Steer-by-Wire Feedback Actuator Failure Compensation

The patent implements a monitoring function that continuously observes the operation of the feedback actuator and detects disturbances or failures. When a failure is detected, the system modifies the steering characteristic by applying a compensation variable to the driver target specification, thereby maintaining reliable steering control even when the feedback actuator malfunctions. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by adding a safety layer that preserves reliability without compromising the active feedback torque functionality during normal operation.

The monitoring function serves multiple purposes: it detects failures of the feedback actuator, monitors the operation state, and triggers appropriate responses by modifying steering characteristics. This multi-functional approach allows the system to achieve fail-operational and fail-safe properties without proportionally increasing complexity, as a single monitoring module handles multiple safety-critical functions rather than requiring separate redundant systems for each function.

The monitoring function utilizes existing system data and resources to detect feedback actuator failures without requiring entirely separate sensing systems. By leveraging available operational data from the steer-by-wire system and applying computational algorithms to identify anomalies, the monitoring function achieves reliable fault detection while minimizing additional hardware complexity and computational overhead.