Regulating system

• US 6,540,044 B1
• Filed: 02/02/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Daimler Chrysler Company LLC (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Böhringer, Michael, Eckstein, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUM VANNUCCI, LEE SIN YEE
• Application Number:
  US09/673,911
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/42, 180/443, 180/446, 180/402, 180/403, 180/406
• US Class Current: 180/446
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/024 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance

Abstract

A control system for coupling two final control elements as regards the actuated position and the actuating force, in which each final control element is assigned a separate force-control loop, these loops being coupled to one another by way of the actual-force values prevailing at the final control elements, is to be improved as regards its versatility for different applications. According to the invention, this is achieved by virtue of the fact that the two force-control loops are coupled by a proportionality factor, thus giving a force transmission ratio between the final control elements. The control system according to the invention can be used with particular advantage in a steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle, in which case one final control element is formed by a steering handle and the other final control element is formed by steered vehicle wheels.

Claims

1. A control system for coupling first and second final control elements, comprising:

a first force control loop, including a first actual-force transmitter for producing a first actual-force signal correlating with actuating forces prevailing at the first final control element, a first actual position transmitter for producing a first actual position signal correlating with an actuated position set at the first final control element, a first desired-force generator, which generates a desired-force signal from the first actual-position signal as a function of a first specified relationship between actuated positions and actuating forces, and a first force controller, which actuates a first force actuator,

a second force control loop, including a second actual-force transmitter for producing a second actual-force signal correlating with actuating forces prevailing at the second final control element, a second actual position transmitter for producing a second actual position signal correlating with an actuated position set at the second final control element, a second desired-force generator, which generates a second desired-force signal from the second actual-position signal as a function of a second specified relationship between the actuated positions and the actuating forces, and a second force controller, which actuates a second force actuator,

wherein the force actuators are actuated, as functions of the force signals at inputs of the force controllers, so that the specified relationships between the actuated positions and the actuating forces are established at the final control elements,

wherein the first actual-force signal is also fed to the input of the second force controller,

wherein the second actual-force signal is also fed to the input of the first force controller,

wherein the first actual-force signal is multiplied by a proportionality factor before being fed to the input of the second force controller, and

wherein the second actual-force signal is divided by the proportionality factor before being fed to the input of the first force controller.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein a first coupling line, which couples an output of the first actual-force transmitter to an input of the second force controller, has a first coupling element, which carries out multiplication of the first actual-force signals by the proportionality factor, arranged therein, and wherein a second coupling line, which couples an output of the second actual-force transmitter to an input of the first force controller, has a second coupling element, which carries out division of the second actual-force signals by the proportionality factor, arranged therein.

3. The control system according to claim 2, wherein the proportionality factor can be varied as a function of parameters.

4. The control system according to claim 3, and further comprising a coupling-parameter generator which generates the parameters as a function of operating parameters of a device containing the control system and feeds these parameters to the first and second coupling elements and to the first and second desired-force generators.

5. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said first and second specified relationships are different.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second specified relationships can be varied as a function of parameters.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the control system is a steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle, wherein the first final control element is at least one steering handle of the motor vehicle, and wherein the second final control element is at least one steered vehicle wheel of the motor vehicle.