Patent ID: 7234563
Filing Date: 2007-06-26
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
1. A steer-by-wire system comprising: a steering handle disconnected mechanically from steerable road wheels; a steering actuator responsive to a drive electric current related to a steering angle of said steering handle, and mechanically connected to said steerable road wheels for steering said steerable road wheels in dependence on the steering angle of said steering handle; reaction force generating means for applying steering reaction force to said steering handle; reaction force control means for controllably driving said reaction force generating means; and drive electric current restraining means for restraining the drive electric current to said steering actuator while the steering actuator is in a state of being overloaded; wherein said reaction force control means drives said reaction force generating means so the steering reaction force is controlled to correspond to the drive electric current applied to the steering actuator while the drive electric current restraining means does not restrain the drive electric current to said steering actuator, and so that while said drive electric current restraining means restrains the drive electric current to said steering actuator, the steering reaction force is increased to be larger than that corresponding to the drive electric current applied to the steering actuator when the drive electric current restraining means does not restrain the drive electric current to said steering actuator.