A position detection element includes an exchange coupling film having a large exchange coupling magnetic field and a position detection apparatus showing good detection accuracy in a high temperature environment. The position detection element includes an exchange coupling film composed of a fixed magnetic layer and an antiferromagnetic layer stacked on the fixed magnetic layer. The antiferromagnetic layer includes an X(CrMn) layer containing X that is one or more elements selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals and Ni and containing Mn and Cr. The X(CrMn) layer includes a PtMn layer as a first region relatively closer to the fixed magnetic layer and a PtCr layer as a second region relatively farther from the fixed magnetic layer. The content of Mn in the first region is higher than the content of Mn in the second region.

There is provided a control device for an autonomous driving system for a vehicle in which a steering device configured to be mechanically coupled to a wheel is not provided in a vehicle cabin. The control device includes: a storage unit configured to store a parameter relating to an angle of the wheel calculated from a value of a relative angle sensor configured to detect a relative angle of the wheel; and a controller configured to read the parameter from the storage unit at a time of next power supply restart and control traveling of the vehicle based on a value of the read parameter.

The present disclosure relates to a method for steering a vehicle. A corresponding vehicle includes two steerable axles VA1 and HA1 each with an angle sensor, wherein a rear axle HA1 in an all-wheel mode is synchronously steered with the front axle VA1 in the opposite direction, this being designated as a 44 steering system. The vehicle further includes a control device for setting the steering angle of the axles based on the data provided by angle sensors.

A vehicle has a rotation angle detecting section that detects, as a detection value, a rotation angle of each wheel assembly. A transmitter, which is provided in each wheel assembly, transmits transmission data including verification data, which is used by a receiver mounted on the vehicle to verify the identification information of the transmitter. The transmitter transmits the transmission data when the rotation angle of the wheel assembly is any of predetermined specific angles. At the performance of transmission at the specific angle, the transmitter changes data that is different from angular data indicating the rotation angle of the wheel assembly and is included in the transmission data in accordance with the specific angle. The receiver collects the detection values detected by the rotation angle detecting section upon reception of the transmission data. The receiver collects the detection values for each piece of the transmission data transmitted at the same specific angle based on a manner in which data included in the received transmission data is changed in accordance with the specific angle.

An electric power steering system includes a mechanical linkage, first and second wheels, an electric motor, first and second speed sensors, and an electronic control unit. The linkage includes a steering column and a rack operatively engaged to the steering column. The first and second wheels are rotationally engaged to opposite ends of the rack. The motor is operatively attached to the linkage for providing steering assistance. The first and second speed sensors are configured to detect rotation speed of the respective first and second wheels. The unit is configured to receive first and second rotational speed signals from the respective first and second speed sensors, and calculate a first rotational speed differential between the first and second wheels to facilitate an estimation of a steering column angular position for controlling the electric motor.

A system for assisting in reversing of a vehicle-trailer combination includes a vehicle steering system and a controller. The controller outputs a steering signal to the steering system to maintain the vehicle-trailer combination along a straight backing path and determines a straight-backing offset of a hitch angle in the vehicle-trailer combination as a proportion of an integral of a measured characteristic of the vehicle-trailer combination that varies from a desired zero value.

Method for detecting the presence of a drivers hands on the steering wheel is described. By means of a mathematical model, at least one part of a steering system of the motor vehicle is modeled. In addition, a rotational angle of a lower end and/or an upper end of a torsion bar of the steering system is determined. A torque acting on the torsion bar is determined by means of a measuring device. A sum of a torque with which the driver acts on the steering wheel and a counter-torque generated by friction in the upper part of the steering system is estimated by means of a Kalman Filter. In addition, the counter-torque is estimated, and the estimated sum of the torque and the counter-torque are used to determine whether the drivers hands are on the steering wheel.

An optical sensor system mounted in a wheel arch of a car for determining trajectory of the car includes: a first optical sensor mounted in the wheel arch above a wheel and located behind a first clear casing that does not touch the wheel; and a second optical sensor mounted in the wheel arch on one side of the wheel and located behind a second clear casing that does not touch the wheel. The first optical sensor and second optical sensor perform a plurality of counts corresponding to respectively capturing a plurality of images of the wheel. The captured images are compared with a reference image to determine a 2D displacement of the wheel from its original position. The trajectory of the car is determined by calculating a turning degree of the wheel according to a trigonometric manipulation of the measured 2D displacement.

A driving support ECU is configured to set, when a recognition state of a lane marker by a sensor is a one side lane marker recognizable state which is a state where the sensor can recognize only one of a left lane marker and a right lane marker, a steering angle guard value and/or a steering angle speed guard value to a value which is smaller than when the recognition state of the lane marker is a both lane markers recognizable state which is a state where the sensor can recognize both the left lane marker and the right lane marker.

A steering controller includes processing circuitry configured to execute a torque control process that calculates a steering-side operation amount, an angle feedback control process that calculates an angle-side operation amount, and an operation process that operates a drive circuit of an electric motor to adjust torque of the electric motor to a torque command value. The processing circuitry is further configured to execute a switch process that switches, when determining that a controllability of the electric motor is less than or equal to a predetermined efficiency, the torque command value from a value based on the angle-side operation amount to a value based on the steering-side operation amount instead of the angle-side operation amount.