A steering system for an agricultural vehicle has at least one steering cylinder for changing a steering angle of the agricultural vehicle, a hydraulic main steering valve for pressurizing the at least one steering cylinder, a steering transducer for actuating the main steering valve, a steering boost for controlling an adjustment characteristic between the steering transducer and the at least one steering cylinder and a sensor system for detecting an external signal of the agricultural vehicle. The steering boost controls the adjustment characteristic on the basis of the detected external signal.

A steering device includes: a steering wheel which is rotatable over an angle range exceeding 180 degrees in each of leftward and rightward directions from a neutral position; a steering mechanism that steers a wheel according to a steering angle of the steering wheel, with a ratio of the steering angle to a steered angle being changeable; and a control device that controls the ratio of the steering mechanism. The control device sets the ratio to a first value during travel of a vehicle in the manual driving mode and sets the ratio to a second value smaller than the first value during travel of the vehicle in the automatic driving mode, wherein the second value is set such that the steering angle corresponding to a maximum steered angle of the wheel specified by the steering mechanism is less than 180 degrees.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods that describe systems and method for detecting operator contact with a steering wheel of a vehicle. The system can include: a steering wheel, a drive motor coupled to the steering wheel, and a drive motor controller that controls the operation of the drive motor. The drive motor controller can detect contact between the operator and the steering wheel. In one aspect, the systems and methods can be used to alert the operator of the vehicle when operator contact with the steering wheel is not detected.

A mode setting unit of ECU controls a turning angle so as to be a turning angle in accordance with a steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor. When a vehicle is started, the mode setting unit controls an angle ratio so as to be an angle ratio that is equal to or smaller than a ratio of the turning angle to the steering angle (mechanical angle ratio) when a steering wheel and a turning mechanism are connected by a clutch mechanism.

An electric steering column device includes a column housing, and a first shaft, a connection shaft and a second shaft provided in the column housing. The connection shaft is movable in an axial direction of the first shaft and the second shaft and is connected to the first shaft and the second shaft so as to rotate together with the first shaft and the second shaft. The first and second shaft are connected to the connection shaft so that the first shaft always rotates at the same rotation speed and that a rotation speed of the second shaft is varied depending on whether or not the connection shaft moves in the axial direction. The device is capable of securing an optimized steering performance by adjusting steering responsibility of a steering wheel depending on a driving state of the vehicle.

A method for steering a vehicle, having a front axle with steerable wheels, a rear axle with steerable wheels, having a steering system including as its components a steering wheel operable by the driver and at least one automatic steering module, wherein a manual primary steering intervention is undertaken by the driver of the vehicle for the steering wheel, on the basis of which a manual primary steering reaction occurs for the wheels of the front axle, wherein on the basis of the manual primary steering reaction at least one automatic secondary steering intervention is undertaken with the at least one automatic steering module for the wheels of at least one axle.

A method for steering a vehicle that comprises a steering system with a steering wheel and a front axle as well as a rear axle with wheels, wherein it is provided that a direction of the vehicle is adjusted manually by a driver of the vehicle by adjustment of a steering wheel angle of the steering wheel, as a result of which, for the wheels of at least one of the axles, a steering angle is adjusted, which is obtained from the steering wheel angle plus a superposition angle, wherein, through an automatically adjustable steering ratio for the wheels of at least one of the axles, a ratio of the steering wheel angle to the steering angle for the wheels is set, wherein the vehicle travels into a curve on a circular path with a radius at a speed with a first value, wherein a steering wheel angle is adjusted by the driver.

A multi-part steering apparatus includes an outer rim and an inner hub. The outer rim rotates relative to the inner hub with an adjustable rotation resistance. A rotatable mechanical interface connected the outer rim to the inner hub, and a damper connects to the rotatable mechanical interface. The damper is configured to change the rotation resistance between the outer rim and inner hub. The rotatable mechanical interface may include a gear track disposed on an inside portion of the outer rim and a gear system attached to the inner hub and positioned to mesh with the gear track. The damper may include an electric motor connected to the rotatable mechanical interface and an adjustable load connected to terminals of the electric motor.

A travel control device includes a turning control unit configured to execute turning support control causing a turning state quantity to follow a target turning state quantity by causing at least one of a front wheel steered angle adjustment device, a rear wheel steered angle adjustment device, and a braking device to be driven, and a steering instruction unit configured to, when steering is not being performed during the execution of turning support control, derive a holding torque and instruct a steering device to apply the holding torque to a steering wheel. The turning control unit causes the rear wheel steered angle adjustment device and/or the braking device to be driven but causes the front wheel steered angle adjustment device not to be driven when steering is not being performed. The turning control unit causes the front wheel steered angle adjustment device to be driven when steering is being performed.

A method for fine-tuning a variable-gear steering column according to a speed of the vehicle, the method includes: a step of characterizing a desired handling of the vehicle for a speed V1 and of characterizing a desired stability for a speed V2; a step of determining a value G1 of the gear ratio allowing obtaining the desired handling at the speed V1, and a value G2 of the gear ratio allowing obtaining the desired stability at the speed V2, a step of calculating a parameter p1 and a parameter p2 according to the speed V1, the speed V2, the value G1 and the value G2 so that the relationship between the gear ratio and the speed of the vehicle is defined by the equation G=p2+p1/V, when the speed is included between a first threshold and a second threshold.