Oversteering/understeering compensation with active front steering using steer by wire technology

• US 20050189161A1
• Filed: 02/27/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Zheng, Bing, Lenart, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 7,032,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/402
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/003 in order to control vehicle yaw movement, i.e. around a vertical axis B62D6/007 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for compensating understeer and oversteer in a vehicle having a steer by wire system. The system includes a driver interface system, a sensor system, a controller, and a road wheel steering actuation system. The driver interface system receives steering input from the driver. The sensor system senses the steering input and generates a steering control signal that is received by the controller. The controller determines if an understeer or oversteer condition exists and generates an appropriate steering assist signal that is then communicated to the road wheel steering actuation system. In response to the steering assist signal, the road wheel steering actuation system adjusts the road wheel angle to compensate for the understeer or oversteer condition.

Claims

1. A system for compensating understeer and oversteer in a vehicle having a steer by wire system, the system comprising:

a driver interface system for receiving steering input;

a sensor system to sense the steering input and generate a steering control signal;

a controller in electrical communication with the sensor system to receive the steering control signal, wherein the controller is configured to determine when an understeer or oversteer condition exists and generate a steering assist signal; and

a road wheel steering actuation system configured to receive the steering assist signal and adjust a road wheel angle based on the steering assist signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine if an understeer condition exists based on a measured yaw rate and a measured lateral acceleration signal.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to determine if an understeer condition exists based on a desired yaw rate and a desired lateral acceleration.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the controller determines an understeer condition exists when the magnitude of the desired yaw rate is greater than the measured yaw rate by a first threshold value for a time period and the magnitude of the desired lateral acceleration is greater than the measured lateral acceleration by a second threshold for the time period.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine if a oversteer condition exists based on a measured yaw rate and a measured lateral acceleration signal.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine if an oversteer condition exists based on a desired yaw rate and a desired lateral acceleration.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the controller determines an oversteer condition exists when the magnitude of the desired yaw rate is less than the measured yaw rate by a first threshold value for a time period and the magnitude of the desired lateral acceleration is less than the measured lateral acceleration by a second threshold for the time period.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein the desired yaw rate is calculated according to the relationship:

9. The system according to claim 5, wherein the desired lateral acceleration is calculated based on the relationship:

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller includes a proportional integral algorithm and an input to the proportional integral algorithm is the difference between a steering wheel angle and a predetermined understeer compensation reference value scheduled based on a vehicle speed.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined understeer compensation reference value is determined according to the relationship:

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a steering assist signal based on a proportional integral algorithm.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to generate a steering assist signal such that a yaw rate error and a lateral acceleration error is minimized.

14. A method for compensating understeer and oversteer in a vehicle having a steer by wire system, the method comprising:

receiving steering input from a driver interface system;

sensing the steering input with a sensor system;

generating a steering control signal;

receiving the steering control signal into a controller;

determining when an understeer or oversteer condition exists utilizing the controller;

generating a steering assist signal; and

adjusting a road wheel angle based on the steering assist signal.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining when an understeer condition exists is based on a measured yaw rate and a measured lateral acceleration signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising determining if an understeer condition exists based on a desired yaw rate and a desired lateral acceleration.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising determining an understeer condition exists when the magnitude of the desired yaw rate is greater than the measured yaw rate by a first threshold value for a first time period and the magnitude of the desired lateral acceleration is greater than the measured lateral acceleration by a second threshold for a second time period.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising determining if a oversteer condition exists based on a measured yaw rate and a measured lateral acceleration signal.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising determining if an oversteer condition exists based on a desired yaw rate and a desired lateral acceleration.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising determining an oversteer condition exists if the magnitude of the desired yaw rate is less than the measured yaw rate by a first threshold value for a first time period and the magnitude of the desired lateral acceleration is less than the measured lateral acceleration by a second threshold for a second time period.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising calculating the desired yaw rate according to the relationship:

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising calculating the desired lateral acceleration based on the relationship:

23. The method according to claim 14, further comprising calculating the difference between a steering wheel angle and a predetermined understeer compensation reference value scheduled based on a vehicle speed.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising calculating the predetermined understeer compensation reference value according to the relationship:

25. The method according to claim 14, further comprising generating a steering assist signal based on a proportional integral algorithm.

26. The method according to claim 14, further comprising generating a steering assist signal such that a yaw rate error and a lateral acceleration error is minimized.