Patents by Inventor Koji ANRAKU

Koji ANRAKU has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20200307681
    Abstract: A steering control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to calculate an axial force component corresponding to an axial force acting on a steered shaft that operates so as to steer a steered wheel. The processor is also configured to calculate a restriction reaction force, when a vehicle comes into a condition in which steering of the steered wheel in one direction is restricted. The processor is also configured to calculate target reaction torque based on a reaction force component obtained by adding the axial force component and the restriction reaction force. The processor is also configured to perform, in the calculation of the axial force component, a guard process that restrains the reaction force component from becoming too large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke KAKIMOTO, Isao NAMIKAWA, Koji ANRAKU
  • Publication number: 20200307680
    Abstract: A steering control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to calculate an axial force component and a restriction reaction force. The processor is also configured to calculate target reaction torque based on a reaction force component obtained by adding the axial force component and the restriction reaction force. The processor is also configured to limit an absolute value of the reaction force component to a limit value or less, the limit value being such a value that the reaction force component does not become too large.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yusuke KAKIMOTO, Isao NAMIKAWA, Koji ANRAKU
  • Publication number: 20200307686
    Abstract: A steering apparatus includes: a mechanism that turns a turning wheel; a first motor that generates a driving force that is given to the mechanism; and a control device. The control device includes: a first computation circuit that computes a first limiting value to which an electric current to be supplied to the first motor is limited in a particular situation; a determination circuit that determines whether the turning wheel is in touch with an obstacle; a second computation circuit that computes a second limiting value to which the electric current to be supplied to the first motor is limited when the determination circuit determines that the turning wheel is in touch with the obstacle; and a third computation circuit that computes the threshold to be used by the determination circuit, based on a smaller limiting value of the first limiting value and the second limiting value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao NAMIKAWA, Koji ANRAKU, Yusuke KAKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20200298908
    Abstract: A steering device includes: a mechanism configured to turn turning wheels of a vehicle; a motor configured to generate drive force that is applied to the mechanism; and a controller configured to control the motor in accordance with a steering state. The controller includes a determination circuit configured to determine whether or not one of the turning wheels is in contact with an obstacle based on at least a value of electric current that is supplied to the motor and a vehicle speed. The controller is configured to, when one of the turning wheels is in contact with the obstacle, notify a driver that one of the turning wheels is in contact with the obstacle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicants: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao NAMIKAWA, Koji ANRAKU, Yusuke KAKIMOTO, Yoshio KUDO
  • Publication number: 20200298901
    Abstract: In a controller for a steering device, the steering device includes a structure where motive power transmission between a steering unit and a turning unit is separated. The controller includes a control circuit configured to control operation of a steering-side motor that is provided in the steering unit to give steering reaction force that is force against the steering input into the steering unit. In a case where turning of the turning wheels to one direction is restricted, the control circuit is configured to calculate restriction reaction force for restricting steering that is to turn the turning wheels to the one direction. The control circuit is configured to calculate the restriction reaction force based on information on the steering unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicants: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji ANRAKU, Isao NAMIKAWA, Yusuke KAKIMOTO, Yoshio KUDO, Tetsuya MORINO
  • Publication number: 20200269903
    Abstract: A steering control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit controls operation of a steering-side motor so as to apply a steering reaction force that resists a steering operation input to the steering wheel. The electronic control unit computes an obstruction strike reaction force for regulating a steering operation that steers a steered wheel toward an obstruction. The electronic control unit generates determination information indicating that the steered wheel is struck by an obstruction. The determination information includes first determination information indicating that the left side of the steered wheel is struck by an obstruction, and second determination information indicating that the right side of the steered wheel is struck by an obstruction. The electronic control unit sets a direction in which the obstruction strike reaction force is applied based on the generated determination information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicants: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Koji ANRAKU, Isao NAMIKAWA, Yusuke KAKIMOTO, Yoshio KUDO
  • Publication number: 20200269907
    Abstract: A steering system includes a mechanism configured to turn a steer wheel of a vehicle, a motor configured to generate driving force that is applied to the mechanism, and a controller configured to control the motor according to a steering status. The controller includes a limiting control circuit configured to limit a current that is supplied to the motor to a limiting value, a determining circuit configured to determine whether the steer wheel is in contact with an obstacle by using at least a comparison between a value of the current that is supplied to the motor and a threshold, and a threshold computing circuit configured to compute the threshold that is used by the determining circuit, the threshold computing circuit being configured to compute a value less than the limiting value according to the limiting value as the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicants: JTEKT CORPORATION, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Isao NAMIKAWA, Koji ANRAKU, Yusuke KAKIMOTO, Yoshio KUDO
