METHOD OF LEARNING NEUTRAL POSITION OF VEHICLE STEERING

• Main Authors: YAMADA KIICHI, MIYATA YASUYUKI, OOTAKE KATSUNORI, ITO MASAYOSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.01.1992
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; IGNITION, OTHER THAN COMPRESSION IGNITION, FORINTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES; LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TESTING OF IGNITION TIMING IN COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

PURPOSE:To improve reliability of steering control by learning the rotatory angle of a steering shaft as a neutral position at the time when the straight advance running is carried out for a fixed period of time at an assigned speed or more and calculating the vehicle steering angle by an angular displacement from this neutral position thereafter. CONSTITUTION:A steering angle sensor 84, a steering shaft standard position sensor 86, and rear wheel rotation sensors 80, 81 to detect the peripheral velocity of the rear wheels which are driven wheels on the left & right and the car speed are provided, and their output signals are input into ECu 15. Now when the car speed is over a running threshold value, the difference in peripheral velocities of the left & right rear wheels is smaller than the first straight advance threshold value, and the standard position of the steering shaft is being detected continually for more than the first count time, it is judged to be the neutral position. Also, when the car speed is over its running threshold value, and the state that the difference in peripheral velocities of the left & right rear wheels is smaller than the second straight advance threshold value is being detected continually for more than the second count time, it is judged to be the neutral position. The steering angle is sought by using those results of judgement alternatively.