Pedal reaction force applying device

A pedal reaction force applying device comprising:

• a pedal member provided to a vehicle and operable for a driver to perform a stepping-in operation in which the pedal member is operated in a stepping-in direction and a returning operation in which the pedal member is operated in a returning direction;
• an actuator configured to generate a power as a pedal reaction force applied to the pedal member in the stepping-in operation and the returning operation of the pedal member;
• a power transmitting device including a speed-reduction mechanism and provided between the pedal member and the actuator to transmit the power of the actuator to the pedal member via the speed-reduction mechanism;
• an operation direction determiner configured to determine whether an operation direction of the pedal member is the stepping-in direction or the returning direction;
• a reaction force controller configured to control the pedal reaction force, wherein
• the reaction force controller controls a magnitude of the pedal reaction force by controlling the power of the actuator based on the operation direction of the pedal member determined by the operation direction determiner;
• and
• an operation amount acquirer configured to acquire an operation amount of the pedal member, wherein
• the operation direction determiner determines that the operation direction of the pedal member is switched, when a change direction of the operation amount of the pedal member acquired by the operation amount acquirer is inverted and a variation related to the operation amount of the pedal member after the inversion becomes larger than a predetermined first variation threshold.

A pedal reaction force applying device comprising:

• a pedal member provided to a vehicle and operable for a driver to perform a stepping-in operation in which the pedal member is operated in a stepping-in direction and a returning operation in which the pedal member is operated in a returning direction;
• an actuator configured to generate a power as a pedal reaction force applied to the pedal member in the stepping-in operation and the returning operation of the pedal member;
• a power transmitting device including a speed-reduction mechanism and provided between the pedal member and the actuator to transmit the power of the actuator to the pedal member via the speed-reduction mechanism;
• an operation direction determiner configured to determine whether an operation direction of the pedal member is the stepping-in direction or the returning direction;
• a reaction force controller configured to control the pedal reaction force, wherein
• the reaction force controller controls a magnitude of the pedal reaction force by controlling the power of the actuator based on the operation direction of the pedal member determined by the operation direction determiner;
• and
• an operation amount acquirer configured to acquire an operation amount of the pedal member, wherein
• the operation direction determiner determines that the operation direction of the pedal member is switched, when a temporal variation related to the operation amount of the pedal member acquired by the operation amount acquirer becomes less than a predetermined second variation threshold.