System and method for providing visual assistance for steering angle offset in steering-by-wire systems

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for providing visual assistance for steering angle offsets in a steering-by-wire system. A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system may include a driving wheel actuator operably coupled to a driving wheel of the vehicle to position the driving wheel to a driving wheel angle based on a target angle; a feedback actuator operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on the steering wheel angle and to generate feedback to an operator of the vehicle; the sensor network comprises a sensor used for detecting the steering wheel angle and the driving wheel angle; a display disposed in the vehicle to be visible to an operator of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle; and a controller for determining when there is a deviation between the vehicle wheel angle and the steering wheel angle and providing a visual indication of the deviation on the display.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments relate generally to vehicle control technology, and more particularly to a system and method for providing a driver-facing display that can inform the driver of steering angle deviation while driving. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles with steer-by-wire technology do not have a mechanical linkage-based connection between the steering wheel and the road-engaging wheel. Instead, such vehicles typically employ a feedback actuator that interacts with the steering wheel and a road wheel actuator that interacts with the road-engaging wheel, as well as electrical connectivity therebetween. Specifically, if the vehicle has different driving modes (e.g., normal mode, sport mode, autonomous driving mode, etc.), different steering ratios may be employed such that changing modes may result in a deviation between the road wheel angle (set by the road wheel actuator) and the steering wheel angle (set by the feedback actuator). To the extent any deviation occurs between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle, the driver will preferably be aware of the nature of the deviation to ensure that intuitive guidance is presented to the driver regarding any manual input that the driver may otherwise intend to insert. Example embodiments may provide such intuitive guidance, which may be implemented to provide a more satisfactory user experience for drivers of such vehicles. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to an example embodiment, a vehicle control system for a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system may be provided. The system may include: a road wheel actuator operably coupled to a road wheel of the vehicle to position the road wheel to a road wheel angle based on a target angle; a feedback actuator operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on a steering wheel angle and to generate feedback to an operator of the vehicle; a sensor network including sensors for detecting the steering wheel angle and the road wheel angle; a display disposed in the vehicle to be visible to an operator of the vehicle during vehicle operation; and a controller for determining when there is a deviation between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle and providing a visual indication of the deviation on the display.

[0004] In another example embodiment, a method of providing visual feedback to an operator of a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system may be provided. The method may include receiving a road wheel angle from a sensor network operably coupled to a road wheel actuator, wherein the road wheel actuator is operably coupled to a road wheel of the vehicle to position the road wheel based on a target angle. The method may also include receiving a steering wheel angle from the sensor network further operably coupled to a feedback actuator, wherein the feedback actuator is operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on a position of the steering wheel, and generating feedback to an operator of the vehicle. The method may also include determining when there is a deviation between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle, and providing a visual indication of the deviation on a display disposed in the vehicle to be visible to an operator of the vehicle during vehicle operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Having thus generally described the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0006] Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a vehicle control system according to an example embodiment;

[0007] Figure 2 According to an example embodiment, Figure 1 A block diagram of some components of a vehicle control system;

[0008] Figure 3 shows a view from the perspective of an operator of a vehicle having a display showing a visual indication of a deviation between a road wheel angle and a steering wheel angle according to an example embodiment;

[0009] Figure 4 shows a similar device moved to a different position according to an example embodiment Figure 3 the display of the display;

[0010] Figure 5 shows a similar device moved to yet another different position according to an example embodiment Figure 3 a display of a display; and

[0011] Figure 6 A method of providing visual feedback to an operator of a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system is shown according to an example embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Some example embodiments will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some but not all example embodiments are shown. In fact, the examples described and depicted herein should not be construed as limiting the scope, applicability or configuration of the present disclosure. Rather, these example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will meet applicable requirements. The same reference numerals always refer to the same elements. In addition, as used herein, the term "or" will be interpreted as a logical operator whose result is true whenever one or more of its operands are true. As used herein, an operable connection should be understood to involve a direct or indirect connection, in which case the connection enables the functional interconnection of components that are operably connected to each other.

