Steering control for drive wheels of vehicle
First Claim
1. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
- a driving force control section to control left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle;
a power assistance device to add a steering assistance force to a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device;
a steering mechanism to link the left and right drive wheels with the steering input device so that the left and right drive wheels are turned in accordance with the driver'"'"'s steering input force and the steering assistance force added thereto;
a steering reaction force calculating section to calculate a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; and
a steering force correcting section to correct the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force by varying the steering assistance force in accordance with a turning direction of the vehicle,wherein the steering force correcting section is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a vehicle, a pair of left and right drive wheels are linked with a steering input device so that the drive wheels are turned in accordance with a driver'"'"'s steering input force input by a driver to the steering input device. In this course, a steering assistance force is added to the driver'"'"'s steering input force. Driving forces to be applied to the drive wheels are individually controlled in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle. A steering reaction force is calculated which originates from a difference in the driving forces between the drive wheels and acts on the steering input device. The steering assistance force added to the driver'"'"'s steering input force is increased or decreased so as to compensate the steering reaction force.
30 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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a driving force control section to control left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle; a power assistance device to add a steering assistance force to a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device; a steering mechanism to link the left and right drive wheels with the steering input device so that the left and right drive wheels are turned in accordance with the driver'"'"'s steering input force and the steering assistance force added thereto; a steering reaction force calculating section to calculate a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; and a steering force correcting section to correct the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force by varying the steering assistance force in accordance with a turning direction of the vehicle, wherein the steering force correcting section is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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a driving force control section to control left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle; a power assistance device to add a steering assistance force to a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device; a steering mechanism to link the left and right drive wheels with the steering input device so that the left and right drive wheels are turned in accordance with the driver'"'"'s steering input force and the steering assistance force added thereto; a steering reaction force calculating section to calculate a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; and a steering force correcting section to correct the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force, wherein the steering force correcting section decreases the steering assistance force when the driving force control section increases the driving force of an outer drive wheel of the drive wheels outside of a turning radius of the vehicle, and wherein the steering force correcting section is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle.
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8. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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a driving force control section to control left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle; a power assistance device to add a steering assistance force to a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device; a steering mechanism to link the left and right drive wheels with the steering input device so that the left and right drive wheels are turned in accordance with the driver'"'"'s steering input force and the steering assistance force added thereto; a steering reaction force calculating section to calculate a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; and a steering force correcting section to correct the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force, wherein the steering force correcting section increases the steering assistance force when the driving force control section decreases the driving force of an outer drive wheel of the drive wheels outside of a turning radius of the vehicle, and wherein the steering force correcting section is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle.
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9. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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a driving force control section to control left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle; a power assistance device to add a steering assistance force to a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device; a steering mechanism to link the left and right drive wheels with the steering input device so that the left and right drive wheels are turned in accordance with the driver'"'"'s steering input force and the steering assistance force added thereto; a steering reaction force calculating section to calculate a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; and a steering force correcting section to correct the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force, wherein the steering force correcting section increases the steering assistance force when the driving force control section increases the driving force of an inner drive wheel of the drive wheels inside of a turning radius of the vehicle, and wherein the steering force correcting section is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle.
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10. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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a driving force control section to control left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle; a power assistance device to add a steering assistance force to a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device; a steering mechanism to link the left and right drive wheels with the steering input device so that the left and right drive wheels are turned in accordance with the driver'"'"'s steering input force and the steering assistance force added thereto; a steering reaction force calculating section to calculate a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; and a steering force correcting section to correct the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force, wherein the steering force correcting section decreases the steering assistance force when the driving force control section decreases the driving force of an inner drive wheel of the drive wheels inside of a turning radius of the vehicle, and wherein the steering force correcting section is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the driving force control section controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle.
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11. A steering process for controlling left and right steerable drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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controlling left and right driving forces of the left and right steerable drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle, examining a difference between the left and right driving forces individually controlled for the left and right steerable drive wheels turned in accordance with a driver'"'"'s steering input force input to a steering input device and a steering assistance force added to the driver'"'"'s steering input force; calculating a steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with a difference between the left and right driving forces; varying the steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force acting on the steering input device in accordance with the difference between the left and right driving forces when the driving force of one of an outer drive wheel of the steerable drive wheels outside of a turning radius of the vehicle and an inner drive wheel of the steerable drive wheels inside of the turning radius of the vehicle is varied; and decreasing the steering assistance force when the steering assistance force is varied so that the left and right driving forces of the left and right steerable drive wheels are controlled in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and increasing the steering assistance force when the steering assistance force is varied so that the left and right steerable driving forces of the left and right drive wheels are controlled in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle.
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12. A steering apparatus for controlling left and right steerable drive wheels of a vehicle, comprising:
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means for controlling left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels individually in accordance with a running condition of the vehicle; means for calculating a steering reaction force caused in a steering input device by a left and right driving force difference between the left and right driving forces; and means for varying a steering assistance force so as to compensate the steering reaction force, wherein the means for varying the steering assistance force is configured to decrease the steering assistance force when the means for controlling left and right driving forces controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to improve a yawing response of the vehicle, and to increase the steering assistance force when the means for controlling left and right driving forces controls the left and right driving forces of the left and right drive wheels in a direction to restrain the yawing response of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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Specification