Patent ID: 8209091
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: B61B,B62D

Abstract:
1. A steering control method performed by a steering control apparatus for automatically steering a vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to run on a predetermined track, the vehicle incorporating steering mechanisms including actuators by means of which front and rear wheels of the vehicle run on the track, said method comprising the steps of: preparing a pattern steering angle table on which pattern steering angles for the front and rear wheels are listed for respective change points of the track before starting, in view of a track condition, a running condition and a vehicle condition from a departure point to a destination point in order to steer the vehicle in accordance with the pattern steering angles which are read from the table at every change point while a traveled distance from the departure point is detected, detecting a track widthwise position of the vehicle on running on the track so as to calculate correcting steering angles with which the track widthwise position of the vehicle coincides with a desired position, and adding the correcting steering angles to the pattern steering angles so as to calculate desired steering angles in order to steer the front and rear wheels in accordance with the desired steering angles, wherein the pattern steering angles, the correcting steering angles and the desired steering angles for the front wheels and for the rear wheels are independently calculated from each other.