[0013] As described above, it may be desirable to provide an intuitive indication to the driver when there is any potential misalignment between the feedback actuator and the road wheel actuator. Specifically, when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous or automated driving mode, a representation of a visual nature may be presented to the driver in such a way that it is clear that if manual control is to be taken, correction of any misalignment is made by turning the steering wheel in an intuitively obvious manner based on the provided visual representation. Example embodiments may provide such intuitive indications.

[0014] It is noteworthy that for vehicles with a steer-by-wire system, there is no mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the road wheels. Instead, a motor or other electrically operable positioning element can be operably coupled to the steering wheel to provide feedback to the driver, and the driver's intention is also determined based on input provided at the steering wheel for electronic communication with another motor or other electrically operable positioning element coupled to the road wheels (e.g., via a steering rack and tie rods). In many cases, these motors or positioning elements are referred to as actuators. Specifically, the actuator coupled to the steering wheel can be referred to as a feedback actuator, and the actuator coupled to the road wheels can be referred to as a road wheel actuator.

[0015] Figure 1 1 shows a block diagram of a control system 100 of an example embodiment. Components of the control system 100 may be incorporated into a vehicle 110 (e.g., via an operative connection to a chassis of the vehicle 110, various components of the vehicle 110, and / or an electronic control system of the vehicle 110). It is worth noting that, although Figure 1 The components of the control system 100 may be operably coupled to the vehicle 110, but it should be understood that such connection may be direct or indirect. In addition, some of the components of the control system 100 may be connected to the vehicle 110 via intermediate connections to other components of the chassis or other electronic and / or mechanical systems or components.

[0016] The control system 100 may have a normal or manual operating mode, which includes an input device in the form of a control pedal and a steering wheel 120. The pedals may include a brake pedal and a speed control pedal (e.g., a throttle or gas pedal) pivotally mounted to the floor of the vehicle 110 and operable by an operator 125 (or driver). The brake pedal can generally be used to provide an input for controlling the braking torque, and the speed control pedal can be used to provide an input for controlling the propulsion torque. However, the normal operating mode may not be applicable to all situations. In addition, there may also be other selectable operating modes, including one or more off-road driver assistance modes, parking modes, turn assist modes, autonomous driving modes, etc. Therefore, the control system 100 of some example embodiments may also include a user interface. The operator 125 can operate the user interface, which may include or define a mode selector to switch out of the normal operating mode and enter any one of the other operating modes (or vice versa). Although the mode selector may be the normal way to switch between modes, some modes may be automatically entered or exited based on specific events or stimuli. For example, the operator 125 may exit the autonomous driving mode by selecting the normal mode using the mode selector or by providing an input of at least a threshold magnitude to the steering wheel 120 .

[0017] The control system 100 of the example embodiment may employ a steer-by-wire system as generally described above. Thus, a hand wheel or steering wheel 120 may be operably coupled to a feedback actuator 130 that determines the angular positioning of the steering wheel 120 to provide input regarding the intended steering control provided by the operator 125. The feedback actuator 130 may also provide feedback to the operator 125. Thus, for example, the feedback actuator 130 may provide torque feedback to the operator 125 to simulate the feel of a conventional steering wheel, or at least provide sufficient resistance torque to prevent the steering wheel 120 from rotating freely while still being easily controlled by the operator 125. In some cases, the feedback actuator 130 may include its own internal electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU, if included, may provide additional functionality, which may include some of the functions and control capabilities described in more detail below.

[0018] Whether or not the feedback actuator 130 comprises an instance of an ECU, the feedback actuator may be operably coupled to a controller 140. In some cases, the controller 140 may be part of an electronic control system of the vehicle 110 that is configured to perform other tasks related or unrelated to steering, propulsion, and braking control or performance management. However, in some cases, the controller 140 may be a dedicated or stand-alone controller. In an example embodiment, the controller 140 may receive information for determining a vehicle state from various components or subassemblies 150 of the vehicle 110. Additionally or alternatively, various sensors operably coupled to the components or subassemblies 150 may be included and may provide input to the controller 140 for determining a vehicle state. Such sensors may be part of a sensor network 160, and the sensors of the sensor network 160 may be operably coupled to the controller 140 (and / or the components or subassemblies 150) via a vehicle communication bus (e.g., a controller area network (CAN) bus) 165.

