Control method, system, apparatus, and device for a redundant steering system for a vehicle

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a control method, system, device and apparatus for a redundant steering system of a vehicle. The method comprises: obtaining, at one of a plurality of controllers in the redundant steering system, a plurality of control parameters related to the plurality of controllers; in response to a difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter of the plurality of control parameters not exceeding a difference threshold, determining, based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, a drive instruction for a first driver of the plurality of drivers corresponding to the controller; and controlling, based on the drive instruction, an armature winding corresponding to the first driver to control the electric machine to adjust a wheel direction of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to the field of computers, and particularly to control methods, redundant steering systems, apparatus, devices, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products for redundant steering systems of vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Redundant steering systems provide vehicles with a degree of fault-handling capability. Even if some components in the redundant steering system fail (e.g., a single-point failure), the system can still handle the fault autonomously, maintaining vehicle steering control and preventing loss of steering function. Therefore, the performance of redundant steering systems is crucial for improving vehicle safety, robustness, and fault tolerance. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of this disclosure, a control method for a redundant steering system for a vehicle is provided. The method includes: acquiring, at one of a plurality of controllers in the redundant steering system, a plurality of control parameters relating to the plurality of controllers, the redundant steering system further including a motor having a plurality of mutually independent armature windings and a plurality of actuators corresponding to the plurality of armature windings, the plurality of controllers corresponding to the plurality of actuators respectively; in response to a difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter among the plurality of control parameters not exceeding a difference threshold, determining, based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, a drive command for a first actuator corresponding to a controller among the plurality of actuators, the first control parameter relating to the controller and the second control parameter relating to one of the other controllers among the plurality of controllers; and, based on the drive command, controlling the armature winding corresponding to the first actuator to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0004] In a second aspect of this disclosure, a redundant steering system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes: an electric motor coupled to the wheels of the vehicle, the motor being configured to provide power for adjusting the direction of the vehicle's wheels, the motor having a plurality of mutually independent armature windings; a plurality of actuators coupled to the plurality of armature windings respectively, each actuator being configured to drive a corresponding armature winding; and a plurality of controllers corresponding to the plurality of actuators, each controller performing the method of the first aspect.

[0005] In a third aspect of this disclosure, a control device for a redundant steering system for a vehicle is provided. The device includes: an acquisition module configured to acquire, at one of a plurality of controllers in the redundant steering system, a plurality of control parameters relating to the plurality of controllers, the redundant steering system further including a motor having a plurality of mutually independent armature windings and a plurality of actuators corresponding to the plurality of armature windings, the plurality of controllers corresponding to the plurality of actuators respectively; a determination module configured to, in response to a difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter among the plurality of control parameters not exceeding a difference threshold, determine, based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, a drive command for a first actuator corresponding to a controller among the plurality of actuators, the first control parameter relating to the controller and the second control parameter relating to one of the other controllers among the plurality of controllers; and a control module configured to, based on the drive command, control the armature winding corresponding to the first actuator to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of this disclosure, an electronic device is provided. The device includes at least one processing unit; and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit. When executed by the at least one processing unit, the instructions cause the electronic device to perform the method of the first aspect.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided. A computer program is stored on the medium, which, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the first aspect.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a computer program product is provided, comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method of the first aspect.

[0009] It should be understood that the description in this section is not intended to limit the key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to restrict the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will become readily apparent from the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The above and other features, advantages, and aspects of the embodiments of this disclosure will become more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements, wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown;

[0012] Figure 2A and Figure 2BSchematic diagrams of example architectures of partial structures of redundant steering systems according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are shown respectively;

[0013] Figures 2C to 2E Schematic diagrams of example architectures of redundant steering systems according to some embodiments of the present disclosure under different failure scenarios are shown respectively;

[0014] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the control process for a redundant steering system for a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0015] Figure 4 A schematic structural block diagram of a control device for a redundant steering system for a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown; and

[0016] Figure 5 A block diagram of an electronic device that can implement one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0017] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0018] In the description of embodiments of this disclosure, the term "comprising" and similar terms should be understood as open-ended inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". The term "based on" should be understood as "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" or "the embodiment" should be understood as "at least one embodiment". The term "some embodiments" should be understood as "at least some embodiments". Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0019] In this document, unless explicitly stated otherwise, performing a step in response to A does not mean that the step is performed immediately after A, but may include one or more intermediate steps.

[0020] It is understood that the data involved in this technical solution (including but not limited to the data itself, the acquisition, use, storage or deletion of the data) shall comply with the requirements of relevant laws, regulations and related provisions.

[0021] It is understood that before using the technical solutions disclosed in the various embodiments of this disclosure, relevant users should be informed of the type, scope of use, and usage scenarios of the information involved in this disclosure through appropriate means in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, and authorization should be obtained from the relevant users. Among them, relevant users may include any type of rights holder, such as individuals, enterprises, and groups.

[0022] For example, in response to receiving an active request from a user, a prompt message is sent to the relevant user to clearly inform the user that the requested operation will require obtaining and using the user's information, thereby enabling the relevant user to choose whether to provide information to the software or hardware such as the electronic device, application, server, or storage medium that performs the operation of the technical solution disclosed herein based on the prompt message.

[0023] As an optional but non-restrictive implementation, in response to a user's active request, a prompt message can be sent to the user, such as a pop-up window, where the prompt message can be presented in text format. Furthermore, the pop-up window can also include a selection control allowing the user to choose "agree" or "disagree" to provide information to the electronic device.

[0024] It is understood that the above notification and user authorization process are merely illustrative and do not constitute a limitation on the implementation of this disclosure. Other methods that comply with relevant laws and regulations may also be applied to the implementation of this disclosure.

[0025] With the rapid development of the automotive industry, steer-by-wire systems are becoming increasingly common. Steer-by-wire systems eliminate or partially eliminate the mechanical transmission mechanism between the steering wheel assembly and the wheels. Instead, they receive electrical signals from the steering wheel assembly or the autonomous driving system, and use these signals to control actuators (such as motors) to adjust the vehicle's wheel direction. This not only improves the precision of steering control but also enhances vehicle safety. Furthermore, steer-by-wire systems are gradually becoming a fundamental feature of autonomous driving technology.

[0026] To improve the safety and robustness of vehicle steering systems, such as steer-by-wire systems, some vehicles are equipped with redundant steering systems. As mentioned earlier, redundant steering systems provide a certain degree of fault-handling capability for the vehicle's steering system. Even if some components in the redundant steering system fail (e.g., a single point of failure), the redundant steering system can automatically handle the fault, maintaining the vehicle's steering control and thus preventing traffic accidents caused by loss of steering function. Therefore, the performance of redundant steering systems is crucial for providing vehicle safety, robustness, and fault tolerance.

