Nexteer Automotive’s torque overlay solutions analyze input from multiple vehicle systems to determine the appropriate response to various conditions. The result is a pleasant driving experience with reduced driver workload, increasing customer satisfaction while reducing warranty costs.
Nexteer Automotive’s torque overlay is applied to an electric power steering (EPS) system through software programming and enhancements to existing hardware.
Torque Overlay can add or subtract torque to the steering system, independent of driver input, in either direction.
Torque Overlay features include the following:
In order to apply these commands, these advanced algorithms must be developed using inputs from various sensor subsystems within the EPS system and for certain features from alternate sensors and subsystems. These features must be integrated into the EPS control system to provide a seamless control to the driver maximizing performance and driver comfort. In the figure below, the driver provides the input and receives feedback from the road and additional feedback from the torque overlay algorithms command to the EPS unit.
The Torque Overlay Features applied to EPS must be highly engineered to determine:
While it may seem simple to take a command from external sensors and or subsystems and apply a command to the EPS system, it takes the experience of Nexteer with critical systems to: