Steering load detection system and related method

Abstract

Systems, devices, articles, and methods are disclosed. A turning load detection system and related methods are disclosed. An example device includes a memory; machine-readable instructions; and at least one programmable circuit to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions to determine an acceleration of a rack of a steering system of a vehicle based on one or more of position data of a shaft of a pinion of the steering system or position data of a shaft of a motor of the steering system; determine a force applied to a tie rod of the vehicle based on the acceleration of the rack; and cause output of a message based on the force.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to steering systems, and more specifically to steering load detection systems and related methods. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicles typically include a mechanical linkage that connects the vehicle's front wheels to the steering wheel. For example, in a rack and pinion steering system, rotational movement of the steering wheel is converted into linear movement of the rack via a pinion shaft connected to the steering wheel. A tie rod is connected to the corresponding end of the rack. The tie rod transmits linear force from the rack to the corresponding steering arm associated with the wheel to turn the wheel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] As described above, vehicles typically include a mechanical linkage that connects the vehicle's front wheels to the steering wheel. In a rack and pinion steering system, rotational movement of the steering wheel is converted into linear movement of the rack via a pinion gear connected to the shaft of the steering wheel. A tie rod is connected to the corresponding end of the rack. The tie rod transmits linear force from the rack to the corresponding steering arm associated with the wheel to turn the wheel.

[0004] The tie rods associated with the front wheels of the vehicle include an inner tie rod connected to the rack of the rack and pinion steering system and an outer tie rod connected to the steering knuckle of the wheel. Excessive force on the steering system caused, for example, driving over potholes or curbs, can affect the structure of the tie rods, and in particular, may cause deformation of the inner tie rod. In some examples, such loads can additionally or alternatively affect the structural integrity of one or more components of the vehicle's suspension system, such as the steering knuckle or control arm that connects the vehicle chassis to the wheel hub. Such changes in the structural integrity of the inner tie rod or other components of the steering and / or suspension systems can cause the steering system to become misaligned.

[0005] This document discloses exemplary systems, apparatus, and methods for assessing the structural condition of a component (e.g., a tie rod) of a vehicle's steering system due to excessive force events experienced by the component during vehicle operation. The examples disclosed herein can be implemented in vehicles having steering systems including movable racks. The examples disclosed herein determine rack acceleration based on positional data associated with a pinion shaft or motor shaft (e.g., in an electric steering system). Using the rack acceleration, the exemplary steering load monitoring circuitry disclosed herein determines the force applied to the component (e.g., the tie rod). The examples disclosed herein correlate changes in rack acceleration with the load applied to the rack, which is used to determine the load applied to a component such as the tie rod. Based on the force, the steering load monitoring circuitry determines (e.g., predicts) whether the tie rod has experienced an excessive force event that could result in a relatively lower structural integrity of the tie rod compared to before the excessive force event (e.g., due to buckling, bending, or other permanent and / or inelastic deformation of the tie rod). For example, the steering load monitoring circuitry may compare the force applied to the tie rod to a force threshold for the tie rod.

[0006] In an example where the steering load monitoring circuitry predicts that the structural integrity of a steering system component has been altered due to an excessive force event, the system can validate the prediction based on analysis of steering wheel alignment. For example, data from the anti-lock braking system (ABS) generated after a predicted excessive force event may indicate that the vehicle is moving straight or substantially straight. However, angular position data associated with the pinion shaft or motor shaft may indicate that the steering wheel has shifted beyond a threshold amount after the predicted excessive force event. In such examples, the steering load monitoring circuitry confirms the likelihood that a component (e.g., tie rod, control arm, steering knuckle) has lower structural integrity than before the excessive force event based on the detection of an misaligned steering wheel. Therefore, the system causes a message to be output to the driver, for example, to notify the user that the structural integrity of a component (e.g., tie rod) or more generally the steering system may be affected; to notify the driver of a misaligned steering wheel; and / or to prompt the driver to go to a vehicle repair shop. The message may include, for example, a visual message displayed on the vehicle's dashboard, one or more notifications transmitted to an application installed on a user device such as a smartphone. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 An example vehicle in which the teachings of this disclosure can be implemented is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exemplary steering system for a vehicle.

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 2Exemplary steering systems and Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic control unit for a vehicle, including a steering load monitoring circuit system.

[0010] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A block diagram of an exemplary implementation of a steering load monitoring circuit system.

[0011] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary machine-readable instructions and / or exemplary operations that can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by an exemplary programmable circuit system. Figure 4 Steering load monitoring circuit system.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an exemplary processing platform including a programmable circuit system structured to execute, instantiate, and / or implement exemplary machine-readable instructions and / or perform... Figure 5 and Figure 6 Exemplary operations to implement Figure 4 Steering load monitoring circuit system.

[0013] Typically, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the accompanying drawings and written description to refer to the same or similar parts. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Figure 1 An example vehicle 100 in which the teachings of this disclosure can be implemented is shown. The exemplary vehicle 100 includes a steering system 102, a first wheel 104, and a second wheel 106. The steering system 102 of the exemplary vehicle 100 includes a steering wheel 108 for transmitting driver input to the steering system 102 (e.g., by rotating the steering wheel 108). The exemplary vehicle 100 includes an instrument panel or dashboard 110, which includes a speedometer (and other meters) and a user interface for presenting messages to the driver. Figure 1 The exemplary vehicle 100 is a pickup truck; however, vehicle 100 can be any type of vehicle (e.g., van, car, SUV, semi-trailer truck, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), construction equipment, agricultural equipment, etc.). Figure 1 In the example, vehicle 100 is a dual-axle vehicle. In other examples, vehicle 100 may have additional axles and / or additional wheels.

[0015] The steering system 102 converts the rotational motion of the steering wheel 108 into lateral force via steering gears (e.g., rack and pinion) to change the direction of the vehicle 100 by the wheels 104, 106. Although the steering system 102 is used to control the front axle of the vehicle 100, the examples disclosed herein can also be applied to steering systems associated with the rear steering axle.

[0016] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 An exemplary steering system 102 of a vehicle 100. The exemplary steering system 102 includes a steering wheel 108 coupled to a steering column 200. An intermediate shaft 202 extends between the steering column 200 and a pinion shaft 204. The pinion shaft 204 supports a pinion 206. The pinion 206 engages a rack 208 (e.g., via gear teeth of the pinion 206 and rack 208). When a user rotates the steering wheel 108, the pinion 206 moves (e.g., rolls) along the rack 208 via the pinion shaft 204, resulting in linear movement of the rack 208 (i.e., axial movement along the longitudinal axis of the rack 208). The exemplary steering system 102 includes a pinion shaft position sensor 210 that outputs a signal representing the rotational position (angular position) of the pinion shaft 204. The output of the pinion shaft position sensor 210 can be used to determine the angle of the steering wheel 108. Figure 2 In the example, the pinion shaft position sensor 210 is located in a housing 211 that includes at least a portion of the pinion shaft 204.

[0017] like Figure 2 As shown, the first end 212 of rack 208 is connected to the first inner tie rod 214. The first inner tie rod 214 is connected to the first outer tie rod 216. Similarly, the second end 218 of rack 208 is connected to the second inner tie rod 220, which is connected to the second outer tie rod 222. The outer tie rods 216 and 222 are connected via, for example, steering knuckle 316 (… Figure 3 Connect to Figure 1 The corresponding wheels are 104 and 106. Steering knuckle 316 ( Figure 3 Together with the control arms 318 connected to it. Figure 3 It is part of the suspension system of vehicle 100.

