Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo K.k.

Mitsubishi Denki K.k.

Mitsuhiko Harara

Tadao Tanaka

Minoru Tatemoto

Naotake Kumagai

Shozo Takizawa

Yasutaka Taniguchi

Masanaga Suzumura

Hiroki Abe

Sunao Chikamori

Shunichi Wada

Shinichi Takeuchi

Yoshiki Miichi

Hidekazu Suzuki

Shigeki Ohtagaki

Kazuyoshi Kobayashi

Tsuyoshi Takeo

Kouji Mitsuhata

Yoshinori Miichi

Youichi Yamamoto

Hiroyuki Takada

Tetsuya Terada

Setsuhiro Shimomura

Hiroaki Yoshida

Takao Morita

Nobuo Momose

Hiroyuki Masuda

Masayoshi Nishimori

Mitsunori Maruyama

Tsutomu Matsukawa

Hideaki Okamoto

Tadaoa Tanaka

Takahiro Yanagi

Yasutomo Takeuchi

Tasutaka Taniguchi

Strut-type suspension apparatus for a vehicle

A wheel alignment control method for a motor vehicle and a control apparatus therefor in which every time a vehicle drive state, steering history, and high-speed steering-hold mode are discriminated by sensor outputs, a processor determines target values of a caster angle, camber angle, and toe angle in accordance with inference outputs computed by fuzzy inference based on fuzzy rules, corresponding individually to a plurality of vehicle drive modes, steering modes, and high-speed steering-hold mode, and discrimination results. Operating sections adjust the camber and the like by means of a driver circuit which responds to the processor outputs. Thus, a fine adjustment for alignment is made, and wheel alignment adaptable to the vehicle drive modes and the like is established.

Wheel alignment control method for a motor vehicle and a control

An electronically controlled power steering apparatus responsive to a running condition of a vehicle includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a running speed of the vehicle, a detector for detecting a lateral acceleration of the vehicle, and a control unit for setting an aimed assist amount setting based upon the running speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor and the lateral acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration detector in accordance with a fuzzy rule.

Electronically controlled power steering apparatus and method therefor

A power steering apparatus for a vehicle including a steering mechanism having a torsion bar, a rotary valve connected to an oil pump and disposed between an input shaft and an output shaft, a valve driving mechanism having a pressed portion projected on either the input shaft or the output shaft and a plunger on the one shaft of the input shaft or output shaft on which the pressed portion is not projected for pressing the pressed portion, setting a target assist force of an assist force of an assist force obtained by rotating the rotary valve in the torsion direction of the torsion bar and an assist force obtained by rotating the rotary valve in the reverse direction to the torsion direction, a plunger driving mechanism for driving the plunger so that the preset assist force is obtained, controlling the pressure itself of the rotary valve to the operation angle of the rotary valve, whereby varying the steering force of the steering wheel over a wide range of steering condition with a reduced burden to the driver.

Power steering apparatus for vehicle

A control system and control method for a power steering apparatus includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting a running speed V of a vehicle and a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle ha of the vehicle. It further includes a steering holding degree calculation unit to determine a steering holding coefficient K.sub.S from a steering angular velocity ha', a steering angle changing amount H, and a lateral acceleration G.sub.Y. Finally, a fuzzy logic calculation unit is included for setting a target steering assist amount in accordance with a fuzzy logic rule using the vehicle speed V and a product V.multidot.G.sub.Y of the vehicle speed V and the lateral acceleration G.sub.Y as input conditions (membership functions). Thereby, a steering assist amount in a steering mechanism of the vehicle is controlled to the target steering assist amount the control system and control method of a power steering apparatus can provide an optimum steering characteristic according to the high speed running condition of the vehicle.

Control system and control method for controlling power steering

In a control system for a power steering apparatus, in which a steering assist amount in a steering mechanism of a vehicle is controlled to a target assist amount, a vehicle speed sensor 41 for detecting a running speed V of the vehicle and a steering angle sensor 52 for detecting a steering angle ha of the vehicle are provided. A lateral acceleration calculation unit calculates a lateral acceleration GY from the vehicle speed V and the steering angle ha and further determines the product V.GY of the vehicle speed V and the lateral acceleration GY. A fuzzy logic calculation unit then sets the target assist amount in accordance with a fuzzy logic rule using the vehicle speed V and the product V.GY as input conditions (membership functions). This thereby provides a control system and control method for controlling a power steering apparatus which presents an optimum steering characteristic in response to the running condition of the vehicle.

Operation amounts of actuators are controlled in response to a steering wheel angle .theta.h, a steering wheel angular velocity .theta.hs, and a road surface .mu., in addition to a vehicle speed Vel, to change a caster angle. The caster angle is increased to increase a righting moment of vehicle wheels during steering. The caster angle is increased according to the vehicle speed Vel in non-steering and initial steering conditions, to stabilize the vehicle. This thereby improves the vehicle stability in normal and transitional conditions.

