# US 11,999,426 B2 · Method and device for estimating a steering wheel torque for a mechanical feedback at a steering wheel of a steering system of a motor vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,426 B2 - Document ID: US11999426B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/635,043 - Filed: 2020-06-25 - Published: 2022-09-15 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-20 - Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Kristof Van Ende; Jonas Kaste - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999426B2 ## CPC - B62D 6/008: {Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications} - G06N 20/00: Machine learning - B62D 6/007: {adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode} - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - G06N: COMPUTING ARRANGEMENTS BASED ON SPECIFIC COMPUTATIONAL MODELS ## Abstract A method for estimating a steering wheel torque for a mechanical feedback at a steering wheel of a steering system of a motor vehicle is disclosed, comprising: receiving and/or detecting at least one current measurement value of at least one state variable of the motor vehicle by suitable input means; estimating the current steering wheel torque by means of a controller; outputting the estimated steering wheel torque as a steering wheel torque signal, wherein the estimation is carried out by means of a parameterizable steering model, wherein current measurement values of at least a subset of the at least one state variable are fed as input data to the parameterizable steering model for this purpose, and wherein nonlinearities of the steering system are estimated based on the current measurement values of at least the subset of the at least one state variable using a method of artificial intelligence. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for estimating a steering wheel torque for a mechanical feedback at a steering wheel of a steering system of a motor vehicle, comprising: receiving and/or detecting at least one current measurement value of at least one state variable of the motor vehicle by a suitable input; estimating the current steering wheel torque using a controller; outputting the estimated steering wheel torque as a steering wheel torque signal; wherein the estimation is conducted by using a parameterizable steering model; wherein current measurement values of at least a subset of the at least one state variable are fed as input data to the parameterizable steering model; and wherein nonlinearities of the steering system are estimated based on the current measurement values of at least the subset of the at least one state variable using a method of artificial intelligence. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one or more reference measurement values of the at least one state variable of the motor vehicle detected during a reference run are used during a learning phase as reference input data of the parameterizable steering model and of the method of artificial intelligence; wherein steering wheel torque data detected during a learning run at the steering wheel by a steering wheel torque sensor form associated reference output values which are used during the learning phase as a reference for an estimated steering wheel torque. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the method of artificial intelligence is trained during the learning phase to estimate a difference between a steering wheel torque estimated based on the reference input data using the parameterizable steering model and an associated reference output value of the steering wheel torque. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the method of artificial intelligence comprises using an artificial neural network, wherein at least a subset of the at least one state variable is fed as input data to an input layer of the artificial neural network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein weights and parameters of the artificial neural network are determined during the learning phase. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein a structure of the artificial neural network may be changed during the learning phase. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein an artificial neural network is retrained in a further learning phase after a change of parameters of the parameterizable steering model. ### Claim 8 A device for estimating a steering wheel torque for a mechanical feedback at a steering wheel of a steering system of a motor vehicle, comprising: an input for receiving and/or detecting at least one current measurement value of at least one state variable of the motor vehicle; a controller for estimating a current steering wheel torque and for outputting the estimated steering wheel torque as a steering wheel torque signal; wherein the controller is configured to conduct the estimation using a parameterizable steering model, to feed current measurement values of at least a subset of the at least one state variable as input data to the parameterizable steering model, and to estimate nonlinearities of the steering system based on the current measurement values of at least the subset of the at least one state variable using a method of artificial intelligence. ### Claim 9 A motor vehicle comprising at least one device for estimating a steering wheel torque for a mechanical feedback at a steering wheel of a steering system of a motor vehicle, the device comprising: an input for receiving and/or detecting at least one current measurement value of at least one state variable of the motor vehicle; a controller for estimating a current steering wheel torque and for outputting the estimated steering wheel torque as a steering wheel torque signal; wherein the controller is configured to conduct the estimation using a parameterizable steering model, to feed current measurement values of at least a subset of the at least one state variable as input data to the parameterizable steering model, and to estimate nonlinearities of the steering system based on the current measurement values of at least the subset of the at least one state variable using a method of artificial intelligence. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The motor claim 9, the motor vehicle comprises a steer-by-wire steering system and the device is used to estimate the steering wheel torque for a steering wheel of the steer-by-wire steering system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the method of artificial intelligence comprises using an artificial neural network, wherein at least a subset of the at least one state variable is fed as input data to an input layer of the artificial neural network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the method of artificial intelligence comprises using an artificial neural network, wherein at least a subset of the at least one state variable is fed as input data to an input layer of the artificial neural network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein a structure of the artificial neural network may be changed during the learning phase. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein an artificial neural network is retrained in a further learning phase after a change of parameters of the parameterizable steering model. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein an artificial neural network is retrained in a further learning phase after a change of parameters of the parameterizable steering model. ### Claim 16 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the artificial neural network is retrained in a further learning phase after a change of parameters of the parameterizable steering model. ### Claim 17 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the artificial neural network is retrained in a further learning phase after a change of parameters of the parameterizable steering model. ### Claim 18 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the artificial neural network is retrained in a further learning phase after a change of parameters of the parameterizable steering model. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein weights and parameters of the artificial neural network are determined during the learning phase. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein weights and parameters of the artificial neural network are determined during the learning phase.