Patent ID: 8068955
Filing Date: 2011-11-29
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A vehicle provided with a rear wheel toe angle varying device for individually varying toe angles of rear wheels, the rear wheel toe angle varying device comprising: a pair of drive units for steering the rear wheels; at least one sensor for detecting a dynamic state of the vehicle; a control unit for controlling the drive units according to an output of the dynamic state of the vehicle from the sensor; and a monitoring unit for detecting a failure to steer a rear wheel as controlled by the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured such that, upon detection of a failure to steer a rear wheel, the rear wheel of an opposite, healthy side is steered to a zero angle; a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle of front wheels of the vehicle, a straight travel determining unit for determining that the vehicle is traveling straight ahead, and a toe angle estimating unit that, upon occurrence of a failure of said control unit to steer one of the rear wheels, and the rear wheel of the opposite, healthy side being steered to a zero angle by said control unit, estimates a steering angle of the rear wheel of a faulty side from the steering angle of the front wheels when the straight travel determining unit determines the vehicle is traveling straight ahead.