  • Publication number: 20190367078
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls a steering reaction motor. The control apparatus includes an ideal axial force calculation circuit, an estimated axial force calculation circuit, an imaginary rack end axial force calculation circuit, an axial force allocation calculation circuit and a maximum value selection circuit. The calculation circuits calculate an ideal axial force based on a target pinion angle, an estimated axial force based on a current value of a steering operation motor, an imaginary rack end axial force for imaginarily limiting an operation range of a steering wheel, a mixed axial force obtained by allocating the ideal axial force and the estimated axial force at predetermined allocation ratios. The maximum value selection circuit selects the mixed axial force or the imaginary rack end axial force having a larger absolute value as an axial force to be reflected in the command value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji ANRAKU, Isao NAMIKAWA, Yusuke KAKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190351936
    Abstract: Provided is a steering control unit for supplying an appropriate steering reaction force in accordance with situations. A reaction force component calculation circuit includes a base reaction force calculation circuit that calculates a base reaction force, an end reaction force calculation circuit that calculates an end reaction force, an obstruction-hit reaction force calculation circuit that calculates an obstruction-hit reaction force, and a steered-side limit reaction force calculation circuit that calculates a steered-side limit reaction force. A reaction force selector circuit selects, as a selected reaction force, one of the end reaction force, the obstruction-hit reaction force, and the steered-side limit reaction force. The reaction force component calculation circuit calculates and outputs a reaction force component by adding the selected reaction force to the base reaction force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji ANRAKU, Isao NAMIKAWA, Yusuke KAKIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20190233001
    Abstract: A steering control device with reduced power consumption is provided. In the case where an IG signal is turned on, a CPU disengages a clutch, and operates torque of a steered-side motor in order to control the steered angle of steered wheels to a target steered angle that matches an operation on the steering wheel through feedback control. The CPU decreases a current that flows through the steered-side motor with respect to a request by feedback control in the case where the logical product of a statement that a vehicle speed is equal to or less than a prescribed speed, a statement that the absolute value of steering torque which is input torque input to the steering wheel is equal to or less than a prescribed value, and a statement that the absolute value of a steering speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Isao NAMIKAWA, Koji ANRAKU, Yuusuke KAKIMOTO, Satoshi MATSUDA
  • Publication number: 20190233000
    Abstract: A steering control device which can suppress a degradation in the steering feel caused when a steering wheel is moved back from a steering limit is provided. A steering control device controls a steer-by-wire steering system that includes a steering-side motor that generates a steering reaction force to be applied to a steering wheel to control operation of the steering-side motor. The steering control device includes an angular speed control circuit that performs feedback control on the steering-side motor in the case where a steering angle of the steering wheel reaches a virtual rack end and the steering wheel is steered back toward the steering neutral. The feedback control is performed such that a steering speed computed on the basis of the steering angle coincides with a target steering speed that is the target value for the steering speed and that is set in accordance with the steering angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi MATSUDA, Isao NAMIKAWA, Yuusuke KAKIMOTO, Koji ANRAKU
  • Patent number: 10099722
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus is provided which suppresses possible vibration of a steering system resulting from differential steering processing when a steering angle or a steered angle has a large value. A differential steering processing circuit calculates a differential steering correction amount based on a difference value of a target steering angle, and increases or reduces the target steering angle using the calculated amount to obtain a target steered angle. A limiting reaction force setting processing circuit increases a limiting reaction force when a maximum value of the target steering angle and the target steered angle is equal to or larger than a common threshold. When the maximum value approaches the common threshold, an angle-sensitive gain setting processing circuit reduces an angle-sensitive gain so as to correct and reduce the differential steering correction amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kodera, Naoki Yamano, Hidenori Itamoto, Yoshihiro Yamashita, Koji Anraku
  • Patent number: 9988076
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus includes a steering angle feedback processing unit and an operation signal generation processing unit that operate a reaction force actuator to adjust a steering angle to a target steering angle that is a target value for the steering angle based on feedback control, an ideal-axial-force calculation unit that calculates an ideal axial force, a road-surface-axial-force calculation unit that calculates a road surface axial force, an axial-force allocation calculation unit that calculates a base reaction force in which the ideal axial force and the road surface axial force are allocated in a predetermined ratio, and a target steering angle calculation processing unit that sets a target steering angle based on the base reaction force. The steering angle feedback processing unit feeds back the target steering angle in which road surface information is incorporated through the road surface axial force, so that the steering angle is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Kodera, Naoki Yamano, Hidenori Itamoto, Yoshihiro Yamashita, Koji Anraku