[0019] Components or subassemblies 150 may include, for example, a steering wheel 120 of the vehicle, a brake assembly, a propulsion system, and / or a wheel assembly of the vehicle 110. The brake assembly may be configured to provide a braking input to a braking component (e.g., friction brakes, regenerative brakes, electromechanical actuators, and / or other mechanical, hydraulic, or electrical braking methods) of the vehicle 110 based on a braking torque determined by the controller 140 and / or the torque control module. The propulsion system may include a gas engine, an electric motor, or any other suitable propulsion device.

[0020] The controller 140 may be part of a steer-by-wire system which is part of the control system 100 and may therefore also be operably coupled to a road wheel actuator 170 which in turn may be operably coupled to a steerable road wheel (typically the front wheel of the vehicle 110) which forms part of the road wheel assembly mentioned above. The steerable road wheel to which the road wheel actuator 170 may be operably coupled is provided by Figure 1 More specifically, the travel wheel actuator 170 may position the travel wheel based on a target angle determined by the position of the steering wheel 120 and the steering wheel angle associated therewith.

[0021] In an example embodiment, one or more corresponding sensors of the sensor network 160 may be operably coupled to the brake assembly and / or the road wheel assembly to provide information related to brake torque, brake torque rate, vehicle speed, vehicle speed change rate, individual wheel speed, front / rear wheel speed, vehicle pitch, etc. Other examples of components or subassemblies 150 and / or corresponding sensors of the sensor network 160 may provide information related to yaw, lateral G-force, steering wheel angle, throttle position, selector button position associated with chassis and / or vehicle control selections, etc.

[0022] Thus, for example, the controller 140 may be capable of receiving numerous different parameters, indications, and other information that may relate to or indicate different situations or conditions associated with the vehicle state. The controller 140 may also receive information indicative of the operator's 125 intent with respect to controlling various aspects of the operation of the vehicle 110 (e.g., based on mode selection, steering wheel angle, braking and propulsion torque requests, etc.), and then be configured to use the received information in association with the execution of one or more control algorithms that may be used to provide instructions to the torque control module to control the application of positive and negative torque to the wheel 180 or multiple wheels of the wheel assembly of the vehicle 110.

[0023] The controller 140 may also provide an operable connection between the feedback actuator 130 and the road wheel actuator 170 for the steer-by-wire system of the vehicle 110. In some cases, the road wheel actuator 170 may have an ECU located therein, and various functions (some of which are described herein) may be implemented by the ECU. However, in other examples, the controller 140, which may be part of a vehicle control module (VCM) in some cases, may implement the functions described herein related to providing intuitive visual indications. In addition, the controller 140 may utilize the input provided by the operator 125 at the steering wheel 120 (which provides a target angle based on the steering wheel angle) to determine what input to provide to the road wheel actuator 170, which may then apply the road wheel angle to the wheel 180 (or multiple wheels). In some cases, the correspondence between these angles may depend on the operating mode.

[0024] In an example embodiment, the operator 125 may use a user interface (e.g., a mode selector of the user interface) to select an operating mode (e.g., a normal mode, an autonomous mode, a turn assist mode, a sport mode, etc.). The user interface may be implemented by an interactive display in the vehicle 110, and thus may be or include one or more instances of a soft switch provided on the display. However, in other examples, the user interface may include a hard switch, button, key, or other selectable operator located in the cockpit of the vehicle 110. Selection of a desired mode using the mode selector or other user interface element may correspondingly activate the control system 100 to provide the corresponding functionality described herein based on information provided by corresponding sensors of the component or subassembly 150 and / or sensor network 160.

[0025] As described above, when the vehicle 110 changes between different operating modes, corresponding changes may occur with respect to the steering ratio adopted by the feedback actuator 130 and / or the road wheel actuator 170. For example, in one mode, a larger steering wheel angle change may be required to drive a given magnitude of road wheel angle change, while in another mode, a smaller steering wheel angle change may be required to drive the same given magnitude of road wheel angle change. Therefore, changing between modes and / or changing between different steering ratios may be some examples of many possible ways in which deviations between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle may occur. Another way may be hitting a pothole or other events that exert large forces on the wheel 180 that exceed or exceed the torque originally supplied by the road wheel actuator 170. Yet another example may occur when in autonomous mode, where deviations may occur from a steering wheel that is not moving, but the vehicle 110 is driving on a sharp turn, where the operator 125 exerts force on the steering wheel 120 to temporarily or permanently take over in manual mode (thereby causing a mode change without using a mode selector).

