Method, apparatus, vehicle, and storage medium for maintaining driver hand strength

Abstract

The application provides a method, device, vehicle and storage medium for maintaining the steering force of a driver. The method comprises an electromagnetic relay on a first steering column of a steer-by-wire system, a torsion spring wound on a second steering column and a metal disc on the torsion spring. When a steering column motor fails, the electromagnetic relay is kept in an energized state, and the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is attracted to the metal disc. In this way, when the driver turns the steering wheel, the first steering column and the electromagnetic relay can rotate with the steering wheel, thereby driving the attracted metal disc to rotate and further driving the torsion spring to rotate. The torsion spring generates a rotational force to provide the driver with a steering force feedback to simulate the hand feeling. Therefore, the method can simulate the hand feeling of the driver after the steering column motor fails, and assist the driver to safely drive the vehicle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of vehicles, and more particularly, to a method, device, vehicle and storage medium for maintaining the hand force of a driver in the technical field of vehicles. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid improvement of the intelligence level of vehicles, the steering system of vehicles has developed from a traditional steering system to a steer-by-wire system. Compared with the traditional steering system, the steer-by-wire system does not have a mechanical structure of an intermediate shaft, but is composed of a steering wheel module, a steering execution module and a steer-by-wire controller. The steering wheel module converts the steering intention of a driver into a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the steer-by-wire controller. The steering execution module receives the command of the steer-by-wire controller and controls the rotation of a wheel through a steering assist motor to realize the steering intention of the driver.

[0003] In the related art, the steering column motor in the steering wheel module simulates the hand feeling of the driver to provide a feedback torque. However, when the steering column motor fails, the steering column motor cannot provide resistance to the driver, and the driver will lose the hand feeling when turning the steering wheel. This will further cause the driver to be unable to accurately judge the position of the wheel and the road conditions, and to be unable to timely adjust the driving strategy, thereby causing unexpected danger.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a method for maintaining the hand force of a driver to simulate the hand feeling of the driver to assist the driver to safely drive the vehicle after the steering column motor fails. SUMMARY

[0005] The present application provides a method, device, vehicle and storage medium for maintaining the hand force of a driver, which can simulate the hand feeling of the driver to assist the driver to safely drive the vehicle after the steering column motor fails.

[0006] In a first aspect, a method for maintaining the hand force of a driver is provided. The method is applied to a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system, the steer-by-wire system including a steering wheel, a first steering column connected to the steering wheel, a steering column motor and an electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, a second steering column fixed to the inner wall of the housing of the steering column, and a torsion spring wound on the second steering column, the torsion spring being used to connect a metal disc, and the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay being separated from the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is not powered. The method includes: in the case where the steering column motor fails, controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in a powered state, the electromagnet being attracted to the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is powered; receiving a rotation instruction of the steering wheel, the first steering column rotating with the rotation of the steering wheel to drive the electromagnetic relay and the attracted metal disc to rotate, and driving the torsion spring to rotate to make the torsion spring generate a rotational force to provide a hand force feedback.

[0007] In the above technical solution, the method utilizes an electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, a torsion spring wound on the second steering column, and a metal disc on the torsion spring, all included in the steer-by-wire system. In the event of a steering column motor failure, the electromagnetic relay is energized, ensuring that the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay engages the metal disc. Thus, when the driver turns the steering wheel, the first steering column and the electromagnetic relay rotate with the steering wheel, driving the engaged metal disc, which in turn drives the torsion spring. The torsion spring generates rotational force, providing the driver with hand force feedback to simulate hand feel. Therefore, this method can simulate the driver's hand feel after a steering column motor failure, avoiding the loss of hand feel that can occur after a steering column motor failure. Consequently, this method can assist the driver in safely steering the vehicle.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in some possible implementations, when the steering column motor fails, the electromagnetic relay is controlled to be in an energized state, including: when the steering column motor fails, detecting the rotation angle of the steering wheel; when the rotation angle is a preset angle, controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state.

[0009] In this technical solution, when the steering wheel returns to the preset angle, the various components of the steer-by-wire system are relatively balanced. At this point, the control electromagnetic relay remains energized, preventing sudden and unpredictable disruptions to ongoing steering operations, such as accidentally striking a nearby vehicle or obstacle when starting the vehicle in a parking lot. Furthermore, energizing the electromagnetic relay when the steering wheel returns to the preset angle (i.e., when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line) recalibrates the simulated feel process, ensuring that components such as the torsion spring provide hand force feedback according to a normal baseline state.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect and the above-mentioned implementation methods, in some possible implementation methods, controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state includes: determining the user characteristics of the current driver in the vehicle, which user characteristics are related to the current driver's tactile requirements when operating the steering wheel; based on the user characteristics, determining the operating current of the electromagnetic relay; and controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state according to the operating current.

[0011] In the technical solution, the method determines the user feature of the current driver, and determines the working current for controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state based on the user feature. In this way, the steer-by-wire controller can adaptively adjust the working current of the electromagnetic relay in different driving trips (one driving trip corresponds to one driver) based on the user feature, and provide the current driver with the hand force feedback that meets the hand feeling demand. Therefore, the method can not only meet the hand feeling demand through the electromagnetic relay, the metal disc and the torsion spring, etc., and avoid the current driver from losing the hand feeling when turning the steering wheel, which may cause unexpected danger, but also meet the hand feeling demand of different drivers, and improve the driving experience of different drivers.

[0012] With reference to the first aspect and the above implementation manners, in some possible implementation manners, the user feature includes gender and / or body type level, and based on the user feature, the working current of the electromagnetic relay is determined, including: based on the gender and a first corresponding relationship, a first working current is determined, and the first working current is determined as the working current, the first corresponding relationship being used to indicate a corresponding relationship between a sample gender of a driver and a first sample working current of the electromagnetic relay; or, based on the body type level and a second corresponding relationship, a second working current is determined, and the second working current is determined as the working current, the second corresponding relationship being used to indicate a corresponding relationship between a sample body type level of a driver and a second sample working current of the electromagnetic relay; or, based on a first weight and a second weight, the first working current and the second working current are weighted and summed to obtain the working current, the first weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the first working current when the working current is determined, the second weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the second working current when the working current is determined, and the first weight and the second weight are related to a vehicle type of the vehicle.

