Patent ID: 9352770
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: B62D

Claim Text:
1. An electric power steering apparatus comprising: an electric motor configured to give a steering system a steering assist force to reduce steering load on a driver; a torque detection unit configured to detect steering torque; a steering assist command value calculation unit configured to calculate a steering assist command value at least based on the steering torque detected by the torque detection unit; a clipping unit configured to limit, using a predetermined limiting value, the steering assist command value calculated by the steering assist command value calculation unit so as not to exceed an acceptable range based on the steering torque detected by the torque detection unit; a motor control unit configured to perform driving control of the electric motor based on the steering assist command value limited by the clipping unit; an interlock unit having a monitoring function to permit or prohibit the driving control of the electric motor by the motor control unit based on the steering torque detected by the torque detection unit and the steering assist command value limited by the clipping unit; a torque abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the steering torque detected by the torque detection unit; a torque alternative value calculation unit configured to calculate a steering torque alternative value when the torque abnormality detection unit detects the abnormality, based on normal steering torque that is detected by the torque detection unit when the abnormality is not detected; an input switching unit configured to switch an input value of the clipping unit from the steering torque detected by the torque detection unit to the steering torque alternative value calculated by the torque alternative value calculation unit, when the torque abnormality detection unit detects the abnormality; and an interlock mask unit configured to switch an input value of the interlock unit from the steering assist command value limited by the clipping unit to zero, when the torque abnormality detection unit detects the abnormality.