Patent ID: 6466848
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A motor vehicle steering angle detector for detecting a steering angle of a steering mechanism of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle steering angle detector comprising:a steering angle detecting section which receives an initial value applied thereto when an ignition key of the motor vehicle is turned on, and detects a relative steering angle indicative of a direction and degree of a steering operation; a steering angle midpoint computing section which repeatedly performs a computation during traveling of the motor vehicle to determine a steering angle midpoint value which corresponds to an output value of the steering angle detecting section indicative of a steering angle midpoint; an absolute steering angle calculating section which calculates an absolute steering angle on the basis of the steering angle midpoint value determined by the steering angle midpoint computing section and the relative steering angle detected by the steering angle detecting section; a rewritable nonvolatile memory for storing therein a latest steering angle midpoint value determined by the steering angle midpoint computing section; and a section for setting the steering angle midpoint value stored in the nonvolatile memory as a tentative steering angle midpoint value for the calculation of the absolute steering angle before the steering angle midpoint is newly determined by the steering angle midpoint computing section immediately after the turn-on of the ignition key.