterizes an actual wheel steering angle or a set point of the wheel steering angle. In order to specify a method for determining a rack force, with which a target steering torque can be generated such that a comfortable steering feel is imparted to the driver and the steering apparatus nevertheless gives the driver feedback that is as realistic as possible regarding the motion state of the vehicle, the method comprises: determining a variable which characterizes a lateral force on a shaft of the steering apparatus, and determining the rack force as a function of the lateral force, wherein the determination of the rack force comprises a filtering by means of a signal processing element having a proportional-differential transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Greul, Thomas Werner, Joerg Strecker
  • Patent number: 9199666
    Abstract: A method for securing control of rear wheels of a motor vehicle including an electric power steering system, the method including: measuring or calculating, using a motor-angle sensor, at least angular position of the electric power steering motor, and measuring or calculating, using a steering-wheel angle sensor, at least angular position of the steering wheel; calculating, using the motor-angle sensor, at least the angular position of the steering wheel; comparing at least the angular position of the steering wheel measured using the steering-wheel angle sensor to the angular position of the steering wheel measured using the motor-angle sensor; and transmitting an alarm signal if the result of the comparison is greater than a predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: RENAULT s.a.s.
    Inventors: Gareth Pugsley, Alfred Brunou, Sylvain Facchin, Sandrine Calixte, Jerome Utter
  • Patent number: 9193378
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electric power steering apparatus for a vehicle. The electric power steering apparatus for a vehicle has a structure in which a motor shaft, an input shaft, a pinion shaft, and the like are coaxially disposed to improve a structure of a conventional art in which an electric motor is essentially exposed, so as to prevent interference with other structures, thereby forming a layout of the steering apparatus to be compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Han Sang Chae, Seong Ho Choi, Jung Sik Park
  • Patent number: 9140535
    Abstract: A device for determining a position of a movable, magnetizable and/or conductive body relative to a stator that has at least one pole winding. Apparatuses are provided for detecting a measurement signal that depends on the inductance of the pole winding, wherein the inductance is influenced by the position of the body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Inventor: Rolf Strothmann
  • Patent number: 9050999
    Abstract: A steering system and method for providing a force feedback to an operator input device are disclosed. The method may determine an actual position of the operator input device. The method may determine a desired steering mechanism position of a steering mechanism based on the actual position of the operator input device. The method may determine an actual steering mechanism position of the steering mechanism. The method may compare the actual steering mechanism position to the desired steering mechanism position and to a previous desired steering mechanism position. The method may generate a command that selectively activates force feedback to the operator input device based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc
    Inventors: Beau Daniel Kuipers, Edward William Mate, David Arthur Mork
  • Patent number: 8960037
    Abstract: A ball screw device has a plurality of spiral raceways. One end and the other end of each raceway is connected via a bridge. An annular flange of a ball nut has a plurality of mounting portions at equal intervals in a circumferential direction. A fixing screw is fitted to each mounting portion. The bridges arranged so as to overlap with the annular flange in position in an axial direction are arranged at positions different in the circumferential direction from positions at which the mounting portions are arranged, and are arranged at unequal intervals in the circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Kosuke Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 8948973
    Abstract: A method comprising the steps: a manually applied driver steering moment is detected; a requested superposition moment is detected; the driver steering and superposition moments are combined to form an intermediate moment from which an assistance moment is generated by means of a predefined, non-linear amplification function; starting from detected values of the driver steering and superposition moments, a modified superposition moment compensating for friction in the electric steering system at least in part is determined such that the amount of the modified superposition moment is larger than the amount of the superposition moment at least for some pairs of variates comprised of driver steering and superposition moments; the assistance and modified superposition moments are combined to form a motor moment from which a corresponding input signal for a servo motor is established; the servo motor is controlled with the established input signal to provide the motor moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: TRW Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Heinz-Dieter Heitzer, Dirk Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 8935051
