A hands-off detection device includes: a first steering angle acquisition unit configured to acquire a first steering angle of a steering wheel; a second steering angle acquisition unit configured to acquire a second steering angle of a steering mechanism connected to the steering wheel via a torsion bar; a steering angle estimation unit configured to obtain an estimation angle of the first steering angle in a state where the steering wheel is not being grasped on a basis of the second steering angle; and a grasping state determination unit configured to determine a grasping state of the steering wheel on a basis of the frequency component of a angle difference between the first steering angle and the estimation angle and a reference frequency component being the frequency component of the angle difference in the state where the steering wheel is not being grasped.

A motor vehicle power steering mechanism with an electric motor for steering assist and/or steering, and a steering controller, which controls the electric motor with a position control mode for autonomous driving and/or automatic steering and a torque control mode for manual steering by a driver. The steering controller includes a steering column reference controller, an arbitration unit, a column torque controller, a steering algorithm, and the steering system. The steering column reference controller calculates for position control based on a reference position and a measured position, and a first reference steering column torque. A steering algorithm calculates for torque control based on a measured column torque and a second reference steering column torque. The arbitration unit weights and adds the first and second reference steering column torques, and the output of the arbitration unit is input to the column torque controller.

A multifunctional steering column for a transportation vehicle having a steering bracket for connection of the steering column to a transportation vehicle body of the transportation vehicle; a steering tube held on the steering bracket and which has a steering tube axis; a steering wheel connection for mechanical coupling of the steering column to a steering wheel; and a steering gear end at which a steering gear clutch with a steering gear connection for mechanical coupling to a steering gear of the transportation vehicle is arranged. Also disclosed is a transportation vehicle and a method for operating a transportation vehicle.

A vehicle traveling controller according to the present disclosure performs automatic steering so that a vehicle travels along a target path. The vehicle traveling controller allows a driver to intervene in steering. When the driver intervenes in steering and thereby a traveling position of the vehicle deviates outside from a threshold line set apart from the target path in a lane width direction, the vehicle traveling controller increases a steering reaction force acting on steering operation by the driver.

A steering holding determination device configured to determine whether a driver holds a steering member, the steering holding determination device including: a predicted value calculation unit configured to sequentially calculate a predicted value of a state quantity with reference to a steering torque and an actual measured value of the state quantity, the state quantity being related to a turning angle of a wheel; and a steering holding determination unit configured to determine whether the driver holds the steering member with reference to the predicted value calculated by the predicted value calculation unit and an actual measured value corresponding to the predicted value.

A steering holding determination device configured to determine whether a driver holds a steering member, the steering holding determination device including: a predicted value calculation unit configured to calculate a predicted value of at least one of one or more state quantities related to steering of the steering member and one or more state quantities related to turning of a wheel; and a steering holding determination unit configured to determine whether the driver holds the steering member with reference to the predicted value calculated by the predicted value calculation unit and a variance of the predicted value.

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product controls a driving mode of a self-driving vehicle (SDV). One or more processors compare a control processor competence level of an on-board SDV control processor in controlling the SDV to a human driver competence level of a human driver in controlling the SDV while the SDV encounters a current roadway condition which is a result of current weather conditions of the roadway on which the SDV is currently traveling. One or more processors then selectively assign control of the SDV to the SDV control processor or to the human driver while the SDV encounters the current roadway condition based on which of the control processor competence level and the human driver competence level is relatively higher to one another.

A manual steering command value generation unit generates a manual steering command value, using a steering torque. A summed angle command value calculation unit calculates a summed angle command value, by adding the manual steering command value to an automatic steering command value. A control unit performs angle control of an electric motor, based on the summed angle command value. The control unit includes a basic torque command value calculation unit that calculates a basic torque command value, a disturbance torque estimation unit that estimates a disturbance torque other than a motor torque of the electric motor applied to an object driven by the electric motor, and a disturbance torque compensation unit that corrects the basic torque command value, based on the disturbance torque. The manual steering command value generation unit uses an estimated torque calculated based on the disturbance torque, when generating the manual steering command value.

A travel control method for a vehicle is provided, which includes autonomous steering control for autonomously controlling the steering of the vehicle. The travel control method includes: setting a plurality of cancellation thresholds corresponding to respective travel scenes, the cancellation thresholds being used for canceling the autonomous steering control and transitioning to the driver's manual operation; detecting a travel scene of the vehicle during execution of the autonomous steering control; extracting a cancellation threshold corresponding to the detected travel scene from among the plurality of set cancellation thresholds; and determining, based on the extracted cancellation threshold, whether or not to cancel the autonomous steering control and transition to the driver's manual operation.

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.