Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528536-B2
Application number	US-202318124595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2023
Priority date	Mar 24, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

A steering control apparatus and a vehicle capable of accurately obtaining a steering angle with which the vehicle will travel straight are provided. The steering control apparatus includes a steering actuator control section that controls a steering actuator for changing the steering angle such that the steering angle achieves a target steering angle, a storage section that stores threshold steering angle information regarding a threshold steering angle, which is a steering angle with which steering torque becomes a certain threshold when the target steering angle is varied cyclically and continuously, and a calculation section that obtains a neutral point of the steering angle based on the threshold steering angle information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a steering actuator; a detection sensor that detects a change in loading weight of the vehicle, and a steering control apparatus, comprising a processor that is configured to:
control a steering actuator for changing a steering angle such that the steering angle achieves a target steering angle;
obtain threshold steering angle information regarding a threshold steering angle, the threshold steering angle being a steering angle with which a steering torque becomes a certain threshold when the target steering angle is varied cyclically and continuously, the certain threshold being an absolute value after the steering torque sharply changes; and
calculate a neutral point of the steering angle based on the threshold steering angle information,
wherein, in a case where the change in the loading weight of the vehicle is detected, the steering control apparatus automatically calculates the neutral point while the vehicle is stationary.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the neutral point based on an average of the threshold steering angle at a time when the target steering angle is varied for a plurality of cycles.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the average of the threshold steering angle in each of left and right directions of the steering angle and determine a range from the average of the threshold steering angle in the left direction to the average of the threshold steering angle in the right direction as a range of play of the steering angle and a central value of the range of play as the neutral point.

Assignees

• Isuzu Motors Ltd

Inventors

• Takano Shuichi

Classifications

• B62D15/021

  Determination of steering angle · CPC title

• G01L5/221 Primary

  to steering wheels, e.g. for power assisted steering · CPC title

• B62D15/024

  Other means for determination of steering angle without directly measuring it, e.g. deriving from wheel speeds on different sides of the car · CPC title

• B62D15/0245

  Means or methods for determination of the central position of the steering system, e.g. straight ahead position · 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