[0027] Traditional redundant steering systems are mainly divided into master-slave redundant steering systems and master-master redundant steering systems. A master-slave redundant steering system includes a master system and a backup system, both of which can independently provide steering control capabilities. If the master system fails, the backup system takes over the steering control capabilities. However, there is a delay in the switchover between the master and backup systems, and the backup system is idle most of the time, resulting in low utilization.

[0028] A primary-secondary redundant steering system comprises multiple subsystems that work together to control the vehicle's steering. If one subsystem fails, its inputs and outputs are interrupted (i.e., the subsystem is disabled). The remaining subsystems can still provide some steering control. This type of redundant steering system does not lose steering control due to the failure of a single subsystem, but the overall robustness, smoothness, and availability of the redundant steering system are affected. Therefore, traditional redundant steering systems cannot fully utilize their complete capabilities, and their utilization rate still needs improvement.

[0029] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an improved scheme for a redundant steering system for a vehicle. In this improved scheme, the redundant steering system includes a motor having multiple independent armature windings, multiple drivers corresponding to the multiple armature windings, and multiple controllers corresponding to the multiple drivers. At one of the multiple controllers, multiple control parameters related to the multiple controllers are acquired, including a first control parameter related to that controller and a second control parameter related to one of the other controllers. The controller can determine whether there is a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter. If the difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter does not exceed a difference threshold, a drive command is determined for the first driver corresponding to the controller among the multiple drivers based on the first and second control parameters. Then, based on the drive command, the armature windings corresponding to the first driver are controlled to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0030] According to embodiments of this disclosure, each controller can verify whether its own control parameters are consistent with the control parameters of other controllers. If it is determined that the differences between the control parameters are within a certain range (also known as the allowable range), the controller can fuse multiple control parameters to perform drive control on the corresponding motor windings. In this way, in the event of a non-substantial failure in a subsystem, it is possible to ensure continuous and consistent power output from multiple subsystems, thereby reducing safety risks. This avoids abruptly disabling subsystems, maintains the vehicle's steering control capability, and improves the continuity, stability, and robustness of the redundant steering system.

[0031] Some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] In some embodiments of this disclosure, a redundant steering system may include a motor 140 having multiple independent armature windings, multiple drivers corresponding to the multiple armature windings, and multiple controllers corresponding to the multiple drivers. A controller may be coupled to a corresponding driver, and a driver may be coupled to a corresponding armature winding. The controller may also be connected via a bus to at least one of a steering wheel assembly and an autonomous driving system. The controller may receive commands from the steering wheel assembly or the autonomous driving system and, based on the commands, control the output power of the corresponding armature winding via the corresponding driver to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle. In some cases, the controller, the corresponding driver, and the corresponding armature winding may be considered as a subsystem of the redundant steering system. A redundant steering system may include multiple subsystems.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example environment 100 in which embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented is shown. For example... Figure 1 As shown, environment 100 relates to a redundant steering system 110 of a vehicle. The redundant steering system 110 includes a motor 140 having two independent armature windings 142, 144, two drivers 124, 134 corresponding to the two armature windings 142, 144, and two controllers 122, 132 corresponding to the two drivers 124, 134. It should be understood that in... Figure 1 In the embodiments shown, the redundant steering system 110, although comprising two drives and two corresponding controllers, is merely exemplary and not limiting. In other embodiments according to this disclosure, the redundant steering system 110 may include any suitable number of drives and their corresponding controllers.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, controller 122 can be coupled to driver 124, and driver 124 can be coupled to armature winding 142. Controller 132 can be coupled to driver 134, and driver 134 can be coupled to armature winding 144. Controller 122 can communicate with autonomous driving system 150 via bus 152 (e.g., CAN bus), and controller 134 can communicate with autonomous driving system 150 via bus 154 (e.g., CAN bus). Controllers 122 and 132 can receive commands from the autonomous driving system. Controller 122 can control armature winding 142 via driver 124, and controller 132 can control armature winding 144 via driver 134 to control motor 140 to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0035] In some cases, controller 122, driver 124, and armature winding 142 can be considered as one subsystem of redundant steering system 110. Controller 132, driver 134, and armature winding 144 can be considered as another subsystem of redundant steering system 110. It should be understood that the above-described redundant steering system is merely exemplary. Redundant steering system 110 may also include, for example, three or other numbers of subsystems. The embodiments of this disclosure are not limiting in this regard.

[0036] In some embodiments, controller 122 and controller 132 can communicate with each other via an internal communication link 162 (e.g., a CAN bus). Controller 122 can interact with controller 132 via the internal communication link; for example, controller 122 can send information related to steering control to controller 132, or receive information related to steering control from controller 132.

[0037] In some embodiments, the redundant steering system 110 may further include a sensing module 126 corresponding to controller 122 and a sensing module 136 corresponding to controller 132. The multiple sensing modules 126 and 136 can sense the current state of the wheels, such as wheel angle, motor torque, or the attitude of the transmission structure coupled to the wheels (such as gears or linkages). Controller 122 can control armature winding 142 via driver 124 based on received commands and sensing results from sensing modules 126. Controller 132 can control armature winding 144 via driver 134 based on received commands and sensing results from sensing modules 136. Power is jointly output by armature winding 142 and armature winding 144 to adjust wheel direction. In some embodiments, sensing modules 126 and 136 may include one or more sensors, such as angle sensors, torque sensors, etc.

[0038] It should be understood that the structure and function of the various elements in environment 100 are described for illustrative purposes only and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2A A schematic diagram of an example architecture 200A of a redundant steering system 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. For ease of discussion, it will be referred to below in conjunction with... Figure 1 The environment 100 shown is used to describe the example architecture 200A, but this is merely exemplary.

[0040] In some embodiments of this disclosure, controller 122 may acquire multiple control parameters relating to multiple controllers. The multiple control parameters may include a first control parameter relating to controller 122 and at least one second control parameter relating to other controllers among the multiple controllers, such as a second control parameter relating to controller 132. Controller 122 may determine whether there is a difference between the first control parameter and each of the second control parameters.

[0041] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 2A As shown, controller 122 can communicate with controller 132 via internal communication link 162. Controller 122 can acquire a first control parameter related to itself, and controller 132 can acquire a second control parameter related to itself. Controller 122 can receive the second control parameter related to controller 132 via internal communication link 162. Then, controller 122 can determine whether there is a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter.

