Steering Pinion Offset Compensation Using Yaw-Rate Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing marshaling systems for vehicles require immediate steering calibration at the end of a manufacturing line, relying on infrastructure-guided instructions or human porters, which is inefficient and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A system and method using a vehicle's onboard yaw rate sensor and an algorithm to determine and adjust the steering pinion offset, incorporating a rolling weighted average and recursive least squares to calibrate the steering angle before reaching a calibration workstation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If infrastructure-guided instructions or human porters are used to marshal vehicles, then steering calibration can be performed, but the process is labor-intensive and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle autonomously determines its own steering pinion offset by comparing desired steering angles from requests with actual steering angles measured by the yaw rate sensor, eliminating the need for human porters or infrastructure-guided manual calibration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual calibration process with an electronic sensor-based system using the yaw rate sensor and algorithmic processing to automatically determine and compensate for steering pinion offset
2Reliability
If steering calibration is performed immediately at the end of the manufacturing line, then vehicles can proceed to alignment workstation, but the process requires additional time and resources
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle performs preliminary steering calibration by determining the steering pinion offset using the yaw rate sensor and algorithm during normal operation, so that when the vehicle reaches the alignment workstation, the calibration is already complete or near-complete
Solution Approach 2:
The steering angle compensation continues to be applied continuously as the vehicle operates, with the algorithm constantly comparing desired and actual steering angles and adjusting the compensation value accordingly, rather than performing discrete calibration steps
3Measurement precision
If the steering pinion offset is not compensated, then the steering system operates as-is, but the vehicle cannot accurately follow desired steering angles
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback by continuously comparing the desired steering angle from steering requests with the actual steering angle measured by the yaw rate sensor, and uses this difference to adjust the steering pinion offset compensation value
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the steering pinion offset parameter based on the calculated compensation value, adjusting this parameter dynamically to compensate for inaccuracies in the steering system without requiring physical mechanical modifications
Data Source
AI summary
A method including the receipt of a first steering request corresponding to a desired steering angle of a vehicle, the determination of an actual steering angle of the vehicle based on steering data associated with a yaw rate sensor of the vehicle, the comparison of the desired steering angle to the actual steering angle to determine a steering angle difference, and the receipt of a second steering request wherein the second steering request includes an updated compensation value corresponding to the steering pinion offset to adjust the steering angle of the vehicle based on the comparison to reduce the steering angle difference.