System And Method To Control Vehicle Steering
First Claim
1. A method for steering a vehicle, comprising:
- detecting a return to center request;
determining a virtual steering angle when the return to center request is detected;
determining a vehicle velocity;
determining a new virtual steering angle based on the virtual steering angle and the vehicle velocity;
determining a steering angle for each steered wheel coupled to the vehicle, each steering angle based on the new virtual steering angle; and
commanding each steered wheel to the respective steering angle
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle controlled via a joystick has a turn request mode and a return to center request. While the operator is requesting a turn, steered wheels are turned at a predetermined rate, steering angle continuing to change while the turn request is being applied. When the operator ceases requesting a turn, the return to center mode is invoked: a direction of a virtual wheel of the vehicle is determined and such direction is maintained. A vehicle angular velocity is computed based on vehicle velocity and a virtual steering angle, which is the angle between the direction the virtual wheel is pointing and the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. To maintain the direction of the virtual wheel during a return to center, the virtual wheel is turned at an angular velocity equal in magnitude to the angular velocity of the vehicle and in a direction to return to center.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for steering a vehicle, comprising:
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detecting a return to center request; determining a virtual steering angle when the return to center request is detected; determining a vehicle velocity; determining a new virtual steering angle based on the virtual steering angle and the vehicle velocity; determining a steering angle for each steered wheel coupled to the vehicle, each steering angle based on the new virtual steering angle; and commanding each steered wheel to the respective steering angle - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for controlling a vehicle, comprising instructions for:
detecting a return to center request; and commanding each steered wheel coupled to the vehicle to return to a center position in response to the return to center request wherein return to the center position of the wheels is commanded so as to substantially maintain the direction that a virtual wheel is pointing at the time that the return to center request is detected. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for steering a vehicle, comprising:
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wheels coupled to the vehicle with at least one of the wheels being a steered wheel; a steering apparatus coupled to the at least one steered wheel, the steering apparatus adapted to turn the at least one steered wheel; an operator-input device coupled to the vehicle, the operator-input device having a turn request position and a return to center position; an electronic control unit in communication with the operator-input device, the vehicle, and the steering apparatus, the electronic control unit;
determining the present position of the operator-input device and commanding the steering apparatus to turn the at least one steered wheel toward a center position when the operator-input device is in the return to center position wherein the rate of return of the steered wheels to the center position is commanded to maintain a direction of a virtual wheel with respect to ground. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification