US5934407A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Steering Assist System for vehicles
Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1996-11-27
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Granted: 1999-08-10
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Expires: 2016-11-27
Abstract
Abstract In a power assisted vehicle steering system, an actual traveling direction of the vehicle, and a tangential direction of a road on which the vehicle is traveling are detected, and the actuator for the steering system is controlled so as to reduce or minimize a deviation of the actual traveling direction of the vehicle from the road tangential direction. Thus, a supplemental steering torque is produced so as to force the direction of the vehicle into agreement with the direction of the road so that the effort required for the vehicle operator to maintain the vehicle on the road can be reduced or even eliminated, and the lateral stability of the vehicle is improved both on straight roads and curved roads.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuo Shimizu
- 👤 Hiroyuki Tokunaga
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 12:09
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62D; B62D5/00; B62D5/04; B62D6/00; B62D6/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A steering assist system for vehicles, comprising: a steering system for steering a vehicle; an actuator for applying a steering torque to said steering system; actual direction detecting means for detecting an actual traveling direction of said vehicle; target direction detecting means for detecting a tangential direction of a road on which said vehicle is traveling; and control means for controlling said actuator so as to produce a controlled steering torque which tends to reduce a deviation of said actual traveling direction of said vehicle from said road tangential direction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
90 words
A steering assist system for vehicles, comprising: a steering system for steering a vehicle; an actuator for applying a steering torque to said steering system; actual direction detecting means for detecting an actual traveling direction of said vehicle; target direction detecting means for detecting a tangential direction of a road on which said vehicle is traveling; and control means for controlling said actuator so as to produce a controlled steering torque which tends to reduce a deviation of said actual traveling direction of said vehicle from said road tangential direction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising manual steering input means, and a manual steering torque sensor for detecting a manual steering torque applied to said manual steering means, said control means including means for modifying said controlled steering torque according to a manual steering torque applied to said manual steering means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 2, wherein said modifying means adds a value corresponding to said manual steering torque to said controlled steering torque.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said actual direction detecting means comprises a compass which is adapted to detect a geomagnetic field.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said actual direction detecting means comprises a yaw rate sensor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 1, further comprising means for correcting an output signal from said actual direction detecting means according to an output signal from said target direction detecting means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said target direction detecting means comprises map information output means which produces map information of an area including a location of said vehicle, current position detecting means for detecting a current position of said vehicle in said map information, and road direction detecting means for detecting a direction of a road at a point where said vehicle is currently located.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A steering assist system for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said actual direction detecting means and said target direction detecting means both comprise means for predicting a direction of a part of the road which is some distance ahead of said vehicle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
90 words
A steering assist system for vehicles, comprising: a steering system for steering a vehicle; an actuator for applying a steering torque to said steering system; actual direction detecting means for detecting an actual traveling direction of said vehicle; target direction detecting means for detecting a tangential direction of a road on which said vehicle is traveling; and control means for controlling said actuator so as to produce a controlled steering torque which tends to minimize a deviation of said actual traveling direction of said vehicle from said road tangential direction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
90 words
A steering assist system for vehicles, comprising: a steering system for steering a vehicle; an actuator for applying a steering torque to said steering system; actual direction detecting means for detecting an actual traveling direction of said vehicle; target direction detecting means for detecting a tangential direction of a road on which said vehicle is traveling; and control means for controlling said actuator so as to produce a controlled steering torque which tends to minimize a deviation of said actual traveling direction of said vehicle from said road tangential direction.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-08-09 | 2003-02-08 | 2003-08-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-08-09 | 2007-02-08 | 2007-08-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-08-09 | 2011-02-08 | 2011-08-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |