Steering Wheel Resistance Torque for Safe Control Handover

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Solution Overview

Problem

Intelligent vehicles face safety risks due to drivers subconsciously resisting active steering interventions, leading to potential collisions when the vehicle returns control to the driver during high-risk situations.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle control method that determines a resistance torque based on safety risk and driver steering torque, increasing it during high-risk scenarios to remind the driver of unsafe steering and decreasing it during low-risk scenarios to comply with the driver's intention, using a fuzzy algorithm to accurately assess the driver's control intention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the vehicle exits steering control based on driver resistance torque, then driving right is returned to the driver, but the driver cannot respond in short time to upcoming driving risks, leading to potential collisions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver control authorityVSAvoiddriver response time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary assessment of driver intention by analyzing steering torque characteristics before exiting control. By evaluating whether torque exceeds thresholds associated with panic versus intentional correction, the system prevents premature control transfer, ensuring the driver has adequate time to respond to actual risks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The resistance torque mechanism serves as an intermediary between the assisted driving system and the driver. Rather than directly exiting control, the system uses resistance torque to communicate safety concerns to the driver, allowing gradual awareness and response while maintaining control authority during critical moments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the resistance torque is increased to prevent driver resistance during high-risk situations, then driving safety is improved, but the driver experience may be degraded due to excessive resistance during normal operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriving safetyVSAvoiddriving experience
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different resistance torque characteristics to different operational contexts. During high-risk situations with excessive driver torque, high resistance is applied to maintain safety. During normal operation with appropriate driver torque, low or zero resistance is applied to ensure comfort. This localized quality adjustment resolves the contradiction between safety and experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The resistance torque is made dynamic rather than static, continuously adjusting based on real-time assessment of safety risk level and driver steering torque. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to provide firm resistance when needed for safety while being compliant and comfortable during normal driving, resolving the trade-off between safety and driving experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4678493A1Vehicle control method, apparatus, and vehicle
Publication Date: 2026.01.14 YINWANG INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD
  • EP4678493A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4678493A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4678493A1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A vehicle control method includes: determining a resistance torque based on a safety risk of a vehicle and a torque of a steering operation input by a driver, where the resistance torque acts on a steering wheel of the vehicle to resist the torque of the steering operation, and the resistance torque is gradually increased when the safety risk of the vehicle is high. In this way, the driver feels the resistance torque from the steering wheel during the steering operation, and the driver is reminded that the current steering operation may affect driving safety. This avoids impact on the driving safety caused by the steering operation input by the driver due to a subconscious action. An apparatus for implementing the vehicle control method and a vehicle are further provided.