Vehicle steering apparatus

• US 7,508,148 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2003
• Issued: 03/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd. (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kanda, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCLOUD, RENATA D
• Application Number:
  US10/694,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20040090199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,973 Days
• Field of Search: 318432-434, 318/701, 180/408, 180412-415, 180422-423, 180443-446
• US Class Current: 318/432
• 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 current sensor 8a detects a motor current of a steering motor 5 which supplies a steering mechanism 1 with steering force corresponding to the steering amount applied to a steering wheel 2. A main controller 4 extracts component within a predetermined frequency range out of a motor current detected by the current sensor 8a, amplifies the extracted component and drives a reaction force motor 3 in a controlled manner so as to supply the steering wheel 2 with steering reaction force corresponding to the steering amount applied to the steering wheel 2 and steering reaction force corresponding to a current of the component, which has been extracted and amplified. The vehicle steering apparatus constructed as above can supply steering means with steering reaction force corresponding to component within a predetermined frequency range of a motor current of the steering motor.

Claims

1. A vehicle steering apparatus which uses a steering motor to supply a steering mechanism with steering force corresponding to a steering amount applied to a steering member, comprising:

a reaction force motor supplying the steering member with steering reaction force;

a vehicle speed sensor detecting a vehicle running speed;

a current sensor detecting a motor current of the steering motor; and

a controller performing operations of;

extracting a component within a predetermined frequency range out of the detected motor current, said predetermined frequency range increasing and decreasing based on the detected vehicle running speed and having a lower limit of 3 Hz and an upper limit of 9 Hz at high vehicle speed and an upper limit of 15 Hz at low vehicle speed;

amplifying the extracted component with an amplification factor which increases as detected vehicle running speed decreases and decreases as detected vehicle running speed increases;

calculating said steering reaction force by

setting a target value of a steering reaction force which corresponds to the steering amount; and

adding to said target value the extracted and amplified component; and

driving the reaction force motor so as to supply the steering member with the calculated steering reaction force.

2. The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the steering member and the steering mechanism are not connected mechanically with each other.

3. A vehicle steering apparatus which uses a steering motor to supply a steering mechanism with steering force corresponding to a steering amount applied to steering means, comprising:

a reaction force motor for supplying the steering means wit steering reaction force;

vehicle speed sensing means for detecting a vehicle running speed;

current detecting means for detecting a motor current of the steering motor;

extracting means for extracting a component within a predetermined frequency range out of the detected motor current, said predetermined frequency range increasing and decreasing based on the detected vehicle running speed and having a lower limit of 3 Hz and an upper limit of 9 Hz at high vehicle speed and an upper limit of 15 Hz at low vehicle speed;

amplifying means for amplifying the extracted component with an amplification factor which increases as detected vehicle running speed decreases and decreases as detected vehicle running speed increases;

calculating means for calculating steering reaction force by

means for setting a target value of a steering reaction force which corresponds to the steering amount; and

adding means for adding to said target value the component extracted and amplified by the extracting means, and

reaction force motor driving means for driving the reaction force motor so as to supply the steering means with the calculated steering reaction force.

4. The vehicle steering apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the steering means and the steering mechanism are not connected mechanically with each other.