[0013] In the technical solution, the method provides three ways of determining the working current of the electromagnetic relay through the user characteristics. The first way and the second way determine the working current according to the gender and the body type level respectively. This can avoid the phenomenon that the steer-by-wire controller cannot determine the gender or the body type level, and thus cannot determine the working current. In addition, the first correspondence relationship and the second correspondence relationship are determined in advance. When the current driver operates the steering wheel and there is a demand for hand feeling, the steer-by-wire controller in the method can directly determine the working current through the first correspondence relationship or the second correspondence relationship. The working current is determined through the matching way based on the first correspondence relationship or the second correspondence relationship obtained through multiple tests, and thus the working current is relatively accurate. Furthermore, if the steer-by-wire controller can obtain the gender and the body type level of the current driver at the same time, the method can obtain the working current by weighting and summing the first working current and the second working current through the first weight and the second weight. By comprehensively considering the gender and the body type level of the current driver, the inaccurate working current determined by only a single influencing factor can be avoided. Therefore, the third way of determining the working current through the gender and the body type level in the method can determine a more accurate working current.

[0014] With reference to the first aspect and the above implementation manner, in some possible implementation manners, the method of determining the first weight and the second weight comprises: determining a vehicle type of the vehicle; in a case where the vehicle type is a preset type, determining the first weight based on a response speed of the vehicle in handling performance, the preset type being used to indicate that the vehicle type pays attention to the handling performance of driving; and determining a difference between a first preset value and the first weight as the second weight.

[0015] In the technical solution, for the vehicle of the preset type, the driver pays more attention to the accuracy experience of the handling performance, and the difference between the female driver and the male driver in the response speed and the operation habit has a greater influence on the handling of the vehicle of the preset type. Therefore, the gender has a greater proportion in the demand for hand feeling in the accurate handling, that is, the first weight is greater than the second weight. Therefore, the method can accurately determine the first weight and the second weight based on the response speed of the vehicle of the preset type in the handling performance.

[0016] With reference to the first aspect and the above implementation manner, in some possible implementation manners, the torsion spring is a torsion spring with variable stiffness, and the control of the electromagnetic relay in the energized state comprises: in a case where a current driver in the vehicle is different from a historical driver in a previous trip, determining a target stiffness to which the torsion spring should be adjusted based on a user characteristic of the current driver; adjusting a current stiffness of the torsion spring to the target stiffness, and controlling the electromagnetic relay in the energized state.

[0017] In the technical solution, the target rigidity of the torsion spring is determined based on the user characteristics of the current driver. In this way, the steer-by-wire controller can adaptively adjust the current rigidity of the torsion spring in different driving trips (one driving trip corresponds to one driver) based on the user characteristics, and provide the current driver with a hand force feedback that meets the hand feeling requirement when the current driver turns the steering wheel. Therefore, the method can not only meet the hand feeling requirement through the electromagnetic relay, the metal disc and the torsion spring, and avoid the loss of hand feeling when the current driver turns the steering wheel, which may cause unexpected danger, but also meet the hand feeling requirements of different drivers, and improve the driving experience of different drivers.

[0018] With reference to the first aspect and the above implementation, in some possible implementation, the method for determining whether the steering column motor fails includes: determining whether the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in a target failure state, the target failure state being used to indicate that a rotation angle of the steering wheel is greater than a preset angle and an output torque of the steering column motor is a preset torque; in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state, determining that the steering column motor fails; or in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state and a duration of being in the target failure state is greater than a preset duration, determining that the steering column motor fails.

[0019] In the technical solution, the method determines that the steering column motor fails when the steering wheel and the steering column motor are instantaneously in the target failure state (the rotation angle of the steering wheel is relatively large, but the output torque of the steering column motor is relatively small). This can timely detect that the steering column motor fails, and provide the driver with a hand force feedback by controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state. This can avoid unnecessary driving risks that may be caused by the lack of hand feeling after the driver turns the steering wheel. In a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state for a long time, the method determines that the steering column motor fails, instead of determining that the steering column motor fails because of the temporary existence of foreign matter in the steering column motor. This can improve the accuracy of determining whether the steering column motor fails.

[0020] In a second aspect, a device for maintaining a driver's hand force is provided. The device is installed in a steer-by-wire system in a vehicle, and the steer-by-wire system includes a steering wheel and a steering column motor on a first steering column connected with the steering wheel. The device includes:

[0021] The first steering column, the electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, the housing of the steering column, the second steering column fixed to the inner wall of the housing of the steering column, the torsion spring wound on the second steering column, and the metal disc connected to the torsion spring, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is separated from the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is not energized.

[0022] The electromagnetic relay is used for:

[0023] In the case of a failure of the steering column motor, the metal disc is attracted by the electromagnet in the energized state;

[0024] In the case of receiving a rotating instruction of the steering wheel, the first steering column is rotated along with the steering wheel to drive the attracted metal disc to rotate and drive the torsion spring to rotate, so that the torsion spring generates a rotating force to provide a hand force feedback.

[0025] In a third aspect, a vehicle is provided, including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store executable program code, and the processor is configured to invoke and run the executable program code from the memory, so that the vehicle executes the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect.

[0026] In a fourth aspect, a computer readable storage medium is provided, which stores executable program code. When the executable program code is run on a computer, the computer executes the method in the first aspect or any possible implementation manner of the first aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a steer-by-wire system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic flowchart of a method for maintaining a driver's hand force provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of an apparatus for maintaining a driver's hand force provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another apparatus for maintaining a driver's hand force provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of another vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following will clearly and thoroughly describe the technical solutions in this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the description of the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise specified, " / " means or, for example, A / B can mean A or B: "and / or" in the text is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can mean: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more than two.

[0034] In the following, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to imply or suggest relative importance or implicitly indicate the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0035] Figure 1 This is an architectural diagram of a steer-by-wire system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] For example, Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The illustrated steer-by-wire system includes a steering wheel module, a steering actuator module, and a steer-by-wire controller. The steering wheel module includes a steering wheel, a steering column, and a steering column motor mounted on the column. The steering actuator module includes a power steering motor, a gear, and a rack. When the driver turns the steering wheel, the steering column motor provides a certain resistance, giving the driver a feel similar to real driving. Simultaneously, the steering column transmits the driver's steering torque to the steer-by-wire controller via the vehicle's Controller Area Network (CAN) line. The steer-by-wire controller determines the front wheel angle based on the steering torque and transmits a control signal corresponding to the front wheel angle to the power steering motor via the CAN line. The power steering motor rotates with the appropriate torque based on the control signal, which in turn drives the gear. The gear directly meshes with the rack, converting the power steering motor's torque into rack thrust to assist in steering the wheels, thereby achieving the driver's steering intent.

[0037] Typically, as a vehicle is used more, components inside the vehicle will fail. Figure 1 If the steering column motor fails, it will no longer provide resistance to the driver, causing a loss of feel when turning the steering wheel. This can further lead to the driver being unable to accurately judge wheel position and road conditions, making it impossible to adjust driving strategies in a timely manner, potentially causing unexpected dangers.

[0038] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a method for maintaining the force of the driver's hand to simulate the feeling of the driver after the failure of the steering column motor to assist the driver to safely drive the vehicle. The specific implementation steps can be seen in Figure 2 .