[0026] Regardless of how the deviation is initiated, any such deviation should not be corrected immediately. For example, if a pothole causes a deviation of a given magnitude during autonomous operation, an immediate (autonomously inserted) correction may automatically insert another corrective force equal to the given magnitude, which will be as harsh as the initial contact with the pothole. Therefore, the deviation should be diagnosed and then systematically and in a controlled manner reduced over time. In some cases, the deviation can be determined, stored, and then appropriately reduced to control the directional movement of the road wheels and thus control the lateral movement of the vehicle. However, due to the mismatch between the steering wheel angle and the heading of the vehicle 110, this process may visually confuse the operator 125. The mismatch may cause the operator 125 to take manual control and oversteer or understeer associated with attempting to correct the deviation. Therefore, when there is a deviation, a visual display of the deviation and possibly its expected future consequences (if not immediately corrected) may be useful to the operator 125 so that the operator 125 can take manual control (through input on the steering wheel 120 or via mode selection) to mitigate the deviation. Therefore, it may be very useful to precisely know the nature of the deviation by providing a display visible to the operator 125 to indicate the path of the vehicle 110 based on the deviation. In an example embodiment, the path of the vehicle 110 may be estimated or predicted based on the wheel angle and / or other information such as vehicle speed, known tire properties, inertial measurements (such as yaw rate and lateral velocity rate of change), etc. Figure 2 Describing the operation of the control system 100 in greater detail, the figure illustrates the various inputs and outputs that may be involved in providing the above-described solutions.

[0027] Figure 2 1 shows a block diagram of various components of a control system 100 according to an example embodiment. In this regard, for example, Figure 2 An example interaction between the controller 140, the display 200 (of the user interface), and various other components with respect to information received by the controller 140 (e.g., from the sensor network 160, from each of the components / subassemblies 150, and / or from the user interface) is shown. The processing circuitry at the controller 140 (e.g., the processor 210 and the memory 220) may process the received information by executing one or more control algorithms. The control algorithms may include instructions that may be stored by the memory 220 for retrieval and execution by the processor 210. In some cases, the memory 220 may also store one or more tables (e.g., lookup tables), and may use the information in the tables and / or the information as described herein to perform various calculations and / or applications.

[0028] The processor 210 may be configured to execute the control algorithm serially or in parallel. However, in an example embodiment, the processor 210 may be configured to execute multiple control algorithms in parallel (e.g., simultaneously) and substantially in real time. The control algorithm may be configured to perform various calculations based on the received / generated information about the specific condition of the vehicle component. Thereafter, the control algorithm may perform various functions based on the received information and generate outputs to drive the display 200 with respect to the useful presentation of the visual indication 230. The functions performed by the control algorithm may be performed by corresponding modules configured to perform the corresponding functions. In some cases, the configuration of the modules may be accomplished via instructions stored at the memory 220 and executed by the processor 210.

[0029] In an example embodiment, the modules may include a deviation module 240 and a rendering module 250. However, it should be understood that in some cases, the deviation module 240 and the rendering module 250 may be combined into a single module, or in other cases, their various functions may be further distributed into other modules. Figure 2 The representations shown in are examples and are not limiting as to how the functions performed may be performed.

[0030] The deviation module 240 may receive input from a plurality of sources or sensors (e.g., of the sensor network 160) and determine deviation information 252 based on the received information. In some cases, the deviation information 252 may simply be a calculated difference between a road wheel angle 254 and a steering wheel angle 256 received at the deviation module 240. The road wheel angle 254 may be reported to the deviation module 240 by a road wheel angle sensor 258, which may be disposed proximate to (or otherwise operably coupled to) the road wheel actuator 170 to determine the road wheel angle 254. The steering wheel angle 256 may be reported to the deviation module 240 by a road wheel angle sensor 259, which may be disposed proximate to (or otherwise operably coupled to) the feedback actuator 130 to determine the steering wheel angle 256. However, in some cases, the deviation may be calculated based on a comparison of stored steering ratio values ​​for the road wheel actuator 170 and the feedback actuator 130 associated with each of the respective different driving modes.