[0018] Figure 2 The exemplary steering system 102 provides power-assisted steering via a motor 224. Figure 2 In the example, motor 224 is coupled to rack 208 via belt 226, which is coupled to a portion of rack 208. Motor 224 has a pulley ( Figure 3 And connected to ball nut 314 ( Figure 3The steering system 102 includes a torque sensor 228 that outputs a signal indicating the torque applied to the steering wheel 108. As disclosed in conjunction with Figure 3, the motor control circuitry determines the auxiliary steering force to be applied to the rack 208 via the motor 224 to facilitate movement of the rack 208 based on the output of the torque sensor 228. The belt 226 transmits the rotational motion of the motor 224 to the rack 208 so that the rack 208 is moved by applying the auxiliary steering force (as a supplement to the force applied via the pinion 206). The belt 226 may drive, for example, a ball bearing 314, which engages the threaded raceway of the rack 208 to transmit torque from the motor 224 to the rack 208. A motor shaft position sensor 312 ( Figure 3 The output indicates the shaft 310 of motor 224. Figure 3 The signal indicating the rotational position of ( ).

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Exemplary steering system 102 and Figure 1 A block diagram of an exemplary electronic control unit (ECU) 300 of a vehicle 100. Figure 3 In the example, ECU 300 includes a power steering control circuit system 302 and a steering load monitoring circuit system 304. Furthermore, in Figure 3 In the example, ECU 300 communicates with the anti-lock braking system (ABS) control circuitry 306 (e.g., a programmable circuitry) of vehicle 100. Although in Figure 3 In the example, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 is shown as being implemented by the ECU 300, but in some examples, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 is implemented by a programmable circuitry separate from the ECU 300.

[0020] Figure 3 An exemplary power steering control circuit system 302 receives the output of a torque sensor 228 from the steering system 102. Based on the output of the torque sensor 228 indicating the torque applied to the steering wheel 108, the power steering control circuit system 302 determines the amount of steering assist force to be applied to the rack 208 of the steering system 102. The power steering control circuit system 302 communicates with a motor control circuit system 308 (e.g., a programmable circuit system) to command a motor 224 to apply assist force to the rack 208 via a belt 226. Figure 3As shown, motor 224 includes shaft 310, pulley 311 for driving belt 226, and ball nut 314, wherein ball nut 314 is a rotating component connected to pulley 311 via belt 226. Ball nut 314 rotates about rack 208 to translate rack 208, thereby changing the angle of wheels 104, 106. Ball nut 314 may include, for example, ball bearings that engage the threaded raceways of rack 208 to facilitate the conversion of rotational motion of ball nut 314 into linear motion of rack 208. Although in Figure 3 In the example, vehicle 100 includes a rack-and-pinion electric power steering system with drive (which includes ball nut 314), but the example disclosed herein can be used with other types of rack-and-pinion electric power steering systems.

[0021] Figure 3 An exemplary steering load monitoring circuit system 304 determines (e.g., predicts) whether at least one component of the steering system 102 and / or suspension system of the vehicle 100 is affected by, for example... Figure 1 The vehicle 100 exhibits relatively lower structural integrity when driving over potholes, curbs, etc., compared to before encountering them. The examples disclosed herein will be discussed primarily in relation to evaluating the loads experienced by the inner tie rods 214 and 220. However, the examples disclosed herein can be used to evaluate other components of the steering system 102 (e.g., outer tie rods 216 and 222) and / or other components of the vehicle suspension system (e.g., steering knuckle 316, control arm 318) and to identify excessive force events that may affect the structural integrity of those components.

[0022] An exemplary steering load monitoring circuitry 304 receives outputs corresponding to position data from one or more of either (a) a pinion shaft position sensor 210 that detects the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 or (b) a motor shaft position sensor 312 that detects the rotational angle of the shaft 310 of the motor 224. As disclosed herein, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 determines the acceleration of the rack 208 by calculating the second derivative of the position data of the pinion shaft 204 and / or the motor shaft 310 with respect to time. Using the rack acceleration data, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 determines the forces applied to the inner tie rods 214, 220. If the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 determines that the calculated forces applied to the inner tie rods 214, 220 exceed, for example, a threshold force, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 predicts that the inner tie rods 214, 220 have experienced an excessive force event that may affect the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220.

[0023] In an example where the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 predicts, based on force analysis, that the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220 is less than before an excessive force event, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 verifies the prediction by analyzing the alignment of the steering wheel 108. For example, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 accesses driving behavior data generated after an excessive force event involving the inner tie rods 214, 220 from the ABS control circuitry 306 (e.g., driving behavior data generated after outputs corresponding to pinion shaft position data and / or motor shaft position data used to determine rack acceleration and load and identify excessive force events involving the inner tie rods 214, 220). The driving behavior data indicates whether the ABS control circuitry 306 has determined that the vehicle 100 is traveling straight (e.g., based on acceleration data). The steering load monitoring circuitry 304 also analyzes changes in position data from the pinion shaft position sensor 210 and / or motor shaft position sensor 312 generated after an excessive force event associated with the inner tie rods 214, 220. For example, if the position data from the pinion shaft position sensor 210 has changed by more than a threshold amount (e.g., 3 degrees) since the overload event, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 determines that the steering wheel 108 may be misaligned due to the impact of the overload event on the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220.

[0024] Given position data from one or more of the pinion shaft position sensor 210 or the motor shaft position sensor 312, an exemplary steering load monitoring circuitry 304 analyzes driving behavior data from the ABS control circuitry 306. If the driving behavior data from the ABS control circuitry 306 indicates that the vehicle is going straight, but the position data from one or more of the pinion shaft position sensor 210 or the motor shaft position sensor 312 has changed by more than a threshold amount, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 determines that the steering wheel 108 may be misaligned because at least one of the tie rods 214, 220 has relatively lower structural integrity compared to before the excessive force event. In such an example, the steering load monitoring circuitry 304 causes the output message to notify the user of a possible structural integrity condition involving the tie rods 214, 220 or more generally the steering system 102. For example, the message may include a visual message presented via a user interface of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a user interface on the dashboard 110).

[0025] Figure 4 It is used for evaluation Figure 1 The forces experienced by components of the steering system 102 of vehicle 100 (e.g., tie rods 214, 220) are assessed, and based on this assessment, the user is provided with information regarding the structural integrity of the steering system 102. Figure 3 A block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the steering load monitoring circuit system 304. Figure 4The steering load monitoring circuit system 304 can be instantiated by a programmable circuit system (e.g., instantiated, formed, materialized, implemented, etc., over any time period). For example, the programmable circuit system can be implemented by a central processing unit (CPU) executing first instructions, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a general-purpose array logic (GAL) device, a programmable array logic (PAL) device, a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a microcontroller (MCU), a programmable system-on-a-chip (PSoC), etc. Alternatively or concurrently, Figure 4 The steering load monitoring circuit system 304 can be instantiated (e.g., instantiated, formed, materialized, implemented, etc.) by (i) an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or (ii) a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) (e.g., another form of programmable circuit system) that can be structured and / or configured to perform operations corresponding to the first instruction in response to the execution of the second instruction. It should be understood that... Figure 4 Some or all of the circuit system can therefore be instantiated at the same or different times. Figure 4 Some or all of the circuitry in the system can be instantiated, for example, in one or more threads that execute concurrently on hardware and / or serially on hardware. Furthermore, in some examples, Figure 4 Some or all of the circuitry in the system can be implemented by executing instructions through a microprocessor circuitry and / or performing operations through an FPGA circuitry to implement one or more virtual machines and / or containers.

