Steering apparatus

• US 7,383,111 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Yuda, Masato, Takimoto, Shigenori, Tsurumiya, Osamu, Shoda, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith; Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHUONG P
• Application Number:
  US11/230,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 701/41, 701/70, 701/42, 701/43, 280/5.51, 342/70, 180/433, 180/446, 180/421, 180/422, 180/443
• US Class Current: 701/41
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/008 Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications

Abstract

A steering apparatus for a vehicle includes a steering angle measuring unit, a vehicle speed measuring unit, a yaw rate measuring unit, a yaw rate-based reaction force control unit for controlling a steering reaction force depending on an actual yaw rate measured by the yaw rate measuring unit, and a yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit for determining a standard yaw rate depending on at least the steering angle and the vehicle speed, calculating a yaw rate deviation between the standard yaw rate and the actual yaw rate, and controlling the steering reaction force depending on the yaw rate deviation, and a primary control unit for executing a control operation such that a degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is decreased and a degree of contribution of the yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit is increased as the yaw rate deviation increases.

Claims

1. A steering apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a steering angle sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor;

a yaw rate sensor;

a yaw rate-based reaction force control unit configured to control a steering reaction force depending on the actual yaw rate measured by the yaw rate measuring unit;

a yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit configured to determine a standard yaw rate depending on at least the steering angle and the vehicle speed, calculate a yaw rate deviation between the standard yaw rate and the actual yaw rate, and control the steering reaction force depending on the yaw rate deviation;

a primary control unit configured to execute a control operation such that a degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is decreased and a degree of contribution of the yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit is increased as the yaw rate deviation increases; and

a mechanism which applies the steering reaction force to the steering apparatus.

4. A steering apparatus for a vehicle, according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a ball screw mechanism operatively connected to a rack of the steering apparatus.

2. A steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a steering angle sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor;

a yaw rate sensor;

a yaw rate-based reaction force control unit configured to control a steering reaction force depending on the actual yaw rate measured by the yaw rate measuring unit;

a yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit configured to determine a standard yaw rate depending on at least the steering angle and the vehicle speed, calculate a yaw rate deviation between the standard yaw rate and the actual yaw rate, and control the steering reaction force depending on the yaw rate deviation; and

a primary control unit configured to execute a control operation such that a degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is decreased and a degree of contribution of the yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit is increased as the yaw rate deviation increases;

wherein the degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is changed by changing a yaw rate control gain, by which at least a portion of the steering reaction force is determined, depending on the yaw rate deviation.

3. A steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a steering angle sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor;

a yaw rate sensor;

a yaw rate-based reaction force control unit configured to control a steering reaction force depending on the actual yaw rate measured by the yaw rate measuring unit;

a yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit configured to determine a standard yaw rate depending on at least the steering angle and the vehicle speed, calculate a yaw rate deviation between the standard yaw rate and the actual yaw rate, and control the steering reaction force depending on the yaw rate deviation; and

a primary control unit configured to execute a control operation such that a degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is decreased and a degree of contribution of the yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit is increased as the yaw rate deviation increases;

wherein the degree of contribution of the yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit is changed by changing a yaw rate deviation control gain, by which at least a portion of the steering reaction force is determined, depending on the yaw rate deviation.

5. A steering apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a steering angle sensor;

a vehicle speed sensor;

a yaw rate sensor;

a yaw rate-based reaction force control unit configured to control a steering reaction force depending on the actual yaw rate measured by the yaw rate measuring unit;

a yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit configured to determine a standard yaw rate depending on at least the steering angle and the vehicle speed, calculate a yaw rate deviation between the standard yaw rate and the actual yaw rate, and control the steering reaction force depending on the yaw rate deviation; and

a primary control unit configured to execute a control operation such that a degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is decreased and a degree of contribution of the yaw rate deviation-based reaction force control unit is increased as the yaw rate deviation increases;

wherein the primary control unit executes the control operation such that a degree of contribution of the yaw rate-based reaction force control unit is constant when the yaw rate deviation is less than or equal to a predetermined value, and is gradually decreased to zero as the yaw rate deviation increases beyond the predetermined value.