[0039] Figure 2 is a schematic flow chart of a method for maintaining the force of the driver's hand provided by the present application.

[0040] It should be understood that the method for maintaining the force of the driver's hand provided by the present application can be applied to a vehicle with a steer-by-wire steering system as shown in Figure 1 In some embodiments, the steer-by-wire steering system includes a steering wheel, a first steering column connected to the steering wheel, a steering column motor and an electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, a second steering column fixed to the inner wall of the housing of the steering column, and a torsion spring wound on the second steering column, the torsion spring being used to connect a metal disc, and the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is separated from the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is not powered. Specifically, the method for maintaining the force of the driver's hand can be applied to the steer-by-wire controller in the vehicle.

[0041] It should also be understood that the "first steering column" and "second steering column" in the above scheme refer to the original steering column being divided into two parts, the upper part of the steering column being the first steering column, and the lower part of the steering column being the second steering column. One end of the first steering column is connected to the steering wheel, the other end of the first steering column is connected to the electromagnetic relay, one end of the second steering column is wound with a torsion spring, the torsion spring is connected to a metal disc, and the other end of the second steering column is fixed to the inner wall of the housing of the steering column. When the electromagnetic relay is in an unpowered state, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is separated from the metal disc. When the electromagnetic relay is in a powered state, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is attracted to the metal disc. That is, when the electromagnetic relay is in an unpowered state, the electromagnetic relay is a certain distance away from the metal disc, and when the electromagnetic relay is in a powered state, the distance between the electromagnetic relay and the metal disc is 0.

[0042] It should also be understood that the "steering column motor" in the above scheme refers to a motor for simulating the feeling in the steer-by-wire steering system to make the driver feel appropriate resistance and feedback when operating the steering wheel.

[0043] It should also be understood that the "electromagnetic relay" in the above scheme is an electronic control device that works on the principle of electromagnetism, which can be regarded as an "automatic switch". The electromagnetic relay has an electromagnet for generating a magnetic field when the electromagnetic relay is in a powered state, thereby attracting the metal disc below.

[0044] In some embodiments, the metal disc comprises any one of a steel disc, an iron disc, a cobalt disc, a nickel disc, and an alloy disc thereof.

[0045] It should be understood that the "torsion spring" in the above-mentioned scheme is a spiral spring, one end of which is wound (fixed) on the second steering column, and the other end is connected to the metal disc. When the metal disc is attracted by the electromagnet and the steering wheel is turned, the metal disc will rotate with the spring center (steering column), and in the process, the torsion spring can generate a rotating force to resist the rotation of the steering wheel, providing the driver with a hand force feedback.

[0046] As shown in the example of Figure 2 The method 200 comprises:

[0047] Step 201, in the case of a failure of the steering column motor, the steer-by-wire controller controls the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state, and the electromagnet is attracted to the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is energized.

[0048] It should be understood that "failure of the steering column motor" in the above-mentioned step 201 is used to indicate that the steering column motor cannot simulate the hand feeling and cannot provide appropriate resistance and feedback when the driver operates the steering wheel. The failure of the steering column motor includes a line fault and a mechanical fault.

[0049] In some embodiments, the line fault is that the power supply line of the steering column motor is disconnected due to wear.

[0050] In some embodiments, the mechanical fault is that a foreign object is stuck between the rotor and the stator inside the steering column motor, preventing the normal rotation of the steering column motor.

[0051] It should be understood that "the electromagnetic relay is in an energized state" in the above-mentioned step 201 means that the current is allowed to pass through the electromagnetic relay. There is an electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay, which is composed of a coil and an iron core. After the electromagnetic relay is energized, the current in the coil can generate a magnetic field, and the iron core is magnetized after the magnetic field, which can enhance the strength of the magnetic field. Under the action of the strong magnetic field, the metal disc is attracted, thereby realizing the attraction between the electromagnet and the metal disc.

[0052] The determination process of "failure of the steering column motor" is described in detail as follows.

[0053] In a possible implementation, the method for determining that the steering column motor fails in step 201 includes: determining, by the steer-by-wire controller, whether the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in a target failure state, the target failure state being used to indicate that a rotation angle of the steering wheel is greater than a preset angle and an output torque of the steering column motor is a preset torque; determining, by the steer-by-wire controller, that the steering column motor fails, in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state; or determining, by the steer-by-wire controller, that the steering column motor fails, in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state and a duration of being in the target failure state is greater than a preset duration.

[0054] It should be understood that, in the above solution, generally, when the driver rotates the steering wheel (the rotation angle of the steering wheel is greater than 0°), the output torque of the steering column motor is greater than 0 N·m, to simulate the feeling of the driver. Therefore, the preset angle is 0°, and the preset torque is 0 N·m.

[0055] In the above technical solution, when the steering wheel and the steering column motor are instantaneously in the target failure state (the rotation angle of the steering wheel is relatively large, but the output torque of the steering column motor is 0 N·m), the method determines that the steering column motor fails. This can timely detect that the steering column motor fails, and provide the driver with the hand force feedback by controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state. This can avoid unnecessary driving risks that may be caused when the driver rotates the steering wheel and no feeling is provided. When the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state for a long time, the method determines that the steering column motor fails, instead of determining that the steering column motor fails because of the existence of foreign matter inside the steering column motor and the steering column motor cannot rotate. This can improve the accuracy of determining that the steering column motor fails.

[0056] In some embodiments, the preset duration is 3 s.

[0057] The control timing of the electromagnetic relay being in the energized state is described in detail as follows.

[0058] In a possible implementation, the method for controlling, by the steer-by-wire controller, the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state in a case where the steering column motor fails in step 201 includes: detecting, by the steer-by-wire controller, a rotation angle of the steering wheel in a case where the steering column motor fails; and controlling, by the steer-by-wire controller, the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state in a case where the rotation angle is a preset angle.

[0059] It should be understood that the preset angle in the above solution is 0°.

[0060] In the above technical solution, when the steering wheel angle returns to 0°, each component of the steer-by-wire system is relatively in a balanced state, at this time, the control electromagnetic relay is in an energized state, which will not cause sudden and unpredictable impact on the ongoing steering operation, for example, accidentally hitting the nearby vehicle or obstacle when starting the vehicle in the parking lot. In addition, when the steering wheel angle returns to 0°, that is, the vehicle is driving straight, the electromagnetic relay is energized, which can recalibrate the process of simulating the hand feeling, and ensure that the torsion spring and other components provide hand force feedback according to the normal reference state.

[0061] The process of "the control electromagnetic relay is in an energized state" is described in detail as follows by changing the working current of the electromagnetic relay.

[0062] In a possible implementation, the step 201 that the steer-by-wire controller controls the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state includes: the steer-by-wire controller determines the user characteristics of the current driver in the vehicle, the user characteristics being related to the hand feeling demand of the current driver when operating the steering wheel; the steer-by-wire controller determines the working current of the electromagnetic relay based on the user characteristics; and the steer-by-wire controller controls the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state according to the working current.

