US 6,640,167 B1 · Method of detecting and managing sensor fault for safety-critical road-wheel position in vehicle steer-by-wire systems

Abstract

The present invention involves a system and method of implementing a fault detection and management system for road wheel position sensor faults of a vehicle steer-by-wire system. The method comprises providing primary and secondary road wheel position sensors configured to generate road wheel angle signals indicative of a road wheel angle to a microprocessor. The primary road wheel sensor is in an active control mode and the secondary road wheel sensor is in a stand-by control mode within the steer-by-wire system. The method further includes receiving road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors, and detecting a fault based on the road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors. The method further includes calculating an estimated road wheel angle based on a vehicle variable and comparing the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle. The method further includes managing control of the system based on the comparison of the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of implementing a fault detection strategy for sensor fault of a vehicle steer-by-wire system, the method comprising:

providing primary and secondary road wheel position sensors configured to generate road wheel angle signals indicative of a road wheel angle to a microprocessor, the primary road wheel sensor being in an active control mode and the secondary road wheel sensor being in a stand-by control mode within the steer-by-wire system;
receiving road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors;
detecting a fault based on the road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors;
calculating an estimated road wheel angle based on a vehicle variable;
comparing the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle;
and
managing control of the system based on the comparison of the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle.

4 more elements

A method of implementing a fault detection and management strategy for road wheel position sensor faults of a vehicle steer-by-wire system, the method comprising:

providing primary and secondary road wheel position sensors configured to generate road wheel angle signals indicative of a road wheel angle to a microprocessor, the primary road wheel sensor being in an active control mode and the secondary road wheel sensor being in a stand-by control mode within the steer-by-wire system;
receiving road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors;
determining a difference between the road wheel angle signals of the primary and secondary sensors;
comparing the difference with a threshold;
calculating an estimated road wheel angle based on a vehicle variable, if the difference between the primary and secondary road wheel angle signals is greater than the threshold;
comparing the primary sensor signal with the estimated road wheel angle;
switching control to the secondary sensor, if the difference between the primary sensor signal and the estimated road wheel angle is greater than a second threshold;
and
indicating a secondary sensor fault, if the difference between the primary sensor signal and the estimated road wheel angle is not greater than the second threshold.

6 more elements

A fault detection and management system of a vehicle steer-by-wire system, the system comprising:

primary and secondary road wheel position sensors disposed adjacent to road wheel of the vehicle, the primary and secondary road wheel position sensors being configured to generate road wheel angle signals indicative of a road wheel angle, the primary road wheel position sensor being in an active control mode and the secondary road wheel position sensor being in a stand-by control mode with the steer-by-wire system;
a microprocessor in electrical communication with the primary and secondary road wheel position sensors for receiving road wheel angle signals from the primary and secondary sensors, the microprocessor being configured to calculate an estimated road wheel angle based on a vehicle variable when a sensor fault is detected and to compare one of the primary and secondary sensor signals with the estimated road wheel angle to manage control of the fault detection and management system.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of detecting and managing sensor fault for safety-critical road-wheel position in vehicle steer-by-wire systems

Life of this patent

Method of detecting and managing sensor fault for safety-critical road-wheel position in vehicle steer-by-wire systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27