[0042] Figure 2B A schematic diagram of an example architecture 200B of a redundant steering system 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2B As shown, controller 122 may include a computing module 212, and controller 132 may include a computing module 214. Computing modules 212 and 214 can communicate via an internal communication link 162. Computing module 212 can receive a second control parameter from computing module 214 via the internal communication link 162. Computing module 212 can determine whether there is a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter. It is understood that controller 122 can also send the first control parameter to controller 132 via the internal communication link 162, and controller 132 can also determine whether there is a difference between the two control parameters.

[0043] Control parameters may include any suitable parameters related to vehicle steering control. In some embodiments, control parameters may include steering parameters received by each controller from the autonomous driving system 150 or the steering wheel assembly. Steering parameters may indicate the desired steering state of the wheels after adjustment. The desired steering state may indicate the final state of the wheels after adjustment, such as the desired steering angle of the wheels. The desired steering state may also indicate the dynamic response process of adjusting the wheels from the current state to the final state, such as the desired rate of change of the wheel's steering angle, yaw rate, etc. As an example, steering parameters may include, but are not limited to, the desired steering angle of the wheels (e.g., the desired rotation angle of the front wheels), the rotation angle of the steering wheel, or the motor torque, etc.

[0044] In some examples, combined Figure 2AAs shown, controller 122 can receive a first steering parameter from autonomous driving system 150 via bus 152. Controller 132 can receive a second steering parameter from autonomous driving system 150 via bus 154. Controller 122 can also receive the second steering parameter from controller 132 via internal communication link 162. Then, controller 122 can determine whether there is a difference between the first and second steering parameters. In this way, it is possible to verify whether the steering parameters received by multiple controllers are consistent.

[0045] In some embodiments, the control parameters may further include sensing results received by each controller from the corresponding sensing module. These sensing results may indicate the current state of the wheel, such as the current angle of the wheel, the torque or attitude of the transmission structure coupled to the wheel, etc. In some examples, combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 2A As shown, controller 122 can receive a first sensing result from sensing module 126, which may indicate, for example, the current angle of a wheel. Controller 132 can receive a second sensing result from sensing module 136, which may also indicate, for example, the current angle of a wheel. Controller 122 can receive the second sensing result from controller 136 via internal communication link 162. Then, controller 122 can determine whether there is a difference between the first and second sensing results. In this way, the consistency of sensing results from multiple sensing modules can be verified. It is understood that if the sensing module includes multiple sensors, the sensing result may also include the sensing values ​​of multiple sensors. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0046] In some embodiments, the control parameters may further include drive parameters determined by each controller, which may indicate the desired operating state of the motor 140, such as the desired torque, desired output power, etc. In some examples, combined with... Figure 2B As shown, the calculation module 212 of controller 122 can determine a first drive parameter based on a first steering parameter and a first sensing result. The first drive parameter may indicate, for example, a first desired torque of motor 140. The calculation module 214 of controller 132 can determine a second drive parameter based on a second steering parameter and a second sensing result. The second drive parameter may also indicate, for example, a second desired torque of motor 140. The calculation module 212 can receive the second drive parameter from the calculation module 214 via an internal communication link 162. Then, the calculation module 212 can determine whether there is a difference between the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter. In this way, the consistency of the calculation results of multiple controllers can be verified.

[0047] In some embodiments, if the controller 122 determines that there is no difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter, the controller 122 may determine a drive instruction for the driver 124 (sometimes referred to herein as the first driver) corresponding to the controller 122 among a plurality of drivers based on the first control parameter. This drive instruction can be understood as an instruction provided by the controller 122 to the driver 124, which may indicate the desired operating state of the corresponding armature winding 142, such as directly or indirectly indicating the desired output power, desired voltage, desired current, etc., of the armature winding.

[0048] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 2A As shown, if controller 122 determines that the first steering parameter is consistent with the second steering parameter, and determines that the first sensing result is consistent with the second sensing result, controller 122 can determine a drive command for driver 124 based on the first steering parameter and the first sensing result. If controller 122 determines that the first drive parameter is consistent with the second drive parameter, controller 122 can determine a drive command for driver 124 based on the first drive parameter. As an example, driver 124 can be connected to the interface of controller 122, and driver 134 can be connected to the interface of controller 132. If controller 122 determines that the first steering parameter is consistent with the second steering parameter, and determines that the first sensing result and the second sensing result are consistent, controller 122 can calculate the first drive parameter based on the first steering parameter and the first sensing result. Controller 122 can also obtain the second drive parameter from controller 132. If controller 122 determines that the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter are consistent, controller 122 can generate a drive command by, for example, executing a program, and send the drive command to driver 124 through, for example, an interface.

[0049] In some embodiments, combined with Figure 2BAs shown, controller 122 may further include auxiliary circuitry 220 coupled to computing module 212. Similarly, controller 132 may further include auxiliary circuitry 230 coupled to computing module 214. Computing module 212 may receive a first steering parameter from autonomous driving system 150 and a second steering parameter from controller 132 via internal communication link 162. Computing module 212 may also receive a first sensing result from sensing module 126 and a second sensing result from controller 132 via internal communication link 162. Computing module 212 may determine whether there is a difference between the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter, and whether there is a difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result. If it is determined that the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter are consistent, and the first sensing result and the second sensing result are consistent, computing module 212 may determine a first drive parameter based on the first steering parameter and the first sensing result. Computing module 212 may also receive a second drive parameter from controller 132. Computing module 212 may determine whether there is a difference between the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter. If the first driving parameter is determined to be consistent with the second driving parameter, the calculation module 212 can control the auxiliary circuit 220 to send a driving command to the driver 124 based on the first driving parameter.

[0050] As an example, combined Figure 1 and Figure 2A As shown, the auxiliary circuit 220 may include a single-pole double-throw switch 222, a single-pole single-throw switch 226, a signal processing unit 224, and a signal processing unit 228. The input terminals of both switch 222 and switch 226 are coupled to the computing module 212. One output terminal of switch 222... Coupled with signal processing unit 224, another output terminal of switch 222 Coupled with driver 124. Output terminal of switch 226. Coupled with signal processing unit 228. If calculation module 212 determines that the first driving parameter is consistent with the second driving parameter, calculation module 212 can control the input and output terminals of switch 222. The circuit is turned on, and the control switch 226 is turned off. The calculation module 212 can send a drive signal to the signal processing unit 224 based on the first drive parameters. The signal processing unit 224 can attenuate the amplitude of the drive signal by half and then send the attenuated drive signal (i.e., drive command) to the driver 124.