[0031] In some embodiments, the deviation module 240 can also be configured to determine the future impact of the deviation relative to the forward motion of the vehicle, rather than simply determining the magnitude of any deviation. In order to achieve this future prediction, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 260, a gyroscope, a GPS or other sensor can be used to determine various additional information associated with inertial measurements that can be used to estimate future motion. Some non-limiting examples of parameters that can be measured (e.g., by IMU 260) can include yaw rate 262, vehicle speed 264 and the rate of change of vehicle speed, which can include a lateral component that may be useful (i.e., the rate of change of lateral speed (lateral rate ΔV) 266). However, the vehicle speed 264 can be provided by a wheel speed sensor 261 instead, or can be determined based on the engine speed. When further enhanced with inertial measurements, the deviation information 252 can include not only the magnitude of the deviation that currently exists (e.g., between the running wheel angle 254 and the steering wheel angle 256), but also a prediction of how the deviation will affect the forward motion of the vehicle.

[0032] The deviation information 252 may be provided to a presentation module 250, which may be configured to generate a visual indication 230 based on the deviation information 252 for visual presentation at the display 200. In some cases, the visual indication 230 is displayed only when a deviation is detected. When no deviation is detected, the display 200 may otherwise display nothing, display other information, or may be completely transparent. However, in some cases, the visual indication 230 may only provide visual assistance to the operator 125 about potentially taking the vehicle 110 out of the autonomous driving mode when in the autonomous driving mode.

[0033] In some embodiments, the camera 270 may capture image data 272 corresponding to a road or scene in front of the vehicle 110. The image data 272 may be used to generate a front view 280 for visual presentation at the display 200. Thus, the front view 280 may be a representation of video data indicating a road or scene that would normally be visible to the operator 125 in real time (e.g., similar to a view through the windshield of the vehicle 110). At the same time, the projected path of the vehicle 110 based on the deviation information 252 may be visually presented as a path estimate 282. In some cases, the presentation module 250 may present the path estimate 282 as an overlay on the front view 280. Figure 3 An example of this presentation paradigm is provided.

[0034] refer to Figure 3 , showing that from Figure 110 is a view from the perspective of an operator 125 of the vehicle 110. In this regard, an actual view 300 of a scene or path / road in front of the vehicle 110 is shown, visible through a windshield 310 and above a dashboard 320 and a steering wheel 330. The actual view 300 shows a road edge 302 and lane dividers 304, but such features may not be present in all situations. However, the presence of the road edge 302 and lane dividers 304 of this example indicates that a left curve 306 is approaching in the distance.

[0035] If a mode change, pothole, or other event happens to cause Figure 3 In the event that a deviation occurs prior to the time depicted in FIG, the deviation may result in the vehicle 110 being directed (over time and without correction) on a path that does not match the actual path of the road ahead. As described above, immediate correction is undesirable. Therefore, while gradual correction is implemented (until the deviation is eliminated or reduced to below a threshold amount), Figure 2 The example of the display 200 of can be used to represent the above-mentioned visual indication 230. In this example, the display 340 is set in the instrument cluster, which is set in the instrument panel 320 (and visible through the steering wheel 330). The display 340 shows a front view 350, which is a visual representation (e.g., video) of the scene or path / road in front of the vehicle 110. In addition, the path estimate 360 ​​is shown as an overlay on the top of the front view 350. In this case, the path estimate 360 ​​just shows that the deviation causes the vehicle 110 to enter the oversteering condition of the curve 306. Therefore, if the operator 125 should choose to insert a manual input on the steering wheel 330 to compensate for the deviation, the operator can clearly see that it is appropriate to adjust the steering wheel 330 to the right (for this example), and further have an intuitive idea of ​​the magnitude required for compensation. The path estimate 360 ​​also shows a representation of the road ahead, with an arrow extending from the center, showing the approximate direction and magnitude of the deviation. However, in other cases, a different representation can be selected. For example, a simple left or right arrow may be used instead, wherein the size of the arrow or the thickness of the arrow increases in proportion to the deviation amount. In an alternative case, a numerical deviation value (eg, indicated by left or right) may also be shown.

