Motor controller

• US 9,586,619 B1
• Filed: 02/12/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Akatsuka, Hisaya, Kataoka, Motoaki, Mukai, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mawari, Redhwan K
• Application Number:
  US15/043,132
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 1/286 Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/025 Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation B62D1/28 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor controller has an assist controller generating an assist instruction for a generation of an assist torque based on a detection value of a steering torque, a follow controller obtaining a target value of a physical quantity regarding a steering operation and generating a follow instruction, and a motor driver driving, according to a sum of the assist instruction and the follow instruction, a motor that generates the assist torque and an automatic steering toque. In addition, the follow controller changes, according to a degree of intervention by a driver that is detected by an intervention detector, responsiveness of the follow control, making it possible to naturally hand over a motor control to the driver or to a system when the driver or the system intervenes a current control of the motor that generates the assist torque and/or the steering torque.

Claims

1. A motor controller comprising:

an assist controller generating an assist instruction to generate an assist torque that lightens a steering load based on a detection value of a steering torque;

a follow controller obtaining a target value of a physical quantity regarding a steering operation and enabling a detection value of the physical quantity to follow the obtained target value, the following of the detection value of the physical quantity to the obtained target value is achieved by a follow instruction that generates an automatic steering torque;

a motor driver driving, according to a summation value of the assist instruction and the follow instruction, a motor that generates the assist torque and the automatic steering torque; and

an intervention detector detecting a driver intervention in a follow control by the follow controller or a system intervention in an assist control by a system that involves a generation of the obtained target value of the physical quantity, wherein

the follow controller changes a degree of responsiveness of the assist control or the follow control according to a degree of intervention detected by the intervention detector.

2. The motor controller of claim 1, wherein

the intervention detector detects the driver intervention in the follow control, and

the follow controller lowers the degree of responsiveness of the follow control in proportion to an increase of the degree of intervention detected by the intervention detector.

3. The motor controller of claim 1, wherein

the intervention detector detects the system intervention in the assist control, and

the follow controller raises the degree of responsiveness of the assist control in proportion to an increase of the degree of intervention detected by the intervention detector.

4. The motor controller of claim 1 further comprising:

an abnormality detector detecting abnormality of the obtained target value of the physical quantity or abnormality of the system, wherein

the follow controller changes the degree of responsiveness of the follow control or the assist control.

5. The motor controller of claim 1 further comprising:

a deviation calculator calculating a deviation between the obtained target value of the physical quantity and the detected value of the physical quantity;

an instruction value generator generating an instruction value of the follow instruction based on a combination of (i) a deviation component in proportion to the deviation, (ii) an integral component from an integration of the deviation, and (iii) a differential component from a differentiation of the deviation, wherein

the instruction value generator changes the degree of responsiveness of the follow control or the assist control by changing a gain that is assigned to the deviation component, the integral component, or the differential component.

6. The motor controller of claim 1 further comprising:

a restrictor restricting an internal value in a controlee that includes at least one of the assist controller and the follow controller according to a degree of the driver intervention detected by the intervention detector, the restriction of the internal value causing a change of ratio of the assist torque against the automatic steering torque.