VEHICLE GUIDANCE SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A vehicle guidance system for a vehicle, the vehicle including a steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle, the vehicle guidance system including:
- a receiver for receiving a position indication signal;
a steering controller for generating a steering control signal based on the position indication signal;
a drive assembly to directly drive the steering wheel assembly responsive to the steering control signal, the drive assembly operable to generate a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly, wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle guidance system is disclosed where the vehicle includes a steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle. The vehicle guidance system includes a receiver for receiving a position indication signal, a steering controller for generating a steering control signal based on the position indication signal and a drive assembly to directly drive the steering wheel assembly responsive to the steering control signal. The drive assembly generates a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly, wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A vehicle guidance system for a vehicle, the vehicle including a steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle, the vehicle guidance system including:
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a receiver for receiving a position indication signal; a steering controller for generating a steering control signal based on the position indication signal; a drive assembly to directly drive the steering wheel assembly responsive to the steering control signal, the drive assembly operable to generate a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly, wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. A drive assembly for directly driving a steering wheel assembly, the steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle, wherein the drive assembly generates a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly and wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis.
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13. A method of disengaging a drive assembly in a vehicle guidance system, the vehicle guidance system operable on a steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle and the drive assembly operable to generate a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly, wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis, the method including the steps of:
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commanding the drive assembly to achieve a prescribed value of a performance parameter; monitoring the drive assembly to determine an actual value of the performance parameter; determining a difference measure between the prescribed value and the actual value and disengaging the drive assembly based on the difference measure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24-26. -26. (canceled)
- 27. An integrated drive assembly and steering wheel assembly for a vehicle, the steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle, the drive assembly for directly driving the steering assembly by generating a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly, wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis and wherein a physical characteristic of the steering wheel assembly is matched to the drive assembly.
Specification