A position-torque sensor system includes two angle sensors configured to detect a rotational movement. Each of the two angle sensors includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor is rotatable in response to the rotational movement to provide a rotor rotational movement and is rotatable relative to the stator. The stator includes an excitation coil and a set of receiving coils that generate output signals indicative of the rotor rotational movement. The sets of receiving coils of the stators of the two angle sensors are structurally same and the rotors of the two angle sensors are structurally the same.

A steering system of a vehicle is provided. The steering system adjusts the torsional rigidity of a torsion bar without limitation as to the configuration thereof and performs active control responding to the vehicle state by adjusting steering characteristics by controlling the torsional rigidity of the torsion bar based on the traveling condition, load state or driving mode of the vehicle. The steering system includes an MR assist device, which is coupled to an end portion of the torsion bar and adjusts the rotation and torsional rigidity of the torsion bar using an MR fluid as a working fluid.

Methods and apparatus for linear inductive torque sensing that may include transmitting an AC magnetic field with a transmit coil toward a conductive target and receiving a field reflected by the conductive target with a receive coil, wherein the conductive target comprises first and second targets positioned with respect to each other and each shaped to linearly increase or decrease an amount of conductive area of the conductive target due to relative movement of the first and second targets which changes an amount of the field reflected by the conductive target. A signal from the receive coil can be processed to determine a relative position of the first and second targets corresponding to an amount of torque on an elongate member connected to the first and second targets. In other embodiments, a change in inductance of the transmit coil is measured to determine relative target position.

A power-steering system for a motor vehicle includes a steering wheel and an assistance motor controlled by a closed-loop regulation system, the regulation system determining a motor torque of the assistance motor as a function of a measured steering-wheel torque, using at least one “setpoint monitoring” arm calculating a component of the motor torque, referred to as “variant motor torque”, by subtracting a set steering-wheel torque from the RFe corresponding to the sum of the measured steering-wheel torque and the motor torque, wherein the variant motor torque is multiplied by a gain determined by a three-dimensional map as a function of a vehicle speed and the measured steering-wheel torque.

The power management unit supplies first power that is continuous power to the second sensor when the power switch is on, supplies second power that is intermittent power having a voltage lower than the first power to the second sensor when the power switch is off, and outputs rotation number information representing a rotation number of the motor rotation shaft based on the second sensor signal. The power management unit includes a comparator that operates using the second power as the power source when the power switch is off and compare the second sensor signal and the reference voltage, and a counter that detects the rotation number of the motor rotation shaft by counting the output of the comparators.

A method for “hands-on” identification on a steering system having two subsystems connected to one another by an elastic connection. The elastic connection has a static friction state and a sliding friction state for a respective set of external state variables. The steering system is excited by an excitation vibration, which is generated by a controllable vibration generator and has a respective excitation amplitude and a respective excitation frequency, for a respective set of external state variables, in which the respective excitation amplitude and the respective excitation frequency for the currently present set of external state variables are taken from a prescribed table and the vibration generator is controlled with them. A reaction torque to the excitation vibration is measured using a sensor. A phase difference between the excitation vibration and the reaction torque is calculated to identify a “hands-off” state as well as a “hands-on” state.

An inductive sensor may include a first angle measurement path associated with determining an angular position based on a first set of input signals. The inductive sensor may include a second angle measurement path associated with determining an angular position based on a second set of input signals. The inductive sensor may include an amplitude regulation path associated with regulating amplitudes of a set of output signals. The inductive sensor may include a safety path associated with performing one or more safety checks. Each safety check of the one or more safety checks may be associated with at least one of the first angle measurement path, the second angle measurement path, or the amplitude regulation path.

Methods and apparatus for linear inductive torque sensing that may include transmitting an AC magnetic field with a transmit coil toward a conductive target and receiving a field reflected by the conductive target with a receive coil, wherein the conductive target comprises first and second targets positioned with respect to each other and each shaped to linearly increase or decrease an amount of conductive area of the conductive target due to relative movement of the first and second targets which changes an amount of the field reflected by the conductive target. A signal from the receive coil can be processed to determine a relative position of the first and second targets corresponding to an amount of torque on an elongate member connected to the first and second targets. In other embodiments, a change in inductance of the transmit coil is measured to determine relative target position.

A motor electric control unit (ECU) for an electromechanical power steering mechanism, which controls current through an electric assist motor in response to steering mechanism sensors' signals. The ECU may comprise at least two channels. Each channel has the steering mechanism sensors in a redundancy concept. At least one voter that is assigned to an actuator and is configured to vote on the correct steering mechanism sensors' outputs of the at least two channels. The steering mechanism sensors may include a steering column torque sensor and an RPS sensor for sensing a rotor angle of the electric assist motor. Each of the at least two channels may include processors that have different software to protect against systematic faults.

A method in which a continuous estimation of the intermediate friction rate is carried out, allowing the integration of the method into a general friction compensation method so as to continuously improve the feel on the steering wheel, particularly for speeds below a determined threshold. Also, a method for friction compensation in an electrical power steering system, characterised in that the compensation method takes into account a continuous estimation of the intermediate friction rate obtained by the estimation method.