US 12,091,105 B2
Method for operating a steering system, and steering system
Heinz-Dieter Heitzer, Heinsberg (DE)
Assigned to ZF Active Safety GMBH, Koblenz (DE)
Appl. No. 16/650,735
Filed by ZF Automotive Germany GmbH, Alfdorf (DE)
PCT Filed Oct. 5, 2018, PCT No. PCT/EP2018/077180
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 25, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/068891, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102017123272.9 (DE), filed on Oct. 6, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0269902 A1, Aug. 27, 2020
Int. Cl. B62D 5/04 (2006.01); B62D 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 5/046 (2013.01) [B62D 5/0421 (2013.01); B62D 15/0205 (2013.01); B62D 15/0215 (2013.01); B62D 15/025 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a steering system of a motor vehicle, in particular a steer-by-wire steering system, wherein the steering system comprises a steering wheel actuator unit which is assigned to a steering wheel, a front- axle actuator unit and a control unit with the steering wheel actuator unit and the front- axle actuator unit being free of a torque-transmitting connection with one another, and wherein the control unit is designed to control the motor vehicle in an at least partially automated fashion, having the steps:
at least one of the following variables is acquired at least during the partially automated driving: a gripping force which a driver applies to the steering wheel, a torque which the driver applies to the steering wheel, deflection of the steering wheel, in particular a rotational angle of the steering wheel, a gradient of the gripping force which the driver applies to the steering wheel, a gradient of the torque which the driver applies to the steering wheel, and a gradient of the deflection of the steering wheel, in particular a rotational angle speed of the steering wheel;
the at least one variable is used to determine whether or not the driver wishes to control the vehicle manually;
signals of the control unit designed to control the motor vehicle in an at least partially automated fashion being immediately and entirely suppressed in response to determining that the driver wishes to control the motor vehicle manually; and
steering movements which the driver applies to the steering wheel are immediately converted into steering movements of the motor vehicle by the front-axle actuator unit in a signal-transmitting fashion without transmitting torque from the steering wheel actuator unit to the front-axle actuator unit, irrespective of the current rotational angle of the steering wheel, if it has been determined that the driver wishes to control the vehicle manually.