STEER-BY-WIRE STEERING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING HAPTIC FEEDBACK AT THE STEERING HANDLE OF SUCH A STEER-BY-WIRE STEERING SYSTEM

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a steer-by-wire steering system for a vehicle and with a steering device, the steering device having a manual steering handle, a steering sensor system and a feedback actuator, and with a wheel positioning device, the wheel positioning device having a positioning actuator for steering at least one wheel, and with at least one control device, the control device electrically connecting the steering device and the wheel positioning device to one another, and with at least one acceleration sensor, the feedback actuator and the acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor being used to provide haptic feedback at the steering handle.

Claims

1. A steer-by-wire steering system for a vehicle and with a steering device, the steering device having a manual steering handle, a steering sensor system and a feedback actuator, and with a wheel positioning device, the wheel positioning device having a positioning actuator for steering at least one wheel, and with at least one control device, the control device electrically connecting the steering device and the wheel positioning device to one another, and with at least one acceleration sensor, the feedback actuator and acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor being used to provide haptic feedback at the steering handle, wherein the acceleration sensor is arranged in or on the wheel positioning device.

2. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is arranged inside a housing of the wheel positioning device, the housing shielding the acceleration sensor from environmental influences.

3. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the housing is designed as a positioning actuator housing of the positioning actuator and the acceleration sensor is arranged inside the positioning actuator housing.

4. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wheel positioning device and/or the positioning actuator have/has an electrical or electronic control unit, the control unit having the acceleration sensor.

5. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit has a printed circuit board, the acceleration sensor being fastened to the printed circuit board.

6. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration sensor is designed to detect accelerations of the wheel positioning device and/or of the positioning actuator in at least one spatial direction and/or vehicle axis direction.

7. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device is assigned to the steering device or to the wheel positioning device, the control device designed as a constituent part of the steering device or of the wheel positioning device, the control unit of the wheel positioning device and/or of the positioning actuator designed as a constituent part of the control device.

8. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control device processes the acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor, the feedback actuator controlled on the basis of the data processing and for the purpose of generating haptic feedback at the steering handle with respect to existing force ratios between a road surface and the steered wheel.

9. A method for providing haptic feedback at the steering handle of a steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acceleration data for generating the haptic feedback with respect to a dynamic transmission of force and torque between a road surface and the steered wheel are acquired the acceleration sensor arranged in or on the wheel positioning device.

10. A steer-by-wire steering system for a vehicle and with a steering device, the steering device having a steering handle, a steering sensor system and a feedback actuator, and with a wheel positioning device, the wheel positioning device having a positioning actuator for steering at least one wheel, and with at least one control device, the control device electrically connecting the steering device and the wheel positioning device together, and with at least one acceleration sensor, the feedback actuator and acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor being used to provide haptic feedback at the steering handle.

11. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the acceleration sensor is arranged inside a housing of the wheel positioning device, the housing shielding the acceleration sensor from environmental influences.

12. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the housing is designed as a positioning actuator housing of the positioning actuator and the acceleration sensor is arranged inside the positioning actuator housing.

13. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the wheel positioning device and/or the positioning actuator have/has an electrical or electronic control unit, the control unit having the acceleration sensor.

14. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the control unit has a printed circuit board, the acceleration sensor being fastened to the printed circuit board.

15. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the acceleration sensor is designed to detect accelerations of the wheel positioning device and/or of the positioning actuator in at least one spatial direction and/or vehicle axis direction.

16. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control device is assigned to the steering device or to the wheel positioning device, the control device designed as a constituent part of the steering device or of the wheel positioning device, the control unit of the wheel positioning device and/or of the positioning actuator designed as a constituent part of the control device.

17. The steer-by-wire steering system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the control device processes the acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor, the feedback actuator controlled on the basis of the data processing and for the purpose of generating haptic feedback at the steering handle with respect to existing force ratios between a road surface and the steered wheel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The disclosure will be explained in more detail below with reference to the figures. In this respect, the same reference signs relate to components or elements that are the same, similar or have the same function. In the figures:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a steer-by-wire steering system according to the disclosure, and

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the schematic illustration of the steer-by-wire steering system according to the disclosure as shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a steer-by-wire steering system 1 according to the disclosure. The steer-by-wire steering system 1 is designed for a motor vehicle (not illustrated in more detail here). For this purpose, the steer-by-wire steering system 1 has a steering device 2 and a wheel positioning device 3.

