Disclosed is a torque sensor connected with a first shaft and a second shaft, the torque sensor including a first case, a second case coupled with the first case, a third case coupled with the second case, a torque sensor module disposed between the first case and the second case and connected with the first shaft and the second shaft, and an angle sensor module disposed between the second case and the third case. The second case includes first fixing units formed on an outer circumferential surface thereof, and the first fixing units are rotationally symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal axis.

A torque detection device capable of suppressing intrusion of static electricity thereinto. A magnetism collection unit includes magnetism collection rings, first and second magnetism collection holders that hold the magnetism collection rings, respectively, and a magnetic shield that covers the outer peripheries of the magnetism collection rings. The inner peripheral surface of the first magnetism collection holder is provided with recessed portions. The outer peripheral surface of the second magnetism collection holder is provided with engagement protrusions to be inserted into the recessed portions. The inner peripheral surface of the second magnetism collection holder is provided with recessed portions. The inner peripheral surface of the first magnetism collection holder is provided with protrusions that project toward the second magnetism collection holder. The protrusions are inserted into the recessed portions when the first magnetism collection holder and the second magnetism collection holder are assembled to each other.

A computer is programmed to detect a request to steer a host vehicle. The computer is further programmed to determine a steering angle of the host vehicle. The computer is further programmed to send a notification to select one of a first non-autonomous steering mode and a second non-autonomous steering mode. The computer is further programmed to detect a selection of one of the first and second non-autonomous steering modes. The computer is further programmed to steer the host vehicle according to the selected mode and signals received from a user device.

The present invention is a guidance computing system used by the driver of a vehicle towing a trailer while backing-up that rapidly calculates and predicts the direction in which the tow vehicle and trailer will become generally in-line for a given position of the steering wheel, thereby enabling the use of slower, lower cost microcomputers. This is accomplished by using a predetermined table, based on a baseline trailer of known length, having a measure of turning as one of its axes; such an axis is necessary to facilitate ratiometric scaling to convert table values to correspond to any length trailer. In a specially equipped vehicle incorporating servomechanisms to enable the vehicle to steer itself, the driver indicates the direction desired for the trailer to travel. The present invention also predicts left and right path limits for controlling the direction of the trailer when maneuvering complex paths.

A system is configured to produce an alarm when wheel misalignment of a vehicle occurs. The system includes: a navigation device; a lane change detector configured to detect lane change frequency information of the vehicle; a driving information detector configured to detect vehicle speed information and brake frequency information; a steering wheel rotation angle detector configured to detect a rotation angle of a steering wheel; and a controller deriving a criterion based on the rotation angle, for determining whether or not the vehicle travels straight by receiving from the navigation device, the lane change detector, the driving information detector, and the steering wheel rotation angle detector, information necessary to determine whether or not the vehicle travels straight, the controller transmitting an alarm signal to a driver when a current rotation angle of the steering wheel detected by the steering wheel rotation angle detector fails to satisfy the criterion.

An apparatus for estimating a steering angle of MDPS including: a motor of an MDPS, corresponding to rotation of a steering wheel; an amplifier configured to amplify a specific level of counter electromotive force to a preset level and output the amplified voltage, the specific level of counter electromotive force being generated by the motor when the steering wheel is manually operated; a switch configured to be turned on by the amplified voltage outputted from the amplifier; a power supply configured to be turned on by the switch and supply power to the MDPS; and a control unit of the MDPS configured to be driven by the supplied power and estimate a steering angle of the steering wheel, which is manually operated.

This disclosure describes various embodiments for steering wheel recoupling for an autonomous vehicle. In an embodiment, a steering system is described. The steering system may comprise a steering wheel, wheels controlled by the steering wheel, and a wheel alignment control module. The wheel alignment control module may be configured to determine the steering wheel is decoupled from the steering system, determine a current angle of the wheels controlled by the steering wheel, activate an indicator, the indicator determined based, at least in part, upon the current angle, determine the steering wheel is positioned for recoupling, and recouple the steering wheel to the steering system.

A computer is programmed to detect a request to steer a host vehicle. The computer is further programmed to determine a steering angle of the host vehicle. The computer is further programmed to send a notification to select one of a first non-autonomous steering mode and a second non-autonomous steering mode. The computer is further programmed to detect a selection of one of the first and second non-autonomous steering modes. The computer is further programmed to steer the host vehicle according to the selected mode and signals received from a user device.

Vehicle steering can be synchronized by first, turning the steering rack from lock-to-lock to determine a steering rack midpoint, second, turning the steering wheel from lock-to-lock to determine a steering wheel midpoint, third, synchronizing the steering rack with the steering wheel based on the steering rack midpoint and the steering wheel midpoint, and fourth, piloting a vehicle based on the synchronized steering rack and steering wheel; wherein the steering rack is mechanically decoupled from a steering wheel of the vehicle before turning the steering rack from lock-to-lock and before turning the steering wheel from lock-to-lock.

An electric power assisted steering system comprising an input shaft and an output shaft, an electric motor connected to the output shaft, at least two sensors including one or more of: a position sensor, a torque sensor, and a motor position, and a motor controller that causes the motor to apply an assistance torque as a function of the torque measured by the torque sensor, in which each of the sensors produces at least one output signal represented by a stream of digital samples captured at discrete times, and in which the apparatus further comprises: processing means arranged to process together the output signals from both processing units to produce at least one further signal. At least one sample value of each output signal is marked with a time stamp indicating the time at which the sample was created, and in which the processing means corrects each of the time stamp samples before or during the processing of the samples to reduce errors that may occur due to differences in the times at which the samples were created.