[0063] It should be understood that the "user characteristics" in the above solution refers to the personal attribute characteristics of the current driver, and the user characteristics include physiological characteristics and morphological characteristics. The physiological characteristics include the gender and age of the current driver. The morphological characteristics include the body type level and skin color.

[0064] It should also be understood that "the user characteristics are related to the hand feeling demand of the current driver when operating the steering wheel" in the above solution means that the hand feeling demand of the driver with different user characteristics is also different when operating the steering wheel. In some embodiments, the hand feeling demand of the male driver when operating the steering wheel is greater than that of the female driver; the hand feeling demand of the young driver when operating the steering wheel is greater than that of the old driver; the hand feeling demand of the driver with high body type level when operating the steering wheel is greater than that of the driver with low body type level, and the strength of the driver with high body type level is greater than that of the driver with low body type level.

[0065] It should also be understood that the "working current of the electromagnetic relay" in the above solution will affect the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet, and then affect the degree of attraction of the electromagnet to the metal disc. When the working current is small, the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet is weak, and the degree of attraction of the electromagnet to the metal block is relatively weak; when the working current is large, the magnetic field strength of the electromagnet is strong, and the degree of attraction of the electromagnet to the metal block is relatively strong. In the process of steering wheel rotation, the degree of attraction of the electromagnet to the metal disc will affect the deformation amount of the torsion spring, thereby affecting the hand force feedback provided to the driver.

[0066] In the technical solution, the method determines the user feature of the current driver, and determines the working current for controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state based on the user feature. In this way, the steer-by-wire controller can adaptively adjust the working current of the electromagnetic relay in different driving trips (one driving trip corresponds to one driver) based on the user feature, and provide the current driver with the hand force feedback that meets the hand feeling requirement. Therefore, the method can not only meet the hand feeling requirement through the electromagnetic relay, the metal disc and the torsion spring, and avoid the current driver from losing the hand feeling when turning the steering wheel, thereby causing unexpected danger, but also meet the hand feeling requirements of different drivers, and improve the driving experience of different drivers.

[0067] In a possible implementation manner, the user feature includes a gender and / or a body type level, and the steer-by-wire controller determines the working current of the electromagnetic relay based on the user feature, including: the steer-by-wire controller determines a first working current based on the gender and a first correspondence relationship, and determines the first working current as the working current, the first correspondence relationship being used to indicate a correspondence relationship between a sample gender of a driver and a first sample working current of the electromagnetic relay; or, the steer-by-wire controller determines a second working current based on the body type level and a second correspondence relationship, and determines the second working current as the working current, the second correspondence relationship being used to indicate a correspondence relationship between a sample body type level of a driver and a second sample working current of the electromagnetic relay; or, the steer-by-wire controller performs weighted summation on the first working current and the second working current based on a first weight and a second weight to obtain the working current, the first weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the first working current when determining the working current, and the second weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the second working current when determining the working current, the first weight and the second weight being related to a vehicle type of the vehicle.

[0068] It should be understood that the "first correspondence relationship" in the above solution is obtained in advance through multiple tests. For female drivers, in each test in the multiple tests, the electromagnetic relay is controlled to be in the energized state by using a corresponding first test working current, and the driver hand force is provided by the torsion spring when the multiple female drivers turn the steering wheel, and each test is scored by the multiple female drivers. At least one first candidate test with a score greater than a first preset score is determined from the multiple tests, and an average value of the corresponding first test working current in the at least one first candidate test is determined as the first sample working current corresponding to the female (sample gender). In the multiple tests, the variable is the first test working current. Similarly, the first sample working current corresponding to the male (sample gender) is determined by using the same method, and then the first correspondence relationship is determined.

[0069] It should also be understood that the "second correspondence" in the above scheme is obtained in advance through multiple tests. For multiple drivers of a first body size grade, in each of the multiple tests, the electromagnetic relay is controlled to be in an energized state at a corresponding second test working current, and the driver's hand force is provided by the torsion spring when the multiple drivers turn the steering wheel, and the multiple drivers score for each test. The second candidate test with the highest total score is determined from the multiple tests, and the corresponding second test working current in the second candidate test is determined as the second sample working current corresponding to the first body size grade (sample body size grade). Among them, the variable in the multiple tests is the second test working current. Similarly, the second sample working current corresponding to other sample body size grades is determined in the same way, and then the second correspondence is determined.

[0070] It should also be understood that the sum of the "first weight" and the "second weight" in the above scheme is a first preset value, which is 1.

[0071] It should also be understood that in addition to determining the working current of the electromagnetic relay through gender and / or body size grade, the working current of the electromagnetic relay can also be determined through age. Specifically, when the current driver's age is in a preset age range, a larger working current is determined; when the age is not in the preset age range, a smaller working current is determined, and the preset age range is used to indicate that the current driver is young. In some embodiments, the preset age range is [20, 45] years old.

[0072] In the above technical solution, the method gives three ways to determine the working current of the electromagnetic relay through user characteristics, and the first and second ways determine the working current by gender and body size grade respectively. This can avoid the phenomenon that the steer-by-wire controller cannot determine the gender or body size grade, and thus cannot determine the working current. In addition, the first correspondence and the second correspondence are determined in advance, which can be directly used by the steer-by-wire controller in the method to quickly determine the working current when the current driver operates the steering wheel and thus has a demand for hand feeling. The above working current is determined through matching based on the first correspondence or the second correspondence of multiple tests, so the working current is more accurate. Furthermore, if the steer-by-wire controller can simultaneously obtain the gender and body size grade of the current driver, the method can weight and sum the first working current and the second working current by the first weight and the second weight to obtain the working current. By comprehensively considering the gender and body size grade of the current driver, it can avoid determining an inaccurate working current by only considering a single influencing factor. Therefore, the third way of determining the working current by gender and body size grade in the method can determine a more accurate working current.

[0073] The determination method of the first weight and the second weight is described in detail as follows.

[0074] Firstly, the vehicle type is determined

[0075] In a possible implementation, the determination method of the first weight and the second weight includes that the steer-by-wire controller determines the vehicle type of the vehicle; in a case where the vehicle type is a preset type, the steer-by-wire controller determines the first weight based on a response speed of the vehicle on a handling performance, the preset type being used to indicate that the vehicle type pays attention to the handling performance of driving; and the steer-by-wire controller determines the second weight as a difference between a first preset value and the first weight.

[0076] It should be understood that the "preset type" in the above scheme specifically refers to a vehicle type with high driving handling performance. In some embodiments, the preset type includes a sports car type, a racing car type and a sports sedan type. In addition, the "first preset value" in the above scheme is 1.