[0036] As described above, the display 200 may be implemented in any suitable location visible to the operator 125. Thus, conversely, Figure 3 A display 340 is shown disposed in or as part of an instrument cluster in instrument panel 320. Figure 4A display 340' is shown on top of the instrument panel 320 or integrated into the windshield 310. If integrated into the windshield 310, the display 340' may be transparent when there is no deviation. If a deviation occurs, the display 340' may show the visual indication 230 via the front view 350 and the path estimate 360 ​​as shown on the windshield 310. Still other locations for the display 200 are possible. In this regard, Figure 5 Yet another example is shown where a display 340 ″ is located to the right of a steering wheel 330 in an instrument panel 320 .

[0037] In addition to showing a display with a path estimate, the display may alternatively show the equivalent steering angle, for example via a steering wheel image. Alternatively or additionally, in the context of steer-by-wire, a screen may be added to the center of the steering wheel, and an avatar (e.g., of a steering wheel or logo or other feature) may be shown rotated to the steering angle position to demonstrate the deviation. Also alternatively or additionally, one or more lights may be provided on the steering wheel or other display, and the color of the lights may create a 12 o'clock marking to indicate the direction of the equivalent steering position.

[0038] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example method of providing visual feedback to an operator of a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system is shown. The method may include receiving a road wheel angle from a sensor network operably coupled to a road wheel actuator at operation 600, wherein the road wheel actuator is operably coupled to a road wheel of the vehicle to position the road wheel to the road wheel angle based on a target angle, the target angle being determined based on a steering input. The method may also include receiving a steering wheel angle from a sensor network further operably coupled to a feedback actuator at operation 610, wherein the feedback actuator is operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate a target angle based on the steering wheel angle (the steering wheel angle is in turn determined based on a position of the steering wheel), and generating feedback to an operator of the vehicle. The method may also include determining when there is a deviation between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle at operation 620, and providing a visual indication of the deviation on a display disposed in the vehicle at operation 630 to be visible to an operator of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle.

[0039] Thus, example embodiments may also include a vehicle control system for a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system. The system may include: a road wheel actuator operably coupled to a road wheel of the vehicle to position the road wheel to a road wheel angle based on a target angle; a feedback actuator operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on a steering wheel angle (the steering wheel angle is determined based on the position of the steering wheel) and to generate feedback to an operator of the vehicle; a sensor network including sensors for detecting the steering wheel angle and the road wheel angle; a display disposed in the vehicle to be visible to an operator of the vehicle during vehicle operation; and a controller for determining when there is a deviation between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle and providing a visual indication of the deviation on the display. The system may provide a visual cue to the operator that intuitively guides the operator in correcting the deviation condition. However, example embodiments may also be employed in other situations. For example, if a motor inoperability condition exists (eg, in a feedback actuator) that prevents feedback torque from being provided, the visual cues provided by the example embodiments may assist the operator in determining wheel direction.

[0040] The systems of some embodiments may include additional features, modifications, extensions, etc. to achieve further goals or enhance the performance of the system. The additional features, modifications, extensions, etc. may be added in any combination with each other. The following is a list of various additional features, modifications, and extensions, which may be added individually or in any combination with each other. For example, the controller may display a front view in front of the vehicle and also provide a path estimate as an overlay on the front view. In an example embodiment, the front view may include an image of a path or road in front of the vehicle, and the path estimate may display a deviation from the path or road in response to determining that there is a deviation. In some cases, a display of a visual indication of the deviation may be provided only when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode. In an example embodiment, the visual indication of the deviation may enable the operator of the vehicle to take manual control of the steering wheel to eliminate the deviation by correcting the deviation. In some cases, the display may be provided at an instrument cluster near the steering wheel, or at a head-up display that overlaps a portion of the windshield of the vehicle. In an example embodiment, the deviation can be based on different steering ratios in corresponding different driving modes, and the controller can calculate the deviation based on a comparison of stored steering ratio values ​​associated with each of the corresponding different driving modes. In some cases, the controller can be located at a vehicle control module disposed between the feedback actuator and the travel wheel actuator. In an example embodiment, the controller can be disposed at an electronic control unit of the feedback actuator or the travel wheel actuator. In some cases, providing a visual indication of the deviation on the display can include providing a visual indication only when there is a deviation. In an example embodiment, the display can be transparent when the controller does not provide a visual indication.

