Method and system for controlling steering of a vehicle

1. A method of controlling steering of a vehicle, comprising:

acquiring, from a steering request detector of a vehicle in communication with a steering input device of the vehicle, a signal indicative of a driver request, wherein the driver request is indicative of a desired wheel angle of a turnable vehicle wheel of the vehicle;

determining, based on the signal indicative of the driver request, a control signal for an actuator of the vehicle to achieve the desired wheel angle;

controlling the actuator using the control signal;

detecting an abrupt wheel disturbance event;

in response to detecting the abrupt wheel disturbance event: transitioning the steering system from a state in which lane keeping functionality of a steering system is deactivated to a state in which the lane keeping functionality of the steering system is activated;

acquiring, from a lane detecting arrangement, a signal indicative of lane curvature ahead of the vehicle;

and controlling the actuator based on the lane curvature ahead of the vehicle, wherein: detecting the abrupt wheel disturbance event comprises: acquiring a signal indicative of an actual steering torque required to achieve a desired wheel angle; and determining an occurrence of the abrupt wheel disturbance event based on the signal, comprising: determining an undisturbed steering torque required to achieve the desired wheel angle in an absence of disturbances;

comparing the actual steering torque with the undisturbed steering torque;

and determining the occurrence of the abrupt wheel disturbance event based on a determination that a difference between the actual steering torque and the undisturbed steering torque is greater than a predefined threshold difference during a time period that is longer than a predefined threshold tie period.

2. A steering system for a vehicle having a steering input device and at least one turnable vehicle wheel, the steering system comprising:

a steering request detector for receiving, from the steering input device, a driver request indicative of a desired wheel angle of the at least one turnable vehicle wheel;

an actuator for acting on the at least one turnable vehicle wheel to achieve the desired wheel angle;

a lane detecting arrangement for detecting a lane curvature ahead of the vehicle; and

a steering control unit connected to the steering request detector, to the actuator, and to the lane detecting arrangement, the steering control unit configured to:

acquire, from the steering request detector, a signal indicative of the driver request;

determine, based on the signal indicative of the driver request, a control signal for the actuator to achieve the desired wheel angle;

control the actuator using the control signal;

detect an abrupt wheel disturbance event; and

in response to detecting the abrupt wheel disturbance event:

transition the steering system from a state in which lane keeping functionality of the steering system is deactivated to a state in which the lane keeping functionality of the steering system is activated;

acquire, from the lane detecting arrangement, a signal indicative of the lane curvature ahead of the vehicle; and

control the actuator based on the lane curvature ahead of the vehicle, wherein:

detecting the abrupt wheel disturbance event comprises:

acquiring a signal indicative of an actual steering torque required to achieve a desired wheel angle; and

determining an occurrence of the abrupt wheel disturbance event based on the signal, comprising:

determining an undisturbed steering torque required to achieve the desired wheel angle in an absence of disturbances;

comparing the actual steering torque with the undisturbed steering torque; and

determining the occurrence of the abrupt wheel disturbance event based on a determination that a difference between the actual steering torque and the undisturbed steering torque is greater than a predefined threshold difference during a time period that is longer than a predefined threshold time period.

3. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

at least one turnable vehicle wheel rotatably connected to the vehicle body; and

a steering system comprising:

a steering request detector for receiving, from the steering input device, a driver request indicative of a desired wheel angle of the at least one turnable vehicle wheel;

an actuator for acting on the at least one turnable vehicle wheel to achieve the desired wheel angle;

a lane detecting arrangement for detecting a lane curvature ahead of the vehicle; and

a steering control unit connected to the steering request detector, to the actuator, and to the lane detecting arrangement, the steering control unit being configured to:

acquire, from the steering request detector, a signal indicative of the driver request;

determine, based on the signal indicative of the driver request, a control signal for the actuator to achieve the desired wheel angle;

control the actuator using the control signal;

detect an abrupt wheel disturbance event; and

in response to detecting the abrupt wheel disturbance event:

transition the steering system from a state in which lane keeping functionality of the steering system is deactivated to a state in which the lane keeping functionality of the steering system is activated;

acquire, from the lane detecting arrangement, a signal indicative of the lane curvature ahead of the vehicle; and

control the actuator based on the lane curvature ahead of the vehicle,

wherein:

detecting the abrupt wheel disturbance event comprises:

acquiring a signal indicative of an actual steering torque required to achieve a desired wheel angle; and

determining an occurrence of the abrupt wheel disturbance event based on the signal, comprising:

determining an undisturbed steering torque required to achieve the desired wheel angle in an absence of disturbances;

comparing the actual steering torque with the undisturbed steering torque; and

determining the occurrence of the abrupt wheel disturbance event based on a determination that a difference between the actual steering torque and the undisturbed steering torque is greater than a predefined threshold difference during a time period that is longer than a predefined threshold time period.