[0077] It should also be understood that the "handling performance" in the above scheme refers to the degree of difference between the result and the expected target achieved by the driver through the operation of the direction (steering wheel), brake (brake pedal), throttle (throttle pedal) and various technologies and configurations of the vehicle during driving, and the handling performance includes the steering stability, directability and tracking ability of the vehicle. The steering stability refers to the ability of the vehicle to follow the driving direction given by the driver for stable driving. The directability refers to the following ability of the wheel when the driver turns the steering wheel. The tracking ability refers to the ability of the rear wheel to follow the turning angle of the front wheel and to make a turn during the steering of the vehicle.

[0078] It should also be understood that the "response speed on the handling performance" in the above scheme is an index for evaluating the handling performance, and refers to the time difference between the time when the driver gives a handling instruction and the time when the vehicle executes the handling instruction. In some embodiments, the time difference between the time when the driver turns the steering wheel and the time when the wheel turns is the response speed.

[0079] In the above technical scheme, for the vehicle of the preset type, more attention is paid to the accuracy experience of the driver on the handling performance, and the difference between the reaction speed and the operation habit of the female driver and the male driver has a greater influence on the handling of the vehicle of the preset type. Therefore, the influence factor of gender occupies a larger proportion in the demand for the feel of accurate handling, that is, the first weight is greater than the second weight. Therefore, the method can accurately determine the first weight based on the response speed of the vehicle of the preset type on the handling performance, and then determine the second weight.

[0080] In some embodiments, the wire-controlled steer controller determines the first weight based on the response speed of the vehicle in terms of handling performance, including: the wire-controlled steer controller determines the absolute value of the time difference between the response speed and a preset response speed to obtain a target time difference; the wire-controlled steer controller uses the ratio of the target time difference to the preset response speed to obtain a deviation amplitude of the response speed relative to the preset response speed; the wire-controlled steer controller determines the product of a preset weight and the deviation amplitude to obtain a weight adjustment amount; when the response speed is greater than the preset response speed, the wire-controlled steer controller determines the sum of the preset weight and the weight adjustment amount as the first weight; when the response speed is less than or equal to the preset response speed, the wire-controlled steer controller determines the preset weight as the first weight.

[0081] It should be understood that in the above scheme, the "preset response speed" refers to the average response speed of multiple sample vehicles in terms of handling performance. The "preset weight" is 0.5.

[0082] In the above technical solution, the method determines the deviation of the vehicle's handling performance response speed from a preset response speed. Based on the magnitude relationship between the response speed and the preset response speed, as well as the deviation, the preset weight is adjusted to determine a first weight. Specifically, when the actual response speed is greater than the preset response speed, indicating high handling performance for the preset type of vehicle, the method adds a weight to the preset weight to obtain the first weight, thereby satisfying the driver's high demand for precise handling performance. If the actual response speed is less than or equal to the preset response speed, the preset weight can be directly determined as the first weight, thereby satisfying the driver's basic demand for handling performance.

[0083] The second method: Determine through investigation

[0084] In some embodiments, the first weight and the second weight are also related to the proportion of importance that gender and body type grades are considered by drivers of different genders in the feel demand, and the method for determining the first weight and the second weight comprises: the steer-by-wire controller obtaining survey results, the survey results being survey results of the proportion of importance that gender is considered by each of a first number of female drivers and a second number of male drivers in the feel demand; the steer-by-wire controller screening target survey results from the survey results, the target survey results being used to indicate that a third number of female drivers consider the proportion of importance of gender in the feel demand to be a first proportion, and a fourth number of male drivers consider the proportion of importance of gender in the feel demand to be a second proportion, the subjective evaluation of the third number of female drivers being the most significant in the subjective evaluation of the first number of female drivers, and the subjective evaluation of the fourth number of male drivers being the most significant in the subjective evaluation of the second number of male drivers; the steer-by-wire controller determining a ratio between the third number and the first number to obtain a first coefficient, and determining a ratio between the fourth number and the second number to obtain a second coefficient; the steer-by-wire controller determining a product between the first coefficient and the first proportion to obtain a first candidate weight, and determining a product between the second coefficient and the second proportion to obtain a second candidate weight; the steer-by-wire controller determining the first weight as a sum of the first candidate weight and the second candidate weight; and the steer-by-wire controller determining the second weight as a difference between the first preset value and the first weight.

[0085] It should be understood that the “the subjective evaluation of the third number of female drivers being the most significant in the subjective evaluation of the first number of female drivers” in the above scheme means that the majority (the third number) of female drivers in the first number of female drivers consider the proportion of importance of gender in the feel demand to be the first proportion. Similarly, the “the subjective evaluation of the fourth number of male drivers being the most significant in the subjective evaluation of the second number of male drivers” in the above scheme means that the majority (the fourth number) of male drivers in the second number of male drivers consider the proportion of importance of gender in the feel demand to be the second proportion.

[0086] In some embodiments, the second number is the same as the first number.

[0087] In the technical solution, the method directly analyzes the survey results of the importance of gender in the hand feeling demand of female and male drivers, which can actually and intuitively obtain the influence of the gender factor on the hand feeling demand. Further, in combination with the first quantity, the second quantity, the third quantity and the fourth quantity, the proportion of female drivers who think that the importance of gender in the hand feeling demand is the first proportion and the proportion of male drivers who think that the importance of gender in the hand feeling demand is the second proportion can be determined. Therefore, the method can obtain accurate first and second weights through the survey results of the importance of gender in the hand feeling demand of drivers with different genders.

[0088] The third: determining through the physiological perspective

[0089] In some embodiments, the first weight and the second weight are also related to the different demand of drivers with different genders for force feedback when operating the steering wheel, and the method for determining the first weight and the second weight comprises: the steer-by-wire controller obtains a target physiological parameter, which is used to indicate that the demand of female drivers for force feedback when operating the steering wheel is lower than the demand of male drivers for force feedback by a target degree; and the steer-by-wire controller determines the first weight and the second weight based on the target degree and a first preset value.

[0090] It should be understood that the "target degree" in the above scheme can be represented by a percentage.

[0091] In some embodiments, the steer-by-wire controller determines the first weight and the second weight based on the target degree and the first preset value, comprising: the steer-by-wire controller determines the first weight and the second weight based on the following formula (1) and formula (2);

[0092] w1+w2=1 (1)

[0093] w2-w1=deg0 (2)

[0094] Wherein, w1 is the first weight, w2 is the second weight, deg0 is the target degree, and the first preset value is 1.

[0095] The process of "controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state" is further described in detail as follows by changing the stiffness of the torsional spring.

