STEER BY WIRE SYSTEM

Abstract

A steering system comprises a central controller having a primary control algorithm, a steering wheel actuator designed to collect data relating to the state of a steering wheel and transmit the data to the central controller, a tertiary steering wheel angle sensor designed to collect data relating to the state of the steering wheel and transmit the data to the redundant secondary controller, a wheel actuator communicating with the central controller and the steering wheel actuator, having a secondary control algorithm stored therein and designed to collect data relating to the state of the wheel actuator and transmit the data to the central controller;and either to control a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle based on the primary control algorithm, or to control a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle based on the secondary control algorithm.

Description

INTRODUCTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a steer-by-wire system for a vehicle. Steer-by-wire consists of a steering wheel actuator and a rack and pinion actuator, wherein there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel actuator and the rack and pinion actuator. Instead, signals are transmitted electronically from the steering wheel actuator to the rack and pinion actuator. The steering wheel actuator generates the steering feel and communicates the driver's steering commands quickly and precisely "by-wire" to the rack and pinion actuator, which steers the wheels according to the vehicle speed and driving conditions.

[0002] Although current steer-by-wire systems fulfill their intended purpose, there is a need for a new and improved system that provides robust redundancy for the steer-by-wire system. SUMMARY

[0003] According to several aspects of the present disclosure, a steer-by-wire system comprises a central controller having a primary control algorithm stored therein, a steering wheel actuator communicating with the central controller and designed to collect data relating to the state of a steering wheel and transmit the data to the central controller, a tertiary steering wheel angle sensor communicating with a redundant secondary controller and designed to collect data relating to the state of the steering wheel independently of the steering wheel actuator and transmit the data to the redundant secondary controller, and a wheel actuator communicating with the central controller and the steering wheel actuator, having a secondary control algorithm stored therein, and designed to collect data relating to the state of the wheel actuator.and transmit the data to the central controller; and either control a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle based on commands received from the central controller using the primary control algorithm, or control a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller using the secondary control algorithm.

[0004] According to another aspect, the steering wheel actuator, the impeller actuator, the central controller and the redundant secondary controller are designed to communicate with each other via a first communication protocol, and the redundant secondary controller, the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor and the impeller actuator are designed to communicate with each other via a second communication protocol that is independent of the first communication protocol.

[0005] According to another aspect, the first communication protocol is an Ethernet communication protocol.

[0006] According to another aspect, the second communication protocol is a controller area network communication protocol (CAN communication protocol) or a communication protocol for the local intermediate network (LIN communication protocol).

[0007] According to another aspect, the steering wheel actuator comprises a first electronic control unit designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the steering wheel and transmit the data to the central controller and the wheel actuator via a first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, and a second electronic control unit designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the steering wheel and transmit the data to the central controller and the wheel actuator via a second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol.

[0008] According to another aspect, the impeller actuator includes a first electronic control unit designed to independently acquire data relating to the state of the impeller actuator and transmit the data to the central controller via the first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, and to control either the steering rack and steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the central controller via the first communication protocol using the primary control algorithm, or the steering rack and steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller via the second communication protocol using the secondary control algorithm.which are determined by the first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor, to control the steering rack and steering of the vehicle based on commands determined by the first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the steering wheel actuator via the first communication protocol, and a second electronic control unit designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the impeller actuator and transmit the data to the central controller via the second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, and either to control the steering rack and steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the central controller,to control the steering rack and steering of the vehicle using the primary control algorithm based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller, to control the steering rack and steering of the vehicle using the secondary control algorithm via the second communication protocol based on commands determined by the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor, or to control the steering rack and steering of the vehicle based on commands determined by the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the steering wheel actuator.to be controlled via the first communication protocol, wherein the first electronic control unit and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator each comprise a copy of the secondary control algorithm stored therein.

[0009] According to another aspect, the system further comprises a first power network and a second power network that is independent of the first power network, wherein the central controller is supplied with power from both the first power network and the second power network, the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator are supplied with power by the first power network, the second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator are supplied with power by the second power network, and the redundant secondary controller and the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor are supplied with power either by the first power network or by the second power network.

[0010] According to another aspect, the first power network is connected to a first independent high-voltage power source inside the vehicle, and the second power network is connected to a second independent high-voltage power source inside the vehicle.

[0011] According to another aspect, the steering wheel includes a feedback motor that communicates with the steering wheel actuator and is controlled by the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator, wherein the feedback motor is connected to the steering wheel via a gearbox and is designed to provide torque feedback to the steering wheel and to provide passive feedback to the steering wheel to generate resistance and damping of the steering wheel when the feedback motor is not supplied with power.

[0012] According to another aspect, the wheel actuator comprises a steering motor which communicates with the wheel actuator and is controlled by the first electronic control unit of the wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the wheel actuator, and a steering rack, wherein the steering rack is designed to convert a rotary motion of the steering motor into a linear motion of the steering rack and to rotate the wheels of the vehicle via tie rods that connect the steering rack and the wheels of the vehicle.

[0013] According to another aspect, the central controller further comprises a torque vectoring steering control algorithm stored therein, wherein the central controller is designed to receive data relating to the steering wheel from the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator via the first path of the Ethernet communication protocol, the second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator via the second path of the Ethernet communication protocol and / or the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor via the Ethernet communication protocol and to actuate a braking system, a drive system and / or the wheel actuator to influence the lateral movement of the vehicle using the torque vectoring steering control algorithm.

[0014] According to another aspect, the system further comprises at least one first switch designed to selectively connect the first path of the Ethernet communication protocol to the central controller, and at least one second switch designed to selectively connect the second path of the Ethernet communication protocol to the central controller.

