| CPC B60W 30/09 (2013.01) [B60W 10/20 (2013.01); B60W 40/02 (2013.01); B60W 2540/18 (2013.01); B60W 2710/202 (2013.01)] | 3 Claims |
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1. A vehicle steering assist device comprising:
a steering wheel operated by a driver, an operated amount of the steering wheel being a steering angle;
a steering device configured to turn a turning wheel in accordance with the steering angle and apply a return torque to urge the steering wheel to a neutral position, wherein the return torque is increased as the steering angle increases;
a control torque generating device that applies a control torque to the steering wheel to modify the return torque in order to assist a steering operation of the driver;
a surrounding information detecting device including a radar sensor and a camera sensor configured to detect an obstacle and a lane; and
a processor configured to
calculate a target steering angle for causing the vehicle to travel along the lane detected by the surrounding information detecting device,
set a map that defines the control torque in relation to a deviation between the steering angle and the target steering angle, for a range where the deviation is positive and a range where the deviation is negative, such that
i) a ratio of an increase amount of the modified return torque to an increase amount of the steering angle is higher compared with when the control torque is not applied, in the range where the deviation is positive, and
ii) a ratio of a decrease amount of the modified return torque to a decrease amount of the steering angle is higher compared with when the control torque is not applied, in the range where the deviation is negative, and
instruct the control torque generating device to apply the control torque defined by the map,
determine whether avoidance steering is required for the vehicle to avoid collision colliding with the obstacle when the surrounding information detecting device detects the obstacle in front of the vehicle, and
reset the map in response to a determination that the avoidance steering is required such that a ratio of a change amount of the modified return torque to a change amount of the steering angle from the target steering angle is smaller compared with when the processor determines that the avoidance steering is not required.
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