[0096] In a possible implementation, the torsion spring is a torsion spring with variable stiffness, and the steer-by-wire controller controls the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state, including: in a case where a current driver in the vehicle is different from a historical driver of a previous trip, the steer-by-wire controller determines a target stiffness to which the torsion spring should be adjusted based on a user feature of the current driver; and the steer-by-wire controller adjusts a current stiffness of the torsion spring to the target stiffness and controls the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state.

[0097] It should be understood that the "torsion spring with variable stiffness" in the above solution refers to a torsion spring with variable stiffness during vehicle driving. The initial state of the torsion spring can be changed by pre-pressing or pre-twisting, so as to change the stiffness of the torsion spring. In addition, the stiffness of the torsion spring can also be dynamically adjusted by using an electronically controlled actuator or an electromagnetic valve.

[0098] In the above technical solution, the method determines the target stiffness of the torsion spring based on the user feature of the current driver. In this way, the steer-by-wire controller can adaptively adjust the current stiffness of the torsion spring in different driving trips (one driver corresponds to one driving trip) based on the user feature, and provide the current driver with a hand force feedback that meets the hand feeling requirement when the current driver turns the steering wheel. Therefore, the method not only meets the hand feeling requirement through the electromagnetic relay, the metal disc and the torsion spring, and avoids the loss of hand feeling when the current driver turns the steering wheel, thereby causing unexpected danger, but also meets the hand feeling requirements of different drivers, and improves the driving experience of different drivers.

[0099] In some embodiments, the torsion spring with variable stiffness includes a double-layer spring or a multi-section spring.

[0100] In some embodiments, the determination method that the current driver in the vehicle is different from the historical driver of the previous trip includes: the steer-by-wire controller acquires a first image of the current driver through a vehicle-mounted camera, and acquires a second image of the historical driver through the vehicle-mounted camera; and the steer-by-wire controller compares the first image with the second image, and determines that the current driver is different from the historical driver in a case where a similarity between the first image and the second image is less than a preset similarity.

[0101] It should be understood that the "vehicle-mounted camera" in the above solution has the same shooting angle and distance when acquiring the current driver and when acquiring the historical driver. In addition, in some embodiments, the preset similarity is 70%.

[0102] In some embodiments, the user feature includes a gender and / or a body type grade, and the steer-by-wire controller determines the target stiffness to which the torsion spring should be adjusted based on the user feature of the current driver, including: the steer-by-wire controller determines a first stiffness based on the gender and a third correspondence relationship, and determines the first stiffness as the target stiffness, the third correspondence relationship being indicative of a correspondence between a sample gender of a driver and a first sample stiffness to which a torsion spring should be adjusted; or, the steer-by-wire controller determines a second stiffness based on the body type grade and a fourth correspondence relationship, and determines the second stiffness as the target stiffness, the fourth correspondence relationship being indicative of a correspondence between a sample body type grade of a driver and a second sample stiffness to which a torsion spring should be adjusted; or, the steer-by-wire controller performs a weighted summation of the first stiffness and the second stiffness based on a third weight and a fourth weight to obtain the target stiffness, the third weight being indicative of a contribution degree of the first stiffness in determining the target stiffness, and the fourth weight being indicative of a contribution degree of the second stiffness in determining the target stiffness, the third weight and the fourth weight being related to a vehicle type of the vehicle.

[0103] It should be understood that the "third correspondence relationship" in the above scheme is obtained in advance through multiple experiments. For female drivers, in each of the multiple experiments, the current stiffness of the torsion spring is adjusted to a corresponding first test stiffness, and the driver's hand force is provided by the torsion spring when the multiple female drivers turn the steering wheel, and the multiple female drivers score each experiment. At least one third candidate experiment with a score greater than a second preset score is determined from the multiple experiments, and the average of the corresponding first test stiffness in the at least one third candidate experiment is determined as the first sample stiffness corresponding to the female (sample gender). Wherein, the variable in the multiple experiments is the first test stiffness. Similarly, the first sample stiffness corresponding to the male (sample gender) is determined in the same way, and the third correspondence relationship is determined.

[0104] It should also be understood that the "fourth correspondence relationship" in the above scheme is obtained in advance through multiple experiments. For multiple drivers of a second body type grade, in each of the multiple experiments, the current stiffness of the torsion spring is adjusted to a corresponding second test stiffness, and the driver's hand force is provided by the torsion spring when the multiple drivers turn the steering wheel, and the multiple drivers score each experiment. A fourth candidate experiment with the highest total score is determined from the multiple experiments, and the corresponding second test stiffness in the fourth candidate experiment is determined as the second sample stiffness corresponding to the second body type grade (sample body type grade). Wherein, the variable in the multiple experiments is the second test stiffness. Similarly, the second sample stiffness corresponding to other sample body type grades is determined in the same way, and the fourth correspondence relationship is determined.

[0105] It should be understood that the sum of the third weight and the fourth weight in the above scheme is the first preset value.

[0106] It should be understood that the determination processes of the third weight and the fourth weight are the same as the determination processes of the first weight and the second weight in the foregoing scheme, which will not be described here.

[0107] In some embodiments, the method 200 further includes: in the case where the steering column motor fails, the steer-by-wire controller controls a vehicle-mounted display screen to output a reminder information, the reminder information being used to remind that the steering column motor fails and to remind the driver to drive carefully.

[0108] In some embodiments, after step 201, the method 200 further includes: the steer-by-wire controller controls a first indicator light in the vehicle to be on, which is used to remind that the function of maintaining the driver's hand force is turned on, the function being realized by the electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, the torsion spring wound on the second steering column, and the metal disc on the torsion spring.

[0109] In some embodiments, the method 200 further includes: after the vehicle is restarted, the steer-by-wire controller controls the function of maintaining the driver's hand force to be in an off state.

[0110] Step 202: The steer-by-wire controller receives a rotation instruction of the steering wheel, the first steering column rotates with the rotation of the steering wheel to drive the electromagnetic relay and the attracted metal disc to rotate, and drive the torsion spring to rotate, so that the torsion spring generates a rotational force to provide hand force feedback.

[0111] It should be understood that in the above step 202, the first steering column is connected with the steering wheel, and the electromagnetic relay is connected with the first steering column. After the current driver rotates the steering wheel, the first steering column and the electromagnetic relay will rotate with the steering wheel. At this time, the electromagnetic relay is still in the energized state, and the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay attracts the metal disc below, so that the electromagnetic relay can drive the attracted metal disc to rotate in the rotation process. The metal disc below is connected with the torsion spring, so that the rotation of the metal disc can drive the torsion spring to rotate. In this way, the torsion spring generates a rotational force to provide hand force feedback for the driver. The rotational force refers to the force resisting rotation generated when the torsion spring rotates and tries to return to the original state.

[0112] In some embodiments, the method 200 further includes: in the case where the steering column motor does not fail, the steer-by-wire controller acquires a rotation angle and a rotation speed of the steering wheel; the steer-by-wire controller determines an output torque based on the rotation angle and the rotation speed; and the steer-by-wire controller controls the steering column motor to output the output torque to simulate the current driver's feeling.

