US 7,577,505 B2
Electric power steering apparatus
Shigeki Nagase, Nabari (Japan)
Assigned to JTEKT Corporation, Osaka-shi (Japan)
Filed on Apr. 24, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/739,366.
Claims priority of application No. 2006-119127 (JP), filed on Apr. 24, 2006.
Prior Publication US 2007/0250233 A1, Oct. 25, 2007
Int. Cl. B62D 6/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 701—41  [701/22; 180/443] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric power steering apparatus capable of restricting a motor driving current, the apparatus comprising;
a brushless motor that generates assistant steering force to be supplied to a steering mechanism of an automotive vehicle;
a controller that acquires a level of three-phase voltage used for driving the brushless motor;
a motor driver that drives the brushless motor based on the level of the three-phase voltage acquired by the controller; and
a current detector that detects a level of three-phase current flowing in the brushless motor,
wherein the controller includes:
a current value converter that converts the level of the three-phase current into a d-axis current detection value and a q-axis current detection value,
a target current calculator that calculates a target value of a current supplied to the brushless motor on the basis of an input value including at least a steering torque,
a current value restrictor that restricts the target value calculated by the target current calculator so as not to be greater not only than a first restrict value based on a square sum of the d-axis current detection value and the q-axis current detection value but also than a second restrict value based on the squares of the level of the three-phase current, and
a voltage value determining unit that determines a level of three-phase voltages on the basis of target value restricted by the current value restrictor, the d-axis current detection value, and the q-axis current detection value.