Patent ID: 7073621
Filing Date: 2006-07-11
Classification: B60T,B62D

Abstract:
1. A device for controlling a steering characteristic of a vehicle, the vehicle having a vehicle body, at least one pair of left and right wheels including at least one pair of left and right steered wheels, a steering wheel and a steering apparatus operated based upon a motion of the steering wheel and a control of the device, so as to enhance an effect of suppressing a change in a behavior of the vehicle body due to a difference between driving and braking forces on the left and right wheels, wherein: the device makes an amount of controlling the steering characteristic smaller as an index indicating an amount of a shift of vertical loads between the left and right wheels is increased; and in the vehicle, a traction control is executed in which a braking force of a driven wheel of the wheels is controlled when either of acceleration slips on the driven wheels is excessive; the steering characteristic is controlled so as to enhance an effect of suppressing a change in a behavior of the vehicle due to a difference between driving forces on the left and right wheels; and the difference between the driving forces on the left and right wheels are estimated based upon a difference between the braking forces on the left and right driven wheels under the traction control for either of the driven wheels.