[0051] As another example, continuing to combine Figure 1 and Figure 2AAs shown, the auxiliary circuit 230 may include a single-pole double-throw switch 232, a single-pole single-throw switch 236, a signal processing unit 234, and a signal processing unit 238. The input terminals of both switch 232 and switch 236 are coupled to the computing module 214. One output terminal of switch 232... Coupled with signal processing unit 234, another output terminal of switch 232 Coupled with driver 134. Output terminal of switch 236. Coupled with signal processing unit 238. If calculation module 214 determines that the first driving parameter is consistent with the second driving parameter, calculation module 214 can control the input and output terminals of switch 232. The circuit is turned on, and the control switch 236 is turned off. The calculation module 214 can send a drive signal to the signal processing unit 234 based on the second drive parameters. The signal processing unit 234 can attenuate the amplitude of the drive signal by half and send the attenuated drive signal to the driver 134. Of course, the attenuation amplitude of the signal processing unit 224 is only exemplary and can be configured to other values ​​according to actual needs. The embodiments of this disclosure are not limited in this respect.

[0052] Signal processing units 242 and 244 can be formed by any suitable circuit or electronic component with signal amplification function (also known as gain function). Examples of signal processing units 242 and 244 may include, but are not limited to, gain modules, operational amplifiers, programmable logic circuits, etc. It is understood that the controllers 122 and 132 described above are merely exemplary. The operations performed by the calculation module and auxiliary circuits in the above examples can also be implemented by the controller through a program, or through a program and internal circuits. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0053] In some embodiments of this disclosure, if the difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter does not exceed a difference threshold, the controller 122 may determine the drive command for the driver 124 based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter.

[0054] In some embodiments, if a difference is determined between the first control parameter and the second control parameter, and the difference is determined not to exceed a difference threshold, the controller 122 can fuse the first control parameter and the second control parameter to obtain fused control parameters. Based on the fused control parameters, the controller 122 can determine drive commands for the driver 124. In this way, relatively safe and relatively reliable drive commands can be obtained, improving the safety and robustness of vehicle steering control.

[0055] In practical applications, there are multiple ways to fuse the first control parameter and the second control parameter. In some embodiments, the controller 122 can determine the intermediate value between the first control parameter and the second control parameter as the fused control parameter. Alternatively, the controller 122 can determine the weights corresponding to the first control parameter and the second control parameter, and based on the first control parameter, the second control parameter, and their respective weights, determine the weighted average of the first control parameter and the second control parameter as the fused control parameter. Alternatively, the controller 122 can utilize a rule-based fusion strategy to fuse the first control parameter and the second control parameter to obtain the fused control parameter. It should be understood that the above fusion strategies are merely exemplary, and any other appropriate fusion strategy can be selected according to actual needs. The embodiments of this disclosure do not limit this.

[0056] In some embodiments, the first control parameter may include a first steering parameter, and the second control parameter may include a second steering parameter. During the same control cycle, the steering parameters received by multiple controllers should generally be consistent. If it is determined that the first difference between the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter does not exceed a first difference threshold, it means that the communication link between at least one of the multiple controllers and the autonomous driving system 150 or the steering wheel assembly may be faulty, such as due to delay, lag, or asynchronous sampling time. In this case, controller 122 can fuse the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter (e.g., determine the intermediate value between the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter) to determine the fused steering parameter. Then, controller 122 can determine the drive command based on the fused steering parameter. In this way, even when a brief communication failure causes a difference in steering parameters that is within an acceptable range, fusing multiple control parameters can reduce the safety risks of steering control and achieve smooth steering control.

[0057] In some embodiments, the first control parameter may include a first sensing result, and the second control parameter may include a second sensing result. Within the same control cycle, the sensing results obtained by multiple sensing modules should be consistent. If it is determined that the second difference between the first and second sensing results does not exceed a second difference threshold, it means that there is an error between the sensing results of sensing module 126 and sensing module 136, and the error value is within the allowable range. In this case, controller 122 can fuse the first and second sensing results to determine the fused sensing result. Controller 122 can determine the drive command based on the first steering parameter and the fused sensing result.

[0058] As an example, combined Figure 2BAs shown, if the calculation module 212 determines that the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter are consistent, and determines that the second difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result does not exceed the second difference threshold, the calculation module 212 can determine the intermediate value between the first sensing result and the second sensing result as the fused sensing result. The calculation module 212 can determine the first driving parameter based on the first steering parameter and the fused sensing result. The calculation module 212 can control the input and output terminals of the switch 222 in the auxiliary circuit 220. When the circuit is turned on, a drive signal is sent to the signal processing unit 224 based on the first drive parameters. The signal processing unit 224 can attenuate the amplitude of the drive signal by half and provide the attenuated drive signal (i.e., drive command) to the driver 124.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first control parameter may include a first drive parameter, and the second control parameter may include a second drive parameter. During the same control cycle, the drive parameters determined by multiple controllers should generally remain consistent. If the third difference between the first and second drive parameters does not exceed a third difference threshold, it means that there is an error between the calculation results of the multiple controllers, and the error is within an acceptable range. In this case, controller 122 can fuse the first and second drive parameters to determine the fused drive parameters. Then, controller 122 can determine the drive command based on the fused drive parameters.

[0060] For example, combining Figure 2B As shown, the calculation module 212 can determine the intermediate value of the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter as the fused driving parameter. The calculation module 212 can send a driving signal to the signal processing unit 224 based on the fused driving parameter. The signal processing unit 224 can attenuate the amplitude of the driving signal by half and send the attenuated driving signal as a driving command to the driver 124. In this way, even if there are errors in the calculation results of multiple controllers, consistent control of multiple armature windings by multiple controllers can still be maintained.

[0061] It should be noted that the above examples mainly describe the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure from the perspective of controller 122. It is understood that the operations performed by controller 122 can all be implemented at controller 132 or other controllers. For example, controller 132 can also determine whether there are differences between multiple control parameters, and can also determine drive instructions for driver 134.

[0062] In some embodiments of this disclosure, controller 122 can control the magnetic field strength generated by armature winding 142 using driver 124 based on a determined drive command. Controller 132 can also control the magnetic field strength generated by armature winding 144 corresponding to driver 134 based on a determined drive command. By controlling the magnetic field strengths generated by armature winding 142 and armature winding 144 respectively, the torque of motor 140 can be controlled to control motor 140 to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle, for example, adjusting the wheels to a desired steering angle, or adjusting the wheel direction according to the desired steering angle change rate.