[0026] Figure 4 An exemplary steering load monitoring circuit system 304 includes a sensor interface circuit system 400, an acceleration analysis circuit system 402, a force analysis circuit system 404, an evaluation circuit system 406, a message generation circuit system 408, and a system interface circuit system 410. In some examples, the sensor interface circuit system 400 is instantiated by and / or configured to perform operations such as those by a programmable circuit system that executes sensor interface instructions. Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates those operations. In some examples, the acceleration analysis circuit system 402 is instantiated by and / or configured to perform operations such as those by a programmable circuit system that executes acceleration analysis instructions. Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates those operations. In some examples, the force analysis circuit system 404 is instantiated by and / or configured to perform operations such as those by a programmable circuit system that executes force analysis instructions. Figure 5 and / or Figure 6The flowchart illustrates those operations. In some examples, the evaluation circuit system 406 is instantiated by a programmable circuit system that executes evaluation instructions and / or configured to perform operations, such as those described by... Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates those operations. In some examples, the message generation circuit system 408 is instantiated by and / or configured to perform operations, such as those by a programmable circuit system that executes message generation instructions. Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 The flowchart illustrates those operations. In some examples, the system interface circuitry 410 is instantiated by and / or configured to perform operations, such as those by a programmable circuitry system executing system interface instructions. Figure 5 and / or Figure 6 The flowchart represents those operations.

[0027] Figure 4 An exemplary sensor interface circuit system 400 accesses indications from a pinion shaft position sensor 210. Figure 2 The exemplary steering system 102 outputs the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 over time. Alternatively, the sensor interface circuitry 400 accesses the output from the motor shaft position sensor 312, indicating the angular position of the shaft 310 of the motor 224 of the exemplary steering system 102 over time. Figure 4 In the example, pinion shaft angular position data 412 corresponding to the output of pinion shaft position sensor 210 can be stored in database 413. Alternatively, motor shaft angular position data 414 corresponding to the output of motor shaft position sensor 312 can be stored in database 413. In some examples, database 413 is located in a location accessible to the steering load monitoring circuitry 304, outside of the steering load monitoring circuitry 304, such as... Figure 4 As shown. In some examples, Figure 4 The steering load monitoring circuit system 304 includes a database 413.

[0028] Figure 4The acceleration analysis circuit system 402 uses one or more of the pinion shaft angular position data 412 or the motor shaft angular position data 414 to determine the translational acceleration of the rack 208 of the steering system 102. In the examples disclosed herein, rack acceleration indicates the rate of change of the linear position of rack 208, which can be determined via changes in the angular position of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310. For example, when wheels 104, 106 are subjected to load, force is transmitted to rack 208 via inner tie rods 214, 220. In response, rack 208 translates rapidly, causing rotation of ball nut 314 and motor shaft 310. Changes in rack acceleration data can indicate sudden or rapid changes in the linear position of rack 208 caused by high loads applied to rack 208 when vehicle 100 drives over, for example, a pothole and the load on wheels 104, 106 of vehicle 100 is transmitted to rack 208. Therefore, the inner tie rods 214 and 220 may also be subjected to loads that affect the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214 and 220.

[0029] In an example where the sensor interface circuit system 400 receives outputs from both the pinion shaft position sensor 210 and the motor shaft position sensor 312, the acceleration analysis circuit system 402 can select one or more of the corresponding position data 412, 414 to determine the rack acceleration. In some examples, the acceleration analysis circuit system 402 selects the pinion shaft angular position data 412 or the motor shaft angular position data 414 that indicates the greater change (e.g., the maximum value) in the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 or the motor shaft 310 over a period of time to determine the rack acceleration. In some examples, Figure 4 The acceleration analysis circuit system 402 averages the values ​​from the pinion shaft angular position data 412 over time to generate average pinion shaft angular position data for determining rack acceleration. In some examples, the acceleration analysis circuit system 402 averages the values ​​from the motor shaft angular position data 414 over time to generate average motor shaft angular position data for determining rack acceleration.

[0030] Figure 4 The acceleration analysis circuit system 402 calculates the second derivative of position data (e.g., pinion shaft angular position data 412, motor shaft angular position data 414) with respect to time. For example, Figure 4 The acceleration analysis circuit system 402 calculates the first derivative of the pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or the motor shaft angular position data 414 with respect to time to generate velocity data. The acceleration analysis circuit system 402 calculates the derivative of the velocity data with respect to time to obtain rack acceleration data 416. Figure 4In the example, rack acceleration data 416, determined based on angular position data 412, 414 of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310, represents the acceleration of rack 208. Rack acceleration data 416 can be stored in database 413.

[0031] Force analysis circuit system 404 uses rack acceleration data 416 to determine (e.g., predict) the force applied to rack 208 and, consequently, to at least one of inner links 214, 220. As disclosed below in conjunction with Equations 1 to 6, force analysis circuit system 404 can determine the force applied to rack 208, which can be used to predict excessive force applied to inner links 214, 220 based on rack acceleration. Equation 1 below describes the mass of rack 208 (ignoring friction) m 齿条 Multiply by the acceleration of rack 208 ( a 齿条 ) equals the force applied to one of the inner tie rods 214 and 220. F 拉杆 Subtract the reaction force on the ball nut 314. F BNA (Among them, reaction force) F BNA ) Generates based on belt-pulley ratio ( transmission Compare 带 The torque transmitted to motor 224 minus the force of pinion 206. F 小齿轮 ): .

[0032] Although Equation 1 above ignores friction, it can be considered in Equation 1 in other examples.

[0033] Equation 2 below illustrates the torque applied to the ball nut 314. T BNA ) equals the reaction force applied to the ball nut 314 ( F BNA ) multiplied by the component of the force perpendicular to the axis of rack 208 ( sin(θ) Then multiply by the pitch radius of rack 208 ( D / 2 ): ,in η It is an efficiency factor considered in real-world test results.

[0034] Equation 3 below describes the torque applied to the motor pulley 311. T 带轮) is the torque applied to the ball nut. T BNA Divide by the belt-pulley ratio ( 传动比 bring The mechanical benefits provided: T 带轮 = T BNA / Gear ratio 带 (Equation 3)

[0035] Equation 4 below illustrates the torque (T) applied to motor 224. 马达 ) equals the torque of the motor pulley ( T 带轮 ): T 马达 = T 带轮 (Equation 4)

[0036] Equation 5 below illustrates the torque applied to motor 224. T 马达 ) equals the rotational acceleration of motor 224 ( α 马达 Multiplied by the motor's polar moment of inertia ( I 马达 ): .

[0037] By substituting equations 2 through 5 into equation 1 and neglecting the force applied to pinion 206 (i.e., F 小齿轮 = 0), then the resulting equation 6 will translate the rack acceleration ( a 齿条 ) and the acceleration of the rotary motor ( α 马达 Related to: In this example, it is possible to target F 拉杆 Solve Equation 6, which represents the force applied to one of the inner tie rods 214 and 220. Furthermore, although Equation 6 does not consider the force applied to the pinion 206 (i.e., F 小齿轮 However, in other examples, Equation 6 can take into account the forces on pinion 206.

