Vehicle operation control method and vehicle operation control apparatus

• US 6,832,144 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Issued: 12/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Tanaka, Wataru, Yasui, Yoshiyuki, Takeuchi, Shinji, Muragishi, Yuji, Momiyama, Minekazu, Kohno, Toshio, Imoto, Yuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M.
• Application Number:
  US10/617,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20040068353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/42, 701/43, 180/443, 180/445, 180/446, 180/408, 180/413
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/008 Changing the transfer ratio between the steering wheel and the steering gear by variable supply of energy, e.g. by using a superposition gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/002 computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels B62D7/159 takes precedence

Abstract

The vehicle operation control apparatus multiplies the variable gain G controlled based on the vehicle velocity V, the steering angle θh, the steering angle velocity ωh and the actual steering angle θT with the steering angle θh, and controls the actual steering angle θT of the driven wheels on a result of this multiplication. Consequently, the additional turning time gear ratio Ga1 or the turning-back gear ratio Ga2, set up individually, can be selected depending on the turning direction of the steering wheel. Therefore, the steering feeling both at the time of additional turning and turning-back can be improved.

Claims

1. A vehicle operation control method for controlling an actual steering angle of driven wheels based on a steering angle by a steering wheel and vehicle velocity, comprising:

a first step of obtaining a steering angle velocity based on the steering angle by the steering wheel;

a second step of obtaining the actual steering angle of the driven wheels;

a third step of controlling a variable gain based on the vehicle velocity, the steering angle, the steering angle velocity and the actual steering angle;

a fourth step of multiplying the variable gain with the steering angle; and

a fifth step of controlling the actual steering angle of the driven wheels based on a result of multiplication in the fourth step.

2. The vehicle operation control method according to claim 1 wherein the third step comprises:

a 3a step of judging which the turning direction of the steering wheel is in an additional turning direction which increases the steering angle or in a turning-back direction which decreases the steering angle, based on the steering angle and the steering angle velocity; and

a 3b step of if the turning direction of the steering wheel judged in the 3a step is the additional turning direction, selecting an additional turning time variable gain as the variable gain and if the turning direction is the turning-back direction, selecting the turning-back time variable gain as the variable gain.

3. The vehicle operation control method according to claim 2 wherein as for the additional turning time variable gain of the third step, the variable gain is determined based on the vehicle velocity and the steering angle velocity and as for the turning-back time variable gain of the third step, the variable gain is determined based on the steering angle and the actual steering angle.

4. A vehicle operation control apparatus for controlling an actual steering angle of driven wheels based on a steering angle by a steering wheel and vehicle velocity, comprising:

a steering angle velocity obtaining means for obtaining a steering angle velocity based on the steering angle by the steering wheel;

an actual steering angle obtaining means for obtaining the actual steering angle of the driven wheels;

a variable gain control means for controlling a variable gain based on the vehicle velocity, the steering angle, the steering angle velocity and the actual steering angles;

a multiplying means for multiplying the variable gain with the steering angle; and

an actual steering angle control means for controlling the actual steering angle of the driven wheels based on a result of multiplication by the multiplying means.

5. The vehicle operation control apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the variable gain control means comprises:

a turning direction judgment means for judging which the turning direction of the steering wheel is in an additional turning direction which increases the steering angle or in a turning-back direction which decreases the steering angle, based on the steering angle and the steering angle velocity; and

a variable gain selection control means for, if the turning direction of the steering wheel judged by the turning direction judgment means is the additional turning direction, selecting an additional turning time variable gain as the variable gain and if the turning direction is the turning-back direction, selecting the turning-bank time variable gain as the variable gain.

6. The vehicle operation control apparatus according to claim 5 wherein as for the additional turning time variable gain by the variable gain control means, that variable gain is determined based on the vehicle velocity and the steering angle velocity and as for the turning-back time variable gain by the variable gain control means, that variable gain is determined based on the steering angle and the actual steering angle.