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:
Feb. 26, 2013
Filed:
Mar. 25, 2009
Masaki Fujimoto, Toyota, JP;
Masaharu Yamashita, Toyota, JP;
Kenichiro Aoki, Nishikamo-gun, JP;
Megumu Nishikohri, Aichi-gun, JP;
Akihiro Ohtomo, Toyota, JP;
Eiji Kasai, Toyota, JP;
Tsutomu Onagi, Nisshin, JP;
Keitaro Niki, Toyota, JP;
Masaki Fujimoto, Toyota, JP;
Masaharu Yamashita, Toyota, JP;
Kenichiro Aoki, Nishikamo-gun, JP;
Megumu Nishikohri, Aichi-gun, JP;
Akihiro Ohtomo, Toyota, JP;
Eiji Kasai, Toyota, JP;
Tsutomu Onagi, Nisshin, JP;
Keitaro Niki, Toyota, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, JP;
Abstract
An electric power steering device for a vehicle includes an estimation mechanism estimating if there is a possibility that a backward electric current flows in a booster circuit toward a vehicle battery device, and a boosting controller stopping the boosting operation of the booster circuit to prevent a backward electric current from flowing in the booster circuit when it is estimated that there is a possibility that a backward electric current flows by the estimation mechanism. The estimation mechanism estimates that there is a possibility that a backward electric current flows in the booster circuit when the steering condition of a steering wheel is a returning condition or a steering-held condition. Otherwise, the estimation mechanism estimates if a backward electric current flows on the basis of input and output voltages of the booster circuit and information on the switching of a first boosting switching element. Thereby, overheat of the booster circuit can be prevented.