The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 28, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 11, 1998
Yasuo Shimizu, Wako, JP;
Akio Kobayashi, Wako, JP;
Osamu Tsurumiya, Wako, JP;
Takao Kurosawa, Wako, JP;
Nobuo Sugitani, Wako, JP;
Yoshinobu Mukai, Wako, JP;
Yoshiki Noro, Wako, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An electric power steering apparatus comprises a motor for applying an auxiliary torque to a steering system, a steering torque sensor for detecting a steering torque in the steering system and a control unit for drive-controlling the motor based on at least a steering torque signal from the steering torque sensor. The control unit includes a motor control unit and a failure detecting unit for detecting a failure of the control unit. Based on a failure detection signal from the failure detecting unit, the motor drive control unit switches over from a normal mode in which no failure exists in the apparatus to a first failure mode in which a certain failure exists in the apparatus and an assist ratio is changed to about half of that of the normal mode.