  • Patent number: 9988075
    Abstract: An update amount calculation processing circuit manipulates a control angle based on an update amount in order to perform feedback-control for causing a steering torque to be adjusted to a target torque. In this case, the update amount calculation processing circuit executes a guard process on the update amount with reference to an estimated amount of change that is a speed equivalent value based on estimation by an induced voltage observer. However, when a command current set by a command current setting processing circuit is zero, the update amount calculation processing circuit determines the estimated amount of change subjected to the guard process to be the update amount. When the command current is zero and the update amount is fixed to a guard value, an electric path between the synchronous motor and a battery is blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki Yamano, Hidenori Itamoto, Takashi Kodera, Yoshihiro Yamashita, Koji Anraku
  • Patent number: 9975571
    Abstract: Using an update amount, an update amount calculating circuit manipulates a phase-control angle so as to perform feedback control such that a steering torque corresponds to a target torque. The steering torque is obtained by reducing a steering torque in magnitude by a predetermined value. The phase-control angle is used to convert a current command value to a value of a fixed coordinate system, for example. Using a guard value, a guard processing circuit performs a guard process on a current command value set by a command value setting circuit, so that the current command value becomes the current command value. The guard value is used to determine an appropriate range for a variation in the current command value in accordance with an amount by which the steering torque exceeds in magnitude the target torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Anraku
  • Publication number: 20170355395
    Abstract: Using an update amount, an update amount calculating circuit manipulates a phase-control angle so as to perform feedback control such that a steering torque corresponds to a target torque. The steering torque is obtained by reducing a steering torque in magnitude by a predetermined value. The phase-control angle is used to convert a current command value to a value of a fixed coordinate system, for example. Using a guard value, a guard processing circuit performs a guard process on a current command value set by a command value setting circuit, so that the current command value becomes the current command value. The guard value is used to determine an appropriate range for a variation in the current command value in accordance with an amount by which the steering torque exceeds in magnitude the target torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji ANRAKU
  • Publication number: 20170267276
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus includes a steering angle feedback processing unit and an operation signal generation processing unit that operate a reaction force actuator to adjust a steering angle to a target steering angle that is a target value for the steering angle based on feedback control, an ideal-axial-force calculation unit that calculates an ideal axial force, a road-surface-axial-force calculation unit that calculates a road surface axial force, an axial-force allocation calculation unit that calculates a base reaction force in which the ideal axial force and the road surface axial force are allocated in a predetermined ratio, and a target steering angle calculation processing unit that sets a target steering angle based on the base reaction force. The steering angle feedback processing unit feeds back the target steering angle in which road surface information is incorporated through the road surface axial force, so that the steering angle is controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi KODERA, Naoki YAMANO, Hidenori ITAMOTO, Yoshihiro YAMASHITA, Koji ANRAKU
  • Publication number: 20170113720
    Abstract: A steering control apparatus is provided which suppresses possible vibration of a steering system resulting from differential steering processing when a steering angle or a steered angle has a large value. A differential steering processing circuit calculates a differential steering correction amount based on a difference value of a target steering angle, and increases or reduces the target steering angle using the calculated amount to obtain a target steered angle. A limiting reaction force setting processing circuit increases a limiting reaction force when a maximum value of the target steering angle and the target steered angle is equal to or larger than a common threshold. When the maximum value approaches the common threshold, an angle-sensitive gain setting processing circuit reduces an angle-sensitive gain so as to correct and reduce the differential steering correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi KODERA, Naoki YAMANO, Hidenori ITAMOTO, Yoshihiro YAMASHITA, Koji ANRAKU
  • Publication number: 20170113715
    Abstract: An update amount calculation processing circuit manipulates a control angle based on an update amount in order to perform feedback-control for causing a steering torque to be adjusted to a target torque. In this case, the update amount calculation processing circuit executes a guard process on the update amount with reference to an estimated amount of change that is a speed equivalent value based on estimation by an induced voltage observer. However, when a command current set by a command current setting processing circuit is zero, the update amount calculation processing circuit determines the estimated amount of change subjected to the guard process to be the update amount. When the command current is zero and the update amount is fixed to a guard value, an electric path between the synchronous motor and a battery is blocked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoki YAMANO, Hidenori ITAMOTO, Takashi KODERA, Yoshihiro YAMASHITA, Koji ANRAKU