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:
Aug. 06, 2013
Filed:
Jul. 21, 2009
Hiromitsu Kageyama, Toyota, JP;
Hiromitsu Kageyama, Toyota, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, JP;
Abstract
An electronic control unit determines that a vehicle is traveling in a straight line if a state in which the steering torque is less than a predetermined steering torque and an amount of change in the steering angle is less than a predetermined steering angle continues for a predetermined period of time when the vehicle speed is greater than a predetermined vehicle speed. Also, if the steering angle of the steering wheel is not 0, while the vehicle is traveling in a straight line, the electronic control unit calculates the steering amount of rear wheels that matches the steering amount of front wheels, using the steering angle of the steering wheel. Then the electronic control unit steers the rear wheels by driving an electric motor until a controlled neutral steering position of the rear wheels that corresponds to the steering amount matches an absolute neutral steering position.