Steering controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018086366-A1
Application number	US-201715703047-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2017
Priority date	Sep 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 29, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a steering controller configured to suppress deterioration of the operability of a steering wheel for steering steered wheels even when a driving voltage for a steering system has been decreased. When a clutch is in a disengaged state and steered wheels are steered by a steered-operation actuator while a reaction force is applied to steering wheel by a reaction-force actuator, if a driving voltage for the steered-operation actuator is decreased, a CPU opens relays and stops generation of torque by the steered-operation actuator. Meanwhile, a CPU engages the clutch and steers the steered wheels through cooperation between a steering torque input into the steering wheel and an assist torque generated by a reaction-force motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A steering controller configured to control a steering system including a switching device configured to perform switching between a transmission state where power transmission from a steering wheel to steered wheels is allowed and an interruption state where power transmission from the steering wheel to the steered wheels is interrupted, a reaction-force actuator configured to apply a steering reaction force to the steering wheel in the interruption state, and a steered operation actuator configured to steer the steered wheels, the steering controller comprising:
a memory configured to store software for controlling the steering system; and a hardware device configured to control the steering system by executing the software, wherein the switching device is placed in the interruption state upon energization, and is placed in the transmission state when entering a de-energized state, the steering controller executes
a voltage acquisition process of acquiring any one of a driving voltage for the reaction-force actuator, a driving voltage for the steered-operation actuator, and a driving voltage for the switching device when the switching device is in the interruption state, and
a transmission operation process of placing the switching device in the transmission state when a voltage acquired through the voltage acquisition process is equal to or lower than a threshold voltage.

2 . The steering controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the voltage acquisition process is a steered-operation voltage acquisition process of acquiring a driving voltage for the steered-operation actuator, and the steering controller executes a reaction force operation process of operating the reaction-force actuator to cause the reaction-force actuator to generate a torque for steering the steered wheels when the transmission operation process is executed.

3 . The steering controller according to claim 2 , wherein, when the transmission operation process is executed, a steered-side limiting process is executed, the steered-side limiting process being a process of limiting a current passed to an electric motor incorporated in the steered-operation actuator to a value smaller than a value when the transmission operation process is not executed.

4 . The steering controller according to claim 3 , wherein the steered-side limiting process is a process of preventing the steered-operation actuator from generating a torque for steering the steered wheels when the transmission operation process is executed.

5 . The steering controller according to claim 1 , wherein
an electric motor incorporated in the steered-operation actuator includes at least a first system coil and a second system coil serving as stator coils and insulated from each other, the voltage acquisition process is a steered-operation voltage acquisition process of acquiring a driving voltage for the first system coil serving as a driving voltage for the steered-operation actuator and a driving voltage for the second system coil serving as a driving voltage for the steered-operation actuator, and the steering controller executes,
when the driving voltage for one of the first system coil and the second system coil is equal to or lower than a threshold voltage and the driving voltage for the other one of the first system coil and the second system coil is higher than the threshold voltage, a steered-side limiting process of generating a torque for steering the steered wheels using the steered-operation actuator by passing a current to the other one of the first system coil and the second system coil without passing a current to the one of the first system coil and the second system coil, and
a process of generating a torque for steering the steered wheels using the steered-operation actuator by passing a current to both the first system coil and the second system coil, on a condition that the driving voltages for the first system coil and the second system coil are higher than the threshold voltage.

6 . The steering controller according to claim 1 , wherein the voltage acquisition process is a switching voltage acquisition process of acquiring a driving voltage for the switching device.

7 . The steering controller according to claim 1 , wherein
the voltage acquisition process is a reaction force voltage acquisition process of acquiring a driving voltage for the reaction-force actuator, and when the transmission operation process is executed, the steering controller executes a reaction-force-side limiting process of limiting a current passed to an electric motor incorporated in the reaction-force actuator to a value smaller than a value when the transmission operation process is not executed.

8 . The steering controller according to claim 2 , wherein the steering controller executes a steering angle command value setting process of setting a steering angle command value based on an operation of the steering wheel, a reaction force operation process of operating the reaction-force actuator such that a steering angle follows the steering angle command value through feedback control, a steered angle command value setting process of setting a steered angle command value based on an operation of the steering wheel, a steered-operation process of operating the steered-operation actuator such that a steered angle follows the steered angle command value through feedback control, a variable setting process of variably setting a command value of a steering angle ratio that is a ratio between the steered angle command value and the steering angle command value when the switching device is in the interruption state, and a stopping process of stopping variable setting of the steering angle ratio that is the ratio between the steered angle command value and the steering angle command value, on a condition that the switching device is switched to the transmission state through the transmission operation process.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Kodera Takashi

Classifications

• B62D6/00

  Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits (means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00) · CPC title

• B62D3/00

  Steering gears (power assisted or power driven B62D5/00; steering linkages B62D7/00; for non-deflectable wheels B62D11/00; gearing in general F16H) · CPC title

• B62D5/043

  characterised by clutch means between driving element, e.g. motor, and driven element, e.g. steering column or steering gear · CPC title

• B62D5/0409

  Electric motor acting on the steering column · CPC title

• B62D5/04 Primary

  electrical, e.g. using an electric servo-motor connected to, or forming part of, the steering gear · CPC title