[0063] As an example, combined Figure 2B As shown, the calculation module 212 can send a drive signal to the signal processing unit 224 based on the fused drive parameters. The signal processing unit 224 can attenuate the drive signal by half and provide the attenuated drive signal to the driver 124. The driver 124 can control the armature winding 142 to output half of the torque component based on the attenuated drive signal. The calculation module 214 can send a drive signal to the signal processing unit 234 based on the fused drive parameters, and the signal processing unit 234 can also attenuate the drive signal by half and provide the attenuated drive signal to the driver 134. The driver 134 can also control the armature winding to output half of the torque component based on the attenuated drive signal. In this way, the motor can be controlled to adjust the wheel direction according to the desired torque.

[0064] In some embodiments, if the difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter exceeds a difference threshold, meaning the difference between the control parameters exceeds the allowable range, the controller 122 can generate first fault information indicating a malfunction in the redundant steering system 110. For example, the controller 122 can send the first fault information to the autonomous driving system 150 to request the autonomous driving system 150 to perform fault handling. Of course, if the vehicle is not equipped with an autonomous driving system, or the vehicle is not in autonomous driving mode, the controller 122 can send the first fault information to the vehicle's central control system to request the central control system to perform fault handling.

[0065] In some embodiments, if there is a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter acquired in each of a plurality of consecutive control cycles, the controller 122 may generate second fault information indicating a failure in the redundant steering system 110. As an example, if the difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter does not exceed a difference threshold in a plurality of consecutive control cycles, and the duration of the plurality of control cycles exceeds a time threshold (or the number of cycles exceeds a number of cycles threshold), the controller 122 may send the second fault information to the autonomous driving system 150 or the vehicle's central control system to request the autonomous driving system 150 or the central control system to perform fault handling.

[0066] In some embodiments, if the controller 122 determines that a first control parameter related to itself is unavailable, the controller 122 can determine a drive command based on a second control parameter. In other words, if a control parameter related to the controller 122 itself is unavailable, control parameters from other controllers can be shared via the internal communication link 162, while still maintaining steering control capability. The unavailability of the first control parameter here may include the first control parameter not being acquired in the current control cycle, or the first control parameter acquired in the current control cycle being outside the confidence range, for example, the first control parameter being too large or too small.

[0067] As an example, if controller 122 determines that the first steering parameter is unavailable, it can determine a drive command based on the second steering parameter. If controller 122 determines that the first sensing result is unavailable, it can determine a drive command based on the second sensing result related to controller 132. If controller 122 determines that the first drive parameter is unavailable, it can also determine a drive command based on the second drive parameter related to controller 132. In this way, even when the control parameters related to controller 122 are clearly unavailable, the normal output power of the armature winding 142 corresponding to controller 122 can be maintained to preserve the vehicle's steering control capability.

[0068] In some embodiments, if controller 122 fails to receive control parameters from another controller (e.g., controller 132), it means that the internal communication link 162 between controller 122 and controller 132 has failed, and controller 122 may abandon verifying whether there are differences between multiple control parameters. Controller 122 may determine the drive command for driver 124 based on the first control parameter.

[0069] In some embodiments, if controller 122 determines that one of the other controllers (e.g., controller 132) has failed, a second driver (e.g., driver 134) corresponding to one of the other controllers is coupled to controller 122. Controller 122 can control the armature winding 142 corresponding to driver 124 (sometimes referred to herein as the first armature winding) and the armature winding 144 corresponding to driver 134 (sometimes referred to herein as the second armature winding) respectively, based on drive commands, to control motor 140 to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle. In this way, if a controller in one subsystem fails, the driver and armature winding in the failed subsystem can be taken over by a controller in another subsystem to maintain the normal output power of that subsystem, thereby maintaining the stability and continuity of the redundant steering system.

[0070] In practical applications, controller 122 can determine whether other controllers in the redundant steering system 110 have failed in various ways. In some examples, controller 122 can periodically or irregularly distribute heartbeat messages to other controllers. Controller 122 can also receive heartbeat messages from other controllers. If controller 122 does not receive a heartbeat message from controller 132 within a certain time range, controller 122 can determine that controller 132 has failed. Alternatively or additionally, controller 122 can also receive notifications of failures of other controllers (e.g., controller 132) from the autonomous driving system 150 or the vehicle's central control system. Of course, controller 122 can also determine whether other controllers have failed in other ways, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited in this regard.

[0071] Figure 2C A schematic diagram of an example architecture 200C of a redundant steering system 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure under a failure scenario is shown. Figure 2C In the fault scenario illustrated, it is assumed that controller 132 malfunctions. It should be understood that this is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure in any way.

[0072] like Figure 2C As shown, in addition to controllers 122 and 132 and drivers 124 and 134, the redundant steering system 110 may also include cross control circuits 252 and 254. Controller 122 can be coupled to driver 134 via cross control circuit 252, for example, controller 122 can be connected to cross control circuit 252 via an interface. Controller 132 can be coupled to driver 124 via cross control circuit 254, for example, controller 132 can be connected to cross control circuit 254 via an interface. If controller 122 determines that controller 132 has failed, controller 122 can send a drive command to driver 134 via cross control circuit 252, thereby controlling the output power of armature winding 144 through driver 134, achieving the purpose of taking over driver 134 and armature winding 144. If controller 132 determines that controller 122 has failed, controller 132 can send a drive command to driver 124 via cross control circuit 254, thereby controlling the output power of armature winding 142 through driver 124, achieving the purpose of taking over driver 124 and armature winding 142.

[0073] In some examples, continue to combine Figure 2CAs shown, the cross control circuit 252 can be coupled to the signal processing unit 228. If the calculation module 212 determines that the controller 132 has failed, the calculation module 212 can switch the switch 226 to the closed state. The calculation module 212 can send drive signals to the signal processing units 224 and 228 respectively. The signal processing unit 224 provides the drive signal to the driver 124 after attenuating it by half, and the signal processing unit 228 provides the drive signal to the driver 134 after attenuating it by half. The driver 124 controls the output power of the armature winding 142 based on the attenuated drive signal, and the driver 134 controls the output power of the armature winding 144 based on the attenuated drive signal. Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, if the calculation module 214 determines that the controller 122 has malfunctioned, it can switch the switch 236 of the auxiliary circuit 230 to the closed state, which can control the input and output terminals of the switch 232. The circuit is activated. The computing module 214 can send drive commands to the driver 134 through the signal processing unit 234, and can also send drive commands to the driver 124 through the signal processing unit 238.

[0074] In some examples, signal processing units 224, 228, 234, and 238 can be formed by any suitable circuit or electronic component with signal attenuation function. Examples of signal processing units 224, 228, 234, and 238 may include, but are not limited to, operational amplifiers, half-value selectors, or proportional attenuators, etc.

