Nissan Motor Company Limited

Junji Tsutsumi

Toshiaki Kasahara

Yuusuke Katou

Hideo Nakamura

Akira Higashimata

Kazuhiko Tazoe

Kenichi Mori

Hiroki Sasaki

Hidetoshi Suzuki

Ken Ito

Hiroyuki Ashizawa

Yutaka Kaneko

Hideo Iwamoto

Hideki Sudou

A vehicle steering device and method for controlling steering of a steer-by-wire vehicle. A steering instrument receives input from a driver and a turning device turns the wheel(s). A selectively engageable backup clutch is positioned between the steering instrument and the turning device. Whether or not the backup clutch is engaged is based a steering state signal from the steering instrument and a turning state signal from the turning device.

Vehicle steering controller and method

In a vehicle steering device and control method, a selectively engageable clutch is positioned between a steering wheel and a turning mechanism for turning at least one wheel. The clutch has an engaged position where the steering wheel is mechanically connected to the turning mechanism and a disengaged position where the steering wheel is mechanically separated from the turning mechanism for steer-by-wire control. During steer-by-wire control, a reaction force actuator applies a force to the steering wheel, and a turning actuator applies a torque to the turning mechanism. To prevent erroneous clutch engagement caused by an increase in relative angular acceleration between the steering angle and the turning angle, a controller detects an operating condition corresponding to a risk of erroneous clutch engagement and controls at least one of the turning actuator and the reaction force actuator to reduce the relative angular acceleration.

Vehicle steering device and control method for vehicle steering device

A vehicle steering device and method for preventing steering wheel pull. A selectively engageable clutch is positioned between a steering wheel and a turning mechanism for turning at least one steered wheel. The clutch includes an engaging piece and has an engaged position where the steering wheel is mechanically connected to the turning mechanism and a disengaged position where the steering wheel is mechanically separated from the turning mechanism and steer-by-wire controls the at least one steered wheel. When the clutch is moved from the engaged position to the disengaged position, clutch release control is performed that provides a rotational angle of deviation between a steering wheel shaft connected to the steering wheel and the turning mechanism, the rotational angle of deviation provided in the direction of disengagement.

A vehicle steering control apparatus includes a steering wheel to be operated by a driver, a steering mechanism for turning the front wheels in accordance with an operating torque of the steering wheel, and a clutch for mechanically connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism. A clutch engagement command issuing section is provided for issuing an engagement command to the clutch when the clutch is disengaged and a condition for engaging the clutch is satisfied. A clutch engagement determining section is provided for determining that the clutch is in an engaged state when an increase in torque is detected at the steering wheel after the engagement command has been issued to the clutch.

Vehicle steering control apparatus and method

A steering control device in which a steering portion including an electric steering reaction force actuator and a steered portion including an electric steered portion actuator are mechanically disconnectable and connectable via a backup connection. Steer-by-wire control disconnects the backup connection and uses control of the steered portion actuator to set a steered angle corresponding to the steering condition and using control of the steering reaction force actuator to add a steering reaction force corresponding to the steered condition. Steering assistance control connects the backup connection and adds a steering aid force using at least one of the steering reaction force actuator and the steered portion actuator. The power supply capacity of a steered vehicle is selectively estimated and if the estimated power supply capacity reaches a predetermined value or below during the steer-by-wire control, steering is switched to the steering assistance control.

Steering control device

In vehicular motion control apparatus and method, a vehicle speed variation rate limiter is provided to place a vehicle speed variation rate limitation on a detection value (V) of a vehicle speed and varying a vehicle speed variation rate limiter value in accordance with the detection value (&#x3b8;) of the vehicular steering angle, at the vehicular motion target value calculation, using an output of the vehicular speed variation rate limiter for a map reference vehicle speed (Vmap) and, at the control command value calculation, using the output of the vehicular speed variation rate limiter to the detection value of the vehicle speed for a control command value calculation purpose.

Motion control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle

A brake control apparatus for a vehicle includes an actuating section to apply a regenerative braking force to a motor-driven wheel driven by a motor of the vehicle. A control section is arranged to vary the regenerative braking force in a direction to shift a front and rear wheel braking force distribution toward an ideal braking force distribution, in accordance with a wheel locking tendency of the motor-driven wheel when the regenerative braking force exceeding a braking force determined by the ideal braking force distribution is applied to the motor-driven wheel.

Brake control for vehicle

A brake control apparatus is configured to suppress fluctuations in the deceleration when transferring from cooperative braking to regenerative braking or hydraulic braking. The brake control apparatus calculates a braking torque command value feed forward component for reaching a target deceleration corresponding to the master cylinder pressure according to an ideal reference model. The brake control apparatus also calculates the braking torque command value feedback component to find a base deceleration for feeding back the difference between the base deceleration and the vehicle deceleration. The brake control apparatus then calculates the braking torque command value by adding the components together. After apportioning the braking torque command value into hydraulic and regenerative braking torque command values, the brake control apparatus phase compensates the braking torque command values to match their braking response characteristic with a vehicle model having a slower response characteristic than the ideal reference model.

Brake control apparatus

A brake control system for a vehicle is comprised of a first braking device that generates a braking torque by operating a driving source of the vehicle and a second braking device that generates the braking torque by operating a hydraulic brake system of the vehicle. A controller of the brake control system is arranged to calculate a desired braking torque according to a driver's demand, to divide the desired braking torque into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component, to command the first braking device to generate the high-frequency component, and to command at least one of the first braking device and the second braking device to generate the low-frequency component.

Brake control system for vehicle

In system and method for an automotive vehicle equipped with the system and defined as a system vehicle, a target value of a driving-and-braking force applied to the system vehicle to make a detected value of a system vehicle velocity coincident with a target value of the velocity of the system vehicle is determined, a prime mover of the system vehicle and a transmission thereof in accordance with the target value of the driving-and-braking force is determined, a maximum deceleration force according to the target value of the velocity of the system vehicle and a shift position of the transmission of the system vehicle is estimated, a relative velocity of the system vehicle to the preceding vehicle on the basis of the detected value of the inter-vehicle distance is determined, and the shift position of the transmission is determined on the basis of the target value of the driving-and-braking force, the estimated maximum deceleration force, and the relative velocity.

System and method for controlling inter-vehicle distance to preceding vehicle for automotive vehicle equipped with the system and method

In apparatus and method for controlling a vehicular velocity for an automotive vehicle, a vehicular velocity and an inter-vehicle distance from the vehicle to another vehicle which is running ahead of the vehicle are detected, a lateral acceleration imposed on a vehicle body of the vehicle which is generally developed when the vehicle is running on a curved road is detected, a target value of the vehicular velocity of the vehicle according to which a detected value of the inter-vehicle distance is made equal to value of a target inter-vehicle distance is calculated, a correction is made on the calculated value of the target vehicular velocity according to a detected value (magnitude) of the lateral acceleration (lateral G), the vehicular velocity of the vehicle is controlled in such a manner that the detected value of the vehicular velocity is made equal to the corrected target vehicular velocity.

Apparatus and method for automatically controlling vehicular velocity

A braking force control apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle supported on road wheels each of which has a wheel cylinder for applying a braking force to the corresponding road wheel in response to a fluid pressure introduced thereto. The fluid pressure is controlled by a solenoid valve which is movable between open and closed positions in response to a control signal having a variable duty ratio. The duty ratio of the control signal is changed at predetermined intervals of time to move the solenoid valve in a plurality of steps toward the closed position.

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Fujisawa, Japan

Junji Tsutsumi