Patent ID: 8165757

Claim:
An apparatus for implementing an interlock of an electric power steering system comprising: an interface for receiving a torque sensor output from a torque sensor of the electric power steering system, a 3-phase feedback current including values Ia, Ib and Ic from a current sensor of the electric power steering system, and a rectifying positional value for the 3-phase feedback current from a rectifying positional sensor of the electric power steering system; a memory for storing a program for implementing the interlock of the electric power steering system; and a controller for executing a controlled implementation of the interlock of the electric power steering system through executing the program for implementing the interlock to calculate the absolute value of an output torque current value using values Ia and Ib of the 3-phase feedback current, determining the direction of the output torque current by using a rectifying positional value for a feedback current of one phase in the rectifying positional value for the 3-phase feedback current and the sign of a feedback current value of one phase in the values of the 3-phase feedback current corresponding to the rectifying positional value for the feedback current of one phase, and then comparing the torque sensor output to the output torque current value.