Steering return control apparatus and method of motor driven power steering

A steering return control method of MDPS, comprising:

• calculating, by a damping controller, a default damping amount based on at least one of a column torque and column velocity depending on a vehicle velocity;
• determining, by the damping controller, whether at least one of the column torque, the column velocity and a vehicle velocity satisfies a preset damping compensation condition, detecting a damping compensation gain according to at least one of the column torque and the column velocity when the determination result indicates that the damping compensation condition is satisfied, and applying the detected damping compensation gain to the default damping amount;
• and
• determining, by the damping controller, whether the steering angle falls within a preset on-center region while the damping compensation condition is satisfied, detecting a damping compensation gain in the on-center region according to at least one of the column torque, the column velocity and a lateral acceleration when the determination result indicates that the steering angle falls within the on-center region, and applying the detected damping compensation gain to the default damping amount.