Steering Wheel Torque Control for Autonomous Vehicle Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current autonomous vehicle systems lack an intuitive method for human drivers to provide high-level instructions while operating in autonomous or semi-autonomous modes, and often fail to distinguish between intentional and spurious steering wheel inputs, leading to potential misinterpretation and unsafe driving scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A computer system in the vehicle is programmed to analyze the steering wheel angle and apply torque based on predefined thresholds, providing haptic feedback and ignoring spurious inputs to ensure accurate vehicle control, allowing drivers to give intuitive instructions while the vehicle operates autonomously or semi-autonomously.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the system responds to all steering wheel inputs, then responsiveness to driver commands is improved, but false activation from spurious inputs increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of steering wheel inputs by evaluating multiple parameters (angle, duration, rate of change) before executing any vehicle control action. This pre-validation process filters out spurious inputs while maintaining responsiveness to genuine driver commands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements haptic feedback through the steering wheel to confirm to the driver that their input has been recognized and will be acted upon. This feedback mechanism also serves to distinguish intentional inputs (which receive feedback) from spurious inputs (which are filtered out), resolving the contradiction between responsiveness and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the system applies torque to the steering wheel, then haptic feedback for driver guidance is improved, but interference with natural steering operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies torque only partially and selectively - only when specific conditions are met (valid driver input detected, autonomous mode active). The torque magnitude is carefully controlled to provide guidance without overpowering the driver's natural steering operations, thus improving guidance while minimizing interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The torque application is dynamic and adaptive, adjusting in real-time based on the driver's steering actions and the vehicle's operational context. The system monitors steering wheel angle, rate of change, and duration to modulate torque appropriately, providing haptic feedback only when beneficial and reducing it when the driver is performing natural steering maneuvers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables human drivers to provide clear instructions to the vehicle while enhancing safety by ignoring unintended steering wheel movements, ensuring stable and controlled vehicle operations in various driving scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
determine and apply an amount of torque to a steering wheel
Data Source
AI summary
A computer in a vehicle is programmed to instruct a steering system of the vehicle to perform a lateral steering action depending on whether a steering-wheel angle is greater than a threshold angle, and to determine and apply an amount of torque to a steering wheel based on comparing the steering-wheel angle to the threshold angle.