| TRW LIMITED Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120101711 | Collision Warning Apparatus - A collision warning apparatus for a host vehicle which has stopped along a lane of a highway, comprises at least one sensor associated with the host vehicle which generates a data stream in response to radiation received from a scene rearwards of the host vehicle, a memory in which the apparatus stores a reference target data set dependent upon movement of a first vehicle within the scene in a first period of time; and processing circuitry arranged to: identify a second target vehicle moving in the scene during a second period of time subsequent to the first period of time from the data stream and to output at least target data for the identified vehicle; and process the reference target data set with the target data or data derived therefrom, to determine whether there is a risk of collision between the second target vehicle and the host vehicle. The apparatus is especially suited for use with a vehicle that is stationary by the side of a road to warn of a possible collision from a vehicle that is approaching it from the rear. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120035801 | DIAGNOSTIC METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM - A method and apparatus diagnoses a correct operation of a phase or star point isolation relay in an electric power steering system of the kind including a motor drive circuit and at least one phase isolation relay which connects a part of the drive circuit to a phase of the motor. The relay is opened during shutdown to isolate the motor phase from the part of the drive circuit and is normally closed during operation of the motor to connect the phase to the part of the drive circuit. The method includes the steps of: closing the relay; demanding a current through the motor phase associated with the relay that is equal to a preset value; measuring at least one characteristic of the phase current in that phase after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the elapsed time being less than a time needed for the phase current to reach the demanded current value; comparing the measured characteristic of the phase current with a reference characteristic of the phase current; and, in the event that the measured characteristic does not correspond with the reference characteristic, opening the relay and subsequently repeating the steps. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120006612 | ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM - An electric power assisted steering system comprises a torque sensor, a motor connected to a part of the steering assembly to provide an assistance torque to the steering assembly and a motor controller which is adapted to receive an output signal from the torque sensor and to generate a motor torque demand signal indicative of the torque to be applied by said motor to said steering system. The motor torque demand signal comprises a driver demand component with a value dependent upon the value of said handwheel torque applied by the driver; and a diagnostic component with a value independent of said handwheel torque applied by said driver and which varies in value over time in a predetermined manner. The system further comprises a monitor that correlates the diagnostic component with the output signal and generates a signal indicating that the output signal is faulty if the correlation between the two correlated signals falls outside of a predefined range. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20100131231 | IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO VEHICLE SENSORS - A method of identifying a faulty vehicle speed sensor on a vehicle comprises the steps of determining whether or not a wheel of a vehicle is rotating using an alternative sensor attached to that wheel, and in the event that the alternative sensor indicates that the wheel is rotating and the speed sensor does not, indicating that the speed sensor is faulty, in which the alternative sensor comprises at least one pressure sensor associated with a tyre of the vehicle. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100066285 | BRUSHLESS MOTOR DRIVE - A drive circuit for a motor having a plurality of phases, comprising an input for a DC signal and a plurality of phase outputs, the circuit being arranged to provide at each of the phase outputs, in use, current to one phase of the motor, in which there is provided a converter for each phase output, each converter being arranged to take as an input a DC signal and output an signal having an AC component with a higher voltage magnitude than that of the DC signal input to the converter. Typically, the converters comprise Ćuk converters. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20090302718 | ROTOR STRUCTURES FOR MOTOR - A rotor structure for a motor comprising a rotor having an end surface; a shaft extending from the end surface; an encoder member attached to the end surface of the rotor; and a coupler coupled to the shaft adjacent to the encoder member for coupling a further member to the shaft, in which the coupler surrounds the shaft and has a lip associated therewith, the lip extending from the coupler towards the encoder member so as to define a void between the coupler and the encoder member. The void defined by the rotor structure may act to contain matters such as swarf that is ejected from the rotor when the encoder member is fixed to the rotor. The rotor may be used in a motor of an electric power assisted steering (EPAS) system. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090145258 | Steering Column Assembly - A steering column assembly having an adjustable shroud comprises a fixed portion arranged to be secured to a body of a vehicle and a moving portion which can be moved telescopically relative to the fixed portion, a clamp mechanism which releasably fixes the moving portion in position relative the vehicle body, the clamp mechanism being movable between a first, unclamped, position in which the fixed portion and the moving portion can move relative to one another and a second, clamped, position in which the fixed portion and the moving portion are prevented from relative movement, and a lock mechanism, wherein the assembly is so arranged that when the clamp mechanism is in the first position the lock mechanism limits a range of movement of the moving portion relative to the fixed portion at least in a collapse direction by providing a path for collapse forces from the moving portion through the lock mechanism to the fixed portion, and when the clamp mechanism is in the second position the lock mechanism permits additional telescopic movement of the moving portion towards the fixed portion beyond the limited range of movement by removing the force path. | 06-11-2009 |
