Control unit for electric power steering apparatus

• US 7,500,538 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited, NSK Steering Systems Company Limited (NSK Limited)
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited, NSK Steering Systems Company Limited (NSK Limited)
• Inventors: Hara, Takeshi, Endo, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): To; Toan C
• Application Number:
  US11/587,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20070225885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 180/402, 180/412, 180/413, 180/416, 180/421, 180/415, 701/29, 701/43, 701/41, 701/42
• US Class Current: 180/412
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/049 detecting sensor failures

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control unit for an electric power steering apparatus for accurately detecting an abnormality of a steering angle sensor without forming the steering angle sensor as a double system or using an expensive position detection sensor. The object is achieved by calculating a relative steering angle by using inexpensive position detection sensors disposed at a motor of the electric power steering apparatus to output binary values and comparing a change amount of an absolute steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor and a change amount of the calculated relative steering angle with each other to thereby detect the abnormality of the steering angle sensor.

Claims

1. A control unit for an electric power steering apparatus including a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of a steering shaft and being controlled to apply a steering assist force by a motor to a steering system of a vehicle, the control unit comprising:

a plurality of position detection sensors for outputting binary values according to a rotation position of the motor;

a relative steering angle detecting means for detecting a relative steering angle of the steering shaft from binary outputs of the position detection sensors; and

an abnormality determining means for determining that the steering angle sensor or the relative steering angle detecting means is abnormal when a difference between a change amount of the steering angle and a change amount of the relative steering angle is greater than a predetermined value to output an abnormality signal.

2. A control unit for an electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, the control unit further comprising a self-diagnostic means for determining an abnormality of the relative steering angle,

wherein the control unit determines that the steering angle sensor is abnormal when the abnormality determining means outputs the abnormality signal and the self-diagnostic means determines that the relative steering angle is normal.

3. A control unit for an electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, the control unit further comprising a steering angle interrupting means for interrupting input of the steering angle from the steering angle sensor,

wherein the input of the steering angle output from the steering angle sensor is interrupted by the steering angle interrupting means when the abnormality determining means outputs the abnormality signal and the motor is controlled without using the steering angle.

4. A control unit for an electric power steering apparatus according to claim 2, the control unit further comprising steering angle interrupting means for interrupting input of the steering angle from the steering angle sensor,

wherein the input of the steering angle output from the steering angle sensor is interrupted by the steering angle interrupting means when the abnormality determining means outputs the abnormality signal and the motor is controlled without using the steering angle.