Granted Patent B2

US 8,082,078 · App. 12/099,470 · Granted Dec 20, 2011

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. In a vehicle having a handwheel, a method, comprising:

measuring end of travel positions of the handwheel;

recording the end of travel positions;

comparing the end of travel positions with current travel limit values;

recording new travel limits with respect to the end of travel positions;

determining if a current position of the handwheel exceeds current travel limits; and

in response to the current position being greater than a valid end of travel clockwise limit variable, setting the end of travel clockwise limit variable to a minimum of the current position and a predetermined end of travel maximum.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein measuring end of travel positions of the handwheel, comprises in response to a valid end of travel clockwise limit variable and a valid end of travel counterclockwise limit, reading a stored end of travel clockwise limit value as the end of travel clockwise limit variable and a stored end of travel counterclockwise limit value as the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein measuring end of travel positions of the handwheel, comprises in response to an invalid end of travel clockwise limit variable and an invalid end of travel counterclockwise limit variable being valid, setting the end of travel clockwise limit variable and the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable as an end of travel minimum calibration.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising performing an autocenter initialization on the handwheel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising in response to the current position being less than a valid end of travel counterclockwise limit, setting the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable to a maximum of the current position and a negative of a predetermined end of travel maximum.

6. A computer program product for implementing steering travel limit determination for electric power steering, the computer program product including instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium for causing a computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

measuring end of travel positions of the handwheel;

recording the end of travel positions;

comparing the end of travel positions with current travel limit values;

recording new travel limits with respect to the end of travel positions;

determining if a current position of the handwheel exceeds current travel limits; and

in response to the current position being greater than a valid end of travel clockwise limit variable, setting the end of travel clockwise limit variable to a minimum of the current position and a predetermined end of travel maximum.

7. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein measuring end of travel positions of the handwheel, comprises in response to a valid end of travel clockwise limit variable and a valid end of travel counterclockwise limit, reading a stored end of travel clockwise limit value as the end of travel clockwise limit variable and a stored end of travel counterclockwise limit value as the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable.

8. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein measuring end of travel positions of the handwheel, comprises in response to an invalid end of travel clockwise limit variable and an invalid end of travel counterclockwise limit variable being valid, setting the end of travel clockwise limit variable and the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable as an end of travel minimum calibration.

9. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the method further comprises performing an autocenter initialization on the handwheel.

10. The computer program product as claimed in claim 6 wherein the method further comprises in response to the current position being less than a valid end of travel counterclockwise limit, setting the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable to a maximum of the current position and a negative of a predetermined end of travel maximum.

11. A system, comprising:

a controller having a process with instructions to:

measure end of travel positions of a handwheel of a vehicle;

record the end of travel positions;

compare the end of travel positions with current travel limit values;

record new travel limits with respect to the end of travel positions;

in response to a current position being greater than a valid end of travel clockwise limit variable, set the end of travel clockwise limit variable to a minimum of the current position and a predetermined end of travel maximum; and

in response to the current position being less than a valid end of travel counterclockwise limit, set the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable to a maximum of the current position and a negative of a predetermined end of travel maximum.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein measuring the end of travel positions of the handwheel of the vehicle comprises:

in response to a valid end of travel clockwise limit variable and a valid end of travel counterclockwise limit, reading a stored end of travel clockwise limit value as the end of travel clockwise limit variable and a stored end of travel counterclockwise limit value as the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable; and

in response to an invalid end of travel clockwise limit variable and an invalid end of travel counterclockwise limit variable being valid, setting the end of travel clockwise limit variable and the end of travel counterclockwise limit variable as an end of travel minimum calibration.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (2)