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:
Apr. 25, 2006
Filed:
Mar. 07, 2005
Kunio Sakata, Tokyo, JP;
Kunio Sakata, Tokyo, JP;
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A steering characteristic control apparatus and method for a vehicle is disclosed which can carry out behavior control of the vehicle regarding a steering characteristic and so forth appropriately in accordance with the type of turning and the road surface situation. To this end, if the steering characteristic of the vehicle is placed into an oversteer or understeer state exceeding a reference level, then the control end condition when the steering characteristic is controlled to the neutral steer side by control of a braking mechanism is set in accordance with an estimated road surface μ state and the type of turning (steady turning or non-steady turning) of the vehicle. Upon steady turning, during traveling on a low μ road, it is set as the control end condition that the stability of the vehicle behavior is restored sufficiently, but during traveling on a high μ road, it is set as the condition that the stability of the vehicle behavior is restored to some degree so that the control can be ended rapidly. Upon non-steady turning, the condition is set such that the stability of the vehicle behavior is higher than that upon steady turning during traveling on a high μ road but lower than that upon steady turning during traveling on a low μ road.