[0015] According to another aspect, the primary control algorithm comprises a complete set of control functions, and the secondary control algorithm comprises a reduced set of control functions.

[0016] According to several aspects of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a steer-by-wire steering system comprises: collecting data relating to the state of a steering wheel with a steering wheel actuator that communicates with a central controller in which a primary control algorithm is stored, and transmitting the data with the steering wheel actuator to the central controller; collecting data relating to the state of the steering wheel with a tertiary steering wheel angle sensor that communicates with a redundant secondary controller and the central controller, independently of the steering wheel actuator, and transmitting the data to the redundant secondary controller and the central controller; collecting data relating to the state of the impeller actuator with an impeller actuator that communicates with the central controller and the steering wheel actuator and in which a secondary control algorithm is stored.Transmitting data from the impeller actuator to the central controller; and either controlling a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle with the impeller actuator based on commands received from the central controller using the primary control algorithm, controlling a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle with the impeller actuator based on commands received from the redundant secondary control unit using the secondary control algorithm, controlling a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle with the impeller actuator based on commands determined by the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the tertiary steering angle sensor via the second communication protocol using the secondary control algorithm, or controlling a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle with the impeller actuator based on commands,which are determined by the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the steering wheel actuator via the first communication protocol.

[0017] According to another aspect, the method further includes enabling communication between the steering wheel actuator, the impeller actuator, the central controller and the redundant secondary controller using an Ethernet communication protocol, and enabling communication between the redundant secondary controller, the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor and the impeller actuator using a controller area network communication protocol (CAN communication protocol) or a local interconnection network communication protocol (LIN communication protocol).

[0018] According to another aspect, the collection of data relating to the state of the steering wheel with the steering wheel actuator, which communicates with the central controller in which the primary control algorithm is stored, and the transmission of the data to the central controller with the steering wheel actuator further includes independent collection of data relating to the state of the steering wheel with a first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and transmission of the data to the central controller and the wheel actuator via a first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, and independent collection of data relating to the state of the steering wheel with a second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and transmission of the data to the central controller and the wheel actuator via a second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol.

[0019] According to another aspect, the collection of data relating to the state of the impeller actuator, with the impeller actuator communicating with the central controller and the steering wheel actuator and in which the secondary control algorithm is stored, further includes independent collection of data relating to the state of the impeller actuator with a first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator and transmission of the data to the central controller via the first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, or independent collection of data relating to the state of the impeller actuator with a second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator and transmission of the data to the central controller via the second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol.wherein the first electronic control unit and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator each comprise a copy of the secondary control algorithm stored therein.

[0020] According to another aspect, the method further includes supplying power to the central controller from both a first power network and a second power network, supplying power to the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator from the first power network, supplying power to the second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator from the second power network, and supplying power to the redundant secondary controller and the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor from either the first power network or the second power network.

[0021] According to another aspect, the method further comprises providing torque feedback at the steering wheel with a feedback motor connected to the steering wheel via a gearbox, communicating with the steering wheel actuator and controlled by the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator, and providing passive feedback at the steering wheel with the feedback motor to provide resistance and damping of the steering wheel when the feedback motor is not supplied with power.

[0022] Further areas of application will become apparent from the present description. It is understood that the description and the specific examples serve only for illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The drawings described herein serve only for illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way; they show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a vehicle comprising a steering system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 a schematic representation of the steering system; and Fig. 3. A flowchart illustrating a procedure for operating the steering system of Fig. 1 shows.

[0024] The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized, for example, to show details of certain components. In some cases, known components, systems, materials, or processes have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis to teach those skilled in the art how to apply the present disclosure in various ways. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following description is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application, or use. Furthermore, it is not intended to establish any obligation to adhere to any express or implied theories set forth in the preceding technical field, background, summary, or detailed description. It is understood that in the drawings, corresponding reference numerals denote identical or corresponding parts and features.As used herein, the term “module” refers to any hardware, software, firmware, electronic control component, processing logic, and / or processor device, individually or in any combination, including but not limited to: 4 (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or in a group), and memory executing one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and / or other suitable components providing the described functionality. Although the figures shown herein represent an example with specific arrangements of elements, actual embodiments may include additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components. It should also be understood that the figures are for illustrative purposes only and need not be drawn to scale.

[0026] As used here, the term "vehicle" is not limited to automobiles. While the technology presented here is primarily described in connection with automobiles, it is not restricted to them. The concepts can be used in a wide variety of applications, for example, in connection with aircraft, watercraft, other vehicles, and consumer electronics components.

[0027] Exemplary embodiments are given to ensure that this disclosure is complete and fully conveys its scope to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details, such as examples of specific compositions, components, devices, and methods, are presented to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be used, that exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many different forms, and that neither of these should be interpreted as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In some exemplary embodiments, known methods, known device structures, and known technologies are not described in detail.

[0028] The terminology used here serves only to describe specific examples and is not intended to be restrictive. As used here, the singular forms "a / an" and "the" can also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "includes," "comprising," "exhibit," and "have" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of the indicated features, elements, compositions, steps, integers, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.Although the term "comprise" is to be understood as a non-restrictive term used to describe and claim various embodiments set forth herein, in certain aspects the term may alternatively be understood as a more restrictive and limiting term, such as "consist of" or "consist substantially of". Thus, for each embodiment that enumerates compositions, materials, components, elements, features, integers, operations and / or process steps, the present disclosure also includes embodiments that consist of, or consist substantially of, such enumerated compositions, materials, components, elements, features, integers, operations and / or process steps.In the case of "consist of", the alternative embodiment excludes all additional compositions, materials, components, elements, features, integers, operations and / or process steps, whereas in the case of "essentially consist of", all additional compositions, materials, components, elements, features, integers, operations and / or process steps that substantially affect the basic and novel features are excluded from such an embodiment, but all compositions, materials, components, elements, features, integers, operations and / or process steps that do not substantially affect the basic and novel features may be included in the embodiment.

