Patents by Inventor Tejas M. Varunjikar

Tejas M. Varunjikar 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: 11685440
    Abstract: An emergency steering system for a vehicle includes a memory including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive information corresponding to an environment external to the vehicle; identify an obstacle in the environment external to the vehicle using the information; determine a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle; determine whether a collision is imminent; in response to determining that a collision is imminent, determine whether the vehicle can move within a lane of travel to avoid the collision; in response to determining that the vehicle can move within the lane of travel to avoid the collision, determine a trajectory of travel for the vehicle; generate a steering assist angle command based on the trajectory of travel; and control position of a steering mechanism of the vehicle using the steering assist angle command and a measured steering angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Mariam S. George, Zaki Ryne
  • Patent number: 11599117
    Abstract: Embodiments for assisting steering of a vehicle responsive to detecting an object in a proximity of a vehicle are described. Embodiments described include: receiving an image of a lane indicator corresponding to a lane of travel of the vehicle from an image capturing device; determining, based on the image, reference values corresponding to a position of the lane indicator relative to the vehicle; associating each of the reference values to values used to locate a point within a reference frame related to a direction the vehicle is traveling; receiving position information of an object in an environment external to the vehicle from a radar sensor; determining, based on the values and the position information, an assigned lane of the object; detecting an impending change of the lane of travel of the vehicle to the assigned lane of the object; generating a steering control value based on the impending change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Sheng, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Zaki Ryne
  • Patent number: 11498613
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, a method includes computing, by a steering system, a model rack force value based on a vehicle speed, steering angle, and a road-friction coefficient value. The method further includes determining, by the steering system, a difference between the model rack force value and a load rack force value. The method further includes updating, by the steering system, the road-friction coefficient value using the difference that is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Mariam S. George
  • Patent number: 11407442
    Abstract: A steer-by-wire system includes a transmission torque sensor, a handwheel position sensor, and a controller. The transmission torque sensor is configured to measure and output a transmission torque signal. The handwheel position sensor is configured to measure and output a handwheel position signal. The controller includes an angle-based load calculation submodule, a torque steer ratio calculation submodule, and a torque control module. The angle-based load calculation submodule is configured to transform the transmission torque signal and the handwheel position signal into an estimated second load value. The torque steer ratio calculation submodule is configured to transform the estimated second load value, a first load value indicative of roadwheel load including torque steer influence, and the transmission torque signal into a torque steer ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Harshwardhan D. Karve, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Patent number: 11377143
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for providing failsafe assist torque in steering systems. An example method includes determining, by a first controller, a first assist torque signal using a first set of torque sensor signals from a first sensor and a second set of torque sensor signals from a second sensor, the first sensor corresponding to the first controller, and the second sensor corresponding to a second controller. The method further includes determining, by the second controller, a second assist torque signal using the first and second sets of torque sensor signals. Further the method includes generating, by a motor, an assist torque using the first and second assist torque signals, and in response to the first controller receiving a diagnostic signal indicating a failure of the first torque sensor, determining by the first controller, the first assist torque signal using only the second set of torque sensor signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Keyur R. Patel, Anthony J. Champagne, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Publication number: 20220135030
    Abstract: A method includes providing a simulation environment that simulates a vehicle. The method includes providing the vehicular lane centering algorithm to the simulation environment, generating a base scenario for the vehicular lane centering algorithm for use by the simulated vehicle, and extracting, from the simulation environment, traffic lane information. The method also includes measuring performance of the vehicular lane centering algorithm during the base scenario using the extracted traffic lane information and generating a plurality of modified scenarios derived from the base scenario. Each modified scenario of the plurality of modified scenarios adjusts at least one parameter of the base scenario. The method also includes measuring performance of the vehicular lane centering algorithm during the plurality of modified scenarios using the extracted traffic lane information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Arpit Awathe, Chao Chen, Pushpendra Kushwaha
  • Patent number: 11203379
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for disturbance feedforward compensation technique for improving the disturbance rejection properties of a closed loop position control system using a cascaded control structure with an inner velocity and outer position control loops. According to one or more embodiments, a system includes a position controller that receives an input rack-position command, and a measured rack-position, and computes a velocity command based on a difference in the input rack-position command and the measured rack-position. The system further includes a velocity controller that receives the velocity command, and a measured motor velocity, and computes an input torque command based on a difference in the velocity command and the measured motor velocity. The system adjusts a position of a rack by generating an amount of torque corresponding to the applying the input torque command to a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Kai Zheng, Mariam Swetha George, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Patent number: 11180186
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for disturbance feedforward compensation technique for improving the disturbance rejection properties of a closed loop position control system. According to one or more embodiments, a steering system includes a position controller that generates a torque command based on an input rack-position command and a measured position command. Further, a disturbance estimator that estimates a rack force acting on a rack, and an adder generates an adjusted torque command by adding the rack force that is estimated into the torque command. The steering system further includes an actuator that positions the rack according to the adjusted torque command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Kai Zheng, Mariam Swetha George, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Patent number: 11173897
    Abstract: A vehicle safety system includes a controller in communication with at least one of an imaging system and a ranging system. At least one of the imaging system and the ranging system being arranged to monitor a distance and a speed of a forward vehicle and at least one of an incoming vehicle and a vehicle relative to a host vehicle. The controller is programmed to output for display a time left to pass the forward vehicle based on the distance and the speed of the forward vehicle and the incoming vehicle, responsive to indicia of an impending host vehicle maneuver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Zaki Ryne, Jian Sheng, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Farhad Bolourchi
  • Patent number: 11117614