[0075] Figure 2D A schematic diagram of an example architecture 200D of a redundant steering system 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure under another failure scenario is shown. Figure 2D In the fault scenario shown, it is assumed that driver 124 fails. It should be understood that this is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure in any way.

[0076] like Figure 2DAs shown, if controller 122 determines that its corresponding driver 124 has failed, controller 122 can couple with a driver (e.g., driver 134) corresponding to another controller (e.g., controller 132). Controller 122 can send drive commands to driver 134, causing driver 134 to drive the corresponding armature winding 144 based on the drive commands received from controller 132 and controller 134, thereby controlling motor 140 to adjust the vehicle's wheel direction. In this way, if the total output power indicated by the two drive commands does not exceed the rated power of armature winding 144, armature winding 144 can provide that total output power, fully compensating for the power loss caused by armature winding 142's inability to output power. If the total output power indicated by the two drive commands exceeds the rated power of armature winding 144, armature winding 144 can output the rated power, partially compensating for the power loss caused by driver 124's failure.

[0077] In some examples, continue to combine Figure 2D As shown, driver 134 may include signal processing unit 244, which can be coupled to signal processing unit 228 via cross-control circuit 252. Similarly, driver 124 may also include signal processing unit 242, which can be coupled to signal processing unit 238 via cross-control circuit 254. If calculation module 212 determines that driver 124 has failed (or armature winding 142 has failed), calculation module 212 can control switch 226 to close. Calculation module 212 can send a drive signal to signal processing unit 228 via signal processing unit 228. Calculation module 214 can control the input and output terminals of switch 232. The circuit is turned on. The calculation module 214 can send a drive signal to the signal processing unit 228 through the signal processing unit 234. The signal processing unit 228 can superimpose the two drive signals to obtain a superimposed drive signal. For example, the amplitude or duty cycle of the superimposed drive signal can be twice that of the original drive signal. The signal processing unit 228 can control the output power of the armature winding 144 based on the superimposed drive signal.

[0078] Figure 2E A schematic diagram of an example architecture 200E of a redundant steering system 110 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure under yet another failure scenario is shown. Figure 2E In the fault scenario illustrated, it is assumed that both controller 132 and driver 134 malfunction. It should be understood that this is merely illustrative and not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure in any way.

[0079] like Figure 2EAs shown, if the controller 122 determines that other subsystems of the redundant steering system 110 (such as the controller 132 and the driver 134) have failed, the controller 122 may, based on the drive command, multiply the output power of the armature winding 142 to compensate for the power loss caused by the armature winding 142's inability to output power.

[0080] As an example, if the calculation module 212 determines that the controller 132 and the driver 134 have failed, the calculation module 212 can control the input and output terminals of the switch 222. When the circuit is turned on, switch 226 can also be turned off. The calculation module 212 can send a drive signal directly to the driver via switch 222 based on the first drive parameters. The driver 124 can control the output power of the armature winding 142 based on the unattenuated drive signal. In this way, the output power of the armature winding 142 can be multiplied. Of course, the controller is not limited to multiplying the output power of the armature winding based on the unattenuated drive signal. In some cases, the controller can also multiply the output power of the armature winding based on the amplified drive signal.

[0081] In some embodiments, for any of the above-described fault scenarios, if the controller 122 determines that the fault duration exceeds a time threshold (e.g., 100ms), the controller 122 may generate third fault information indicating that the redundant steering system 110 has failed. Subsequently, the controller 122 may send the third fault information to the autonomous driving system 150 or the vehicle's central control system to request the autonomous driving system 150 or the central control system to perform fault handling.

[0082] It should be noted that the operations performed by the calculation module and auxiliary circuit in the above examples can all be implemented by the controller by executing a program, or by executing a program and cooperating with internal circuits. This should not be interpreted as the controller being limited to performing these operations solely through the calculation module and auxiliary circuit. For example, the operations performed by the calculation module 212 and auxiliary circuit 220 can be performed by the controller 122 executing a program, or by executing a program and cooperating with the controller 122's internal circuits. Similarly, the operations performed by the calculation module 214 and auxiliary circuit 230 can be performed by the controller 132 executing a program, or by executing a program and cooperating with the controller 132's internal circuits.

[0083] In summary, according to the embodiments of this disclosure, in the event of a non-substantial failure in a subsystem, it is possible to ensure continuous and consistent power output from multiple subsystems to reduce safety risks. This avoids abruptly shutting down subsystems, maintains the vehicle's steering control capability, and improves the continuity, stability, and robustness of the redundant steering system.

[0084] Figure 3A flowchart of a process 300 for controlling a redundant steering system 110 for a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Process 300 can be implemented at one of a plurality of controllers of the redundant steering system 110, such as controller 122 or controller 132. For ease of discussion, process 300 will be described hereinafter from the perspective of controller 122.

[0085] In block 310, controller 122 acquires multiple control parameters related to multiple controllers. The redundant steering system also includes a motor with multiple independent armature windings and multiple drivers corresponding to the multiple armature windings, with each controller corresponding to a multiple driver.

[0086] In block 320, controller 122 responds to the fact that the difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter among a plurality of control parameters does not exceed a difference threshold, and determines a drive instruction for a first driver corresponding to the controller among a plurality of drivers based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, wherein the first control parameter is related to the controller and the second control parameter is related to one of the other controllers among the plurality of controllers.

[0087] In block 310, controller 122 controls the armature winding corresponding to the first driver based on drive commands to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first control parameter includes a first steering parameter received by the controller, the second control parameter includes a second steering parameter received by one of the other controllers, the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter respectively indicate the desired steering state in which the wheel is adjusted, and wherein determining the drive command includes: determining a fused steering parameter by fusing the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter in response to a first difference between the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter not exceeding a first difference threshold; and determining the drive command based on the fused steering parameter.

[0089] In some embodiments, the redundant steering system further includes a plurality of sensing modules corresponding to a plurality of controllers, a first control parameter including a first sensing result received by the controller from the corresponding sensing module, a second control parameter including a second sensing result received by one of the other controllers, the first sensing result and the second sensing result respectively indicating the current state of the wheel, and wherein determining a drive command includes: in response to a second difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result not exceeding a second difference threshold, determining a fused sensing result by fusing the first sensing result and the second sensing result; and determining a drive command based on a first steering parameter received by the controller and the fused sensing result, the first steering parameter indicating the desired state in which the wheel is adjusted.

