Steering apparatus for hev and method of controlling the same
AssigneeHyundai Motor Company
InventorJin Seok Bang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steering apparatus for a HEV which assists in providing power steering regardless whether an engine is being operated, and a method of controlling the same. More specifically, one or more detectors detect a vehicle speed, a steering angle, and an engine RPM, and a pump is controlled according to the engine RPM based upon signals received from the one or more detectors. Additionally, an electric motor unit (EMU) mounted to a steering column unit separately from the power steering pump, provides power assisting in steering the vehicle. Also a hybrid control unit (HCU) receives a signal from one or more of the detectors to control a power steering pump and an electric motor unit as required.
Claims6
A steering apparatus of a hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:
- one or more detectors configured to detect a vehicle speed, a steering angle, and an engine revolutions per minute (RPM);
- a pump controlled according to the engine RPM, that provides power for steering of a steering wheel;
- an electric motor unit (EMU) mounted to a steering column unit separately from the power steering pump, the EMU providing power for steering of the steering wheel;
- and
- a hybrid control unit (HCU) configured to receive one or more signals from the one or more detectors to control the pump and the electric motor unit based on the signals received,
- wherein steering power is supplied regardless of whether or not the engine is being operated.
A method of controlling a steering apparatus of a hybrid electric vehicle, the method comprising:
- determining, by a controller, whether an engine is operating;
- measuring, by one or more detectors, an engine RPM, a vehicle speed, a steering angle, and a steering angular speed;
- in response to the controller determining that the engine is operating, controlling a pump according to the engine RPM based on signals received from the one or more detectors regarding the engine RPM, the vehicle speed, the steering angle, and the steering angular speed;
- and
- in response to the controller determining that the engine is not operating, controlling an operation of the electric motor unit (EMU) to assist in steering of a steering wheel.
A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions executed by a processor or controller, the computer readable medium comprising:
- program instructions that determine whether an engine is operating;
- program instructions that control a pump according to an engine RPM based on signals received from one or more detectors regarding the engine RPM, a vehicle speed, a steering angle, and a steering angular speed in response to determining that the engine is operating;
- and
- program instructions that control an operation of the electric motor unit (EMU) to assist in steering of a steering wheel in response to the controller determining that the engine is not operating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.