[0041] A person skilled in the art of the invention who has benefited from the teachings presented in the foregoing description and the associated drawings will think of many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. In addition, although the foregoing description and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain exemplary combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that alternative embodiments may provide different combinations of elements and / or functions without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, as may be set forth in some of the appended claims, combinations of elements and / or functions different from those explicitly described above are also contemplated. Where advantages, benefits, or solutions to problems are described herein, it should be understood that such advantages, benefits, and / or solutions may be applicable to some example embodiments, but not necessarily to all example embodiments. Therefore, any advantages, benefits, or solutions described herein should not be considered to be critical, necessary, or essential to all embodiments or embodiments claimed herein. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense, not for the purpose of limitation.

[0042] According to the present invention, a vehicle control system for a vehicle with a wire-controlled steer system is provided, the vehicle control system having: a running wheel actuator, the running wheel actuator being operably connected to a running wheel of the vehicle to position the running wheel to a running wheel angle based on a target angle; a feedback actuator, the feedback actuator being operably connected to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on a steering wheel angle and to generate feedback to an operator of the vehicle; a sensor network, the sensor network comprising sensors for detecting the steering wheel angle and the running wheel angle; a display, the display being arranged in the vehicle to be visible to the operator of the vehicle during vehicle operation; and a controller, the controller being used to determine when there is a deviation between the running wheel angle and the steering wheel angle and to provide a visual indication of the deviation on the display.

[0043] According to one embodiment, the controller displays a front view in front of the vehicle and also provides the path estimate as an overlay on the front view.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the front view comprises an image of a path or road ahead of the vehicle, and wherein the path estimate exhibits a deviation from the path or road in response to determining that a deviation exists.

[0045] According to one embodiment, display of the visual indication of the deviation is provided only when the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode.

[0046] According to one embodiment, the visual indication of the deviation enables an operator of the vehicle to take manual control of the steering wheel to eliminate the deviation by correcting the deviation.

[0047] According to one embodiment, the display is arranged on the instrument cluster close to the steering wheel.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the display is a heads-up display that overlaps a portion of the vehicle's windshield.

[0049] According to one embodiment, the deviation is based on different steering ratios in the respective different driving modes, and wherein the controller calculates the deviation based on a comparison of stored steering ratio values ​​associated with each of the respective different driving modes.

[0050] According to one embodiment, the controller is located at a vehicle control module disposed between the feedback actuator and the road wheel actuator.

[0051] According to one embodiment, the controller is arranged at the electronic control unit of the feedback actuator or the road wheel actuator.

[0052] According to one embodiment, providing a visual indication of the deviation on the display includes providing the visual indication only when the deviation exists.

[0053] According to one embodiment, when the controller does not provide a visual indication, the display is transparent.

[0054] According to the present invention, a method for providing visual feedback to an operator of a vehicle with a steer-by-wire system comprises: receiving a road wheel angle from a sensor network operably connected to a road wheel actuator, the road wheel actuator being operably connected to the road wheel to position the road wheel based on a target angle; receiving a steering wheel angle from the sensor network further operably connected to a feedback actuator, the feedback actuator being operably connected to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on the steering wheel angle and generate feedback to the operator of the vehicle; determining when there is a deviation between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle; and providing a visual indication of the deviation on a display provided in the vehicle to be visible to the operator of the vehicle during vehicle operation.

[0055] In one aspect of the invention, providing the visual indication includes displaying a front view in front of the vehicle and further displaying the path estimate as an overlay on the front view.