[0029] All procedures, processes, and operations described herein are not to be interpreted as requiring them to be carried out in the order described or illustrated herein, unless this order is expressly stated. It is also understood that additional or alternative steps may be used unless otherwise specified.

[0030] When a component, element, or layer is described as "on," "interacting with," "connected with," or "coupled with" another element or layer, it may be directly on top of, interacting with, connected to, or coupled with that other component, element, or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is described as "directly on," "directly interacting with," "directly connected with," or "directly coupled with" another element or layer, there must be no intervening elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements are to be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" as opposed to "directly between," "adjacent" as opposed to "directly adjacent," etc.).As used here, the term “and / or” encompasses all combinations of one or more of the listed elements.

[0031] Although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc., may be used here to describe different steps, elements, components, areas, layers, and / or sections, these steps, elements, components, areas, layers, and / or sections are not intended to be restricted by these terms unless otherwise specified. These terms may only be used to distinguish one step, element, component, area, layer, or section from another. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms do not imply any order or sequence unless clearly evident from the context.Thus, a first step, a first element, a first component, a first area, a first layer or a first section described below could be referred to as a second step, second element, second component, second area, second layer or second section without deviating from the teachings of the embodiments.

[0032] Spatially or temporally relative terms such as "before," "after," "inner," "outer," "under," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like can be used here to simplify the description and to describe the relationship of one element or feature to one or more other elements or features, as shown in the figures. Spatially or temporally relative terms can also serve to capture other orientations of the device or system in use or operation, in addition to the orientation shown in the figures.

[0033] In this disclosure, the numerical values ​​throughout represent approximate measures or limits of ranges that are intended to include minor deviations from the stated values ​​and embodiments that exhibit approximately the stated value, as well as those that exhibit exactly the stated value. Except for the working examples given at the end of the detailed description, all numerical values ​​of parameters (e.g., of quantities or conditions) in this description, including the appended claims, are to be understood as being modified in all cases by the term "approximately," regardless of whether "approximately" actually precedes the numerical value or not. "Approximately" indicates that the stated numerical value permits a certain degree of inaccuracy (with some approximation to the exact value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; nearly).If the inaccuracy indicated by "approximately" is not otherwise understood in this field with this ordinary meaning, then "approximately" here means at least deviations that may result from ordinary procedures for measuring and using such parameters. For example, "approximately" with respect to percentages includes a deviation of plus / minus 5%, "approximately" with respect to temperatures a deviation of plus / minus five degrees, and "approximately" with respect to distances a deviation of plus / minus 10%. Furthermore, the disclosure of ranges includes the disclosure of all values ​​and further subdivided ranges within the entire range, including the endpoints and subranges specified for the ranges.

[0034] Exemplary embodiments are now described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. According to one exemplary embodiment, the following is shown: Fig. 1 A vehicle 10 with an associated steering system 24 designed to provide an acoustic notification to a user inside the vehicle 10 when subsystems within the vehicle 10 are actuated. The vehicle 10 generally comprises a chassis 12, a body 14, front wheels 16, and rear wheels 18. The body 14 is mounted on the chassis 12 and substantially encloses components of the vehicle 10. The body 14 and the chassis 12 may together form a frame. The front wheels 16 and rear wheels 18 are each rotatably coupled to the chassis 12 near a corner of the body 14.

[0035] According to various embodiments, the vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle, and the system 50 is integrated into the autonomous vehicle 10. An autonomous vehicle 10 is, for example, a vehicle 10 that is automatically controlled to transport passengers from one place to another. In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle 10 is depicted as a passenger car; however, it should be noted that any other vehicle, including motorcycles, trucks, SUVs, recreational vehicles (RVs), etc., can also be used. According to one exemplary embodiment, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a so-called Level 4 automation system.A Level 4 system denotes a "high level of automation" and refers to the driving mode-specific performance of an automated driving system with respect to all aspects of the dynamic driving task, even if a human operator does not respond appropriately to a request for intervention. A vehicle with Level 4 autonomy can be operated in a manual mode, in which a driver inside the vehicle operates the vehicle as in a non-autonomous vehicle, and in an autonomous mode, in which some or all aspects of the driving control are automated. The novel aspects of this disclosure are also applicable to non-autonomous vehicles.

[0036] As shown, the vehicle 10 generally comprises a drive system 20, a transmission system 22, a steering system 24, a braking system 26, a sensor system 28, an actuator system 30, at least one data storage device 32, a vehicle controller 34, and a wireless communication module 36. According to an embodiment in which the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle, the transmission system 22 may be omitted. The drive system 20 may, according to various embodiments, comprise an internal combustion engine, an electric machine such as a traction motor, and / or a fuel cell propulsion system. The transmission system 22 is designed to transmit power from the drive system 20 to the front wheels 16 and rear wheels 18 of the vehicle according to selectable gear ratios.According to various embodiments, the transmission system 22 can comprise an automatic transmission with stepped ratios, a continuously variable transmission, or another suitable transmission. The braking system 26 is designed to exert a braking torque on the front wheels 16 and rear wheels 18 of the vehicle. According to various embodiments, the braking system 26 can comprise friction brakes, a brake-by-wire system, a regenerative braking system such as an electric motor, and / or other suitable braking systems.

