Patent ID: 6502024
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: B62D,H02M

Abstract:
An electric power steering apparatus being provided with: a torque sensor for detecting a steering torque applied to a steering wheel; and a steering assisting motor driven by a drive circuit to which a voltage of a mounted battery is applied, in which a motor current instruction value representative of a value of current to flow through said motor is determined based on the steering torque detected by said torque sensor, said drive circuit rotates said motor in accordance with the determined motor current instruction value, and a steering power is assisted by a rotation torque outputted by said motor, said electric power steering apparatus comprising:judging means for judging whether the motor current instruction value is higher than a first threshold value; a boosting instruction generator operative, when said judging means judges that the motor current instruction value is higher, and outputting a boosting instruction; and a boosting circuit boosting the voltage of said mounted battery in response to the boosting instruction, wherein said voltage boosted by said boosting circuit is applied to said drive circuit so that boosted voltage is applied with increased steering torque.