[0038] Evaluation circuit system 406 analyzes the forces applied to the inner tie rods 214, 220 as determined by force analysis circuit system 404 to identify (e.g., predict) the likelihood that the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220 will be affected. For example, evaluation circuit system 406 will analyze the forces on the inner tie rods. F 拉杆The force is compared with a threshold force value defined by threshold force data 418 stored in database 413. The threshold force value can be defined, for example, by user input, and selected based on, for example, previous tests of the force applied to the lever. The lever force is then considered within this comparison. F 拉杆 In examples where the force exceeds a threshold value, the evaluation circuit system 406 determines (e.g., predicts) that the inner tie rods 214 and 220 have been subjected to an excessive force event that may affect the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214 and 220, and therefore ensures that a message is generated to notify the user.

[0039] exist Figure 4 In the example, before the command message generation circuitry 408 generates a message indicating that the inner tie rods 214, 220 may have lower structural integrity than before the overforce event, the evaluation circuitry 406 verifies the likelihood that the predicted overforce event results in the inner tie rods 214, 220 having lower structural integrity than before the predicted overforce event. In the example disclosed herein, the evaluation circuitry 406 performs an analysis of the alignment of the steering wheel 108 angle to verify the predicted impact of force on the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220. To perform the analysis of the steering wheel angle alignment, the evaluation circuitry 406 requests data 420 regarding the driving behavior of the vehicle 100 from the ABS control circuitry 306 via the system interface circuitry 410, wherein the vehicle driving behavior data 420 is generated after the overforce event identified by the evaluation circuitry 406 has occurred. Specifically, the vehicle driving behavior data 420 obtained from the ABS control circuitry 306 indicates whether the ABS control circuitry 306 considers the vehicle 100 to be traveling straight or substantially straight at a given time. The evaluation circuitry 406 also retrieves (e.g., from database 413) pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or motor shaft angular position data 414 corresponding to the output of pinion shaft position sensor 210 or motor shaft position sensor 312, wherein the sensor outputs are generated over a period of time following the predicted excessive force event. In other words, the pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or motor shaft angular position data 414 used in the steering wheel alignment analysis are generated at a later time than when the acceleration is determined by the acceleration analysis circuitry 402 using the pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or motor shaft angular position data 414. The retrieval of the pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or motor shaft angular position data 414 for steering wheel alignment analysis may correspond to the outputs of sensors 210, 312 that are simultaneously or substantially simultaneously with the generation of vehicle driving behavior data 420 by the ABS control circuitry 306 (i.e., the position data 412, 414 for steering wheel alignment analysis are time-dependent on the vehicle driving behavior data 420).

[0040] The evaluation circuitry 406 compares the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 and / or the angular position of the motor shaft 310 with an angular position threshold defined by angular position threshold data 421 stored in the database 413. Based on this comparison, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines whether the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 and / or the motor shaft 310 has changed beyond the angular position threshold since the occurrence of the force event. Changes in the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 and / or the motor shaft 310 that meet or exceed the angular position threshold indicate changes in the angle of the steering wheel 108 associated with steering wheel misalignment.

[0041] For example, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines whether the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 has changed beyond an angular position threshold since an excessive force event associated with the inner levers 214, 220. In some examples, the angular position threshold is 3 degrees. In such examples, if the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 has changed by 3 degrees or more, the steering wheel angle has also changed by 3 degrees or more. Therefore, in such examples, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that the steering wheel 108 is misaligned. The angular position threshold may have other values ​​defined by user input (e.g., 5 degrees, 2 degrees, etc.).

[0042] Alternatively, in some examples, the evaluation circuitry 406 analyzes the motor shaft angular position data 414 to determine whether the steering wheel 108 is misaligned. Due to the motor reduction ratio or gear ratio of the motor 224, the change in the angular position of the shaft 310 of the motor 224 is greater than the change in the angular position of the steering wheel 108. Therefore, in such examples, before comparing the motor shaft angular position data 414 with an angular position threshold to identify steering wheel misalignment, the evaluation circuitry 406 uses known constants for a given steering system (including the C-coefficient for steering system 102 (i.e., the distance the rack 208 travels per full revolution of pinion 206), the pulley ratio of the motor 224, and values ​​associated with the screw lead of steering system 102) to convert the angular position of the motor shaft 310 into a steering wheel angle value.

[0043] In other examples, when the change in angular position of either the pinion shaft 204 or the motor shaft 310 exceeds an angular position threshold after an over-force event, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that the steering wheel 108 is misaligned after the over-force event. In some examples, when the change in angular position of both the pinion shaft 204 and the motor shaft 310 exceeds an angular position threshold after an over-force event involving the inner tie rods 214 and 220, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that the steering wheel 108 is misaligned.

[0044] Given the steering wheel alignment assessment performed using position data 412, 414 of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310, the evaluation circuitry 406 analyzes vehicle driving behavior data 420. For example, vehicle driving behavior data 420 may indicate that at a given time, vehicle 100 is traveling straight. However, the corresponding position data 412, 414 of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310 may indicate the corresponding angular position of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310, and thus indicate that the steering wheel angle has changed more than an angular position threshold (e.g., more than 3 degrees) since the excessive force event. Therefore, although vehicle driving behavior data 420 indicates that vehicle 100 is traveling straight, the angular position of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310 after the predicted excessive force event indicates that steering wheel 108 is misaligned. In such an example, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that steering wheel 108 may be misaligned due to the impact of the excessive force event on the structural integrity of inner tie rods 214, 220. Therefore, the evaluation circuit system 406 verifies that the inner tie rods 214 and 220 may have lower structural integrity than before the excessive force event, such as based on force analysis (e.g., based on using Equations 1 to 6 above to determine the force on the inner tie rods). F 拉杆 as well as F 拉杆 The prediction is based on the comparison with the threshold force value.

[0045] In an example where the evaluation circuitry 406 verifies that the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220 has been affected, the evaluation circuitry 406 commands the message generation circuitry 408 to output message 422. Message 422 may notify the user of the structural integrity status of the inner tie rods 214, 220; notify the user that the steering wheel is misaligned; and / or more generally, suggest that the user inspect components of the steering system 102 and / or suspension system of vehicle 100. Message 422 may include, for example, a visual notification to be displayed on the user interface 424 of vehicle 100 (e.g., instrument panel 110). In such examples, the message generation circuitry 408 communicates with the system interface circuitry 410 to present message 422 via the user interface 424 of vehicle 100. In some examples, the instrument panel message may be removed or reset via user input at vehicle 100. In some examples, the message generation circuitry 408 causes message 422 to be output to a cloud-based device (e.g., a server, a virtual machine) so that message 422 is presented via an application installed on a user device 426 (e.g., a smartphone).

[0046] In some examples, based on the analysis of vehicle driving behavior data 420 and pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or motor shaft angular position data 414, the evaluation circuitry 406 does not detect misalignment of the steering wheel 108. For example, after an excessive force event, the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft 310 may be less than an angular position threshold. In such examples, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that although the force analysis identifies a potential excessive force event sufficient to affect the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220, the event does not result in misalignment at the steering system 102. In such examples, the evaluation circuitry 406 may continue to monitor the vehicle driving behavior data 420, pinion shaft angular position data 412, and / or motor shaft angular position data 414 to determine whether steering wheel misalignment occurs over time and / or whether another excessive force event is encountered. In such cases, the evaluation circuitry 406 may prevent the command message generation circuitry 408 from generating message 422 until misalignment at the steering system 102 is detected.

