# US 12,005,972 B2 · Apparatus and method for controlling steering of electric power steering system

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- Number: US 12,005,972 B2
- Document ID: US12005972B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/151,572
- Filed: 2021-01-18
- Published: 2022-06-02
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-01
- Assignees: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Sung Kyu Je; Sung Jong Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005972B2

## CPC

- B62D 5/0457: {characterised by control features of the drive means as such}
- B62D 5/046: {Controlling the motor}
- B62D 5/0469: {End-of-stroke control}
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)

## Abstract

A steering control apparatus and method of an electric power steering (EPS) system for a vehicle includes a learning module configured to learn a learning end angle based on an end angle of an end of a rack bar based on a steering angle, an angular speed limit module configured to detect a target limit angular speed based on the learning end angle and the steering angle, detect an actual motor angular speed based on a steering angular speed, generate a limit current based on an error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed, and limit the steering angular speed within the target limit angular speed, and a motor current generation module configured to generate a motor current for motor control based on the limit current and a command current received from a steering control module.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steering control apparatus of an electric power steering system for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a learning module configured to learn a learning end angle based on an end angle of an end of a rack bar based on a steering angle;
an angular speed limit module configured to detect a target limit angular speed of the vehicle based on the learning end angle and the steering angle, detect an actual motor angular speed based on a steering angular speed, generate a limit current based on an error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed, and limit the steering angular speed within the target limit angular speed; and
a motor current generation module configured to generate a motor current for motor control based on the limit current and a command current received from a steering control module,
wherein:
the learning module comprises:
a condition determination unit configured to determine whether a preset learning condition is satisfied; and
a learning unit configured to accumulate and store the end angle whenever a result of the determination of the condition determination unit indicates that the learning condition is satisfied and to learn the learning end angle based on the accumulated and stored end angles; and
the condition determination unit comprises:
an over load protection (OLP) operation condition determination unit configured to determine whether an OLP operating condition is satisfied based on column torque and the steering angular speed; and
a steering angle comparison unit configured to determine whether the steering angle exceeds a preset steering angle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the learning unit comprises:
an average value calculation unit configured to accumulate and store a preset number of end angles whenever the learning condition is satisfied and to calculate an average value of the end angles by averaging the accumulated and stored end angles; and
a learning end angle determination unit configured to add a presetting value to the average value, compare a calculated addition value with the steering angle, and determine the learning end angle based on a result of the comparison.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the learning end angle determination unit determines the average value as the learning end angle when the addition value is greater than the steering angle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the angular speed limit module comprises:
a target limit angular speed detection unit configured to detect the target limit angular speed based on the learning end angle and the steering angle;
a motor angular speed detection unit configured to detect the actual motor angular speed; and
a limit current detection unit configured to generate the limit current based on the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed and adjust the limit current based on the actual motor angular speed.

### Claim 5

A steering control apparatus of an electric power steering system for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:
a learning module configured to learn a learning end angle based on an end angle of an end of a rack bar based on a steering angle;
an angular speed limit module configured to detect a target limit angular speed of the vehicle based on the learning end angle and the steering angle, detect an actual motor angular speed based on a steering angular speed, generate a limit current based on an error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed, and limit the steering angular speed within the target limit angular speed; and
a motor current generation module configured to generate a motor current for motor control based on the limit current and a command current received from a steering control module,
wherein:
the angular speed limit module comprises:
a target limit angular speed detection unit configured to detect the target limit angular speed based on the learning end angle and the steering angle;
a motor angular speed detection unit configured to detect the actual motor angular speed; and
a limit current detection unit configured to generate the limit current based on the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed and adjust the limit current based on the actual motor angular speed; and
the limit current detection unit comprises:
an error detection unit configured to detect the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed;
a limit current generation unit configured to generate the limit current by performing proportional integral (PI) control based on the error;
a gain detection unit configured to detect a ramp-up/down gain corresponding to the actual motor angular speed;
a limit current adjustment unit configured to adjust the limit current by applying the ramp-up/down gain to the limit current; and
a limit current limit unit configured to limit the limit current within a presetting size.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the ramp-up/down gain is set in a way to reduce the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor current generation module comprises:
a motor current generation unit configured to generate the motor current by adding the limit current and the command current; and
a motor current limit unit configured to limit the motor current within a range of a preset motor current limit value and input the limited motor current to a motor.

### Claim 8

A steering control method of an electric power steering (EPS) system, the method comprising:
learning a learning end angle based on an end angle of an end of a rack bar based on a steering angle;
detecting a target limit angular speed based on the learning end angle and the steering angle, detecting an actual motor angular speed based on a steering angular speed, generating a limit current based on an error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed, and limiting the steering angular speed within the target limit angular speed; and
generating a motor current for motor control based on the limit current and a command current received from a steering control module,
wherein:
the learning of the learning end angle comprises:
determining whether a preset learning condition is satisfied; and
accumulating and storing the end angle whenever a result of the determination indicates that the learning condition is satisfied and detecting the learning end angle based on the accumulated and stored end angles; and
the determining of whether the learning condition is satisfied comprises:
determining whether an over load protection (OLP) operation condition is satisfied based on column torque and the steering angular speed; and
determining whether the steering angle exceeds a preset steering angle.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the detecting of the learning end angle comprises:
accumulating and storing a preset number of end angles whenever the learning condition is satisfied and calculating an average value of the end angles by averaging the accumulated and stored end angles; and
adding a presetting value to the average value, comparing a calculated addition value with the steering angle, and determining the learning end angle based on a result of the comparison.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the determining of the learning end angle comprises determining the average value as the learning end angle when the addition value is greater than the steering angle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the limiting of the steering angular speed within the target limit angular speed comprises:
detecting the target limit angular speed based on the learning end angle and the steering angle;
detecting the actual motor angular speed by applying a gear ratio to the steering angular speed; and
generating the limit current by performing proportional integral (PI) control based on the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed and adjusting the limit current based on the actual motor angular speed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the adjusting of the limit current based on the actual motor angular speed comprises:
detecting the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed;
generating the limit current by performing the PI control based on the error;
detecting a ramp-up/down gain corresponding to the actual motor angular speed;
adjusting the limit current by applying the ramp-up/down gain to the limit current; and
limiting the limit current within a presetting size.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the ramp-up/down gain is set in a way to reduce the error between the target limit angular speed and the actual motor angular speed.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the generating of the motor current comprises:
generating the motor current by adding the limit current and the command current; and
limiting the motor current within a range of a preset motor current limit value and inputting the limited motor current to a motor.