IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,315,691
Granted Patent B2
US 10,315,691 · App. 15/474,744 · Granted Jun 11, 2019

Methods and apparatus to correct clear vision errors in a vehicle steering system

Inventors: Lodewijk Wijffels (Canton, MI); David Michael Russell (Ann Arbor, MI); Jeremy Alan Rawlings (Canton, MI); Attila Benak (Cologne, DE); Timothy Cannon (Millington, MI); Joseph Park (Saint Clair Shores, MI)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B62D5/0484B62D1/04B62D1/181B62D3/126B62D15/02B62D15/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,315,691
App. No.
15/474,744
Granted
Jun 11, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to correct clear vision errors in a vehicle steering system are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first sensor and a second sensor to measure a current position of a steering column and a current position of a steering wheel in a vehicle steering system. The example apparatus further includes a non-uniformity manager to map the current position to an offset, and an active steering system to apply the offset to adjust the current position of the steering wheel to a nominal position of the steering wheel to compensate for a clear vision error.

Claims (35)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first sensor to measure a current position of a steering column of a vehicle;

a second sensor to measure a first position of a steering wheel of the vehicle;

a logic circuit to map the current position to a steering wheel offset; and

an active steering system to apply the steering wheel offset to adjust the steering wheel to a second position different from the first position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a column position adjusting system to determine a type of the steering column.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the type is a manually adjustable type or an electrically adjustable type.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor is to measure a rake position of the steering column and the second sensor is to measure a reach position of the steering column.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the steering wheel offset is a clear vision angular offset, the clear vision angular offset to be applied to an active steering system overlay angle.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the active steering system is to apply the steering wheel offset to an active steering system actuator.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a first sensor and a second sensor to determine a non-uniformity angle associated with a steering column in a vehicle steering system;

a logic circuit to:

map the non-uniformity angle to a current position of the steering column; and

determine an offset based on the current position of the steering column; and

an active steering system to apply the offset to adjust a current position of a steering wheel to a nominal position of the steering wheel to compensate for a clear vision error.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including a third sensor to determine a torque feedback variation associated with the steering column.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the logic circuit is to map the torque feedback variation to the current position of the steering column.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including a column position adjusting system to determine a steering column type of the steering column.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first sensor is to measure a first angle corresponding to a steering wheel angle relative to a first universal joint, the second sensor is to measure a second angle corresponding to a pinion angle relative to a second universal joint, and the non-uniformity angle is based on the first angle and the second angle.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the active steering system is to apply the offset to an active steering system actuator to compensate for the clear vision error.

13. A method comprising:

determining, by executing an instruction with one or more processors, a type of a steering column in a vehicle steering system;

in response to determining the type is a manually adjustable type:

determining, by executing an instruction with the one or more processors, a non-uniformity angle associated with the steering column; and

mapping, by executing an instruction with the one ore more processors, the non-uniformity angle to a current position of the steering column;

mapping, by executing an instruction with the one or more processors, the current position of the steering column to an offset to adjust a current position of a steering wheel; and

applying, by executing an instruction with the one or more processors, the offset to an active steering system to adjust the current position of the steering wheel to a nominal position of the steering wheel to compensate for a clear vision error.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including in response to determining that the type is an electrically adjustable type, determining the current position of the steering column based on a measurement from a first sensor and a second sensor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first sensor measures a rake position of the steering column and the second sensor measures a reach position of the steering column.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein mapping the non-uniformity angle to the current position includes mapping the non-uniformity angle to a non-uniformity profile in a look-up table.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the look-up table is generated by determining non-uniformity angles as a function of a steering wheel angle for a plurality of steering column positions.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the offset is a clear vision angular offset, the clear vision angular offset to be applied to an active steering system overlay angle.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the non-uniformity angle is a first non-uniformity angle, and determining the clear vision angular offset includes comparing a first velocity variation associated with the first non-uniformity angle at the current position of the steering wheel to a second velocity variation associated with a second non-uniformity angle at the nominal position of the steering wheel.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the offset is applied to an active steering system actuator.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2017
From: WIJFFELS, LODEWIJK; RUSSELL, DAVID MICHAEL; RAWLINGS, JEREMY ALAN; BENAK, ATTILA; CANNON, TIMOTHY; PARK, JOSEPH
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 041841/0971 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180281845A1 · Oct 4, 2018