    Abstract: A method for scaling a stability signal in a steering system is provided and includes computing, by a torque boost module, an assist torque command to cause a motor of the steering system to generate an assist torque. Further, the method includes computing, by a stability compensation module, a stabilized torque command based on an input signal, the stabilized torque command modifying the assist torque command. Further, the method includes computing, by a stability monitoring module, a stability scaling factor to adjust the stabilized torque command based on a duration and severity of an instability detected in the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Qi Wang, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Anthony J. Champagne, Michael K. Hales
  • Patent number: 11110956
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments a control system for a steering system, includes a control module that estimates a tire load by performing a method that includes receiving, as an input torque, motor-torque that is generated by a motor of the steering system. The method further includes computing an efficiency factor for a gear of the steering system based on the input torque and a motor velocity. The method further includes adjusting the input torque by scaling the input torque with the efficiency factor. The method further includes estimating the tire load using the adjusted input torque as an input to a state observer for the steering system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Mariam Swetha George, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Publication number: 20210263518
    Abstract: Embodiments for assisting steering of a vehicle responsive to detecting an object in a proximity of a vehicle are described. Embodiments described include: receiving an image of a lane indicator corresponding to a lane of travel of the vehicle from an image capturing device; determining, based on the image, reference values corresponding to a position of the lane indicator relative to the vehicle; associating each of the reference values to values used to locate a point within a reference frame related to a direction the vehicle is traveling; receiving position information of an object in an environment external to the vehicle from a radar sensor; determining, based on the values and the position information, an assigned lane of the object; detecting an impending change of the lane of travel of the vehicle to the assigned lane of the object; generating a steering control value based on the impending change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Jian Sheng, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Zaki Ryne
  • Publication number: 20210107567
    Abstract: An emergency steering system for a vehicle includes a memory including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive information corresponding to an environment external to the vehicle; identify an obstacle in the environment external to the vehicle using the information; determine a distance between the vehicle and the obstacle; determine whether a collision is imminent; in response to determining that a collision is imminent, determine whether the vehicle can move within a lane of travel to avoid the collision; in response to determining that the vehicle can move within the lane of travel to avoid the collision, determine a trajectory of travel for the vehicle; generate a steering assist angle command based on the trajectory of travel; and control position of a steering mechanism of the vehicle using the steering assist angle command and a measured steering angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Mariam S. George, Zaki Ryne
  • Patent number: 10946894
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for providing driver warning using steering systems. An example steering system includes a motor control system that sends a command to a motor. The steering system further includes a fault monitoring system that sets a fault indication flag by monitoring one or more components of the steering system. The steering system further includes a driver warning feedback system that generates a warning injection signal based on and in response to the fault indication flag being set. Further, the motor control system generates a driver feedback by modifying the command to the motor using the warning injection signal, and sending the modified command to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solution IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Dennis B. Skellenger, Nicholas M. Trewhella, Jeffrey A. Zuraski, Jeffrey T. Klass, Michael K. Hales
  • Patent number: 10913495
    Abstract: Technical solutions described herein include a steering system that includes a motor that generates assist torque, and a controller that generates a motor torque command for controlling an amount of the assist torque generated by the motor. The steering system further includes a remote object assist module that computes a steering intervention based on a proximity of a vehicle from a detected object. The controller changes the motor torque command using the steering intervention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Jian Sheng, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Farhad Bolourchi
  • Publication number: 20210031827
    Abstract: A steer-by-wire system includes a transmission torque sensor, a handwheel position sensor, and a controller. The transmission torque sensor is configured to measure and output a transmission torque signal. The handwheel position sensor is configured to measure and output a handwheel position signal. The controller includes an angle-based load calculation submodule, a torque steer ratio calculation submodule, and a torque control module. The angle-based load calculation submodule is configured to transform the transmission torque signal and the handwheel position signal into an estimated second load value. The torque steer ratio calculation submodule is configured to transform the estimated second load value, a first load value indicative of roadwheel load including torque steer influence, and the transmission torque signal into a torque steer ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Harshwardhan D. Karve, Tejas M. Varunjikar
  • Publication number: 20210016826
    Abstract: Disclosed is a steer by wire system that includes a controller operable to operate a roadwheel actuator such that a position command to the roadwheel actuator based on a handwheel orientation is a magnitude corresponding to a handwheel orientation offset value in an opposite direction to reduce a difference between the handwheel orientation offset value and a predetermined handwheel zero value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Apurv Naman, Tejas M. Varunjikar, Bhuvanesh Sainath, Rangarajan Ramanujam, Prerit Pramod
  • Publication number: 20200346642
    Abstract: A steering system includes a motor, and a processor configured to perform a method. The method includes computing, by a processor, a predicted steering angle at a future time step. The method further includes determining, by the processor, a predicted vehicle-position at the future time step based on the predicted steering angle. The method further includes detecting, by the processor, a proximity to an object at the future time step based on predicted vehicle-position. The method further includes generating, by the processor, an intervention signal in response to the proximity being below a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Jian Sheng
  • Publication number: 20200331520
    Abstract: Technical solutions described herein include a method of controlling an electric power steering system includes determining that one or more hand wheel torque sensors of electric power steering system are not operational and in response generating an assist torque command by estimating a front slip angle based on a motor angle of a motor of the electric power steering system and a vehicle speed. The method also includes converting the front slip angle to a rack force. The method also includes determining an amount of assist torque based on the rack force and controlling the electric power steering system using the generated assist torque command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Anthony J. Champagne, Michael S. Wyciechowski, Rangarajan Ramanujam
  • Publication number: 20200262474
    Abstract: According to one or more embodiments, a method includes computing, by a steering system, a model rack force value based on a vehicle speed, steering angle, and a road-friction coefficient value. The method further includes determining, by the steering system, a difference between the model rack force value and a load rack force value. The method further includes updating, by the steering system, the road-friction coefficient value using the difference that is determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Tejas M. Varunjikar, Mariam S. George