Method for optimizing the steering assistance
AssigneeVolvo Truck Corporation
InventorsJean-Marc Blond, Jérôme Chaudet, Jean-Baptiste Doray, Olivier Villot
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and a system are provided for optimizing the steering assistance of a vehicle. The method includes the step of comparing the steering angle of the steered wheels with a theoretical value or with the steering angle of the steering wheel.
Claims14
Method for optimizing the steering assistance of a vehicle comprising at least a first and a second steered set of wheels, a steering gear with a torsion bar, a first angle sensor placed upstream the torsion bar of the steering gear, and a second angle sensor placed downstream the torsion bar, the method comprising:
- a) Monitoring the steering angle α of a steering wheel using the first angle sensor;
- b) Monitoring the steering angle β of the second steered set of wheels using the second angle sensor;
- c) Monitoring a difference between the steering angle α measured in step a) and the steering angle β measured in step b), and comparing the difference with a first reference value;
- d) Detecting whether the difference between the steering angle α measured in step a) and the steering angle β measured in step b) reaches a first reference value;
- e) Initiating a failure mode when in step d) the difference between the steering angle α measured in step a) and the steering angle β measured in step b) reaches the first reference value,
- wherein the failure mode initiated in step e) corresponds to an over-steering of the second steered set of wheels.
System for optimizing the steering assistance in a vehicle comprising
- a first steering system,
- a torsion bar,
- first and second sets of steered wheels,
- a first angle sensor placed upstream the torsion bar,
- a second angle sensor placed downstream the torsion bar, and
- an auxiliary steering system,
- wherein the auxiliary steering system is connected to the first angle sensor and the second angle sensor and is activated or overactivated when a difference between a steering angle α of a steering wheel measured by the first angle sensor and a steering angle β of the second set of steered wheels measured by the second angle sensor reaches a predetermined first reference value, wherein the auxiliary steering system is a steering system of the second set of steered wheels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.