[0047] Although Figure 4 The implementation is shown in the figure. Figure 3 The example of the steering load monitoring circuit system 304, but Figure 4 One or more of the elements, processes, and / or devices shown may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, excluded, and / or implemented in any other way. Furthermore, Figure 4 The exemplary sensor interface circuit system 400, exemplary acceleration analysis circuit system 402, exemplary force analysis circuit system 404, exemplary evaluation circuit system 406, exemplary message generation circuit system 408, exemplary system interface circuit system 410, and / or more generally, exemplary steering load monitoring circuit system 304 can be implemented solely by hardware, or by hardware in combination with software and / or firmware. Therefore, for example, any of the exemplary sensor interface circuit system 400, exemplary acceleration analysis circuit system 402, exemplary force analysis circuit system 404, exemplary evaluation circuit system 406, exemplary message generation circuit system 408, exemplary system interface circuit system 410, and / or more generally, exemplary steering load monitoring circuit system 304 can be implemented by a programmable circuit system, processor circuit system, analog circuit, digital circuit, logic circuit, programmable processor, programmable microcontroller, graphics processing unit (GPU), digital signal processor (DSP), ASIC, programmable logic device (PLD), vision processing unit (VPU), and / or field-programmable logic device (FPLD) (such as FPGA) in combination with machine-readable instructions (e.g., firmware or software). Furthermore, Figure 4 The exemplary steering load monitoring circuit system 304 may include one or more components, processes and / or devices to supplement or replace it. Figure 4Those shown, and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes and apparatus shown.

[0048] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The diagram shows a flowchart illustrating exemplary machine-readable instructions that can be executed by a programmable circuit system to implement and / or instantiate them. Figure 4 The steering load monitoring circuit system 304 and / or indicates that it can be implemented and / or instantiated by a programmable circuit system. Figure 4 Exemplary operation of the steering load monitoring circuitry system 304. Machine-readable instructions may be one or more executable programs or part of one or more executable programs executed by a programmable circuitry system, such as those described below. Figure 7 The programmable circuit system 712 shown in the exemplary processor platform 700 discussed may be one or more functions or part of a function performed by an exemplary programmable circuit system (e.g., an FPGA). In some examples, machine-readable instructions cause operations, tasks, etc., to be implemented and / or performed in an automated manner in the real world. As used herein, “automation” means without human intervention.

[0049] The program may be embodied in instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable storage media, such as cache memory, magnetic storage devices or disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical storage devices or optical discs (e.g., Blu-ray discs, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), registers, ROM, solid-state drives (SSDs), SSD memory, non-volatile memory (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) of any type), and / or any other storage device or disk. The instructions of the non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media may be programmed and / or executed by a programmable circuit system located in one or more hardware devices, but the entire program and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed and / or instantiated by one or more hardware devices instead of a programmable circuit system, and / or embodied in dedicated hardware. Machine-readable instructions can be distributed across multiple hardware devices and / or executed by two or more hardware devices (e.g., server and client hardware devices). For example, client hardware devices can be implemented by endpoint client hardware devices (e.g., hardware devices associated with human and / or machine users) or by an intermediate client hardware device gateway (e.g., a radio access network (RAN)) that facilitates communication between the server and endpoint client hardware devices. Similarly, non-transitory computer-readable storage media can include one or more media. Furthermore, although references... Figure 5 and Figure 6The flowchart shown describes an exemplary procedure, but many other methods of implementing the exemplary turnaround load monitoring circuitry system 304 can be used alternatively. For example, the execution order of the flowchart blocks can be changed, and / or some of the described blocks can be altered, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the flowchart blocks can be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry systems, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry systems, FPGAs, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuits, etc.) structured to perform the corresponding operations without executing software or firmware. Programmable circuitry systems can be distributed across different network locations and / or local to one or more hardware devices (e.g., single-core processors (e.g., single-core CPUs), multi-core processors (e.g., multi-core CPUs, XPUs, etc.)). As used herein, programmable circuitry systems include any type of circuitry system that can be programmed to perform the desired function, such as, for example, CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, and / or FPGAs. Programmable circuit systems may include one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more VPUs and / or one or more FPGAs located in the same package (e.g., the same integrated circuit (IC) package or two or more separate housings); one or more CPUs, GPUs, VPUs and / or one or more FPGAs in a single machine; multiple CPUs, GPUs, VPUs and / or FPGAs distributed across multiple servers in a server rack; and / or multiple CPUs, GPUs, VPUs and / or FPGAs distributed across one or more server racks. Alternatively or additionally, programmable circuit systems may include programmable logic devices (PLDs), general-purpose array logic (GAL) devices, programmable array logic (PAL) devices, complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), microcontrollers (MCUs), programmable system-on-a-chip (PSoCs), and / or any combination thereof in any context explained above.

[0050] The machine-readable instructions described herein may be stored in one or more of the following formats: compressed format, encrypted format, segmented format, compiled format, executable format, and packaged format. As described herein, machine-readable instructions may be stored as data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, one or more bits (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), bit streams (e.g., computer-readable bit streams, machine-readable bit streams, etc.)) or data structures (e.g., stored as parts of instructions, code, representations of code, etc.). For example, machine-readable instructions may be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices, disks, and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located in the same or different locations (e.g., in the cloud, at an edge device, etc.) within a network or network set. Machine-readable instructions may require one or more of the following processes: installation, modification, rewriting, updating, combination, supplementation, configuration, decryption, decompression, unpacking, distribution, reallocation, compilation, etc., to enable them to be directly read, interpreted, and / or executed by computing devices and / or other machines. For example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts, which are individually compressed, encrypted, and / or stored on separate computing devices, wherein the parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and / or combined, form a set of computer-executable and / or machine-executable instructions that implement one or more functions and / or operations of a program that can now be combined to form a program such as the program described herein.

[0051] In another example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state that can be read by a programmable circuit system, but require the addition of libraries (e.g., dynamic link libraries (DLLs)), software development kits (SDKs), application programming interfaces (APIs), etc., to execute the machine-readable instructions on a specific computing device or other device. In another example, it may be necessary to configure the machine-readable instructions (e.g., store settings, input data, record network addresses, etc.) before they can be executed in whole or in part. Therefore, as used herein, machine-readable, computer-readable media, and / or machine-readable media may include instructions and / or programs, regardless of their specific format or state.

[0052] The machine-readable instructions described in this article can be represented by any past, present, or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, machine-readable instructions can be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C-Sharp, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0053] As mentioned above, it can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable instructions and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Exemplary operation. As used herein, the terms non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, non-transitory machine-readable medium, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium are expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, excluding propagated signals and transmission media. Examples of such non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, non-transitory machine-readable medium, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, and / or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., extended time period, permanently, for short-term cases, for temporary buffering, and / or for caching information). As used herein, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable storage device" and "non-transitory machine-readable storage device" are defined to include any physical (mechanical, magnetic, and / or electrical) hardware for retaining information for a period of time, but excluding propagated signals and transmission media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage devices include any type of random access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disk, magnetic disk, disk drive, and / or redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system. As used herein, the term "device" refers to a physical structure, such as mechanical and / or electrical equipment, hardware, and / or circuitry, that can be configured and / or may be manufactured or may not be manufactured to execute computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc., whether or not by computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0054] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary machine-readable instructions and / or exemplary operations 500, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by a programmable circuit system to evaluate a vehicle (e.g., Figure 1 Components of the steering system of the exemplary vehicle 100 (e.g., Figure 2 The load experienced by the inner tie rods 214, 220 of the exemplary steering system 102. Figure 5 The exemplary machine-readable instructions and / or exemplary operations 500 begin at box 502, where, Figure 4The sensor interface circuit system 400 of the exemplary steering load monitoring circuit system 304 accesses pinion shaft angular position data 412 corresponding to the output of pinion shaft position sensor 210 related to the rotation of pinion shaft 204 and / or motor shaft angular position data 414 corresponding to the output of motor shaft position sensor 312 related to the rotation of motor shaft 310 of motor 224.