[0037] The sensor system 28 comprises one or more sensing devices 40a-40n that detect observable conditions of the external and / or internal environment of the autonomous vehicle 10. The sensing devices 40a-40n may include, among other things, radars, lidar, global positioning systems, optical cameras, thermal imaging cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and / or other sensors. The cameras may include two or more digital cameras arranged at a selected distance from one another, the two or more digital cameras being used to obtain stereoscopic images of the environment in order to create a three-dimensional image or map. The multiple sensing devices 40a-40n are used to determine information about the environment surrounding the vehicle 10.According to an exemplary embodiment, the multiple detection devices 40a-40n comprise at least one motor speed sensor, one motor torque sensor, one voltage and / or current sensor for the electric drive motor, one accelerator pedal position sensor, one brake pedal position sensor, one coolant temperature sensor, one cooling fan speed sensor and / or one transmission oil temperature sensor.

[0038] The vehicle controller 34 comprises at least one processor 44 and a computer-readable memory device or computer-readable storage media 46. The at least one data processor 44 can be any custom-designed or commercially available processor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an auxiliary processor among several processors associated with the vehicle controller 34, a semiconductor-based microprocessor (in the form of a microchip or chipset), a macroprocessor, any combination thereof, or generally any device for executing instructions. The computer-readable memory device or computer-readable storage media 46 can, for example, comprise volatile and non-volatile memory in a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), and a maintain-memory memory (KAM).KAM is a persistent or non-volatile memory that can be used to store various operating variables while at least one data processor 44 is switched off. The computer-readable memory device or media 46 can be implemented using any number of known memory devices such as PROMs (programmable read-only memory), EPROMs (electrically erasable PROMs), EEPROMs (electrically erasable PROMs), flash memory, or other electrical, magnetic, optical, or combined memory devices capable of storing data, some of which represent executable instructions used by the controller 34 to control the vehicle 10.

[0039] The instructions can comprise one or more separate programs, each containing an ordered list of executable instructions for implementing logical functions. When executed by the at least one processor 44, the instructions receive and process signals from the sensor system 28, perform logic, calculations, procedures, and / or algorithms for automatically controlling the components of the vehicle 10, and generate control signals for the actuator system 30 to automatically control the components of the vehicle 10 based on the logic, calculations, procedures, and / or algorithms. Although in Fig. 1 where only one controller 34 is shown, embodiments of the vehicle 10 may include any number of controllers 34 which communicate and cooperate via any suitable communication medium or combination of communication media to process the sensor signals, execute logic, calculations, procedures and / or algorithms and generate control signals to automatically control features of the autonomous vehicle 10.

[0040] According to various embodiments, one or more commands of the vehicle controller 34 are embodied in a motion trajectory planning system and, when executed by the at least one data processor 44, generate a motion trajectory output that takes into account kinematic and dynamic constraints of the environment. For example, the commands receive process sensor and map data as input. The commands employ a graph-based approach with a tailored cost function to handle various road scenarios on both urban and rural roads.

[0041] The wireless communication module 36 is designed to wirelessly transmit and receive information to and from other remote entities 48, such as, but not limited to, other vehicles (“V2V” communication), infrastructure (“V2I” communication), remote systems, remote servers, cloud computers, and / or personal devices. According to one exemplary embodiment, the communication system 36 is a wireless communication system designed to communicate via a wireless local area network (WLAN) using IEEE 802.11 standards or using cellular data communication. However, additional or alternative communication methods, such as a dedicated short-range communication channel (DSRC), are also considered within the scope of this disclosure.DSRC channels refer to unidirectional or bidirectional short- to medium-range wireless communication channels specifically designed for use in motor vehicles, as well as a corresponding set of protocols and standards.

[0042] The vehicle controller 34 is a non-generalised electronic control device comprising a pre-programmed digital computer or processor, memory or non-transient computer-readable medium for storing data such as control logic, software applications, commands, computer code, data, lookup tables, etc., and a transceiver [or input / output ports]. A computer-readable medium includes all types of media that a computer can access, such as read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), a hard disk, a compact disc (CD), a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of storage. A "non-transient" computer-readable medium excludes wired, wireless, optical, or other communication links that transmit transient electrical or other signals.A non-transient, computer-readable medium includes media on which data can be permanently stored and media on which data can be stored and later overwritten, such as a rewritable optical disc or an erasable storage device. Computer code includes any type of program code, including source code, object code, and executable code.

[0043] With reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The steering system 24 influences the position of the front wheels 16 and the rear wheels 18. According to an exemplary embodiment, the steering system 24 comprises a central controller 50, in which a primary control algorithm 52 is stored, and a redundant secondary controller 54. The central controller 50 communicates with a steering wheel actuator 56. The steering wheel actuator 56 is designed to collect data relating to the state of a steering wheel 58, such as the steering wheel angle, the torque applied to the steering wheel, and the steering wheel's rotational speed, and to transmit this data to the central controller 50. The multiple sensors 40a-40n include sensors designed to measure the steering wheel angle, the torque applied to the steering wheel, and the steering wheel's rotational speed 58 and to transmit this data to the steering wheel actuator 56.

[0044] A tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 communicates with the redundant secondary controller 54 and is designed to collect data relating to the state of the steering wheel 58 independently of the steering wheel actuator 56 and to transmit the data to the redundant secondary controller 54.

[0045] A wheel actuator 62 communicates with the central controller 50 and the steering wheel actuator 56 and includes a secondary control algorithm 64 stored therein. It is designed to collect data relating to a state of the wheel actuator 62, such as the position of a steering rack 66 and the estimated torque acting on the steering rack 66, and to transmit the data to the central controller 50. The primary control algorithm 52 is used to either 1) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the central controller 50, or 2) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller 54, using the secondary control algorithm 64.

