Patent ID: 7832523

Claim:
A steering system comprising: a steering gear including an actuation mechanism; an input shaft connected to said steering gear; a fluid assist assembly, said assembly including a fluid cylinder and a piston disposed within said cylinder, said cylinder having first and second fluid chambers with said piston connected to said steering gear and operative to provide an assist force to said steering gear; a fluid pressure source; an electromagnetically actuated control valve connected to said fluid pressure source and operative to supply through fluid lines fluid pressure to said first and second fluid chambers; a steering input torque sensor, said torque sensor located on said input shaft; a steering input rotation sensor measuring rotary motion of said input shaft; a steering system electronic control unit located adjacent to the steering input torque sensor, said electronic control unit generating an assist command based on an input from said steering input torque sensor and said steering input rotation sensor and outputting said assist command in the form of a control signal to an electromagnetically actuated control valve whereby said control valve controls the fluid pressure supplied to said first and second fluid chambers.