US 2020/0269902 A1Published application

Method for operating a steering system, and steering system

AssigneeZF Active Safety GmbH

InventorHeinz-Dieter Heitzer

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method for operating a steering system includes the steps of: (1) acquiring a variable at least during the partially automated driving; (2) determining whether or not the driver wishes to control the vehicle manually using a variable; (3) ending the partially automated driving and converting steering movements applied by the driver into steering movements of the motor vehicle via a front-axle actuator unit irrespective of the current rotational angle of the steering wheel, if the driver wishes to control the vehicle manually. The variable acquired during partially automated driving may be any of the following: a driver gripping force applied to the steering wheel, a driver torque applied to the steering wheel, deflection of the steering wheel, a gradient of the driver gripping force to the steering wheel, a gradient of the driver torque applied to the steering wheel, and deflection gradient of the steering wheel.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method for operating a steering system of a motor vehicle, in particular a steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the steering system comprises a steering wheel actuator unit which is assigned to a steering wheel, a front-axle actuator unit and a control unit, and wherein the control unit is designed to control the motor vehicle in an at least partially automated fashion, having the steps:

at least one of the following variables is acquired at least during the partially automated driving:
a gripping force which a driver applies to the steering wheel, a torque which the driver applies to the steering wheel, deflection of the steering wheel, in particular a rotational angle of the steering wheel, a gradient of the gripping force which the driver applies to the steering wheel, a gradient of the torque which the driver applies to the steering wheel, and a gradient of the deflection of the steering wheel, in particular a rotational angle speed of the steering wheel;
the at least one variable is used to determine whether or not the driver wishes to control the vehicle manually;
and
the at least partially automated driving is ended and steering movements which the driver applies to the steering wheel are converted into steering movements of the motor vehicle by the front-axle actuator unit, irrespective of the current rotational angle of the steering wheel, if it has been determined that the driver wishes to control the vehicle manually.

2 more elements

A steering system for a motor vehicle comprising:

a steering wheel actuator unit which is assigned to a steering wheel, and
a front-axle actuator unit which is assigned to a front axle of the motor vehicle, and a control unit,
wherein the steering wheel actuator unit is designed to apply a torque to the steering wheel, and wherein the steering wheel actuator unit is designed to acquire at least one of the following variables:
a gripping force which a driver applies to the steering wheel, a torque which the driver applies to the steering wheel, a deflection of the steering wheel, in particular a rotational angle of the steering wheel, a gradient of the gripping force which the driver applies to the steering wheel, a gradient of the torque which the driver applies to the steering wheel, and a gradient of the deflection of the steering wheel, in particular a rotational angle speed of the steering wheel,
wherein the front-axle actuator unit is designed to apply a torque to a lower part of the steering system in order to steer wheels of the motor vehicle,
wherein the front-axle actuator unit is also designed to determine a torque which is applied to a lower part of the steering system and/or a rotational angle of the wheels of the motor vehicle,
wherein the steering wheel actuator unit, the front-axle actuator unit and the control unit are each connected to one another in a signal-transmitting fashion, and
wherein the control unit is designed to control the steering wheel actuator unit and the front-axle actuator unit independently of one another.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/650,735Filed 5 Oct 2018
Priority: DE 10 2017 123 272.96 Oct 2017
Published: 27 Aug 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B62D 1/286
Non-mechanical , e.g. following a line or other known markers: systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention
B62D 5/046
Characterised by control features of the drive means as such: controlling the motor
B62D 1/046
Hand wheels: adaptations on rotatable parts of the steering wheel for accommodation of switches
B62D 5/0421
Electrical, e.g. using an electric servo-motor connected to, or forming part of, the steering gear: electric motor acting on or near steering gear