[0113] It should be understood that "the steering column motor is not malfunctioning" in the above solution means that the steering column motor can provide appropriate resistance and feedback when the driver operates the steering wheel. In some embodiments, the steering column motor is not malfunctioning means that the output torque of the steering column motor is greater than 0 N·m when the driver turns the steering wheel (the turning angle of the steering wheel is greater than 0°).

[0114] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a device for maintaining the driver's hand force provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0115] As shown in Figure 3 , the device is installed in a steer-by-wire system in a vehicle, the steer-by-wire system including a steering wheel and a steering column motor on a first steering column connected with the steering wheel, the device 300 including:

[0116] The first steering column 301, an electromagnetic relay 302 on the first steering column 301, a steering column housing 303, a second steering column 304 fixed to the inner wall of the steering column housing 303, a torsion spring 305 wound on the second steering column 304, and a metal disc 306 connected to the torsion spring 305, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay 302 being separated from the metal disc 306 when the electromagnetic relay 302 is not powered;

[0117] The electromagnetic relay 302 is used to:

[0118] In the case of a malfunction of the steering column motor, the metal disc 306 is attracted by the electromagnet in the powered state;

[0119] In the case of receiving the turning instruction of the steering wheel, the first steering column 301 is turned along with the steering wheel to drive the attracted metal disc 306 to rotate and drive the torsion spring 305 to rotate, so that the torsion spring 305 generates a rotational force to provide hand force feedback.

[0120] It should be understood that "the first steering column" and "the second steering column" in the above device 300 mean that the original steering column is divided into two parts, an upper part and a lower part, and an outer shell (steering column housing) is provided outside the first steering column and the second steering column. The upper part of the steering column is the first steering column, and the lower part of the steering column is the second steering column. One end of the first steering column is connected with the steering wheel, the other end of the first steering column is connected with the electromagnetic relay, one end of the second steering column is wound with the torsion spring, the torsion spring is connected with the metal disc, and the other end of the second steering column is fixed to the inner wall of the steering column housing. When the electromagnetic relay is in an unpowered state, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is separated from the metal disc. For details, see Figure 3When the electromagnetic relay is in the energized state, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay is attracted to the metal disc. That is, when the electromagnetic relay is in the unenergized state, the electromagnetic relay is away from the metal disc, and when the electromagnetic relay is in the energized state, the distance between the electromagnetic relay and the metal disc is 0.

[0121] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of another device for maintaining the hand force of a driver provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0122] For example, the device is installed in a vehicle with a steer-by-wire system, which includes a steering wheel, a first steering column connected to the steering wheel, a steering column motor and an electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, a second steering column fixed to the inner wall of the housing of the steering column, and a torsion spring wound on the second steering column, the torsion spring being used to connect a metal disc, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay being separated from the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is unenergized, as shown in Figure 4 The device 400 includes:

[0123] a control module 401, configured to control the electromagnetic relay to be in an energized state in a case where the steering column motor fails, the electromagnet being attracted to the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is energized;

[0124] a receiving module 402, configured to receive a rotation instruction of the steering wheel, the first steering column being rotated along with the rotation of the steering wheel to drive the electromagnetic relay and the attracted metal disc to rotate, and drive the torsion spring to rotate, so that the torsion spring generates a rotational force to provide hand force feedback.

[0125] Optionally, the device 400 further includes a detection module, configured to detect a rotation angle of the steering wheel in a case where the steering column motor fails; and the control module 401 is specifically configured to control the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state in a case where the rotation angle is a preset angle.

[0126] Optionally, the device 400 further includes a determination module, configured to determine a user feature of a current driver in the vehicle, the user feature being related to a hand feeling demand of the current driver when operating the steering wheel; and determine a working current of the electromagnetic relay based on the user feature; and the control module 401 is specifically further configured to control the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state according to the working current.

[0127] Optionally, the user feature comprises a gender and / or a body type grade, and the determining module is specifically configured to: determine a first working current based on the gender and a first correspondence relationship, and determine the first working current as the working current, the first correspondence relationship being used to indicate a correspondence relationship between a sample gender of a driver and a first sample working current of the electromagnetic relay; or determine a second working current based on the body type grade and a second correspondence relationship, and determine the second working current as the working current, the second correspondence relationship being used to indicate a correspondence relationship between a sample body type grade of a driver and a second sample working current of the electromagnetic relay; or perform weighted summation on the first working current and the second working current based on a first weight and a second weight to obtain the working current, the first weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the first working current when determining the working current, and the second weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the second working current when determining the working current, the first weight and the second weight being related to a vehicle type of the vehicle.

[0128] Optionally, the determining module is further configured to: determine the vehicle type of the vehicle; in a case where the vehicle type is a preset type, determine the first weight based on a response speed of the vehicle in handling performance, the preset type being used to indicate a handling performance that the vehicle of the vehicle type pays attention to driving; and determine a difference between a first preset value and the first weight as the second weight.

[0129] Optionally, the torsion spring is a variable-stiffness torsion spring, and the determining module is further configured to, in a case where a current driver in the vehicle is different from a historical driver of a previous trip, determine a target stiffness to which the torsion spring should be adjusted based on a user feature of the current driver; and the control module is further configured to adjust a current stiffness of the torsion spring to the target stiffness, and control the electromagnetic relay to be in the energized state.

[0130] Optionally, the determining module is further configured to: determine whether the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in a target fault state, the target fault state being used to indicate that a rotation angle of the steering wheel is greater than a preset angle and an output torque of the steering column motor is a preset torque; in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target fault state, determine that the steering column motor is faulty; or in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target fault state and a duration of being in the target fault state is greater than a preset duration, determine that the steering column motor is faulty.

[0131] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0132] For example, Figure 5As shown in the figure, the vehicle 500 includes a memory 501 and a processor 502, wherein the memory 501 stores executable program code 503, and the processor 502 is configured to invoke and execute the executable program code 503 to execute a method for maintaining the strength of the driver.

[0133] Figure 6 is another structural schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0134] For example, as Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the vehicle 600 includes the device 300 for maintaining the strength of the driver.

[0135] In addition, an embodiment of the present application also protects a device, which can include a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores executable program code, and the processor is configured to invoke and execute the executable program code to execute a method for maintaining the strength of the driver provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0136] The embodiment can divide the device into functional modules according to the above-mentioned method examples, for example, corresponding to each functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one processing module, and the integrated module can be realized in the form of hardware. It should be noted that the division of the modules in the embodiment is illustrative, and is only a logical function division, and another division mode can be used in actual implementation.

