Steering control apparatus

Abstract

A steering controller is provided for use in a steering system in which a steering unit having a steering wheel 6 and a reaction motor 5 and a direction varying unit having steered wheels 16,16 and a direction varying motor 14 are mechanically disconnected from each other. Here, the steering controller performs: a direction varying torque control process for outputting a control command for applying a direction varying torque to the direction varying unit in accordance with the steering status of the steering wheel 6 to the direction varying motor 14; a steering reaction control process for outputting a control command for applying a steering reaction torque to the steering unit in accordance with the direction varying status of the steered wheels 16,16 to the reaction motor 5; and an control process for giving an end contact feeling to a driver through the steering wheel 6 the vicinity of a turning limit is reached. In the contact control process, when a direction varying angle of the steered wheels 16,16 reaches the vicinity of the maximum direction varying angle, correction of the steering reaction torque applied in the steering reaction control process is started and the steering reaction torque is gradually increased with the lapse of time after the beginning of correction.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.