Control device of electric power steering device for vehicles in which steered wheels are driven

• US 8,352,123 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsuchiya, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dager, Jonathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/664,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20070265751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,646 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 701 41- 44
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0463 calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0466 for returning the steering wheel to neutral position
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0472 for damping vibrations

Abstract

When the steered wheels are driven, there is a problem of the torque steering that the steering is disturbed by the difference in the driving forces between a pair of left and right steered wheels. Before such a problem, there is a problem that, since the vehicle is apt to run straight ahead more strongly as the driving force increases even when a uniform driving torque is given to a pair of steered wheels, a larger force is required to steer the vehicle leftward or rightward by overcoming such a tendency of running straight ahead. In view of the above, the steering assist force is increased according to an increase of the driving torque of the steered wheels in a manner of harmonizing the steering assist force to the magnitude of the steering resistance due to the driving torque of the steered wheels, so as to improve the steering feeling.

Claims

1. A control device of an electric power steering device for vehicles comprising:

a steering wheel,

a pair of steered wheels arranged to be steered by the steering wheel,

a power source for driving the steered wheels in rotation to drive the vehicle, and

a calculating device configured to calculate a target value of a steering assist force to be generated by the electric power steering device so as to be increased according to an increase of a steering torque of the steering wheel by a rate which increases according to an increase of a driving torque of the steered wheels by the power source.

2. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the calculating device is configured to increase the increase of the target value of the steering assist force according to an increase of the driving torque of the steered wheels by a rate which increases according to an increase of a time-based differential of steering angle of the steering wheel.

3. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the calculating device is configured to calculate a target value of the steering assist force for reversal steering which increases according to an increase of the driving torque of the steered wheels, the steering assist force for reversal steering being applied in a direction of reversal steering.

4. A control device according to claim 3, wherein the calculating device is configured to decrease the target value of the steering assist torque for reversal steering according to an increase of vehicle speed.

5. A control device according to claim 4, wherein the calculating device is configured to make the target value of the steering assist torque for reversal steering to be largest when the steering angle of the steering wheel is substantially in a middle position between a neutral position and a maximum position.

6. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the calculating device is configured to decrease the target value of the steering assist force according to an increase of a time-based differential of the steering angle of the steering wheel by a rate which increases according to an increase of vehicle speed.

7. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the calculating device is configured to decrease the target value of the steering assist force according to an increase of vehicle speed.

8. A control device according to claim 3, wherein the calculating device is configured to decrease the target value of the steering assist force for reversal steering according to an increase of vehicle speed.