[0090] In some embodiments, the first control parameter includes a first drive parameter determined by the controller, the second control parameter includes a second drive parameter determined by one of the other controllers, the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter respectively indicate the desired operating state of the motor, and wherein determining the drive command includes: in response to a third difference between the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter not exceeding a third difference threshold, determining a fused drive parameter by fusing the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter; and determining a drive command based on the fused drive parameter.

[0091] In some embodiments, process 300 further includes at least one of the following: generating first fault information indicating a fault in the redundant steering system in response to a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter exceeding a difference threshold; and generating second fault information indicating a fault in the redundant steering system in response to a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter acquired in each of a plurality of consecutive control cycles.

[0092] In some embodiments, process 300 further includes: in response to the first control parameter being unavailable, determining a drive command based on a second control parameter.

[0093] In some embodiments, process 300 further includes: in response to determining at the controller that one of the other controllers has failed, coupling a second driver corresponding to one of the other controllers to the controller; and controlling, based on drive commands, a first armature winding corresponding to the first driver and a second armature winding corresponding to the second driver, respectively, to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0094] In some embodiments, process 300 further includes: in response to determining at the controller that a first driver corresponding to the controller has failed, coupling a second driver corresponding to one of the other controllers to the controller; and sending a drive command to the second driver to drive a second armature winding corresponding to the second driver based on the drive command received from the controller and the drive command received from one of the other controllers, so as to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0095] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide corresponding apparatus for implementing the above methods or processes. Figure 4 A schematic structural block diagram of a control device 400 for a redundant steering system 110 for a vehicle according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The device 400 may be implemented at or included in one of a plurality of controllers of the redundant steering system 110, such as controller 122 or controller 132. Various modules / components in the device 400 may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0096] like Figure 4As shown, the device 400 includes: an acquisition module 410 configured to acquire multiple control parameters related to the multiple controllers at one of the multiple controllers in a redundant steering system, the redundant steering system further including a motor having multiple independent armature windings and multiple drivers corresponding to the multiple armature windings, the multiple controllers corresponding to the multiple drivers respectively; a determination module 420 configured to determine a drive command for a first driver corresponding to the controller among the multiple drivers based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, in response to a difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter among the multiple control parameters not exceeding a difference threshold, the first control parameter being related to the controller and the second control parameter being related to one of the other controllers among the multiple controllers; and a control module 430 configured to control the armature winding corresponding to the first driver based on the drive command to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first control parameter includes a first steering parameter received by the controller, the second control parameter includes a second steering parameter received by one of the other controllers, the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter respectively indicate the desired steering state in which the wheel is adjusted, and the determining module 420 is further configured to: determine a fused steering parameter by fusing the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter in response to a first difference between the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter not exceeding a first difference threshold; and determine a drive command based on the fused steering parameter.

[0098] In some embodiments, the redundant steering system further includes multiple sensing modules corresponding to multiple controllers, a first control parameter including a first sensing result received by the controller from the corresponding sensing module, a second control parameter including a second sensing result received by one of the other controllers, the first sensing result and the second sensing result respectively indicating the current state of the wheel, and the determination module 420 is further configured to: determine a fused sensing result by fusing the first sensing result and the second sensing result in response to a second difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result not exceeding a second difference threshold; and determine a drive command based on the first steering parameter received by the controller and the fused sensing result, the first steering parameter indicating the desired state of wheel adjustment.

[0099] In some embodiments, the first control parameter includes a first drive parameter determined by the controller, the second control parameter includes a second drive parameter determined by one of the other controllers, the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter respectively indicate the desired operating state of the motor, and the determining module 420 is further configured to: determine a fused drive parameter by fusing the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter in response to a third difference between the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter not exceeding a third difference threshold; and determine a drive command based on the fused drive parameter.

[0100] In some embodiments, the apparatus 400 further includes at least one of the following: a first generation module configured to generate first fault information indicating a failure of the redundant steering system in response to a difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter exceeding a difference threshold; and a second generation module configured to generate second fault information indicating a failure of the redundant steering system in response to a difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter acquired in each of a plurality of consecutive control cycles.

[0101] In some embodiments, the determining module 420 is further configured to: determine a drive instruction based on a second control parameter in response to the first control parameter being unavailable.

[0102] In some embodiments, the control module 430 is further configured to: in response to determining at the controller that one of the other controllers has failed, couple a second driver corresponding to one of the other controllers to the controller; and based on drive commands, control a first armature winding corresponding to the first driver and a second armature winding corresponding to the second driver, respectively, to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0103] In some embodiments, the control module 430 is further configured to: in response to determining at the controller that a first driver corresponding to the controller has failed, couple a second driver corresponding to one of the other controllers to the controller; and send a drive command to the second driver to drive a second armature winding corresponding to the second driver based on the drive command received from the controller and the drive command received from one of the other controllers, so as to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

[0104] The units and / or modules included in device 400 can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more units and / or modules can be implemented using software and / or firmware, such as machine-executable instructions stored on a storage medium. In addition to or as an alternative to machine-executable instructions, some or all of the units and / or modules in device 400 can be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. By way of example and not limitation, exemplary types of hardware logic components that can be used include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), systems-on-chips (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and so on.

[0105] Figure 5 A block diagram of an electronic device 500 in which one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented is shown. It should be understood that... Figure 5The electronic device 500 shown is merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the functionality and scope of the embodiments described herein. Figure 5 The illustrated electronic device 500 may include or be implemented as Figure 1 At one of the multiple controllers of the redundant steering system 110 (e.g., controller 122 or controller 132), or Figure 4 Device 400.

[0106] like Figure 5 As shown, electronic device 500 is in the form of a general-purpose electronic device. Components of electronic device 500 may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors or processing units 510, memory 520, storage device 530, one or more communication units 540, one or more input devices 550, and one or more output devices 560. Processor 510 may be a physical or virtual processor and is capable of performing various processes according to programs stored in memory 520. In a multiprocessor system, multiple processing units execute computer-executable instructions in parallel to improve the parallel processing capability of electronic device 500.

[0107] Electronic device 500 typically includes multiple computer storage media. Such media can be any accessible media that is accessible to electronic device 500, including but not limited to volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Memory 520 can be volatile memory (e.g., registers, cache, random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile memory (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory), or some combination thereof. Storage device 530 can be removable or non-removable media and can include machine-readable media, such as flash drives, disks, or any other media that can be used to store information and / or data and can be accessed within electronic device 500.