[0055] At box 504 Figure 4 The acceleration analysis circuit system 402 of the steering load monitoring circuit system 304 calculates the acceleration (i.e., translational acceleration) of the rack 208 based on one or more of the pinion shaft angular position data 412 or the motor shaft angular position data 414. For example, the acceleration analysis circuit system 402 calculates the second derivative of the pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or the motor shaft angular position data 414 to obtain rack acceleration data 416.

[0056] At box 506, force analysis circuitry 404 uses rack acceleration data 416 to determine (e.g., predict) the forces applied to components of steering system 102 (e.g., tie rods 214, 220). For example, force analysis circuitry 404 performs the above-described combination... Figure 4 The published equations 1 to 6 are used to determine the forces on the inner tie rods 214 and 220. F 拉杆 .

[0057] At frame 508, the evaluation circuit 406 assesses the forces (e.g., forces) on components (e.g., inner links 214, 220) of the components (e.g., inner links 214, 220). F 拉杆 The force is compared with a threshold force value defined by threshold force data 418. For example, if the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that the force applied to the inner tie rods 214, 220 meets or exceeds the threshold force value, the evaluation circuitry 406 predicts that an excessive force event has occurred, associated with a force sufficient or likely sufficient to affect (reduce) the structural integrity of the inner tie rods 214, 220. If the force applied to the inner tie rods 214, 220 calculated by the force analysis circuitry 404 is less than the threshold force value, the evaluation circuitry 406 does not predict that the inner tie rods 214, 220 have lower structural integrity than before the excessive force event. In such an example, control returns to block 502 to continue monitoring the angular position data 412, 414 of the pinion shaft 204 and / or the motor shaft 310 and the rack acceleration.

[0058] If, at box 508, the evaluation circuitry 406 predicts an excessive force event that could affect the structural integrity of components (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220), then at box 510, the evaluation circuitry 406 verifies the prediction based on an analysis of the alignment of the steering wheel 108, such as in conjunction with... Figure 6 Further details will be released.

[0059] At box 512, if the evaluation of circuit system 406 fails to verify the predicted impact of force on the structural integrity of components (e.g., because the steering wheel alignment analysis does not indicate that steering wheel 108 is misaligned), control returns to box 502 to continue monitoring rack acceleration.

[0060] If, at box 512, evaluation circuitry 406 verifies the predicted impact on the structural integrity of components (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220), then at box 514, evaluation circuitry 406 commands message generation circuitry 408 message 422 to notify the user of the possibility that the structural integrity of components (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220) has been affected. System interface circuitry 410 can cause message 422 to be displayed via, for example, a user interface 424 of the instrument panel 110 of vehicle 100.

[0061] At block 516, the evaluation circuitry 406 continues to analyze the alignment of the steering wheel 108 to determine whether message 422 should be maintained. At block 518, the message generation circuitry 408 determines whether to maintain message 422 based on feedback from the evaluation circuitry 406 and / or user input (e.g., input for turning off or resetting message 422). When the message is no longer maintained, control ends.

[0062] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating exemplary machine-readable instructions and / or exemplary operations 510, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or performed by a programmable circuit system for analysis. Figure 1 The alignment of the steering wheel 108 of vehicle 100 is verified. Figure 5 The structural integrity status of components (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220) of the steering system 102 of the vehicle 100 is determined at frame 508.

[0063] At position 600 in the box, Figure 4 The sensor interface circuit system 400 accesses vehicle driving behavior data 420 from the ABS control circuit system 306, wherein the vehicle driving behavior data 420 is generated after a predicted excessive force event occurs, which causes components (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220) to have relatively lower structural integrity than before the excessive force event.

[0064] At box 602, the sensor interface circuitry 400 accesses the outputs of the corresponding sensors 210 and 312 after a predicted excessive force event occurs (i.e., the outputs of the corresponding sensors 210 and 312 in relation to...). Figure 5 The position data accessed at box 502 is associated with the sensor output after the time output, corresponding to the pinion shaft angular position data 412 or / or the motor shaft angular position data 414.

[0065] At box 604, the evaluation circuit system 406 determines whether the vehicle driving behavior data 420 indicates that the ABS control circuit system 306 believes that the vehicle 100 is traveling straight.

[0066] At box 606, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines whether the pinion shaft angular position data 412 and / or the motor shaft angular position data 414 indicate that the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 and / or the motor shaft 310 meets or exceeds an angular position threshold defined by angular position threshold data 421. For example, if the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft 204 exceeds the angular position threshold after a force event on a component (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220), it may indicate that the steering wheel angle of the steering wheel 108 also exceeds the angular position threshold, and therefore, the steering wheel 108 is misaligned.

[0067] If (a) the evaluation circuit system 406 determines at box 604 that vehicle driving behavior data 420 instructs the ABS control circuit system 306 to believe that vehicle 100 is driving straight, and (b) the evaluation circuit system 406 determines at box 606 that steering wheel 108 is not aligned, then at box 608, the evaluation circuit system 406 verifies based on Figure 5 Force analysis at frame 508 determines the predicted impact on the structural integrity of components (e.g., inner tie rods 214, 220). In such examples, then... Figure 5 Box 512 is equal to "Yes", and controls the progression to... Figure 5 The box 514 caused the output message 422.

[0068] If (a) the evaluation circuitry 406 determines at block 604 that vehicle driving behavior data 420 indicates that the ABS control circuitry 306 considers the vehicle 100 to be traveling straight, and (b) the evaluation circuitry 406 determines at block 606 that the steering wheel angle is misaligned, then at block 610, the evaluation circuitry 406 determines that the force experienced by the components (e.g., tie rods 214, 220) did not cause the steering wheel misalignment. In such an example, it is not necessary for the evaluation circuitry 406 to determine message 422. In such an example, then... Figure 5 Box 512 equals "No", and controls the progression to... Figure 5 Box 502 is used to continue monitoring rack acceleration.

[0069] Figure 7 It is structured for execution and / or instantiation. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Exemplary machine-readable instructions and / or exemplary operations for implementation Figure 4A block diagram of an exemplary programmable circuit system platform 700 for a steering load monitoring circuit system 304. The programmable circuit system platform 700 can be, for example, a server, personal computer, workstation, self-learning machine (e.g., neural network), mobile device (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone, such as iPad). TM Tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), internet devices, any other type of computing device and / or electronic device.

[0070] The illustrated programmable circuit system platform 700 includes a programmable circuit system 712. The illustrated programmable circuit system 712 is hardware. For example, the programmable circuit system 712 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, FPGAs, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, VPUs, DSPs, and / or microcontrollers from any desired family or manufacturer. The programmable circuit system 712 can be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices. In this example, the programmable circuit system 712 implements an exemplary sensor interface circuit system 400, an exemplary acceleration analysis circuit system 402, an exemplary force analysis circuit system 404, an exemplary evaluation circuit system 406, an exemplary message generation circuit system 408, and an exemplary system interface circuit system 410.

[0071] The programmable circuit system 712 of the illustrated example includes local memory 713 (e.g., cache, registers, etc.). The programmable circuit system 712 of the illustrated example communicates via bus 718 with main memories 714, 716, including volatile memory 714 and non-volatile memory 716. Volatile memory 714 may be implemented using synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® dynamic random access memory (RDRAM®), and / or any other type of RAM device. Non-volatile memory 716 may be implemented using flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memories 714, 716 of the illustrated example is controlled by a memory controller 717. In some examples, the memory controller 717 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microcontrollers, or any other type of circuit system from any desired family or manufacturer to manage data flows to and from the main memories 714, 716.

