Steering System Redundancy for Malfunction Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle steering systems, particularly steer-by-wire systems, are vulnerable to instability and loss of control if the front-wheel steering unit or steering control unit malfunctions, leading to potential accidents.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle steering system that includes a front-wheel steering unit, a steering control unit, and multiple actuators connected to both front and rear wheels. The steering control unit detects malfunctions and selects suitable actuators to maintain the vehicle's trajectory with minimal deviation, using data stored in a memory about the actuators' reaction times, modes of operation, and availability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a steer-by-wire steering system with front-wheel steering is used, then the vehicle can be precisely controlled during normal operation, but the vehicle becomes uncontrollable if the front-wheel steering unit or steering control unit malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The steering system is divided into independent actuators that can be individually controlled. Each actuator can be selectively activated or deactivated based on its operational status, allowing the system to segment the steering function across multiple components rather than relying on a single centralized steering mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of actuator malfunctions and proactively switches to alternative actuators before complete steering failure occurs. The control unit continuously monitors actuator status and pre-identifies backup actuators, enabling seamless transition without waiting for actual steering failure.
Solution Approach 3:
The system changes the operational parameters of the steering system by switching between different actuators based on their availability. When a malfunction is detected, the control unit modifies which actuators are active, changing the system's configuration from a single-point-failure vulnerable setup to a redundant configuration.
2Reliability
If multiple actuators are provided for front and rear wheels, then backup steering is possible in case of malfunction, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The actuators are designed with multi-functionality, serving both as primary steering actuators during normal operation and as backup actuators when malfunctions occur. The same actuator components can be reassigned to different wheels or functions based on real-time operational needs, reducing the need for dedicated backup components.
Solution Approach 2:
The steering system dynamically reconfigures which actuators are active based on real-time malfunction detection. The control unit continuously adapts the actuator configuration, switching between different actuator combinations depending on which components are functioning, making the system flexible rather than statically complex.
3Loss of time
If actuators are selected based on stored data about reaction time and availability, then the most suitable actuators can be quickly identified during malfunction, but the system requires additional data memory and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data collection and storage about actuator characteristics (reaction time, availability, performance parameters) during normal operation. This pre-stored information is readily available when a malfunction occurs, eliminating the need for real-time analysis and calculation during emergency actuator selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors actuator performance and feeds back this information to update the stored data about actuator availability and reaction time. This feedback mechanism ensures that the most current and accurate actuator data is available for rapid selection during malfunctions, improving response time while keeping the processing requirements manageable.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle steering system (10) of a motor vehicle having a front wheel steering unit (11), a steering control unit (12), two front wheels (13) and one or more rear wheels (25), wherein the front wheel steering unit (11) has a steering wheel (14) and at least one steering actuating device (15) which is coupled to at least one of the front wheels (13) in order to transfer a steering movement, wherein the steering control unit (12) is signal-connected to the steering wheel (14) in order to detect a steering angle (α) and the steering control unit (12) is configured to detect the steering angle (α) of the steering wheel (14) and to control the steering actuating device (15) such that the steering actuating device (15) transfers the detected steering angle (α) to the at least one front wheel (13), wherein at least two actuators (17) are provided which are adapted to have effect on one or both of the front wheels (13) and/or on one or more of the rear wheels (25), the steering control unit (12) having a processing unit (121) which is configured in order to: determine a current trajectory (16) of the motor vehicle during driving operation; detect a malfunction of the front wheel steering unit (11) and/or the steering control unit (12) during driving operation; select at least one of the actuators (17) in the event a malfunction is detected; and to control the at least one selected actuator (17) such that the current trajectory (16) of the motor vehicle is maintained during driving operation with minor deviation.