Vehicle Steering Torque Analysis for Driver Intent Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle driving assist systems struggle to accurately determine intentional driver operations, particularly at high speeds or under conditions of road disturbances, leading to potential erroneous activation of assistive processes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle operating condition determining system that measures steering torque after it reaches a peak, using a steering holding torque analysis to differentiate between intentional and unintentional steering operations, thereby accurately determining driver intent and restricting assistive processes accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If steering angle threshold or accelerator pedal stroke threshold is used to determine driver intention, then the system can detect intentional operations, but it cannot correctly determine intentional operations under all conditions (especially at high speeds or with road disturbances)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from static thresholds (steering angle, accelerator stroke) to dynamic parameters including steering torque magnitude and its rate of change. By monitoring how steering torque changes over time rather than just absolute values, the system can distinguish intentional driver operations from unintentional disturbances across various driving conditions including high speeds and different road surfaces.
2Speed
If the driving assist system operates based on simple threshold detection, then the system response is fast, but false activation occurs due to road disturbances or vehicle vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring steering torque and its rate of change, then using this information to determine whether to activate the driving assist system. The control unit analyzes the temporal pattern of steering torque changes and provides feedback to the determination logic, enabling the system to distinguish between intentional driver operations and unintentional disturbances while maintaining fast response to genuine driver intentions.
3Measurement precision
If steering angle changes are used to determine driver intention, then the system can identify lane changes, but it cannot distinguish intentional lane changes from unintentional steering due to road shape or vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces steering torque as an intermediary parameter between the driver's steering input and the steering angle output. By measuring the torque applied to the steering wheel and its rate of change, the system gains insight into the driver's intent before the steering angle actually changes. This intermediary measurement helps distinguish intentional lane changes from unintentional steering caused by road disturbances or vehicle vibrations.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle operating condition determining system determines, when a turning angle of wheels or a steering angle of a steering wheel changes, that the turning angle of the wheels or the steering angle of the steering wheel changes due to a driver's intention, under a condition that the magnitude of steering torque applied to a steering device is kept equal to or larger than a threshold value after the torque reaches a peak, for a period of time equal to or longer than a reference time.