Patent ID: 7962262

Claim:
A vehicle steering apparatus for use with a steering wheel in a vehicle for turning a steered wheel, the vehicle steering apparatus comprising: a motor; a variable transmission ratio device; and a controller, wherein the variable transmission ratio device varies a transmission ratio between a steering wheel turning angle determined through manipulation of the steering wheel and a steered angle of the steered wheel by combining a first operating angle of the steered wheel determined through manipulation of the steering wheel with a second operating angle of the steered wheel determined through actuation of the motor, and the controller controls operation of the variable transmission ratio device to bring about predetermined variable transmission ratio characteristics, and maintains a plurality of types of variable transmission ratio characteristics in a switchable state, wherein, if the steering wheel turning angle is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the controller switches the variable transmission ratio characteristics, wherein, if the steering wheel turning angle is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the controller does not switch the variable transmission ratio characteristics, and wherein the controller switches the variable transmission ratio characteristics if an angular speed of the second operating angle is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and does not switch the variable transmission ratio characteristics if the angular speed of the second operating angle is greater than or equal to the threshold value.