[0028] The steering device 2 has a manually operable steering handle 4. Here, the steering handle 4 is designed as a steering wheel for example. Moreover, in this exemplary arrangement, the steering device 2 has a steering sensor system 5 and a feedback actuator 6. Here, by way of example, the steering sensor system 5 has a rotational angle sensor (not illustrated in more detail here) and a torque sensor. As a result, the steering sensor system 5 can be used to detect a rotational position, a rotational acceleration of the steering handle 4 and a torque acting on the steering handle 4. The feedback actuator 6 has an electric motor (not illustrated in more detail here) which can be used to transmit a torque to the steering handle 4 for providing haptic feedback.

[0029] In this exemplary arrangement, the wheel positioning device 3 is designed to steer two wheels 7, 8 of a front axle 9. For this purpose, the wheel positioning device 3 has a positioning actuator 10. In this exemplary arrangement, the positioning actuator 10 is connected to a toothed rack 12 by a steering gear 11. The toothed rack 12 is connected to each wheel 7 and 8 by tie rods 13, 14, respectively.

[0030] Moreover, the steer-by-wire steering system 1 has a control device 15. The control device 15 is arranged between the steering device 2 and the wheel positioning device 3. In this exemplary arrangement, the steering device 2 and the wheel positioning device 3 are not connected to one another mechanically but rather are connected to one another exclusively electrically via the control device 15. For this purpose, the control device 15 is connected, on the one hand, to the steering device 2 by electrical lines 16 and, on the other hand, to the wheel positioning device 3 by electrical lines 17. The control device 15 is designed as a single component here. In another exemplary arrangement, the control device 15 may be designed in multiple parts or it may be the case that a first control device (not illustrated in more detail here) is assigned to the steering device 2 and a further control device is assigned to the wheel positioning device 3, these two control devices being electrically connected to one another, for example by a bus system.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a detail of the schematic illustration of the steer-by-wire steering system 1 according to the disclosure as shown in FIG. 1. The wheel positioning device 3 with the positioning actuator 10 can be seen. The steer-by-wire steering system 1 as shown in FIG. 1 accordingly has an acceleration sensor 18.

[0032] As can be seen in FIG. 2 illustrated here, the acceleration sensor 18 is assigned to the wheel positioning device 3. According to this exemplary arrangement, the acceleration sensor 18 is assigned to the positioning actuator 10. The positioning actuator 10 has a housing 19 which is therefore designed as a positioning actuator housing. The acceleration sensor 18 is arranged inside this housing 19, as a result of which it is protected from environmental influences, moisture and/or dirt. For this purpose, the housing 19 is designed as a closed housing 19. In other words, the acceleration sensor 18 is arranged such that it is enclosed in the housing 19.

[0033] The positioning actuator 10 additionally has an electronic control unit 20. The control unit 20 is used to control an electric motor 21 (not illustrated in more detail here) of the positioning actuator 10. In this example, the positioning actuator 10 or the electric motor 21 drives the toothed rack 12 via the steering gear 11 in order to steer the wheels 7, 8. In this exemplary arrangement, both the control unit 20 and the electric motor 21 are arranged inside the housing 19. Moreover, the control unit 20 comprises the acceleration sensor 18.

[0034] In this exemplary arrangement, the control unit 20 has a printed circuit board 22, the acceleration sensor 18 being fastened to the printed circuit board 22. In this case, the acceleration sensor 18 is designed to detect accelerations in all three vehicle axis directions, namely in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis, the vehicle transverse axis and the vehicle vertical axis.

[0035] The acceleration data acquired by the acceleration sensor 18 are routed from the control unit 20 to the control device 15 by the line 17 and further processed by the control device 15. On the basis of this data processing and by the feedback actuator 6 of the steering device 2 as shown in FIG. 1, the control device 15 controls haptic feedback to a driver by way of the steering handle 4 with respect to existing force ratios and/or torques between a road surface (not illustrated in more detail here) and the steered wheels 7, 8.