IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,397,852
Granted Patent B2
US 12,397,852 · App. 18/435,200 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Steering control apparatus

Inventors: Hayato Yoshino (Miyoshi, JP); Kimiaki Ono (Okazaki, JP); Tetsuya Morino (Susono, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B62D6/002
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,397,852
App. No.
18/435,200
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A steering control apparatus comprises an environment sensor for detecting a condition around a vehicle; and a controller for controlling turning of a front wheel and turning of a rear wheel, wherein the controller is configured to: calculate a total steering angle which is a steering angle required for causing the vehicle to travel along a target path, based on at least a detection result of the environment sensor; turn the front wheel based on a front wheel target steering angle; and turn the rear wheel based on a rear wheel target steering angle that is a subtraction value obtained by subtracting the front wheel target steering angle from the total steering angle.

Claims (28)

1. A steering control apparatus comprising:

an environment sensor for detecting a condition around a vehicle; and

a controller for controlling turning of a front wheel and turning of a rear wheel,

wherein the controller is configured to:

calculate a total steering angle which is a steering angle required for causing the vehicle to travel along a target path, based on at least a detection result of the environment sensor;

turn the front wheel based on a front wheel target steering angle; and

turn the rear wheel based on a rear wheel target steering angle that is a subtraction value obtained by subtracting the front wheel target steering angle from the total steering angle.

2. The steering control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to:

calculate the target path and a current actual path based on the detection result of the environment sensor;

calculate an FF steering angle based on the target path;

calculate an FB steering angle based on a difference between the target path and the actual path; and

calculate a sum of the FF steering angle and the FB steering angle as the total steering angle,

the front wheel target steering angle is the FF steering angle, and the rear wheel target steering angle is the FB steering angle.

3. The steering control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to:

calculate the target path and a current actual path based on the detection result of the environment sensor;

calculate an FF steering angle based on the target path;

calculate an FB steering angle based on a difference between the target path and the actual path; and

calculate a sum of the FF steering angle and the FB steering angle as the total steering angle,

the rear wheel target steering angle is a value obtained by multiplying the FB steering angle by a distribution coefficient of greater than 0 and less than 1, a value obtained by multiplying the total steering angle by the distribution coefficient, or a value obtained by adding a portion of the FF steering angle to a value obtained by multiplying the FB steering angle by the distribution coefficient, and

the front wheel target steering angle is a subtraction value obtained by subtracting the rear wheel target steering angle from the total steering angle.

4. The steering control apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the distribution coefficient is a variable value that decreases as at least one of a lateral acceleration, a vehicle speed, and a curvature of the target path increases.

5. The steering control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to:

calculate a front wheel FB torque based on a difference between the front wheel target steering angle and a detected steering angle of the front wheel;

calculate a front wheel FF torque for compensating for a self-aligning torque of the front wheel and a self-aligning torque of the rear wheel based on the total steering angle; and

calculate a front wheel torque command for turning the front wheel based on a sum of the front wheel FF torque and the front wheel FB torque.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2024
From: YOSHINO, HAYATO; ONO, KIMIAKI; MORINO, TETSUYA
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 066446/0253 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-019083 · Feb 10, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240278827A1 · Aug 22, 2024
References Cited (9)
US 4645025A · Ohe · 1987 [cited by examiner]
US 5103925A · Imaseki · 1992 [cited by examiner]
US 5816669A · Hiwatashi · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 9783229B2 · Mukai · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20150151750A1 · Tsuchiya · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20170334482A1 · Kojima · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180194394A1 · Stratmann et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20220332366A1 · Sonoda · 2022 [cited by examiner]
JP 6706634B2 · 2020 [cited by applicant]