A vehicle steering control method in which steering wheel vibrations are suppressed when a clutch is engaged while turning to suppress a sense of discomfort imparted to the driver. In this method, when transitioning from a steer-by-wire mode under an autonomous driving mode in which a steering clutch, through which a steering wheel and left and right front wheels are mechanically disconnected and connected, is disengaged, to an EPS control mode under a manual driving mode in which the steering clutch is engaged and an assist torque that corresponds to a detected torque from a torque sensor is imparted to the left and right front wheels, the steering clutch is engaged, and the assist torque is limited to a value that corresponds to the detected torque from the torque sensor from when the steering clutch is engaged until a prescribed limitation period has passed.

A retractable steering column assembly includes a retractable portion. The retractable steering column assembly also includes an electric actuator mechanism for moving the retractable portion throughout a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions comprising an unstowed region, a stowed region, and a transition region between the unstowed region and the stowed region. The retractable steering column assembly further includes a controller monitoring at least one positional property of the retractable portion during movement within the transition region to detect a potential driver intervention of the movement.

An electric power steering system includes an electric motor, a rotational angle detection unit, a current detection circuit, a steering torque detection unit, a target torque setting unit, a current command value setting unit, and a current control unit. The target torque setting unit includes a basic target torque setting unit, a first compensation value computation unit, a second compensation value computation unit, and a correction unit. The basic target torque setting unit sets basic target torque for the electric motor. The first compensation value computation unit sets a first compensation value based on steering torque. The second compensation value computation unit computes a second compensation value which is an estimated value of disturbance torque other than the steering torque. The correction unit corrects the basic target torque.

A method for having an occupant of a vehicle that is in a highly automated driving mode take over a driving task includes the steps of determining that the occupant has taken over the driving task and, in response thereto, automatically actuating a handle element, which can change its shape, in order to affect the haptics of a rim of a steering wheel of the vehicle.

Systems and methods for controlling an autonomous vehicle steering mechanism are provided. In one example embodiment, a computer implemented method includes obtaining, by a computing system that includes one or more computing devices, data associated with a steering mechanism of an autonomous vehicle. The method includes identifying, by the computing system, a rate of change associated with the steering mechanism of the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the data associated with the steering mechanism. The method includes determining, by the computing system, that the rate of change exceeds a rate limit associated with the steering mechanism of the autonomous vehicle. In response to determining that the rate of change exceeds the rate limit, the method includes adjusting, by the computing system, the steering mechanism of the autonomous vehicle.

A steering apparatus includes: a first shaft which is coupled to a steering wheel; a torsion bar; a second shaft which is coupled to the first shaft through the torsion bar; a torsion bar torque detection unit detecting a torsion bar torque which is applied to the torsion bar; and an electronic control unit configured to estimate a driver torque which is applied to the steering wheel by a driver. The electronic control unit is configured to: i) compute a steering wheel rotation angle which is a rotation angle of the steering wheel; and ii) compute a value including an added value, as the driver torque, the added value being a value resulting from adding the torsion bar torque, a steering wheel inertia torque compensation value, and a gravity torque compensation value.

Techniques are described for transitioning control of a steering system from an autonomous mode in a vehicle to a driver-controlled mode where the driver can control the steering wheel of the steering system. A method includes receiving values that describe an amount of torque and a direction of torque in response to a torque applied to a steering wheel of a steering system operated in an autonomous mode, determining that the values are either greater than or equal to a threshold value or are less than or equal to a negative of the threshold value, determining that the values are measured over a period of time greater than or equal to a pre-determined amount of time, and transitioning the steering system from being operated in the autonomous mode to being operated in a driver-controlled mode in which the steering system is under manual control.

A traveling control apparatus of vehicle includes a traveling controller, a position detector, and a steering torque detector. Where a steering torque, upon operation of a steering wheel to orient a vehicle in a first direction parallel to a width direction of a first lane, is a positive value, and the steering torque, upon operation of the steering wheel to orient the vehicle in a second direction opposite to the first direction, is a negative value, a lane change controller of the traveling controller stops a lane change control when the steering torque is equal to or greater than a positive first threshold or is equal to or less than a negative second threshold. The traveling controller varies the first and the second thresholds in accordance with a deviation that is an amount in which the vehicle is shifted from an imaginary curve related to a target course.

A method for distinguishing intentional steering movements of a driver for influencing an intentional driving path of a motor vehicle from corrective steering movements of the driver as a reaction to unexpected deviations of the motor vehicle from the intentional driving path including ascertaining an instantaneous undisturbed motion of the vehicle along the driving path and calculating a reference value for a steering angle (SAR) corresponding to the ascertained, undisturbed motion of the motor vehicle or a reference value for a steering velocity (SVR) corresponding to the ascertained, undisturbed motion of the motor vehicle. Comparing the reference value(s) (SAR; SVR) with instantaneous steering-angle values (SA(t)) or instantaneous steering-velocity values (SV(t)) and ascertaining whether a difference between the instantaneous steering-angle value (SA(t)) and the corresponding reference steering-angle value (SAR) or a difference between the instantaneous steering-velocity value (SV(t)) and the corresponding reference steering-velocity value (SVR) exceeds a predetermined error-limit value (E) which is established for the calculation of the reference values (SVR; SAR). If so, determining it is a corrective steering movement of the driver as a reaction to an unexpected deviation of the motor vehicle from the intentional driving path.

A method for operating a steering assist system of a motor vehicle, in which during a steering movement of the driver while driving the vehicle a steering assistance is determined. The steering assistance provided by an electro-hydraulic or electro-mechanical drive and may depend on the vehicle speed. The steering assistance providing a supportive force or a supporting moment to the steering system, wherein the provision of the steering assistance depends on the result of a judgment of whether there is a discrepancy between the determined steering assistance and the driver's steering intention based on a steering movement of the driver and a current value at least one steering parameter. A discrepancy exists between the steering assistance and the driver's intention to drive when a current value of a steering parameter exceeds a predetermined limit value. The steering parameters including a deviation between a steering assist torque and the driver steering torque exceeding a predetermined limit or the steering angle exceeding a predetermined limit. In such cases, the steering assistance is adjusted or prevented.