[0056] In one aspect of the invention, the front view comprises an image of a path or road ahead of the vehicle, and wherein the path estimate exhibits a deviation from the path or road in response to determining that a deviation exists.

[0057] In one aspect of the invention, providing the visual indication includes occurring only when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode and only when a deviation exists.

[0058] In one aspect of the invention, providing the visual indication includes providing the visual indication at an instrument cluster proximate to the steering wheel.

[0059] In one aspect of the invention, providing the visual indication includes providing the visual indication at a heads-up display that overlaps a portion of a windshield of the vehicle.

[0060] In one aspect of the invention, the deviation is based on different steering ratios in the respective different driving modes, and wherein the deviation is determined based on a comparison of stored steering ratio values ​​associated with each of the respective different driving modes.

[0061] In one aspect of the present invention, the method is performed by a controller located at a vehicle control module disposed between the feedback actuator and the running wheel actuator, or at an electronic control unit of the feedback actuator or the running wheel actuator.

Claims

1. A vehicle control system for a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system, the system comprising: a travel wheel actuator operably coupled to a travel wheel of the vehicle to position the travel wheel to a travel wheel angle based on a target angle; a feedback actuator operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on a steering wheel angle and to generate feedback to an operator of the vehicle; A sensor network, the sensor network comprising sensors for detecting the steering wheel angle and the road wheel angle; a display disposed in the vehicle to be visible to the operator of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle; as well as A controller is provided for determining when a deviation exists between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle and providing a visual indication of the deviation on the display.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller displays a front view in front of the vehicle and also provides a path estimate as an overlay on the front view.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the front view comprises an image of a path or road ahead of the vehicle, and wherein the path estimate exhibits a deviation from the path or road in response to determining that the deviation exists.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein display of the visual indication of the deviation is provided only when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the visual indication of the deviation enables the operator of the vehicle to take manual control of the steering wheel to eliminate the deviation by correcting the deviation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is disposed at an instrument cluster proximate to the steering wheel, or wherein the display is a heads-up display that overlaps a portion of a windshield of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the deviation is based on different steering ratios in corresponding different driving modes, and Wherein the controller calculates the deviation based on a comparison of stored steering ratio values ​​associated with each of the corresponding different driving modes.

8. A system as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the controller is located at a vehicle control module arranged between the feedback actuator and the road wheel actuator, or wherein the controller is arranged at an electronic control unit of the feedback actuator or the road wheel actuator.

9. The system of any preceding claim, wherein providing the visual indication of the deviation on the display comprises providing the visual indication only when the deviation exists, and Wherein when the controller does not provide the visual indication, the display is transparent.

10. A method of providing visual feedback to an operator of a vehicle having a steer-by-wire system, the method comprising: receiving a road wheel angle from a sensor network operably coupled to a road wheel actuator operably coupled to a road wheel of the vehicle to position the road wheel based on a target angle; receiving a steering wheel angle from the sensor network further operably coupled to a feedback actuator operably coupled to a steering wheel of the vehicle to generate the target angle based on a position of the steering wheel and generating feedback to the operator of the vehicle; determining when a deviation exists between the road wheel angle and the steering wheel angle; as well as A visual indication of the deviation is provided on a display disposed in the vehicle to be visible to the operator of the vehicle during vehicle operation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the visual indication comprises displaying a front view in front of the vehicle and further displaying a path estimate as an overlay on the front view.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the front view comprises an image of a path or road ahead of the vehicle, and wherein the path estimate exhibits a deviation from the path or road in response to determining that the deviation exists.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the visual indication comprises occurring only when the vehicle is operating in an autonomous driving mode and only when the deviation exists.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the visual indication comprises providing the visual indication at an instrument cluster proximate to the steering wheel or providing the visual indication at a heads-up display that overlaps a portion of a windshield of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the deviation is based on different steering ratios in corresponding different driving modes, and wherein the deviation is determined based on a comparison of stored steering ratio values ​​associated with each of the corresponding different driving modes, or wherein the method is performed by a controller located at a vehicle control module arranged between the feedback actuator and the running wheel actuator, or at an electronic control unit of the feedback actuator or the running wheel actuator.

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