IP Library Granted Patent US 12703423
Granted Patent B2
US 12703423 · App. 19/049,215 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Turning control device

Inventors: Yusuke Kakimoto (Okazaki, JP); Takashi Kodera (Okazaki, JP); Shinya Aono (Okazaki, JP)
Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
B62D5/0463B62D5/0424B62D15/0215
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12703423
App. No.
19/049,215
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A processor included in a turning control device is configured to execute a manipulation process of manipulating a drive circuit of an assist motor depending on a torque that depends on at least one of the two values, the value of an assist torque variable and the value of a control torque variable. The processor is configured to execute a variation torque control process of varying a torque as an input variable in the manipulation process, depending on a steering angle, based on the value of the steering angle variable as an input variable. The processor is configured to execute a restriction process of restricting the magnitude of variation in the torque as the input variable in the manipulation process depending on the steering angle, to a small side, depending on the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable in the manipulation process.

Claims (15)

1 . A turning control device configured to control a turning device, the turning device including a steering wheel, an input shaft, an intermediate shaft, an output shaft, a first Cardan joint, a second Cardan joint, an assist motor, and a turning wheel, the input shaft being coupled to the steering wheel, the first Cardan joint being a member that couples the input shaft and the intermediate shaft, the second Cardan joint being a member that couples the intermediate shaft and the output shaft, the turning wheel being a member to which a steering torque input to the steering wheel is transmitted through the input shaft, the intermediate shaft, and the output shaft, and the assist motor being a motor configured to give a torque to a position that is closer to the turning wheel than the second Cardan joint is,

the turning control device comprising a processor configured to execute a rudder angle variable acquisition process, an assist torque variable calculation process, a control torque acquisition process, a manipulation process, a variation torque control process, and a restriction process, wherein:

the rudder angle variable acquisition process is a process of acquiring a value of a steering angle variable, the steering angle variable being a variable indicating a steering angle that is an angle of the steering wheel;

the assist torque variable calculation process is a process of calculating a value of an assist torque variable, the assist torque variable being a variable indicating a torque for assisting steering by a driver depending on manipulation of the steering wheel;

the control torque acquisition process is a process of acquiring a value of a control torque variable, the control torque variable being a variable indicating a torque for controlling a traveling direction of a vehicle independently from the manipulation of the steering wheel;

the manipulation process is a process of manipulating a drive circuit of the assist motor depending on a torque that depends on at least one of the two values, the value of the assist torque variable and the value of the control torque variable;

the variation torque control process is a process of varying a torque as an input variable in the manipulation process, depending on the steering angle, based on the value of the steering angle variable as an input variable; and

the restriction process is a process of restricting a magnitude of variation in the torque as the input variable in the manipulation process depending on the steering angle, to a small side, depending on a priority degree of the value of the control torque variable in the manipulation process.

2 . The turning control device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is configured to execute a steering torque variable acquisition process, the steering torque variable acquisition process being a process of acquiring a value of a steering torque variable that is a variable indicating the steering torque; and

the restriction process includes a process of recognizing the priority degree depending on the value of the steering torque variable as an input variable.

3 . The turning control device according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction process includes a process of recognizing the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable, based on a signal that determines the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable depending on information about an exterior of the vehicle.

4 . The turning control device according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction process includes a process of gradually decreasing the magnitude of the variation to zero, at a time of switching from a state where the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable is lower than a priority degree of the value of the assist torque variable to a state where the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable is higher than the priority degree of the value of the assist torque variable.

5 . The turning control device according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction process includes a process of gradually increasing the magnitude of the variation from zero, at a time of switching from a state where the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable is higher than a priority degree of the value of the assist torque variable to a state where the priority degree of the value of the control torque variable is lower than the priority degree of the value of the assist torque variable.

6 . The turning control device according to claim 1 , wherein the value of the control torque variable is a torque that is added to the value of the assist torque variable for correcting the steering depending on the manipulation of the steering wheel.