Caster angle control apparatus and method for suspension

In an actuator structure of a vehicle suspension apparatus, an operation rod of an actuator is swingably connected to a vehicle body side end of a lower suspension arm through a rubber bushing, the operation rod is contained in a body and is slidable in a longitudinal direction of the lower suspension arm, and the body is mounted on a vehicle body through a rubber mount, thereby improving durability, environmental resistance, and mounting workability of the actuator structure.

Mounting for suspension arm control actuator

An electronically controlled power steering apparatus for controlling the steering assist amount of a steering mechanism of a vehicle is controlled in accordance with a fatigue condition of a driver of the vehicle. The apparatus includes means for setting an aimed assist amount, and means for detecting a degree of fatigue of a steering operator. The aimed assist amount setting means receives, as an input thereto, a value calculated by the fatigue detecting means and sets the aimed assist amount in accordance with a fuzzy rule so that the steering assist amount may increase as the degree of fatigue steering operator increases.

An alignment control unit and method for an automotive suspension are provided in which a basic control amount is determined in accordance with a detected steering angle, and the alignment is controlled in accordance with a product value obtained by multiplying the determined basic control amount by a control gain. The control gain may be set such that an actual control amount of an actuator is changed to be increased when the detected steering angle exceeds a specified value or may be set in accordance with a detected lateral acceleration such that it increases as the lateral acceleration increases. The toe angle or camber angle of a wheel may be controlled in accordance with the basic control amount.

Alignment control unit and control method for an automotive suspension

An actuator is used to drive a transmission ratio changing mechanism, which is arranged between a steering wheel and front wheels of a vehicle, for correcting the turning angle of the front wheels. The operation of the actuator is controlled in accordance with detection signals from sensors for detecting first and second turning actions, and an angular turning angular speed of the steering wheel. A controller delivers a corrective turning control signal for increasing the turning angle of the front wheels to the actuator when it is detected that the steering wheel is in the second turning action and that the value of the angular turning speed for the second turning action is at least equal to a reference value.

Steering control apparatus for vehicle

Control apparatus for a vehicular suspension system

A suspension control apparatus and a method for a vehicle having a plurality of suspension units each disposed between a road wheel and the body of a vehicle for suspending the corresponding road wheel from the vehicle body. The suspension control apparatus includes a control unit which is connected to receive the output signals from an acceleration sensor, a vehicle-speed sensor and a steering sensor for calculating the rolling state of the vehicle due to a transverse acceleration thereof and controlling the respective suspension units based on the calculated rolling state of the vehicle so as to suppress the rolling thereof. The control unit serves to determine the period or frequency of change or reversal of the direction of the detected transverse acceleration of the vehicle, and control the suspension units so as to stop the roll-suppression control when the frequency of reversal exceeds a prescribed level. The control unit further performs the first roll-suppression control operation and stop subsequent roll-suppression control operations from the instant when the frequency of reversal of the direction of the transverse acceleration exceeds the prescribed level.

Suspension control apparatus and method for a vehicle

Disclosed is a suspension control apparatus for a vehicle having a plurality of suspension units each disposed between a road wheel and the body of a vehicle for effectively and quickly correcting any deviation of the vehicle height from a normal height level immediately upon finishing of active suspension control operations. Priority is determined for vehicle-height control and various active suspension control operations such as roll control, nose-dive and squat control, and pitching and bouncing control so that normal vehicle-height control is stopped or inhibited during active suspension control operations are being carried out, thereby preventing the traveling attitude of the vehicle from being made unstable. Also, a vehicle-height control determining time interval from the instant when active suspension control operations has been finished until the time when vehicle-height control is restarted is substantially reduced as compared with that required in the case when the vehicle is traveling in a normal attitude without any active suspension control operation, whereby any deviation of the vehicle height from a target height level can be quickly removed to make the actual vehicle height match with a target height level in a very short time immediately after the finishing of the active suspension control operations.

Suspension control apparatus for a vehicle

If a deceleration exeeds first set value G1 within set time T1 after the brake is depressed, a set amount of fluid is supplied to the fluid spring chamber of each front-wheel suspension unit. If a deceleration exceeds the second set value G2 when set time T1 or more has elapsed upon this operation, a set amount of fluid is exhausted from the fluid spring chamber of each rearwheel suspension unit. With this operation, since braking action for gradually increasing a deceleration is controlled by two stages, uncomfortableness which passangers feel in anti-nose-dive control can be greatly reduced. In addition, control is not performed only by depressing the brake pedal if an acutal deceleration is smaller than first set value G1. Even when a deceleration exceeds first set value G1 upon depression of the brake pedal, if the time when the deceleration exceeds first set value G1 exceeds set time T1, it is determined that a gradual braking operation is performed, so that only control for increasing a damping force is performed.

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Okazaki, Japan

Mitsuhiko Harara