[0072] The programmable circuit system platform 700 shown in the example also includes an interface circuit system 720. The interface circuit system 720 can be implemented in hardware according to any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth® interface, a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, and / or a Peripheral Component Interconnect High Speed ​​(PCIe) interface.

[0073] In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 722 are connected to the interface circuitry 720. The input devices 722 allow users (e.g., human users, machine users, etc.) to input data and / or commands into the programmable circuitry 712. The input devices 722 can be implemented, for example, audio sensors, microphones, cameras (still or video), keyboards, buttons, mice, touchscreens, trackpads, trackballs, isotope devices, and / or voice recognition systems.

[0074] One or more output devices 724 are also connected to the interface circuitry system 720 of the illustrated example. The output devices 724 may be implemented, for example, via display devices (e.g., light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD), cathode ray tube (CRT) display, in-situ switch (IPS) display, touchscreen, etc.), haptic output devices, printers, and / or speakers. Therefore, the interface circuitry system 720 of the illustrated example typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or graphics processor circuitry, such as a GPU.

[0075] The interface circuit system 720 of the example shown also includes communication devices, such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, residential gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces, to facilitate data exchange with external machines (e.g., any type of computing device) via network 726. Communication can be carried out via, for example, Ethernet connections, digital subscriber line (DSL) connections, telephone line connections, coaxial cable systems, satellite systems, beyond-line-of-sight wireless systems, line-of-sight wireless systems, mobile phone systems, optical connections, etc.

[0076] The programmable circuit system platform 700 illustrated also includes one or more mass storage disks or devices 728 for storing firmware, software, and / or data. Examples of such mass storage disks or devices 728 include magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, drives, HDDs, etc.), optical storage devices (e.g., Blu-ray discs, CDs, DVDs, etc.), RAID systems, and / or solid-state storage disks or devices, such as flash memory devices and / or SSDs.

[0077] It can be by Figure 5 and Figure 6The machine-readable instructions 732 implemented by the machine-readable instructions may be stored in a mass storage device 728, in volatile memory 714, in non-volatile memory 716, and / or on at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as a CD or DVD) that may be removable.

[0078] "Comprising" and "including" (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, whenever a claim uses any form of "comprising" or "including" (e.g., including, containing, encompassing, covering, having, etc.) as a preamble or within any kind of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, items, etc., may be present without falling outside the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, when the phrase "at least" is used as a transitional term in the preamble of a claim, it becomes an open-ended term in the same way that the terms "comprising" and "including" become open-ended terms. The term "and / or," when used, for example, in the form of A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, and C, such as (1) only A, (2) only B, (3) only C, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, and (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, articles, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, articles, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the implementation or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the implementation or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation that includes any one of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0079] As used herein, singular references (e.g., "a," "an," "first," "second," etc.) do not exclude plurals. As used herein, the term "a" (or "an") object refers to one or more of that object. The terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more," and "at least one" are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple means, elements, or actions may be implemented by, for example, the same entity or object. Additionally, while individual features may be included in different examples or claims, they may be combined, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not imply that the combination of features is impractical and / or disadvantageous.

[0080] As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, a connection reference (e.g., attachment, coupling, linking, and linking) may include intermediate components between the elements referenced by the connection reference and / or relative movement between these elements. Therefore, a connection reference does not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and / or fixed to each other. As used herein, a statement that any part is “in contact” with another part is defined as meaning that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.

[0081] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors such as “first,” “second,” and “third” used herein do not in any way impose or otherwise indicate any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or sorting, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish elements in order to facilitate understanding of the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor “first” may be used to refer to an element in the detailed description, while in the claims, different descriptors such as “second” or “third” may refer to the same element. In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify those elements within the context of the discussion (e.g., within the claims), in which those elements may otherwise share the same name, for example.

[0082] As used herein, the phrase “to communicate” (including its variations) encompasses direct communication and / or indirect communication via one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or continuous communication, but additionally includes selective communication at periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, non-periodic intervals and / or one-off events.

[0083] As used herein, “programmable circuit system” is defined to include: (i) one or more special-purpose circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) that are structured to perform specific operations and include one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors); and / or (ii) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based circuits that can be programmed with instructions to perform specific functions and / or operations and include one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors). Examples of programmable circuit systems include programmable microprocessors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions; an FPGA programmable by a second instruction to cause configuration and / or structured field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to instantiate one or more operations and / or functions corresponding to the first instruction; a graphics processing unit (GPU) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions; a digital signal processor (DSP) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions; an XPU; a network processing unit (NPU); and one or more microcontrollers and / or integrated circuits (such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations and / or functions. For example, an XPU may be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system that includes multiple types of programmable circuit systems (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and / or any combination thereof) and orchestration techniques (e.g., application programming interfaces (APIs)) that can assign computational tasks to one or more types of programmable circuit systems suitable for and available for performing the computational tasks.

[0084] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit system is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements, such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, diodes, etc. For example, an integrated circuit can be implemented as one or more of an ASIC, FPGA, chip, microchip, programmable circuit system, semiconductor substrate connecting multiple circuit elements, system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.

[0085] As can be understood from the foregoing, exemplary systems, devices, articles of art, and methods have been disclosed that provide for the detection of forces on a vehicle's steering system and the assessment of the possibility that the structural integrity of steering system components (e.g., tie rods) has been affected by these forces. The examples disclosed herein use the output of a position sensor associated with the pinion shaft and / or motor shaft to determine the acceleration of the steering system's rack. In the examples disclosed herein, rack acceleration is used to determine the force applied to the tie rod. Based on the force applied to the tie rod and factors such as vehicle driving behavior and steering wheel alignment, the examples disclosed herein generate messages to notify the user of possible changes in the structural integrity of the steering system.

[0086] Exemplary systems, apparatus, and methods for steering load detection are disclosed. Further examples and combinations thereof include the following: Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising: a memory; machine-readable instructions; and at least one programmable circuitry configured to perform at least one of the following: instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions to determine the acceleration of a rack in a steering system based on one or more of position data of a pinion shaft of a pinion coupled to a steering system of a vehicle or position data of a shaft of a motor of the steering system; determine a force applied to a tie rod of the vehicle based on the acceleration of the rack; and cause an output message based on the force.

[0087] Example 2 includes any of the foregoing provisions of Example 1, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are configured to: determine that the angle of the pinion shaft exceeds a threshold; and cause the message to be output in response to the determination that the angle of the pinion shaft exceeds the threshold.

[0088] Example 3 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 1 or 2, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is configured to: determine, based on vehicle driving data and the fact that the angle of the pinion shaft exceeds the threshold, that the vehicle driving data indicates that the vehicle is traveling straight; and cause the output of the message based on the determination that the angle of the vehicle's steering wheel is misaligned.

[0089] Example 4 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 1 to 3, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is configured to: calculate average pinion shaft position data based on the position data of the pinion shaft; and determine the acceleration of the rack based on the average pinion shaft position data.

[0090] Example 5 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 1 to 4, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is used to: cause the message to be presented via the user interface of the vehicle.

[0091] Example 6 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 1 to 5, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is used to: cause the message to be presented via a user device, which is different from the vehicle.

[0092] Example 7 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 1 to 6, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is configured to: perform a comparison of the force applied to the lever with a force threshold; and cause the message to be output when the force applied to the lever satisfies the force threshold.