[0046] This provides failover in a scenario where a failure within the steering system 24 prevents the central controller 50 from controlling the steering rack 66 using the primary control algorithm 52, with control of the steering rack 66 originating from the redundant secondary controller 54, which uses the secondary control algorithm 64. According to an exemplary embodiment, the primary control algorithm 52 comprises a full set of control functions designed to control the steering rack 66 under all foreseeable operating conditions and to provide all options. The secondary control algorithm 64 comprises a reduced set of control functions designed to provide limited control functions when control via the primary control algorithm is unavailable.The reduced set of control functions provides basic control of the steering system 24 until the vehicle 10 reaches a destination, can exit a road, or until the steering system 24 can be serviced to correct the malfunction that prevents the use of the primary control algorithm 52. Thus, the steering system 24 has redundancy, as it has two separate control algorithms (primary control algorithm 52, secondary control algorithm 64) that operate independently and are stored at different locations within the steering system 24. This ensures that a failure that renders the primary control algorithm 52 unusable can be temporarily compensated for by using the secondary control algorithm 64.

[0047] According to an exemplary embodiment, the steering wheel actuator 56, the impeller actuator 62, the central controller 50, and the redundant secondary controller 54 are configured to communicate with each other via a first communication protocol 68, and the redundant secondary controller 54, the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60, and the impeller actuator 62 are configured to communicate with each other via a second communication protocol 70, which is different from and independent of the first communication protocol 68. The tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 is configured to communicate with both the impeller actuator 62 and the central controller 50 via the redundant secondary controller 54. The impeller actuator 62 also receives data from the steering wheel actuator 56.According to an exemplary embodiment, the first communication protocol 68 and the second communication protocol 70 are different system types, each with different failure modes. Thus, in the event of a failure of the first communication protocol 68, the second communication protocol 70 is likely to remain unaffected and functional, and likewise, in the event of a failure of the second communication protocol 70, the first communication protocol 68 is likely to remain unaffected and functional. Therefore, the steering system 24 has redundant communication protocols 68 and 70, which ensure communication between the components of the steering system 24 and the operation of the steering system 24 in the event of a single-point failure of either the first communication protocol 68 or the second communication protocol 70.

[0048] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first communication protocol 68 is an Ethernet communication protocol. Ethernet is a commonly used protocol for communication between systems and operates at the first two layers of the Open Systems Interface (OSI) model (physical layer and data link layer). Ethernet offers a variety of speeds (10 megabits per second (Mbps), 100 Mbps, 1000 Mbps (also called Gigabit), and 10 GbE) and can use many different cable types. These combinations of cable and speed all fall under different permutations of Ethernet, such as 100BaseTX (100 Mbps using Category 5 cables) or 1000BaseLX (1000 Mbps using fiber optic cables), but technically they are all still Ethernet and follow specific standards for the two OSI model layers in which they operate.

[0049] According to another exemplary embodiment, the second communication protocol 70 is one of the communication protocols Controller Area Network (CAN) or Local Interconnect Network (LIN). CAN is a communication protocol used by various electronic devices. CAN is widely used to enable communication between devices in vehicles, for example, between engine management systems, active suspension, automatic braking systems, transmission control, lighting control, air conditioning, airbags, central locking systems, and other systems present in a vehicle. CAN is a high-integrity serial data communication bus that is ideally suited for real-time applications. The bus can operate at data rates of up to 1 Mbit / s and has excellent error detection and correction capabilities.CAN is used in many industrial automation and control applications. CAN is a message-based, multi-master protocol. This means that all interconnected CAN devices can send data, and multiple CAN devices can request bus access simultaneously. A CAN network does not have an addressing system but instead uses a prioritized messaging system. All messages are divided into a set of priorities. Several versions of CAN are available, including CAN 2.0A, which uses an 11-bit message identifier; CAN 2.0B, which uses a 29-bit message identifier; and CAN-FD, which uses a flexible data rate. In a CAN bus, a sending device transmits a message to all CAN nodes, and each node decides how to respond to the received message. The nodes also determine the priority of each message when multiple messages are sent simultaneously.

[0050] LIN is an electronic communication protocol, similar to CAN, primarily used in vehicles. The LIN communication network is a master-slave configuration. Typically, the LIN bus consists of 16 nodes (1 master and 15 slaves). All LIN bus messages are initiated by a single master. Only one slave can respond to a message at a time, selected by an identifier sent by the master. Data is transmitted between devices connected to the LIN bus in the form of fixed-form, variable-length messages. The master device sends an interrupt signal, followed by synchronization and identifier fields, to initiate data transmission. Slave devices can respond by sending a data frame containing either 2, 4, or 8 bytes of data plus 3 bytes of control information. LIN can be used as a subbus connected to a CAN bus.The CAN bus sends a signal to one of its nodes, which can itself be a LIN master. When the LIN physical layer transmitter receives the message, it converts it into the LIN protocol at a logic level using the CAN battery voltage level (typically 12 V). The LIN transmitter also includes a current-limited waveform driver, which reduces electromagnetic emissions.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment, in order to provide further redundancy within the steering system 24, the steering wheel actuator 56 comprises a first electronic control unit 72A, which is designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the steering wheel 58 and to transmit the data to the central controller 50 and the wheel actuator 58 via a first independent path 68A of the Ethernet communication protocol 68 to the central controller 50 and the wheel actuator 62, and a second electronic control unit 72B, which is designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the steering wheel 58 and to transmit the data to the central controller 50 and the wheel actuator 62 via a second independent path 68B of the Ethernet communication protocol 68.The first electronic control unit 72A and the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56 are each able to communicate with each other via an internal communication link 74 and to independently collect data and communicate with the central controller 50 and the wheel actuator 62 in order to support the steering system 24 in the event of a single-point failure of one of the first electronic control unit 72A and the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56.

