Electric Power Steering Apparatus, Control Method Thereof and Program for Electric Power Steering Apparatus

• US 20080217099A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Shimokawabe, Satoshi, Reungwetwattana, Apiwat
• Application Number:
  US12/044,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20080217099A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/446
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0472 for damping vibrations

Abstract

It is an object to provide an electric power steering apparatus capable of preventing torque steer or deflection during braking, a control method thereof and a program for the electric power steering apparatus. An electric power steering apparatus controlling a steering assist motor 20 based on a steering assist command value I calculated based on steering torque T occurring to a steering system of a vehicle and a vehicle speed V, and a current detection value Im of the steering assist motor 20 which gives a steering assist force to the steering system, wherein a compensation control section 70 conducts compensation control that compensates steering characteristics of the steering system by compensating the steering assist command value I, and changes a compensation amount of the compensation control based on longitudinal acceleration αx of the vehicle.

Claims

1. An electric power steering apparatus controlling a steering assist motor based on a steering assist command value calculated based on at least steering torque occurring to a steering system of a vehicle, and a current detection value of said steering assist motor which gives a steering assist force to said steering system, comprising:

compensation control means conducting compensation control that compensates steering characteristics of said steering system by compensating said steering assist command value, and determining a compensation amount of said compensation control based on longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle.

2. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said compensation control means switches a control content of said compensation control based on a sign of the longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle.

3. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said compensation control includes torque differentiation compensation control for enhancing responsiveness, convergence compensation control that controls steering wheel rotation in a direction to inhibit the steering wheel rotation, and inertia compensation control that assists the steering wheel rotation and controls the steering wheel rotation in a rotating direction, and

said compensation control means changes compensation amounts of said torque differentiation compensation control, said convergence compensation control and said inertia compensation control, based on the longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle.

4. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle is a predetermined positive value or more, said compensation control means increases the compensation amount of said torque differentiation compensation control as compared with a time of ordinary control, increases the compensation amount of said convergence compensation control as compared with a time of ordinary control, and decreases the control amount of said inertia compensation control as compared with a time of ordinary control.

5. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the longitudinal acceleration of said vehicle is a predetermined negative value or less, said compensation control means decreases the compensation amount of said torque differentiation compensation control as compared with a time of ordinary control, increases the compensation amount of said convergence compensation control as compared with a time of ordinary control, and decreases the compensation amount of said inertia compensation control as compared with a time of ordinary control.

6. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 3,

wherein said compensation control means changes said predetermined value based on an SAT (self-aligning torque) value or a steering angle detection value.

7. An electric power steering apparatus including steering torque detecting means detecting steering torque which is inputted in a steering system turning a steering control wheel, a steering assist motor generating steering assist torque which is given to said steering system, and steering assist force control means calculating a current command value based on at least the steering torque detected by said steering torque detecting means to conduct drive control of said steering assist motor, comprising:

self-aligning torque estimating means estimating self-aligning torque which is inputted in said steering system from said steering control wheel side; and

longitudinal acceleration and deceleration detecting means detecting vehicle longitudinal acceleration and deceleration,

wherein said steering assist force control means includes steering assist force correcting means correcting a steering assist force generated by said steering assist motor so as to suppress instability behavior of a vehicle occurring during acceleration and deceleration, based on the self-aligning torque estimated by said self-aligning torque estimating means, and the acceleration and deceleration detected by said longitudinal acceleration and deceleration detecting means.

8. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to make a correction amount for correcting said steering assist force larger as said self-aligning torque becomes larger.

9. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to make a correction amount for correcting said steering assist force larger as said longitudinal acceleration and deceleration become larger.

10. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 7,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured so as to correct the steering assist force by correcting said current command value.

11. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to set a correction amount which makes said current command value larger at a time of acceleration of the vehicle.

12. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to set a correction amount which makes said current command value smaller at a time of deceleration of the vehicle.

13. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 7,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to change said correction amount in accordance with the steering torque detected by said steering torque detecting means.

14. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 7, further comprising steering angle detecting means detecting a steering angle of said steering system,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to change said correction amount in accordance with the steering angle detected by said steering angle detecting means.

15. An electric power steering apparatus including steering torque detecting means detecting steering torque which is inputted in a steering system turning a steering control wheel, a steering assist motor generating steering assist torque which is given to said steering system, and steering assist force control means calculating a current command value based on at least the steering torque detected by said steering torque detecting means to conduct drive control of said steering assist motor, comprising:

deceleration detecting means detecting vehicle deceleration,

wherein said steering assist force control means includes steering assist force correcting means calculating a correction value for suppressing instability behavior of a vehicle occurring during deceleration based on the deceleration detected by said deceleration detecting means, and correcting a steering assist force generated by said steering assist motor based on the calculated correction value.

16. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to correct said steering assist force by adding said correction value to said current command value.

17. The electric power steering apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to correct said steering assist force by multiplying said current command value by said correcting value.

18. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 15,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to make said correction value larger as the deceleration becomes larger.

19. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 15,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to correct the steering assist force by correcting said current command value.

20. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 15,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to change said correction value in accordance with the steering torque detected by said steering torque detecting means.

21. The electric power steering apparatus according to claims 15, further comprising:

steering angle detecting means detecting a steering angle of said steering mechanism,

wherein said steering assist force correcting means is configured to change said correction value in accordance with the steering angle detected by said steering angle detecting means.