ELECTRIC POWER STEERING APPARATUS

• US 20140077741A1
• Filed: 11/15/2012
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Fukinuki, Shigeru, Kumagai, Shin
• Granted Patent: US 8,847,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/490
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/049 detecting sensor failures
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/343 in operation
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0009 Devices or circuits for detecting current in a converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/5395 by pulse-width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/00 Arrangements or methods for the control of AC motors characterised by a control method other than vector control

Abstract

[Problem]

An object of the present invention is to provide an electric power steering apparatus that enhances safety by detecting each-phase currents of a motor by means of a one-shunt type current detection circuit and at the same time, certainly performing diagnosis of failures (troubles) of the current detection circuit by means of a simplified constitution.

[Means for Solving the Problem]

An electric power steering apparatus comprises a shunt resistor that is connected to an inverter, a controlling motor current detection circuit that is connected to two terminals of the shunt resistor in a positive direction, detects phase currents of a motor and uses the detected phase current as a controlling motor current detection value of assist control, and a diagnostic motor current detection circuit that is connected to two terminals of the shunt resistor in an opposite direction and detects a failure of the controlling motor current detection circuit, wherein each phase current of the motor is detected by one-shunt type and the assist control is performed, and two systems of a circuit for amplifying a voltage between two terminals of the shunt resistor are provided.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. An electric power steering apparatus that calculates a current command value based on a steering torque and a velocity, drives a motor having a plurality of phases based on said current command value through an inverter comprised of an FET bridge, and performs an assist control of a steering system by drive control of said motor, comprising:

a shunt resistor that is connected to said inverter;

a controlling motor current detection circuit that is connected to two terminals of said shunt resistor in a positive direction, detects phase currents of said motor and uses said detected phase current as a controlling motor current detection value of said assist control;

a diagnostic motor current detection circuit that is connected to two terminals of said shunt resistor in an opposite direction and detects a failure of said controlling motor current detection circuit; and

a maximum current detection circuit that is connected to an output stage of said diagnostic motor current detection circuit, and holds a peak of a diagnostic motor current detection voltage outputted from said diagnostic motor current detection circuit during a constant time, and

wherein each phase current of said motor is detected by one-shunt type and said assist control is performed, and two systems of a circuit for amplifying a voltage between two terminals of said shunt resistor are provided,

wherein a first difference between a controlling motor current detection value detected by said controlling motor current detection circuit and a diagnostic motor current detection value detected by said diagnostic motor current detection circuit is calculated,

wherein when said first difference is equal to or more than a first predetermined value, it is judged that a failure of either one of said controlling motor current detection circuit or said diagnostic motor current detection circuit occurs, and when said first difference is less than said first predetermined value, a maximum current detection value detected by said maximum current detection circuit is inputted and watched,

wherein when said maximum current detection value is equal to or more than a second predetermined value, it is judged that an eddy current failure of said inverter occurs, and when said maximum current detection value is less than said second predetermined value, a predetermined judgment is performed based on said controlling motor current detection value, said diagnostic motor current detection valued and said maximum current detection value,

whereby a failure of said controlling motor current detection circuit, said diagnostic motor current detection circuit or said maximum current detection circuit is diagnosed.

10. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined judgment comprising:

a judgment A that a second difference between said maximum current detection value and said controlling motor current detection value is calculated, it is judged whether said second difference is equal to or more than a predetermined value α

or not, then it is judged as an abnormality when said second difference is equal to or more than a predetermined value α

, and it is judged as a normality when said second difference is less than said predetermined value α

,

a judgment B that a third difference between said controlling motor current detection value and said diagnostic motor current detection value is calculated, it is judged whether said third difference is equal to or more than a predetermined value β

or not, then it is judged as an abnormality when said third difference is equal to or more than said predetermined value β

, and it is judged as a normality when said third difference is less than said predetermined value β

, and

a judgment C that a forth difference between said diagnostic motor current detection value and said maximum current detection value is calculated, it is judged whether said forth difference is equal to or more than a predetermined value γ

or not, then it is judged as an abnormality when said forth difference is equal to or more than said predetermined value γ

, and it is judged as a normality when said forth difference is less than said predetermined value γ

.

11. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

when all of said judgment A, said judgment B and said judgment C are judged as said abnormality, all of said controlling motor current detection circuit, said diagnostic motor current detection circuit and said maximum current detection circuit are diagnosed as said normality,

when said judgment A and said judgment B are judged as said abnormality and said judgment C is judged as said normality, it is diagnosed that said controlling motor current detection circuit is failure, by judging that said controlling motor current detection value is abnormal,

when said judgment A is judged as said normality and said judgment B and said judgment C are judged as said abnormality, it is diagnosed that said diagnostic motor current detection circuit is failure, by judging that said diagnostic motor current detection value is abnormal, and

when said judgment A and said judgment C are judged as said abnormality and said judgment B is judged as said normality, it is diagnosed that said maximum current detection circuit is failure, by judging that said maximum current detection value is abnormal.

12. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 11, wherein,

when only said controlling motor current detection value is judged as the abnormality in accordance with judgment results of said judgment A, said judgment B and said judgment C, said controlling motor current detection value is not used for a current detection of said motor, a current control is continued with an open loop as a backup control and said assist control is continued.

13. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said maximum current detection circuit is comprised of a transistor for a peak-hold, and a resistor and a capacitor that generate a charge/discharge time constant,

wherein an output of said diagnostic motor current detection is inputted into a base of said transistor and a charging resistor is inserted between an emitter of said transistor, and said resistor and said capacitor.

14. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said maximum current detection circuit is comprised of a transistor for a peak-hold, and a resistor and a capacitor that generate a charge/discharge time constant,

wherein an output of said diagnostic motor current detection is inputted into a base of said transistor and a charging resistor is inserted between an emitter of said transistor, and said resistor and said capacitor.

15. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said maximum current detection circuit is comprised of a transistor for a peak-hold, and a resistor and a capacitor that generate a charge/discharge time constant,

wherein an output of said diagnostic motor current detection is inputted into a base of said transistor and a charging resistor is inserted between an emitter of said transistor, and said resistor and said capacitor.

16. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said diagnostic motor current detection circuit is constituted so that an output voltage of said diagnostic motor current detection circuit increases in accordance with a magnitude of a current when flowing from a power supply side to a ground side based on a voltage when said current which flows through said shunt resistor is zero.

17. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said diagnostic motor current detection circuit is constituted so that an output voltage of said diagnostic motor current detection circuit increases in accordance with a magnitude of a current when flowing from a power supply side to a ground side based on a voltage when said current which flows through said shunt resistor is zero.

18. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said controlling motor current detection circuit is constituted so that an output voltage of said controlling motor current detection circuit decreases in accordance with a magnitude of a current when flowing from a power supply side to a ground side based on a voltage when said current which flows through said shunt resistor is zero.

19. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said controlling motor current detection circuit is constituted so that an output voltage of said controlling motor current detection circuit decreases in accordance with a magnitude of a current when flowing from a power supply side to a ground side based on a voltage when said current which flows through said shunt resistor is zero.

20. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a sum of a controlling motor current detection voltage detected by said controlling motor current detection circuit and said diagnostic motor current detection voltage detected by said diagnostic motor current detection circuit becomes a constant voltage regardless of said current at a time of being normal.

21. An electric power steering apparatus according to claim 19, wherein a sum of a controlling motor current detection voltage detected by said controlling motor current detection circuit and said diagnostic motor current detection voltage detected by said diagnostic motor current detection circuit becomes a constant voltage regardless of said current at a time of being normal.