[0052] According to an exemplary embodiment, the steering system 24 further comprises a first switch 96, which is configured to selectively connect the first path 68A of the Ethernet communication protocol 68 to the central controller 50, and a second switch 98, which is configured to selectively connect the second path 68B of the Ethernet communication protocol 68 to the central controller 50. Thus, during operation, the central controller 50 can selectively actuate the first and second switches 96, 98 to direct communication either via the first path 68A of the Ethernet communication protocol 68 or via the second path 68B of the Ethernet communication network 68.

[0053] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the impeller actuator 62, to provide additional redundancy within the steering system 24, comprises a first electronic control unit 76A, which is designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the impeller actuator 62 and to transmit the data to the central controller 50 via the first independent path 68A of the Ethernet communication protocol 68, and to 1) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the central controller 50 using the primary control algorithm 52, 2) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller 54 via the second communication protocol 70 using the secondary control algorithm 64.3) to control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands determined by the first electronic control unit 76A of the wheel actuator 62 based on raw data received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60, via the second communication protocol 70 using the secondary control algorithm 64, or 4) to control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands determined by the first electronic control unit 76A of the wheel actuator 62 based on raw data received from the steering wheel actuator 56, via the first communication protocol 68.

[0054] The impeller actuator 62 further comprises a second electronic control unit 76B, which is designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the impeller actuator 62 and to transmit the data to the central controller 50 via the second independent path 68B of the Ethernet communication protocol 68, and to 1) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the central controller 50 using the primary control algorithm 52, 2) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller 54 via the second communication protocol 70 using the secondary control algorithm 64, 3) control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands,4) to control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 based on commands determined by the second electronic control unit 76B of the wheel actuator 62 on the basis of raw data received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60, via the second communication protocol 70 using the secondary control algorithm 64, or 5) to control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 on the basis of commands determined by the second electronic control unit 76B of the wheel actuator 62 on the basis of raw data received from the steering wheel actuator 56, via the first communication protocol 68.

[0055] The first electronic control unit 76A and the second electronic control unit 76B of the impeller actuator 62 each include a copy of the secondary control algorithm 64 stored therein and are able to communicate with each other via an internal communication link 78 and independently collect data and communicate with the central controller 50 and control the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 in order to support the steering system 24 in the event of a single-point failure of one of the first electronic control unit 76A and the second electronic control unit 76B of the impeller actuator 62.

[0056] According to a further embodiment, the steering system 24 comprises, to provide additional redundancy, a first power network 80A and a second power network 80B, which is independent of the first power network 80A. The central controller 50 is supplied with power by both the first power network 80A and the second power network 80B. The first electronic control unit 72A of the steering wheel actuator 56 and the first electronic control unit 76A of the impeller actuator 62 are supplied with power by the first power network 80A. The second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56 and the second electronic control unit 76B of the impeller actuator 62 are supplied with power by the second power network 80B. The redundant secondary controller 54 and the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 are supplied with power by either the first or the second power network.According to an exemplary embodiment, the first power network 80A uses a first auxiliary power module 82A or a battery connected to a first independent high-voltage power source 84A within the vehicle 10, and the second power network 80B uses a second auxiliary power module 82B or a battery connected to a second independent high-voltage power source 84B within the vehicle 10. The first and second power networks 80A and 80B can use either an auxiliary power module 82A or 82B, a battery, or both.

[0057] The steering wheel 58 includes a feedback motor 86, which communicates with the steering wheel actuator 56 and is controlled by the first electronic control unit 72A and the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56. The first electronic control unit 72A and the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56 are coordinated, with each controlling half of the phases of the feedback motor 86. The feedback motor 86 is connected to the steering wheel 58 via a gearbox 88 and is designed to provide active feedback to the operator at the steering wheel 58 and passive feedback to the steering wheel 58 to provide resistance and damping when the feedback motor 86 is not powered.

[0058] Drivers use the torque feedback at the steering wheel 58 to obtain information about road and tire dynamics. This assists the driver in driving tasks such as cornering. Steer-by-wire vehicles do not have inherent steering feedback due to the mechanical decoupling of the front tires and the steering wheel and require an artificial steering feel. One way to implement an artificial steering feel is to synthesize the steering feedback using the feedback motor 86.

[0059] According to another exemplary embodiment, the wheel actuator 62 comprises a steering motor 90, which communicates with the wheel actuator 62 and is controlled by the first electronic control unit 76A and the second electronic control unit 76B of the wheel actuator 62, and the steering rack 66. The first electronic control unit 76A and the second electronic control unit 76B of the wheel actuator 62 are synchronized, each controlling half of the phases of the steering motor 90. The steering rack 66 is designed to convert the rotary motion of the steering motor 90 into a linear motion of the steering rack 66 and to rotate the wheels 16 of the vehicle 10 via tie rods 92 that connect the steering rack 66 and the wheels 16 of the vehicle 10.

[0060] According to another exemplary embodiment, the central controller 50 further comprises a torque distribution steering control algorithm 94 stored therein. The central controller 50 is designed to receive data relating to the steering wheel from the first electronic control unit 72A of the steering wheel actuator 56 via the first path 68A of the Ethernet communication protocol 68, the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56 via the second path 68B of the Ethernet communication protocol 68, and / or the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 via the Ethernet communication protocol 68, and to actuate the brake system 26, the drive system 20, and / or the wheel actuator 62 in order to influence the lateral movement of the vehicle 10 using the torque distribution steering control algorithm 94.

