Control device for electric power steering apparatus

Abstract

A control device for an electric power steering apparatus is adapted to calculate a current command value of a motor for applying a steering assist force to a steering mechanism in accordance with a steering torque and a vehicle speed so that the motor is driven and controlled under a feedback control. The control device includes an SAT estimating part for inputting an angular velocity and an angular acceleration of the motor, the steering torque and the current command value to estimate an SAT and a correcting part for determining a traveling state of a vehicle in accordance with the SAT value estimated in the SAT estimating part, the steering torque and a steering angle to correct the current command value depending on the traveling state.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a structural example of a control device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a structural example of an SAT estimating part;

FIG. 3 is a diagram shown a characteristic example of a friction estimating part;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a characteristic example of a vehicle speed sensitive gain;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a characteristic example of a determination part (52, 62);

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a characteristic example of a determination part (57, 66);

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing another structural example of a control device according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an ordinary structural example of an electric power steering apparatus; and

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a structural example of a control unit.

Claims

1. A control device for an electric power steering apparatus comprising: a steering assist command value calculation part that calculates a current command value for a motor applying a steering assist force to a steering mechanism in accordance with a steering torque and a vehicle speed so that the motor is controlled under a feedback control;an SAT (self aligning torque) estimating part to which an angular velocity of the motor, an angular acceleration of the motor, the steering torque and the current command value are inputted so as to estimate an SAT; anda correcting part that determines a traveling state of a vehicle in accordance with the SAT value estimated in the SAT estimating part, the steering torque and a steering angle to correct the current command value depending on the traveling state.

2. A control device for an electric power steering apparatus comprising: a steering assist command value calculation part that calculates a current command value for a motor applying a steering assist force to a steering mechanism in accordance with a steering torque and a vehicle speed so that the motor is controlled under a feedback control;an SAT sensor that measures a SAT of a vehicle; anda correcting part that determines a traveling state of a vehicle in accordance with the SAT value measured in the SAT sensor, the steering torque and a steering angle to correct the current command value depending on the traveling state.

3. The control device for the electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correcting part comprises: a first determining unit that determines directions of the steering torque and the steering angle; anda second determining unit that determines whether an absolute value of a change ratio of the SAT value is larger than a predetermined value.

4. The control device for the electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correcting part comprises: a third determining unit that determines directions of the steering torque and the steering angle; anda fourth determining unit that determines whether an absolute value of a change ratio of the steering torque is larger than an absolute value of a change ratio of the steering angle.

5. The control device for the electric power steering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the SAT estimating part varies a gain in accordance with the vehicle speed.

6. The control device for the electric power steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the correcting part comprises: a first determining unit that determines directions of the steering torque and the steering angle; anda second determining unit that determines whether an absolute value of a change ratio of the SAT value is larger than a predetermined value.

7. The control device for the electric power steering apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the correcting part comprises: a third determining unit that determines directions of the steering torque and the steering angle; anda fourth determining unit that determines whether an absolute value of a change ratio of the steering torque is larger than an absolute value of a change ratio of the steering angle.