Method and device for reducing unwanted excitations at a steering wheel

• US 8,090,502 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2006
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Sedlan, Konstantin, Marx, Andreas, Brosig, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/335,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20060180369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,175 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701 29- 47, 180/410, 180/421, 180443-446
• US Class Current: 701/42
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0472 for damping vibrations

Abstract

A device and a method for reducing unwanted or undesireable excitations at a steering wheel include a sensor system with which unwanted excitation at a steering wheel and/or steering gear can be sensed. A closed-loop control unit is configured to generate an additional steering torque on the basis of the sensed unwanted excitation. A servomotor applies the additional steering torque to the steering gear.

Claims

1. A device for reducing unwanted excitations at a steering wheel, comprising:

a sensor system mounted to sense unwanted excitations at the steering wheel and/or a steering gear connected to the steering wheel; and

a closed-loop control unit connected to said sensor system, said control unit being configured to generate an additional steering torque signal on the basis of the sensed unwanted excitation, and to cause a servomotor to apply an additional steering torque on the steering gear;

said closed-loop control unit being configured to evaluate in quantitative and/or qualitative terms an unwanted excitation to be compensated, said unwanted excitation being due to a fault on the vehicle, and, when a predefined limiting value is exceeded, a fault entry is written into a monitoring unit and/or a driver is warned by a warning signal; and

said sensor system being mounted to sense an angular position of a rotor of the servomotor of an electromechanical steering system and a steering torque of the steering wheel, the sensor signals being tapped from an electromechanical steering support.

2. The device according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one filter connected to filter out low-frequency excitations at the steering wheel and/or at the steering gear to prevent low-frequency excitations from causing an actuation of the servomotor with the additional steering torque.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor system is configured to sense a steering wheel angle, and the sensor signals are tapped from an electronic stability program.

4. The device according to claim 1, which further comprises a detection unit configured to detect unwanted excitation and, upon detecting unwanted excitation, to generate an actuation signal, wherein the actuation signal causes an application of the additional steering torque to be switched on or off on the basis of the actuation signal.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said sensor system being mounted to sense an angular position of a rotor of the servomotor of an electromechanical steering system has a high resolution for sensing high-frequency unwanted excitations.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said sensor system being mounted to sense an angular position of a rotor of the servomotor of an electromechanical steering system has a high resolution for sensing high-frequency unwanted excitations.

5. A device for reducing unwanted excitations at a steering wheel, comprising:

a sensor system mounted to sense unwanted excitation at the steering wheel and/or a steering gear connected to the steering wheel;

a servomotor connected to apply a steering torque to the steering gear;

said sensor system being mounted to sense an angular position of a rotor of the servomotor of an electromechanical steering system and a steering torque of the steering wheel;

a closed-loop control unit connected to receive sensor signals from said sensor system, configured to generate an additional steering torque signal on the basis of the sensor signals, and connected to output the additional steering torque signal and to thereby direct said servomotor to apply the additional steering torque to the steering gear; and

said closed-loop control unit being configured to evaluate in quantitative and/or qualitative terms an unwanted excitation to be compensated, said unwanted excitation being due to a fault on the vehicle, and, when a predefined limiting value is exceeded, a fault entry is written into a monitoring unit and/or a driver is warned by a warning signal.