[0061] The torque distribution steering control algorithm 94 is a failsafe solution used to steer the vehicle 10 if the steer-by-wire functions of the steering system 24 fail after several single-point failures. For example, if the impeller actuator 62 cannot be steered, the torque distribution steering control algorithm 94 steers the vehicle 10 for a short period (less than one minute) to help the driver bring the vehicle 10 to the side of the road. If the steering system 24 is in a state where a single additional single-point failure could result in a loss of steering control, the central controller 50 is designed to allow the vehicle 10 to operate only for as long as necessary.In other words, if failures occur and the steering system 24 continues to operate with one or more of the redundancy functions described here, and a single additional fault could cause the central controller 50 to no longer recognize the direction intended by the driver or to no longer be able to control the vehicle 10 in such a way as to implement this intention, the central controller 50, via communication with the vehicle controller 34, limits the operation of the vehicle (interrupts the drive power if the vehicle is moving) and allows the driver to steer the vehicle off the road and stop it as quickly as possible with the remaining abilities, whereby the vehicle may not be operated again until the steering system 24 has been serviced.

[0062] The torque distribution steering control algorithm 94, for example, uses the individual brakes to steer the vehicle 10. For instance, the left front brake can be applied to steer the vehicle 10 based on the driver turning the steering wheel 58 to the left and their intention to turn left being detected by the tertiary steering angle sensor 60. The individual brakes are used for steer-by-braking if the steer-by-wire functions of the steering system 24 fail. The torque distribution steering control algorithm 94 can also utilize the drive system 20 (power unit, electric motors) and, if present, the active rear-wheel steering (an actuator that steers the rear wheels of the vehicle 10) to enhance and refine the steering control. If only the braking system 26 is used, an attempt is made to steer the vehicle 10, but at the same time it may slow down faster than desired.The drive system 20 can help control the deceleration.

[0063] Thus, the steering system 24 can tolerate several major failures of the components required to transmit the direction intended by the driver, and it can use actuators other than the steering rack 66 to maintain lateral control. By providing redundancy in the measurement of the direction intended by the driver, the mechanisms that can control the vehicle 10, the logic that translates the direction intended by the driver into a command to these other mechanisms, and the distribution of this logic across several electronic control units 72A, 72B, 76A, 76B, the steering system 24 can continue to operate even in the event of multiple failures. This significantly improves the functional reliability of the steering system 24 and, consequently, of the entire vehicle 10.

[0064] With reference to Fig.3 comprises a method 200 for controlling a steering system 24, which begins at block 202, a collection of data relating to a state of a steering wheel 58, with a steering wheel actuator 56 which communicates with a central controller 50 and in which a primary control algorithm 52 is stored, and, transitioning to block 204, a transmission of the data to the central controller 50 with the steering wheel actuator 56, transitioning to block 206, a collection of data relating to the state of the steering wheel 58, independently of the steering wheel actuator 56 with a tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 which communicates with a redundant secondary controller 54, and a transmission of the data to the redundant secondary controller 54, transitioning to block 208, a collection of data relating to a state of the impeller actuator 62, with an impeller actuator 62,which communicates with the central controller 50 and the steering wheel actuator 56 and in which a secondary control algorithm 64 is stored, transitioning to block 210, transmitting the data to the central controller with the impeller actuator, and, transitioning to block 212, controlling a steering rack 66 and a steering system of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the central controller 50, using the primary control algorithm 52, or, transitioning to block 214, controlling the steering rack 66 and the steering system of the vehicle 10 based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller 54, using the secondary control algorithm 64, or, transitioning to block 215, controlling the steering rack 66 and the steering system of the vehicle 10 based on commands determined by the impeller actuator 62 based on raw data, which are received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60,via the second communication protocol 70 using the secondary control algorithm 64, or, transitioning to block 217, controlling the steering rack 66 and the steering of the vehicle 10 on the basis of commands determined by the impeller actuator 62 on the basis of raw data received from the steering wheel actuator 56, via the first communication protocol 68.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method 200 further comprises, transitioning to block 216, enabling communication between the steering wheel actuator 56, the impeller actuator 62, the central controller 50 and the redundant secondary controller 54 using an Ethernet communication protocol 68, and, transitioning to block 218, enabling communication between the redundant secondary controller 54, the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 and the impeller actuator 62 using a controller area network communication protocol (CAN communication protocol) or a local interconnection network communication protocol (LIN communication protocol) 70.

[0066] According to an exemplary embodiment, the collection of data relating to a state of a steering wheel 58 with a steering wheel actuator 56, which communicates with a central controller 50 and in which a primary control algorithm 52 is stored, in block 202, and the transmission of the data to the central controller 50 with the steering wheel actuator 56 in block 204, further comprises the independent collection of data relating to the state of the steering wheel 58 with a first electronic control unit 72A of the steering wheel actuator 56 and the transmission of the data to the central controller 50 and the wheel actuator 62 via a first independent path 68A of the Ethernet communication protocol 68, and the independent collection of data relating to the state of the steering wheel 58.with a second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56 and a transmission of the data to the central controller 50 and the wheel actuator 62 via a second independent path 68B of the Ethernet communication protocol 68.,

[0067] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the collection of data relating to a state of the impeller actuator 62, with the impeller actuator 62, which communicates with the central controller 50 and the steering wheel actuator 56 and in which the secondary control algorithm 64 is stored, in block 208 further comprises independently collecting data relating to the state of the impeller actuator with a first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator and transmitting the data to the central controller via the first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, or independently collecting data relating to the state of the impeller actuator with a second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator and transmitting the data to the central controller via the second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol.wherein the first electronic control unit and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator each comprise a copy of the secondary control algorithm stored therein.

[0068] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the method 200 further comprises, transitioning to block 220, supplying power to the central controller 50 from both a first power network 80A and a second power network 80B, transitioning to block 222, supplying power to the first electronic control unit 72A of the steering wheel actuator 56 and the first electronic control unit 76A of the impeller actuator 62 from the first power network 80A, and, transitioning to block 224, supplying power to the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56 and the second electronic control unit 76B of the impeller actuator 62 from the second power network 80B, and supplying power to the redundant secondary controller 54 and the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor 60 either from the first power network 80A or from the second power network 80B.

[0069] According to a further exemplary embodiment, the method 200 further comprises, transitioning to block 226, providing torque feedback at the steering wheel 58 during steer-by-wire maneuvers with a feedback motor 86, which is connected to the steering wheel 58 via a transmission 88, which communicates with the steering wheel actuator 56 and is controlled by one of the first electronic control unit 72A of the steering wheel actuator 56 and the second electronic control unit 72B of the steering wheel actuator 56, and, transitioning to block 228, providing passive feedback at the steering wheel 58 with the feedback motor 86 to provide resistance and damping of the steering wheel 58 when the feedback motor 86 is not supplied with current.

[0070] The description of the present revelation is merely exemplary, and variations that do not deviate from the essence of the present revelation are to be considered within its scope. Such variations are not to be regarded as a deviation from the concept and scope of the present revelation.

Claims

[1] Steer-by-wire system, which includes: a central controller which has a primary control algorithm stored within it; a steering wheel actuator that communicates with the central controller and is designed to collect data relating to the state of a steering wheel and to transmit the data to the central controller; a tertiary steering wheel angle sensor that communicates with a redundant secondary controller and is designed to collect data relating to the state of the steering wheel independently of the steering wheel actuator and to transmit the data to the redundant secondary controller; a wheel actuator that communicates with the central controller and the steering wheel actuator, has a secondary control algorithm stored within it, and is designed for: Collecting data relating to the state of the impeller actuator and transmitting the data to the central controller; and either controlling a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle based on commands received from the central controller, using the primary control algorithm; or Controlling a steering rack and steering system of the vehicle based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller, using the secondary control algorithm. [2] System according to claim 1, wherein: The steering wheel actuator, the impeller actuator, the central controller, and the redundant secondary controller are designed to communicate with each other via a primary communication protocol; and The redundant secondary controller, the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor and the impeller actuator are designed to communicate with each other via a second communication protocol that is independent of the first communication protocol. [3] System according to claim 2, wherein the first communication protocol is an Ethernet communication protocol. [4] System according to claim 3, wherein the second communication protocol is a controller area network communication protocol (CAN communication protocol) or a local intermediate network communication protocol (LIN communication protocol). [5] System according to claim 4, wherein the steering wheel actuator comprises: a first electronic control unit designed to independently collect data relating to a state of the steering wheel and to transmit the data to the central controller and the wheel actuator via a first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol; and a second electronic control unit designed to independently collect data relating to the state of the steering wheel and to transmit the data to the central controller and the wheel actuator via a second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol. [6] System according to claim 5 wherein the impeller actuator comprises: a first electronic control unit designed to independently acquire data relating to a state of the impeller actuator and to transmit the data to the central controller via the first independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, and to control the steering rack and steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the central controller, using the primary control algorithm via the first communication protocol; to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller, using the secondary control algorithm via the second communication protocol; to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands determined by the first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor, via the second communication protocol using the secondary control algorithm; or to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands determined by the first electronic control unit of the wheel actuator based on raw data received from the steering wheel actuator via the first communication protocol; and a second electronic control unit designed to independently collect data relating to the state of the impeller actuator and to transmit the data to the central controller via the second independent path of the Ethernet communication protocol, and to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the central controller, using the primary control algorithm; to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands received from the redundant secondary controller via the second communication protocol using the secondary control algorithm; to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands determined by the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator based on raw data received from the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor, via the second communication protocol using the secondary control algorithm; or to control the steering rack and the steering of the vehicle based on commands determined by the second electronic control unit of the wheel actuator based on raw data received from the steering wheel actuator via the first communication protocol; and wherein the first electronic control unit and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator each contain a copy of the secondary control algorithm stored therein. [7] System according to claim 6, further comprising a first power network and a second power network that is independent of the first power network, wherein: the central controller is supplied with power by both the first power network and the second power network; the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the first electronic control unit of the impeller actuator are supplied with power by the first power network; The second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the impeller actuator are supplied with power via the second power network; and The redundant secondary controller and the tertiary steering wheel angle sensor are supplied with power either by the first power network or by the second power network. [8] System according to claim 7, wherein the first power network is connected to a first independent high-voltage power source inside the vehicle and the second power network is connected to a second independent high-voltage power source inside the vehicle. [9] System according to claim 7, wherein the steering wheel has a feedback motor which communicates with the steering wheel actuator and is controlled by the first electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the steering wheel actuator, wherein the feedback motor is connected to the steering wheel via a transmission and is designed to: Providing torque feedback at the steering wheel; and Providing passive feedback at the steering wheel to create resistance and damping of the steering wheel when the feedback motor is not powered. [10] System according to claim 7, wherein the wheel actuator comprises a steering motor which communicates with the wheel actuator and is controlled by the first electronic control unit of the wheel actuator and the second electronic control unit of the wheel actuator, and a steering rack, wherein the steering rack is designed to convert a rotary motion of the steering motor into a linear motion of the steering rack and to rotate the wheels of the vehicle via tie rods connecting the steering rack and the wheels of the vehicle.

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