In a torque sensor, a sleeve is an annular member that is attached to a first rotating member. An intermediate member is an annular member that is placed on an outer circumferential surface of the sleeve. A magnet is an annular member that is placed on an outer circumferential surface of the intermediate member. A yoke is attached to a second rotating member and faces the magnet in a radial direction. A rotating member connecting portion of the sleeve has a cylindrical shape and is contact with the first rotating member. An intermediate member connecting portion is at a position shifted with respect to the rotating member connecting portion in an axial direction. The intermediate member includes a thin portion and a thick portion having a thickness greater than that of the thin portion.

A system for detecting hands-on or off of a steering wheel and a method thereof, include a direct sensor configured for detecting a hands-on sense value depending on a grip area of the steering wheel; an indirect sensor configured for detecting a hands-on sense value depending on a magnitude of a torque for rotating the steering wheel; and a controller connected to the first sensor and the second sensor and combining a direct hands-on sense value detected by the direct sensor and an indirect hands-on sense value detected by the indirect sensor to each other to determine a grip state of the steering wheel depending on a combined hands-on sense condition, and then to display and warn a result of determining the grip state of the steering wheel through an output unit.

A steer-by-wire assembly for a steering system in a vehicle is disclosed. The assembly includes a first shaft rotatable in response to a steering input, a second shaft adapted to rotate in response to rotation of the first shaft, a first gear (with a sensed element) that rotates in response to rotation of the first shaft, a second gear (with a sensed element) that rotates in response to rotation of the second shaft, a first sensing element adapted to sense the element carried by the first gear and provide an output associated with an angular position of the first gear, and a second sensing element adapted to sense the element carried by the second gear and provide an output associated with an angular position of the second gear. When the second shaft rotates relative to the first shaft, the outputs provide position and torque data associated with the steering input.

A steering column includes a support base intended to be mounted fixedly with respect to a vehicle chassis. The steering column further includes a steering member on which a vehicle steering wheel is mounted. The steering member includes a transmission shaft mounted so as to rotate with respect to the support base about a longitudinal main axis. The steering column also includes at least one force sensor that is interposed between a first non-rotating element of the steering column and a second non-rotating element belonging either to the steering column or to the chassis of the vehicle.

A method for determining a driver's manual torque at a steering wheel of a vehicle which includes sensing a steering angle speed by a steering angle sensor, sensing a steering torque by a steering torque sensor at a steering column connected to the steering wheel, estimating a driver's manual torque applied by a driver at the steering wheel based on the sensed steering angle speed and the sensed steering torque by a Kalman filter by a controller, wherein during the estimation of the driver's manual torque a frictional torque is considered, and the frictional torque is estimated based on the steering torque which is sensed by the steering torque sensor, wherein the estimated frictional torque is taken into account as an interference factor during the estimation of the driver's manual torque in the Kalman filter. Also disclosed is an associated device.

The power control unit sets a drive interval for driving the sensor by providing power intermittently to the sensor to a first time interval when no change is detected in the sine-wave signal and the cosine-wave signal, sets to the second time interval that is shorter than the first time interval when a change in only one of the sine-wave signal and the cosine-wave signal is detected, and sets to the third time interval that is shorter than the second time interval when a change in one of the sine-wave signal and the cosine-wave signal is detected and then a change in the other is detected.

An RDM controller executes RDM control (steering suppression control). However, the RDM controller does not execute RDM control in cases in which lane changing has been determined to be possible by a LC determination section and a torque sensor has detected a steering input of a predetermined amount or greater.

A method and an apparatus for generating a horn actuation signal. A load cell is placed inside a steering wheel, which changes its resistance when being stressed or deformed by a force transmitting part of the steering wheel. An actual voltage (V.sub.a) depending on the resistance of the load cell is measured and the horn actuation signal is generated based on the measurement of the actual voltage (V.sub.a). The actual voltage (V.sub.a) depends additionally to the resistance of the load cell and on an adjustable voltage (V.sub.ad) generated by an adjustable voltage generation unit. Additionally, the result of the measurement of the actual voltage (V.sub.a) is permanently compared to a defined value, and the adjustable voltage (V.sub.ad) is adjusted in response to the difference between the result of the measurement of the actual voltage (V.sub.a) and the defined value at least as long as no horn actuation signal is generated, such that closed circuit for controlling the actual voltage (V.sub.a) is provided.

The present invention may provide a torque sensor comprising, a rotor, a stator disposed outside the rotor; a sensor assembly configured to measure a magnetic field generated between the rotor and the stator; and a housing, the rotor and the stator are disposed outside the housing, the sensor assembly is disposed inside the housing, wherein the housing includes a protrusion which faces the stator, wherein the stator includes a groove, wherein the protrusion is disposed in the groove.

A device for determining hands off of a driver includes a torque sensor for sensing a torque caused by turning of a steering wheel and generating a torque signal, a first frequency filter and a second frequency filter for filtering the torque signal, a representative value generating device for generating a first representative value based on a frequency component of a first filtered signal output by the first frequency filter, and generating a second representative value based on a frequency component of a second filtered signal output by the second frequency filter, and a control module that determines the hands off of the driver based on a ratio of the first representative value and the second representative value.