Electric power steering control system and method for controlling the electric power steering control system

摘要

In the conventional electric power steering control system, a steering force applied by a driver to a steering wheel is detected and a torque of a motor is determined on the basis of the detected steering force. In such a prior system, at the time of going round a gentle curve, going round an intersection at an extremely low speed or the like, any steering wheel return torque is not generated unless the driver returns the steering wheel, and drive feeling is not improved. First, a road surface reaction torque estimator 15 estimates a road surface reaction torque on the basis of a steering wheel angle. A neutral point learning unit 24 and a neutral point compensator 25 learn a neutral point of the steering wheel on the basis of the road surface reaction torque with respect to the steering wheel angle. A return torque for returning the steering wheel to the neutral point is computed from a difference between a current angle of the motor and the learned neutral point. As a result, the steering wheel returns to the neutral point under the current driving condition without application of any force to the steering wheel by the driver.