Patent ID: 8738230

Claim:
A steering control apparatus for a vehicle comprising a steering wheel operated by a driver, a force providing unit that provides a predetermined force for the operation of the steering wheel, and an operation control unit that controls the operation of the force providing unit, the operation control unit comprises: a first-controlled-variable input unit that inputs a first controlled variable output from an apparatus which controls a traveling behavior of the vehicle, the first controlled variable being used to provide a first force for the operation of the steering wheel so as to correct the traveling behavior of the vehicle; a second-controlled-variable calculation unit that calculates a second controlled variable used to provide a second force for the operation of the steering wheel so as to reduce an operating force applied to the steering wheel by the driver or resist against the operating force; a gain calculation unit that calculates a gain which decreases as the first controlled variable input by the first-controlled-variable input unit increases and increases as the input first controlled variable decreases, the gain changing the magnitude of the second controlled variable calculated by the second-controlled-variable calculation unit; an arbitration unit that prohibits output of the second controlled variable changed in accordance with the gain and permitting output of the first controlled variable when the magnitude of the second controlled variable which is decreasing in accordance with the gain calculated by the gain calculation unit becomes smaller than a preset predetermined permission value, and permits the output of the second controlled variable changed in accordance with the gain and prohibiting the output of the first controlled variable when the magnitude of the second controlled variable which is increasing in accordance with the gain is smaller than the predetermined permission value; and an operation unit that operates the force providing unit by use of the first controlled variable or the second controlled variable changed in accordance with the gain, the output of which is permitted by the arbitration unit.