[0093] Example 8 includes at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing at least one programmable circuit to at least: generate translational acceleration data of a rack of a vehicle's steering system based on first angular position data, the first angular position data corresponding to one or more of the output of a first position sensor associated with the pinion shaft of the steering system at a first time or the output of a second position sensor associated with the shaft of the steering system's motor at the first time; predict an excessive force event associated with a force applied to a component of the steering system based on the translational acceleration data; determine the angle of the vehicle's steering wheel based on second angular position data, the second angular position data corresponding to one or more of the output of the first position sensor at a second time or the output of the second position sensor at the second time, the second time being after the first time; and cause an output message to be presented based on the prediction of the excessive force event and the angle of the steering wheel.

[0094] Example 9 includes any of the foregoing provisions of Example 8, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to determine the force applied to the component based on the translational acceleration data of the rack and the rotational acceleration data of the motor.

[0095] Example 10 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 8 or 9, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to: perform a comparison of the force applied to the component with a force threshold; and predict the excessive force event based on the comparison.

[0096] Example 11 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 8 to 10, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to: perform a thresholding of the second angular position data and the angular position threshold; and determine that the angle of the steering wheel is misaligned when the second angular position data satisfies the angular position threshold.

[0097] Example 12 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 8 to 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to: determine, based on (a) the second angular position data satisfying the threshold and (b) vehicle driving data, the vehicle driving data instructing the vehicle to travel straight at the second time.

[0098] Example 13 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 8 to 12, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to generate the translational acceleration data based on a first angular position data corresponding to one of the outputs of the first position sensor at the first time or the outputs of the second position sensor at the first time indicating a larger angular position change of the pinion shaft or the shaft of the motor.

[0099] Example 14 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 8 to 13, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to display the message via an interface of the vehicle's dashboard.

[0100] Example 15 includes a vehicle comprising: a steering system including a rack, a tie rod coupled to the rack, a pinion, and a pinion shaft coupled to the pinion; a position sensor for generating an output indicating an angular position of the pinion shaft; machine-readable instructions; and at least one programmable circuit for executing the machine-readable instructions to: determine an acceleration of the rack based on the output of the position sensor, the acceleration being associated with linear motion of the rack; determine a force applied to the tie rod based on the acceleration of the rack; and cause a message to be displayed on an interface of the vehicle's dashboard based on the force.

[0101] Example 16 includes any of the foregoing provisions of Example 15, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are configured to: determine that the force exceeds a threshold; and cause the message to be displayed in response to the force exceeding the threshold.

[0102] Example 17 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 15 or 16, wherein the position sensor is a first position sensor, the steering system further includes a motor coupled to the rack, and the vehicle further includes a second position sensor to generate an output indicating the angular position of the shaft of the motor, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry is configured to: identify the output of the first sensor as indicating that the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft is greater than the output of the second sensor regarding the change in the angular position of the shaft of the motor; and select the output of the first position sensor to determine the acceleration of the rack.

[0103] Example 18 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 15 to 17, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is used to: determine the force applied to the pull rod based on the rotational acceleration of the shaft of the motor.

[0104] Example 19 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 15 to 18, further including a steering wheel, wherein the output of the position sensor is associated with a first time period, and one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are configured to: identify a change in the angular position of the pinion shaft based on the output of the position sensor associated with a second time period, the second time period being after the first time period; determine that the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft exceeds an angular position threshold; and cause the message to be output based on the determination that the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft exceeds the angular position threshold.

[0105] Example 20 includes any of the foregoing provisions of any one or more of Examples 15 to 19, and further includes an anti-lock braking system, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry is configured to: cause the message to be output based on vehicle driving data generated by the anti-lock braking system and the determination that the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft exceeds the angular position threshold.

[0106] The appended claims are hereby incorporated by reference into this specific embodiment. While certain exemplary systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods have been disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. Rather, this patent covers all systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods that fall fully within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: Memory; Machine-readable instructions; as well as At least one programmable circuit, said at least one programmable circuit being configured to perform at least one of the following: instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions to: The acceleration of the rack of the steering system is determined based on one or more of the position data of the pinion shaft of the pinion connected to the vehicle's steering system or the position data of the shaft of the motor of the steering system. The force applied to the tie rod of the vehicle is determined based on the acceleration of the rack; and The output message is caused by the force described.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is used for: Determining that the angle of the pinion shaft exceeds a threshold; and The message is output in response to the determination that the angle of the pinion shaft exceeds the threshold.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is used for: Based on vehicle driving data and the fact that the angle of the pinion shaft exceeds the threshold, it is determined that the steering wheel angle of the vehicle is misaligned, and the vehicle driving data indicates that the vehicle should proceed straight; and The message is output based on the determination that the steering wheel angle of the vehicle is misaligned.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuit is used for: The average pinion shaft position data is calculated based on the position data of the pinion shaft; and The acceleration of the rack is determined based on the average pinion shaft position data.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are configured to: cause the message to be presented via the user interface of the vehicle.

6. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are configured to: cause the message to be presented via a user device, the user device being different from the vehicle.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are used for: Perform a comparison between the force applied to the lever and a force threshold; and When the force applied to the lever meets the force threshold, the message is output.

8. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium, said at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing at least one programmable circuit to at least: The translational acceleration data of the rack of the vehicle's steering system is generated based on the first angular position data, which corresponds to one or more of the output of a first position sensor associated with the pinion shaft of the steering system at a first time or the output of a second position sensor associated with the shaft of the motor of the steering system at the first time. Based on the translational acceleration data, predict excessive force events associated with the forces applied to the components of the steering system; The steering wheel angle of the vehicle is determined based on second angular position data, the second angular position data corresponding to one or more of the output of the first position sensor at a second time or the output of the second position sensor at the second time, the second time being after the first time; and The output message is presented based on the prediction of the excessive force event and the angle of the steering wheel.

9. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to determine the force applied to the component based on the translational acceleration data of the rack and the rotational acceleration data of the motor.

10. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to: Perform a comparison between the force applied to the component and a force threshold; and The excessive force event is predicted based on the comparison.

11. At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to: Execute the threshold between the second corner position data and the corner position threshold; and When the second angular position data meets the angular position threshold, it is determined that the angle of the steering wheel is not aligned.

12. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry to: determine, based on (a) the second angular position data satisfying the threshold and (b) vehicle driving data, the vehicle driving data instructing the vehicle to travel straight at the second time.

13. The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to cause one or more of the at least one programmable circuit to generate the translational acceleration data based on a first angular position data corresponding to either the output of the first position sensor at the first time or the output of the second position sensor at the first time indicating a larger angular position change of the pinion shaft or the shaft of the motor.

14. A vehicle comprising: A steering system, the steering system including a rack, a tie rod connected to the rack, a pinion, and a pinion shaft connected to the pinion; A position sensor, the position sensor being used to generate an output indicating the angular position of the pinion shaft; Machine-readable instructions; as well as At least one programmable circuit, the at least one programmable circuit being configured to execute the machine-readable instructions to: The acceleration of the rack is determined based on the output of the position sensor, and the acceleration is correlated with the linear motion of the rack. The force applied to the tie rod is determined based on the acceleration of the rack; as well as The force causes a message to be displayed on the interface of the vehicle's dashboard.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, further comprising an anti-lock braking system, wherein one or more of the at least one programmable circuitry are configured to: cause the message to be output based on vehicle driving data generated by the anti-lock braking system and the determination that the change in the angular position of the pinion shaft exceeds the angular position threshold.

Images