Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Jtekt Corporation

Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Yuzou Imoto

Yoshiyuki Yasui

Eiichi Ono

Kenji Asano

Hiroaki Kato

Yuji Muragishi

Minekazu Momiyama

Wataru Tanaka

Shoji Ogawa

In a steering apparatus, in accordance with a grip limit control process ('), it is determined whether or not a grip degree &#x3b5; estimated by a grip degree estimation arithmetically operating process () is less than a predetermined grip degree (&#x3b5;&#x2032;), and in the case that it is determined that an estimated grip degree (&#x3b5;) is less than the predetermined grip degree (&#x3b5;&#x2032;), the process applies such a feeling that a steering operation by a steering wheel suddenly becomes light to a driver, by suddenly increasing an assist quantity by a motor (M), thereby notifying the driver of the matter that the grip degree of a steered wheel is close to a limit. Therefore, it is possible to transmit to the driver a probability that a side slip is generated by further turning the steering wheelin the same direction as the current direction, thereby calling the driver's attention for steering. Accordingly, there is an effect that a stability of a vehicle behavior can be improved without applying any fear of insecurity to the driver.

Steering device

In accordance with a vehicle motion control apparatus, a steering angle (&#x3b8;h) of a steering wheel is determined on the basis of a rotation angle (&#x3b8;pm) of an assist motor () detected by a rotation angle sensor () and a rotation angle (&#x3b8;vm) of a gear ratio variable motor () detected by a rotation angle sensor (), and a VGRS control process () of a gear ratio variable mechanism is executed on the basis of the determined steering angle (&#x3b8;h). Accordingly, since the steering angle (&#x3b8;h) of the steering wheel is determined on the basis of the rotation angle (&#x3b8;vm) used for the VGRS control process () of the gear ratio variable mechanism and the rotation angle (&#x3b8;pm) used for an EPS control process () of an EPS actuator, it is possible to obtain the steering angle (&#x3b8;h) of the steering wheel without a steering angle sensor. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of the parts of a vehicle motion control apparatus.

Method and device for controlling maneuverability of vehicle

Growing community of inventors

Chita-gun, Japan

Yuzou Imoto