Patent ID: 9393990
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: A01B,B62D

Claim Text:
1. A method of disengaging a drive assembly in a vehicle guidance system, the vehicle guidance system having a steering controller and a motor controller, and the vehicle guidance system operable on a steering wheel assembly including a steering wheel and a hub, the hub connected to a steering shaft rotatable about a steering wheel axis within a steering column for steering the vehicle and the drive assembly operable to generate a torque about a drive axis to rotate the steering wheel assembly, wherein the drive axis of the drive assembly is coaxial to the steering wheel axis, the method including the steps of: commanding, using a signal from the steering controller, the drive assembly to achieve a prescribed value of a performance parameter; monitoring, by the motor controller, the drive assembly to determine an actual value of the performance parameter; determining a difference measure between the prescribed value and the actual value and disengaging, using a signal from the motor controller, the drive assembly based on the difference measure.