Electric Steering Apparatus Driver Intervention Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electric steering systems for autonomous vehicles do not effectively allow drivers to intervene when needed and maintain autonomous driving when the steering wheel is released, leading to degraded convenience and safety.
Innovation Solution
An electric steering apparatus with a column torque sensor, vehicle speed sensor, autonomous driving control unit, driver steering intervention determination unit, and output control unit that detects driver intervention and adjusts command currents to seamlessly transition between driver control and autonomous driving modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If the autonomous driving system completely takes over steering control, then automation level is improved, but the driver cannot intervene when needed leading to degraded safety
Solution Approach 1:
The steering control system dynamically switches between autonomous driving mode and manual intervention mode based on real-time detection of driver input through the column torque sensor. When torque exceeds a threshold, the system transitions from full automation to manual control, allowing adaptive adjustment of control authority between the autonomous system and driver
Solution Approach 2:
The column torque sensor provides continuous feedback to the control unit about driver steering input. This feedback mechanism enables the system to detect when the driver attempts to intervene and automatically adjust control modes, creating a closed-loop system that responds to driver needs while maintaining autonomous operation
2Ease of operation
If the driver manually operates the steering wheel during autonomous driving, then steering authority is transferred to driver, but autonomous driving cannot be maintained when driver releases the wheel leading to degraded convenience
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts its operational mode based on real-time detection of driver input through column torque monitoring. When the driver releases the steering wheel and torque returns to normal range, the system automatically transitions back to autonomous driving mode, maintaining convenience while allowing temporary manual intervention
Solution Approach 2:
Continuous monitoring of column torque provides feedback to the control unit about driver steering input. This feedback enables automatic detection of when the driver has released the wheel, triggering the system to resume autonomous control and maintain the automated driving experience
3Device complexity
If the system requires driver operation of on/off switch to disable autonomous driving, then system control is simplified, but driver convenience is degraded when quick intervention is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides self-service mode switching through automatic detection of driver steering input via the column torque sensor. When the driver applies steering torque, the system automatically transitions from autonomous to manual control without requiring the driver to operate the on/off switch, enabling quick intervention while maintaining simple system architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The column torque sensor provides immediate feedback about driver steering input, enabling the control unit to automatically switch modes in response to driver needs. This feedback-driven automatic switching eliminates the need for manual on/off operation while maintaining system simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
An electric steering apparatus may include: a column torque sensor configured to detect column torque; a vehicle speed sensor configured to detect vehicle speed of the vehicle; an autonomous driving control unit configured to determine a second command current in an autonomous driving mode; a driver steering intervention determination unit configured to determine whether a driver intervenes in steering; an MDPS logic unit configured to determine a first command current based on the column torque and the vehicle speed, when the driver's steering intervention occurs in the autonomous driving mode; and an output control unit configured to determine a final weight based on a steering angular velocity and the column torque, when the driver's steering intervention occurs in the autonomous driving mode, and determine a final command current by applying the determined final weight to the first and second command currents.