[0108] Electronic device 500 may further include additional removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile storage media. Although not explicitly stated... Figure 5 As shown, disk drives for reading from or writing to removable, non-volatile disks (e.g., "floppy disks") and optical disk drives for reading from or writing to removable, non-volatile optical disks can be provided. In these cases, each drive can be connected to a bus (not shown) via one or more data media interfaces. Memory 520 may include computer program product 525 having one or more program modules configured to perform various methods or actions of various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0109] Communication unit 540 enables communication with other electronic devices via a communication medium. Additionally, the functionality of components of electronic device 500 can be implemented using a single computing cluster or multiple computing machines capable of communicating via communication connections. Therefore, electronic device 500 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more other servers, network personal computers (PCs), or another network node.

[0110] Input device 550 can be one or more input devices, such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, etc. Output device 560 can be one or more output devices, such as a monitor, speaker, printer, etc. Electronic device 500 can also communicate with one or more external devices (not shown) via communication unit 540 as needed. These external devices include storage devices, display devices, etc., and can communicate with one or more devices that enable user interaction with electronic device 500, or with any device that enables electronic device 500 to communicate with one or more other electronic devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.). Such communication can be performed via input / output (I / O) interface (not shown).

[0111] According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores computer-executable instructions thereon, wherein the computer-executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above. According to an exemplary implementation of this disclosure, a computer program product is also provided, which is tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and includes computer-executable instructions, which are executed by a processor to implement the methods described above.

[0112] Various aspects of this disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses, devices, and computer program products implemented according to this disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0113] These computer-readable program instructions can be provided to a processing unit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine such that, when executed by the processing unit of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, they create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that causes a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other device to operate in a particular manner. Thus, the computer-readable medium storing the instructions comprises an article of manufacture that includes instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0114] Computer-readable program instructions can be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby causing the instructions that execute on the computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to perform the functions / actions specified in one or more boxes of a flowchart and / or block diagram.

[0115] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of an instruction, which contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in the blocks may occur in a different order than those indicated in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0116] Various implementations of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed implementations. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the described implementations. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical applications, or improvements to technology in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the various implementations disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A control method for a redundant steering system of a vehicle, comprising: At one of the multiple controllers in the redundant steering system, multiple control parameters related to the multiple controllers are acquired. The redundant steering system also includes a motor having multiple independent armature windings and multiple drivers corresponding to the multiple armature windings. The multiple controllers correspond to the multiple drivers respectively. In response to the fact that the difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter among the plurality of control parameters does not exceed a difference threshold, a drive instruction is determined for a first driver corresponding to the controller among the plurality of drivers based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, wherein the first control parameter is related to the controller and the second control parameter is related to one of the other controllers among the plurality of controllers; and Based on the drive command, the armature winding corresponding to the first driver is controlled to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control parameter includes a first steering parameter received by the controller, the second control parameter includes a second steering parameter received by one of the other controllers, the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter respectively indicating the desired steering state of the wheel being adjusted, and The determination of the driving instructions includes: In response to the first difference between the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter not exceeding the first difference threshold, the fused steering parameter is determined by fusing the first steering parameter and the second steering parameter; as well as The driving command is determined based on the fused steering parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the redundant steering system further comprises a plurality of sensing modules corresponding to the plurality of controllers, the first control parameter includes a first sensing result received by the controller from the corresponding sensing module, the second control parameter includes a second sensing result received by one of the other controllers, the first sensing result and the second sensing result respectively indicating the current state of the wheel, and The determination of the driving instructions includes: In response to the fact that the second difference between the first sensing result and the second sensing result does not exceed the second difference threshold, the fused sensing result is determined by fusing the first sensing result and the second sensing result; as well as Based on the first steering parameter received by the controller and the fused sensing results, the driving command is determined, wherein the first steering parameter indicates the desired state in which the wheels are adjusted.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first control parameter includes a first drive parameter determined by the controller, the second control parameter includes a second drive parameter determined by one of the other controllers, the first drive parameter and the second drive parameter respectively indicating the desired operating state of the motor, and The determination of the driving instructions includes: In response to the fact that the third difference between the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter does not exceed the third difference threshold, the fused driving parameter is determined by fusing the first driving parameter and the second driving parameter. as well as The driving instructions are determined based on the fused driving parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following: In response to the difference between the first control parameter and the second control parameter exceeding a difference threshold, first fault information indicating a failure in the redundant steering system is generated, and In response to the discrepancy between the first control parameter and the second control parameter obtained in each of the multiple consecutive control cycles, a second fault information indicating a fault in the redundant steering system is generated.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to the unavailability of the first control parameter, the drive command is determined based on the second control parameter.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to determining that one of the other controllers has failed at the controller, a second driver corresponding to one of the other controllers is coupled to the controller; as well as Based on the drive command, the first armature winding corresponding to the first driver and the second armature winding corresponding to the second driver are controlled respectively to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In response to determining at the controller that a first driver corresponding to the controller has failed, a second driver corresponding to one of the other controllers is coupled to the controller; as well as The drive command is sent to the second driver so that the second driver drives the second armature winding corresponding to the second driver based on the drive command received from the controller and the drive command received from one of the other controllers, so as to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

9. A redundant steering system for a vehicle, comprising: An electric motor coupled to the wheels of the vehicle, the electric motor being configured to provide power for adjusting the direction of the wheels of the vehicle, the electric motor having multiple armature windings that are independent of each other; Multiple drivers are coupled to the multiple armature windings respectively, and each driver is configured to drive a corresponding armature winding; as well as A plurality of controllers, each corresponding to a plurality of drivers, wherein the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is executed at each of the plurality of controllers.

10. A control device for a redundant steering system of a vehicle, comprising: The acquisition module is configured to acquire multiple control parameters related to the multiple controllers at one of the multiple controllers in the redundant steering system. The redundant steering system also includes a motor having multiple independent armature windings and multiple drivers corresponding to the multiple armature windings. The multiple controllers correspond to the multiple drivers respectively. The determination module is configured to, in response to the fact that the difference between a first control parameter and a second control parameter among the plurality of control parameters does not exceed a difference threshold, determine a drive instruction for a first driver corresponding to the controller among the plurality of drivers, based on the first control parameter and the second control parameter, wherein the first control parameter is related to the controller and the second control parameter is related to one of the other controllers among the plurality of controllers; as well as The control module is configured to control the armature winding corresponding to the first driver based on the drive command, so as to control the motor to adjust the wheel direction of the vehicle.

11. An electronic device, comprising: At least one processing unit; as well as At least one memory, coupled to the at least one processing unit and storing instructions for execution by the at least one processing unit, which, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the electronic device to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executable by a processor to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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