Stability-based steering control methods and systems

• US 8,473,158 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Naik, Anand P., Hales, Michael K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US12/547,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0463 calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0466 for returning the steering wheel to neutral position

Abstract

A control system for controlling a steering system to maintain stability of the steering system is provided. The control system includes an operating conditions module that estimates at least one operating gain based on an operating condition of the steering system. A blend module estimates a blend value based on the at least one operating gain. A steering assist module generates a steering assist command based on the blend value.

Claims

1. A control system comprising processing circuitry for controlling a steering system to maintain stability of the steering system, comprising:

an operating conditions module that estimates at least one operating gain based on an operating condition of the steering system;

a stability based blend module that estimates a stability based compensator blend value that is based on a maximum of a phase margin and a gain margin, the phase margin representing an evaluation at a target phase margin for system stability of a first polynomial with phase margin coefficients based on the at least one operating gain, and the gain margin representing an evaluation at a target gain margin for system stability of a second polynomial with gain margin coefficients based on the at least one operating gain; and

an apply blend module that generates a steering assist command to control the steering system based on the stability based compensator blend value.

2. The control system of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on driver initiated torque on the steering system.

3. The control system of claim 1 wherein the operating conditions module estimates the at least one operating gain further based on at least one operating condition of a vehicle that includes the steering system.

4. The control system of claim 3 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on a vehicle velocity.

5. The control system of claim 1 wherein the operating conditions module estimates a high frequency operating gain and a low frequency operating gain based on the at least one operating condition.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein the stability based blend module estimates the stability based compensator blend value based on an inverse function of at least one of the gain margin and the phase margin.

7. The control system of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on motor velocity of the steering system.

8. The control system of claim 1 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on hand wheel velocity on the steering system.

17. The control system of claim 1 wherein the control system further comprises:

a vehicle velocity blend module that determines a vehicle velocity compensator blend value based on a vehicle velocity;

a compensation module that estimates a compensated assist value by applying a compensation filter to an assist command; and

the apply blend module applies the compensated assist value to a maximum of the stability based compensator blend value and the vehicle velocity compensator blend value.

9. A method of controlling a steering system by processing circuitry to maintain stability of the steering system, comprising:

estimating at least one operating gain based on at least one operating condition of the steering system;

estimating a stability based compensator blend value based on a maximum of a phase margin and gain margin, the phase margin representing an evaluation at a target phase margin for system stability of a first polynomial with phase margin coefficients based on the at least one operating gain, and the gain margin representing an evaluation at a target gain margin for system stability of a second polynomial with gain margin coefficients based on the at least one operating gain; and

generating a steering assist command to control the steering system based on the stability based compensator blend value.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the operating condition is based on driver initiated torque on the steering system.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein estimating the at least one operating gain is further based on at least one operating condition of a vehicle that includes the steering system.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on a vehicle velocity.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the estimating at least one operating gain further comprises estimating a high frequency operating gain and a low frequency operating gain based on the at least one operating condition.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the estimating the stability based compensator blend value is based on an inverse function of at least one of the gain margin and the phase margin.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on motor velocity of the steering system.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one operating condition is based on hand wheel velocity on the steering system.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a vehicle velocity compensator blend value based on a vehicle velocity;

estimating a compensated assist value by applying a compensation filter to an assist command; and

applying the compensated assist value to a maximum of the stability based compensator blend value and the vehicle velocity compensator blend value.