US 11,794,807 B2
Steering control apparatus
Ryo Irie, Okazaki (JP); Yoji Kunihiro, Susono (JP); Yutaka Aoki, Miyoshi (JP); and Yoshio Kudo, Machida-shi (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on May 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/308,497.
Application 17/308,497 is a continuation of application No. 15/890,884, filed on Feb. 7, 2018, granted, now 11,027,777.
Claims priority of application No. 2017-071639 (JP), filed on Mar. 31, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0253164 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. B62D 6/00 (2006.01); B62D 6/08 (2006.01); B62D 5/04 (2006.01); B62D 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 6/008 (2013.01) [B62D 5/046 (2013.01); B62D 6/005 (2013.01); B62D 6/007 (2013.01); B62D 6/08 (2013.01); B62D 15/025 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A steering control apparatus that is capable of switching steering control between manual steering control to make a driver operate a steering mechanism and automatic steering control to operate the steering mechanism automatically by a motor, the steering control apparatus comprising:
a processor programed to:
acquire a target traveling route;
calculate a command steering angle that eliminates a difference between a real traveling route of a vehicle and the target traveling route;
calculate an original value of the command steering angle that makes the real traveling route converge with the target traveling route using a constant response;
calculate a recalculated value of the command steering angle that changes gradually from a real steering angle after switching to the automatic steering control to the original value of the command steering angle based on (i) a steering angle at a time the automatic steering control is started and (ii) the original value of the command steering angle; and
perform command steering angle tracking control to drive the motor so that the real steering angle tracks the command steering angle during the automatic steering control, the command steering angle tracking control being performed with the recalculated value of the command steering angle until the recalculated value of the command steering angle converges with the original value of the command steering angle.