# US 12,179,853 B2 · Steering control device

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- Number: US 12,179,853 B2
- Document ID: US12179853B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/829,476
- Filed: 2022-06-01
- Published: 2022-12-08
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-07
- Assignees: Jtekt Corporation
- Applicants: Jtekt Corporation
- Inventors: Yoshiyuki Uchino; Isao Namikawa; Kenji Shibata; Takafumi Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179853B2

## CPC

- B62D 5/0463: {calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input}
- B62D 5/006: {power actuated}
- B62D 6/002: {computing target steering angles for front or rear wheels (B62D7/159 takes precedence)}
- B62D 6/008: {Control of feed-back to the steering input member, e.g. simulating road feel in steer-by-wire applications}
- 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 device controls, as a target, a steering device including a steering actuator and a turning actuator that has a structure with a power transmission path cut off from the steering actuator. The steering control device includes a control unit. The control unit is configured to execute; turning-side synchronization control when the absolute value of a deviation amount is a value within a first range; steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation mount is a value within a second range that is a larger value than a value within the first range; and at least one of the turning-side synchronization control and the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is a value within a third range that is a value between a value within the first range and a value within the second range.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steering control device that controls, as a target, a steering device including a steering actuator that operates to apply a steering reaction force to a steering wheel of a vehicle and a turning actuator that has a structure with a power transmission path mechanically separated from the steering actuator and that operates to turn turning wheels of the vehicle,
the steering control device comprising a control unit that executes synchronization control for controlling an operation of at least one of the steering actuator and the turning actuator such that a positional relationship between a rotational position of the steering wheel and a turning position of the turning wheels meets a predetermined correspondence relationship, wherein:
the control unit is configured to execute one or more processes including:
a deviation amount determination process of determining a magnitude of an absolute value of a deviation amount of the positional relationship from the predetermined correspondence relationship upon power to the vehicle being turned on, and
a synchronization control process of, based on a determination result of the deviation amount determination process, executing the synchronization control via at least one of a turning-side synchronization control of performing a correction process on the turning position of the turning wheels by operating the turning actuator and a steering-side synchronization control of performing a correction process on the rotational position of the steering wheel by operating the steering actuator; and
the control unit is configured to execute, in the synchronization control process:
the turning-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is a value within a first range;
the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is a value within a second range that is larger than the value within the first range; and
at least one of the turning-side synchronization control and the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is a value within a third range that is between the value within the first range and the value within the second range.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The steering control device according to claim 1, wherein:
the control unit is configured to execute the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is the value within the second range or the value within the third range; and
the control unit is configured such that the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is the value within the second range is executed as a correction process involving two actions of rotating the steering wheel in one direction and then rotating the steering wheel in a direction opposite from the one direction, and such that the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is the value within the third range is executed as a correction process involving one action of rotating the steering wheel in one direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to execute, of the turning-side synchronization control and the steering-side synchronization control, the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is a value within a fourth range that is a relatively small value among values within the third range, and to execute both the turning-side synchronization control and the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is a value within a fifth range that is a relatively large value among the values within the third range.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The steering control device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to execute, as the turning-side synchronization control and the steering-side synchronization control when the absolute value of the deviation amount is the value within the fifth range, the steering-side synchronization control until the absolute value of the deviation amount assumes the value within the first range and the turning-side synchronization control after the absolute value of the deviation amount assumes the value within the first range.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The steering control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to, when executing the turning-side synchronization control, perform the correction process on the turning position of the turning wheels after the power to the vehicle is turned on and the vehicle starts traveling, and when executing the steering-side synchronization control, perform the correction process on the rotational position of the steering wheel after the power to the vehicle is turned on and before the vehicle starts traveling.