[0137] In the case of dividing each functional module corresponding to each function, the device can also include a control module, a receiving module, a detection module, and a determination module, etc. It should be noted that all related contents involved in the above method embodiments can be referred to the function description of the corresponding functional module, which will not be repeated here.

[0138] It should be understood that the device provided by the embodiment is used to execute the above-mentioned method for maintaining the strength of the driver, and thus the same effect as the above-mentioned implementation method can be achieved.

[0139] In the case of using an integrated unit, the device can include a processing module and a storage module. When the device is applied to a vehicle, the processing module can be used to control and manage the actions of the vehicle. The storage module can be used to support the vehicle to execute related executable program codes, etc.

[0140] The processing module can be a processor or a controller, which can realize or execute various exemplary logical blocks, modules and circuits shown in combination with the disclosure of the present application. The processor can also be a combination of computing functions, such as one or more microprocessor combinations, digital signal processing (DSP) and microprocessor combinations, etc., and the storage module can be a memory.

[0141] In addition, the apparatus provided by the embodiments of the present application can be a chip, a component, or a module, and the chip can include a connected processor and memory. The memory is configured to store instructions, and when the processor invokes and executes the instructions, the chip can perform the method for maintaining the driver's hand strength provided by the above embodiments.

[0142] The embodiments also provide a computer-readable storage medium having stored executable program codes, which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the above-mentioned related method steps to implement the method for maintaining the driver's hand strength provided by the above embodiments.

[0143] The embodiments also provide a computer program product, which, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform the above-mentioned related steps to implement the method for maintaining the driver's hand strength provided by the above embodiments.

[0144] The apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, or chip provided by the embodiments can be used to execute the corresponding method provided above, and thus the beneficial effects achieved by the apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product, or chip can refer to the beneficial effects of the corresponding method provided above, which will not be repeated here.

[0145] From the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, only the division of the above functional modules is taken as an example for illustration, and in actual application, the above functions can be completed by different functional modules according to needs, that is, the internal structure of the apparatus is divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0146] In the embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the above-described apparatus embodiments are only schematic, and the division of the modules or units is only a logical function division, and there can be another division manner in actual implementation, for example, a plurality of units or components can be combined or integrated into another apparatus, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between units can be indirect coupling or communication connection through some interfaces, and can be electrical, mechanical, or in other forms.

[0147] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A method of maintaining driver hand strength, characterized by, The method is applied to a vehicle with a steer-by-wire system, the steer-by-wire system comprising a steering wheel, a first steering column connected with the steering wheel, a steering column motor and an electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, a second steering column fixed on the inner wall of the housing of the steering column, and a torsion spring wound on the second steering column, the torsion spring being used for connecting a metal disc, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay being separated from the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is not powered, and the method comprising: In the case of a failure of the steering column motor, controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in a powered state, the electromagnet being attracted to the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is powered; Receiving a rotation instruction of the steering wheel, the first steering column rotating with the rotation of the steering wheel to drive the electromagnetic relay and the attracted metal disc to rotate, and drive the torsion spring to rotate, so that the torsion spring generates a rotary force to provide a hand force feedback; The torsion spring is a variable stiffness torsion spring, and the controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the powered state comprises: In the case that the current driver in the vehicle is different from the historical driver of the last trip, determining a target stiffness to which the torsion spring should be adjusted based on a user feature of the current driver; Adjusting the current stiffness of the torsion spring to the target stiffness, and controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the powered state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the powered state in the case of a failure of the steering column motor comprises: In the case of a failure of the steering column motor, detecting a rotation angle of the steering wheel; In the case that the rotation angle is a preset angle, controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the powered state.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the powered state comprises: Determining a user feature of the current driver in the vehicle, the user feature being related to a hand feeling demand of the current driver when operating the steering wheel; Based on the user feature, determining a working current of the electromagnetic relay; According to the working current, controlling the electromagnetic relay to be in the powered state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, The user feature comprises gender and / or body type level, and the determining the working current of the electromagnetic relay based on the user feature comprises: Based on the gender and a first corresponding relationship, determining a first working current, and determining the first working current as the working current, the first corresponding relationship being used to indicate a corresponding relationship between a sample gender of a driver and a first sample working current of an electromagnetic relay; or, Based on the body type level and a second corresponding relationship, determining a second working current, and determining the second working current as the working current, the second corresponding relationship being used to indicate a corresponding relationship between a sample body type level of a driver and a second sample working current of an electromagnetic relay; or, weighting and summing the first working current and the second working current based on a first weight and a second weight, the first weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the first working current when determining the working current, the second weight being used to indicate a contribution degree of the second working current when determining the working current, the first weight and the second weight being related to a vehicle type of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, The method for determining the first weight and the second weight comprises: determining the vehicle type of the vehicle; in a case where the vehicle type is a preset type, determining the first weight based on a response speed of the vehicle on a handling performance, the preset type being used to indicate a vehicle attention driving handling performance of the vehicle type; determining the second weight as a difference between a first preset value and the first weight.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The method for determining the failure of the steering column motor comprises: determining whether the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in a target failure state, the target failure state being used to indicate that a rotation angle of the steering wheel is greater than a preset angle and an output torque of the steering column motor is a preset torque; in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state, determining that the steering column motor fails; or, in a case where the steering wheel and the steering column motor are in the target failure state and a duration of being in the target failure state is greater than a preset duration, determining that the steering column motor fails.

7. An apparatus for maintaining the strength of a driver's hands, characterized by The device is installed in a steer-by-wire system in a vehicle, the steer-by-wire system comprising a steering wheel and a steering column motor on a first steering column connected with the steering wheel, the device comprising: the first steering column, an electromagnetic relay on the first steering column, a housing of the steering column, a second steering column fixed on an inner wall of the housing of the steering column, a torsion spring wound on the second steering column, and a metal disc connected on the torsion spring, the electromagnet in the electromagnetic relay being separated from the metal disc when the electromagnetic relay is not powered on; the electromagnetic relay is used to: in a case where the steering column motor fails, attract the metal disc through the electromagnet in the powered-on state; in a case where a rotation instruction of the steering wheel is received, rotate with the steering wheel and the first steering column to drive the attracted metal disc to rotate and drive the torsion spring to rotate, so that the torsion spring generates a rotation force to provide a hand force feedback; wherein the torsion spring is a variable stiffness torsion spring, and the electromagnetic relay is specifically used to: in a case where a current driver in the vehicle is different from a historical driver of a previous trip, determine a target stiffness to which the torsion spring should be adjusted based on a user feature of the current driver; adjust a current stiffness of the torsion spring to the target stiffness, and attract the metal disc through the electromagnet in the powered-on state.

8. A vehicle characterized by comprising: The vehicle comprises: a memory for storing executable program code; a processor configured to call and run the executable program code from the memory, so that the vehicle performs the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores executable program code, when the executable program code is executed, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is realized.

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