Steering-wheel feedback mechanism

• US 10,259,496 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Talamonti, Walter Joseph, Johns, Mishel, Ju, Wendy
• Primary Examiner(s): Jos, Basil T.
• Application Number:
  US15/426,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20180222524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/02 Steering position indicators ; Steering position determination; Steering aids
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/008 Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications

Abstract

A computer in a vehicle is programmed to change a steering angle of the vehicle and rotate a steering wheel of the vehicle to a steering-wheel angle based on the steering angle at a preset future time and a determined ratio of the steering-wheel angle to the steering angle. The determined ratio varies based at least on vehicle speed.

Claims

1. A computer, programmed to:

set a steering angle of a vehicle at a present time for a preset future time; and

before the preset future time, rotate a steering wheel to a steering-wheel angle based on the steering angle for the preset future time and a determined ratio of the steering-wheel angle to the steering angle;

wherein the determined ratio varies based at least on a vehicle speed.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the determined ratio is higher at a first vehicle speed than at a second vehicle speed, the first vehicle speed being faster than the second vehicle speed.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the determined ratio increases as the vehicle speed increases.

4. The computer of claim 3, wherein the determined ratio increases monotonically as the vehicle speed increases.

5. The computer of claim 1, wherein the determined ratio is based on a roadway type.

6. The computer of claim 5, wherein the roadway type is one of a controlled-access highway and a noncontrolled-access road.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein the determined ratio is higher for the controlled-access highway than for the noncontrolled-access road.

8. A method comprising:

setting a steering angle of a vehicle at a present time for a preset future time; and

before the preset future time, rotating a steering wheel to a steering-wheel angle based on the steering angle for the preset future time and a determined ratio of the steering-wheel angle to the steering angle;

wherein the determined ratio varies based at least on a vehicle speed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined ratio is higher at a first vehicle speed than at a second vehicle speed, the first vehicle speed being faster than the second vehicle speed.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined ratio increases as the vehicle speed increases.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determined ratio increases monotonically as the vehicle speed increases.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the determined ratio is based on a roadway type.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the roadway type is one of a controlled-access highway and a noncontrolled-access road.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determined ratio is higher for the controlled-access highway than for the noncontrolled-access road.

15. A steering system comprising:

a steering wheel having a steering-wheel angle;

a steer-by-wire system connected to the steering wheel; and

a computer in communication with the steer-by-wire system and programmed to change set a steering angle at a present time for a preset future time; and

before the preset future time, rotate the steering wheel based on the steering angle for the preset future time and a determined ratio of the steering-wheel angle to the steering angle, the determined ratio based on a vehicle speed.

16. The steering system of claim 15, further comprising a steering rack connected to the steer-by-wire system, the steering rack coupleable to road wheels having the steering angle.

17. The steering system of claim 15, wherein the determined ratio increases as the vehicle speed increases.

18. The steering system of claim 17, wherein the determined ratio increases monotonically as the vehicle speed increases.

19. The steering system of claim 15, wherein the determined ratio is based on a roadway type.

20. The steering system of claim 19, wherein the determined ratio is higher for a roadway type of controlled-access highway than for a roadway type of noncontrolled-access road.