Patent ID: 6163746
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: B62D,G01D

Abstract:
A device for determining a steering angle of a motor vehicle, said motor vehicle including a steering column (1), a steering mechanism and a steering tie rod (2), wherein said device comprisesfirst means for generating a fine signal according to an angular position of the steering column (1),second means for generating a coarse signal according to a number of revolutions through which the steering column (1) has been turned in one or the other direction, andmeans for coupling or combining the fine signal and the coarse signal to obtain the steering angle;wherein the first means comprises a permanent magnet (10) having a permanent magnetic field and rigidly attached to the steering column so that the permanent magnet rotates with the steering column and a fine signal sensor (11) for sensing a magnetic field direction of the permanent magnetic field from the permanent magnet (10), and the second means comprises a coarse signal sensor (5) connected with the steering tie rod (2) to determine the steering tie rod motion direction and steering tie rod displacement over at least a portion of an entire displacement range of the steering tie rod without contact with the steering tie rod and to produce a digital output signal according to the steering tie rod displacement and motion direction.