Vehicle and vehicle control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479503-B2
Application number	US-202218091685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2022
Priority date	Mar 10, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle includes a steering device, a torque sensor, and an electronic control unit. The steering device includes a rack shaft, a steering shaft, and a turning actuator including an electric motor connected to the rack shaft or the steering shaft via a motion conversion mechanism. The torque sensor is configured to detect a steering torque by a driver, the torque sensor being attached to the steering shaft. The electronic control unit is configured to switch from turning of the wheels by an automatic steering control to turning of the wheels based on at least a steering operation by the driver in a case where a torque detected by the torque sensor exceeds a torque threshold value during execution of the automatic steering control of the wheels. The torque threshold value is changed in accordance with a temperature of the motion conversion mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a steering device including
a rack shaft connected to wheels,
a steering shaft connecting a steering wheel and the rack shaft, and
a turning actuator including an electric motor connected to the rack shaft or the steering shaft via a motion conversion mechanism;
a torque sensor configured to detect a steering torque by a driver, the torque sensor being attached to the steering shaft; and an electronic control unit configured to switch from turning of the wheels by an automatic steering control to turning of the wheels based on at least a steering operation by the driver in a case where a torque detected by the torque sensor exceeds a torque threshold value during execution of the automatic steering control of the wheels, wherein the torque threshold value is changed in accordance with a temperature of the motion conversion mechanism, wherein a range of the temperature includes a first temperature range and a second temperature range on a low-temperature side with respect to the first temperature range; wherein the torque threshold value is higher in the second temperature range than in the first temperature range; and wherein a decrease rate of the torque threshold value with respect to an increase in the temperature in the second temperature range is larger than a decrease rate of the torque threshold value with respect to an increase in the temperature in the first temperature range.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the torque threshold value is higher in a case where the temperature is low than in a case where the temperature is high.

3 . A vehicle control method of controlling a vehicle including a steering device including a rack shaft connected to wheels, a steering shaft connecting a steering wheel and the rack shaft, and a turning actuator including an electric motor connected to the rack shaft or the steering shaft via a motion conversion mechanism, and a torque sensor configured to detect a steering torque by a driver, the torque sensor being attached to the steering shaft, the vehicle control method comprising:
switching from turning of the wheels by an automatic steering control to turning of the wheels based on at least a steering operation by the driver in a case where a torque detected by the torque sensor exceeds a torque threshold value during execution of the automatic steering control of the wheels; and
changing the torque threshold value in accordance with a temperature of the motion conversion mechanism,
wherein a range of the temperature includes a first temperature range and a second temperature range on a low-temperature side with respect to the first temperature range;
wherein the torque threshold value is higher in the second temperature range than in the first temperature range; and
wherein a decrease rate of the torque threshold value with respect to an increase in the temperature in the second temperature range is larger than a decrease rate of the torque threshold value with respect to an increase in the temperature in the first temperature range.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watari Yuji
• Matsumoto Ryo
• Irie Ryo

Classifications

• B62D6/007 Primary

  adjustable by the driver, e.g. sport mode · CPC title

• B62D5/0496

  by using a temperature sensor · CPC title

• B62D5/0463

  calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input · CPC title

• B62D15/025

  Active steering aids, e.g. helping the driver by actively influencing the steering system after environment evaluation (B62D1/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D1/286 Primary

  Systems for interrupting non-mechanical steering due to driver intervention · CPC title