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for improving a steering feeling of a driver while preventing a heavy feeling of a steering wheel or a kickback phenomenon during an eco-roll operation for improving a fuel ratio of the vehicle. The method includes determining, by a controller, an eco-roll operation condition in which a brake is disengaged, an accelerator pedal is disengaged, and a speed of the vehicle is a reference speed or higher. Furthermore, when the eco-roll operation condition is determined, the controller coverts a gear state of a transmission into a neutral gear state. The controller also controls an engine RPM to an idle RPM to start the eco-roll mode and an operation of an emergency steering system to assist steering power according to a steering input due to a driver manipulation of a steering wheel while the traveling in a neutral gear state of an eco-roll mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Jin Han Kim
  • Patent number: 8924083
    Abstract: In a power steering system, a torque sensor obtains first and second rotation angles, and a steering angle sensor obtains third and fourth rotation angles. A controller includes a first absolute rotation angle calculation section, a second absolute rotation angle calculation section, and an abnormality detection section. The first absolute rotation angle calculation section calculates a first absolute rotation angle as a first estimate of an absolute rotation angle of a steering wheel based on the first and third rotation angles. The second absolute rotation angle calculation section calculates a second absolute rotation angle as a second estimate of the absolute rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the third and fourth rotation angles. The abnormality detection section detects an abnormality by comparison between the first absolute rotation angle and the second absolute rotation angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Steering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshitake, Kohtaro Shiino, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 8892296
    Abstract: [Problem] An object of the present invention is to provide a power state diagnosis method and a power state diagnosis apparatus that pass and increase not only a d-axis current but also a q-axis current to a current value that a steering behavior does not occur to perform a diagnosis in the vector control of a motor, and determine that a power supply degraded, that the power supply is normal and that the diagnosis is not completed without giving an uncomfortable feeling to a driver, detecting a timing that there is not a driver, and needing to comprise a plurality of actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Abe, Yoshiki Ninomiya, Toru Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 8868297
    Abstract: In a power steering system and a control apparatus for the power steering system, an abnormality detection process section (27) installed in a second ECU, the second ECU, the second ECU having a multi-core microcomputer in which a plurality of processor cores are mounted within a single processor package, to detect an abnormality of a first angle calculation process section of a first ECU, the first ECU having a single core microcomputer in which a single processor core is mounted within another single processor package and the first angle calculation process section a first angle calculation process section (21) installed in the first ECU to calculate rotation angles of the input axle and output axle on a basis of sinusoidal wave signals and cosine wave signals derived from a steering angle sensor and a torque sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Steering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Atsushi Yoshitake, Kohtaro Shiino, Hiroshi Sato
  • Patent number: 8833504
    Abstract: An apparatus for use in turning steerable vehicle wheels upon manual rotation of a hand wheel includes a torque sensor connected with a torque sensor and a rear steering gear. The controller selectively controls the rear steering gear in response to an output from the torque sensor upon manual application of at least a predetermined torque to the hand wheel. The controller selectively controls the rear steering gear in response to the output from the torque sensor through a first range of turning movement of the front wheels so that the steering angle of the rear wheels has a first relationship to the steering angle of the front wheels and through a second range of turning movement of the front wheels so that the steering angle of the rear wheels has a second relationship different from the first relationship.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: TRW Automotive U.S. LLC
    Inventors: Daniel E. Williams, Kenneth A. Sherwin
  • Patent number: 8831841
    Abstract: An automatic steering device for self-propelled straddle carriers for lifting and transporting manufactures, includes a spatial portal structure (1) resting on the ground on a plurality of steering wheel units (4) connected by a fifth wheel (14) to the structure above, where each wheel unit (4) includes two tyred wheels (8, 8?) each of which is associated with its own electric motor unit (10, 10?) independently with respect to the other; each electric motor is supplied by its own vector frequency converter controlled by a control unit provided with a control microprocessor; angular rotation of each wheel unit (4) is measured by an incremental encoder integral with the upper structure and with the fifth wheel (14) and connected to the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Eden Technology SRL
    Inventor: Bruno Mognon
  • Patent number: 8825301
    Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus that compensates both a static friction and a dynamic friction, performs the switching between a static friction compensation and a dynamic friction compensation smoothly and without unpleasant sensation in order to achieve a natural comfortable steering feeling. In an electric power steering apparatus wherein a current command value is calculated based on at least a steering torque, and a motor is controlled by a current control value calculated based on said current command value to provide a steering assist force to a steering mechanism, wherein: there is provided a friction compensator calculating a friction compensation value for compensating friction to said steering mechanism on the basis of said steering torque, and said current command value is corrected by said friction compensation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Sugawara, Masahiro Maeda, Yong Wei
  • Patent number: 8825297
    Abstract: A travel control device for a vehicle provided with: a steering angle control device that alters the relationship between the amount of steering operation of a driver and the steering angle of steerable wheels; a trajectory control device that controls the travel trajectory of the vehicle by means of controlling the steering angle of the steerable wheels; and a turning condition control device that determines a target turning condition control level for causing the turning condition of the vehicle to be a target turning condition, and controls the turning condition of the vehicle on the basis of the target turning condition control level. A turning condition control device calculates the target turning condition control level on the basis of the amount of steering operation of the driver and the control level of the trajectory control device, and thereby reflects in the target turning condition control level changes to the steering angle resulting from the control of the traveling trajectory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsutaka Tanimoto, Theerawat Limpibunterng
  • Patent number: 8788150
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for controlling a vehicle using an in-wheel system which controls a motor mounted in each wheel of the vehicle independently. More specifically, a control unit is configured to determine a turning mode of the vehicle based on vehicle driving information, calculate a present Ackerman rate of the vehicle based on the determined turning mode, generate a control command based on the present Ackerman rate, and control the motor of each wheel using the control command, independently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Sungwook Hwang
  • Patent number: 8744682
    Abstract: The system and method described herein can be used to reduce the effects of periodic vibrations in an electric power steering (EPS) system for a vehicle, particularly, those that can lead to smooth road shake (SRS), torsional nibble, and/or other undesirable conditions. According to an exemplary embodiment, an electric motor is used to purposely generate counter-acting vibrations in the EPS system to cancel out the periodic vibrations generated by the wheel assemblies or corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Oblizajek, John D. Sopoci, R. Larry Arbanas, Lin Wang
  • Patent number: 8666600
    Abstract: A rear toe control (RTC) system and method for a vehicle includes rear actuators for applying rear steering to rear wheels of the vehicle and rear sensors for measuring individual toe angles of the rear wheels. The system further includes a RTC failure module that determines when the RTC system has failed and a road condition determining module that determines whether the vehicle is encountering a poor road surface condition. An electronic control unit (ECU) is disposed on the vehicle and is configured to impose a speed limit for the vehicle when the RTC failure module determines that the RTC system has failed and the road condition determining module determines that the vehicle encountering a poor road surface condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigenobu Sekiya, David A. Thompson
  • Patent number: 8626427
    Abstract: A user interface method for a terminal for a vehicle is provided. The terminal obtains position information to detect a point of a road. A road image of a driving direction is obtained, a lanes of the road represented on the obtained road image is recognized, and a point of a road and lane in which the vehicle having the terminal arranged therein is detected. A virtual road image regarding the recognized lanes is generated, and the generated virtual lanes are added to the road image of the driving direction of the vehicle, and displayed. Traffic information for each lane and surrounding information (i.e. lane closure, construction, accident, etc.) at the detected point of the relevant road are obtained, and the obtained information is displayed for each virtual lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-Kil Park, Chang-Soo Kim, Jun-Yong Choi
  • Patent number: 8607920
    Abstract: A steering device for adjusting a wheel turning angle of a wheel of a motor vehicle, in particular of a rear wheel, includes a wheel guide member via which a wheel carrier of the wheel is connected to a vehicle body, the wheel carrier being swivellable about an axis of rotation disposed parallel to the wheel plane and the wheel guide member being articulated to the wheel carrier at a distance from the axis of rotation and being adjustable in length by an electromechanical drive unit, the electromechanical drive unit being connected, on the one hand, via a push rod to a joint at the wheel carrier end in order to form a swivel bearing to establish a connection to the wheel carrier, and, on the other hand, to a joint at the vehicle body end to form a further swivel bearing to establish a connection to the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventors: Johann Jungbecker, Marco Besier, Steffen Linkenbach, Roland Dutoya, Pierre-Philippe Thomy, Frederice Laure