Actuation acquisition device

Abstract

To satisfactorily acquire an operation amount in an operation amount acquisition device, in which the operation amount of an actuator is acquired.SOLUTION: In an operation amount acquisition device, when a vehicle is travelling in a predetermined setting in a state where an actuator is controlled on the basis of an operation amount detected by an operation amount detection device, the operation amount is acquired on the basis of a first physical amount detected by a first physical amount detection device. A change in the first physical amount is greater compared to a change in the operation amount. Therefore, in the case of the first physical amount when the vehicle is travelling in the setting state, the validity of the operation amount detected by the operation amount detection device can be satisfactorily acquired.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an operation amount acquisition device for acquiring the operation amount of an actuator.

Background Art

[0002] In the steering system described in Patent Document 1, when the difference between the actual yaw rate and the front wheel yaw rate is smaller than a set value, or when the difference between the actual yaw rate and the rear wheel yaw rate is smaller than the set value, it is determined that the vehicle is in the neutral position. Further, when the vehicle is in the neutral position, the deviation between the estimated steering angle estimated based on the yaw rate and the detected steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor is stored. The set value is a value obtained by subtracting the error of the yaw rate sensor from the threshold value. The steering angle is the operating angle of the steering wheel.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to acquire the operation amount of an actuator well in an operation amount acquisition device for acquiring the operation amount of an actuator. Means, actions, and effects for solving the problems

[0005] In the operation amount acquisition device according to the present invention, when the vehicle is traveling in a predetermined set state in a state where the actuator is controlled based on the operation amount detected by the operation amount detection device, the operation amount is acquired based on the first physical quantity detected by the first physical quantity detection device.

[0006] The change in the first physical quantity is greater than the change in the working quantity. Therefore, if the working quantity detected by the working quantity detection device is based on the first physical quantity when the vehicle is running in the set state, the validity of the working quantity can be obtained well. For these reasons, by ensuring that the working quantity is obtained based on the first physical quantity when the vehicle is running in the set state, the working quantity can be obtained well. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This diagram conceptually shows the entire operational quantity acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram conceptually illustrates a rear-wheel steering system, including an on-board device which is a component of the above-mentioned operational value acquisition device. [Figure 3] This diagram conceptually illustrates the relationship between the rotational speed of the actuator and the change in the position of the steering rod in the on-board rear-wheel steering system described above. [Figure 4] This diagram conceptually illustrates the relationship between the steering angles of the right and left rear wheels and the amount of operation of the control member when the vehicle is traveling straight, in the rear-wheel steering system described above. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the rear wheel steering angle control program stored in the memory unit of the rear wheel steering system described above. [Figure 6] This flowchart conceptually represents the alignment adjustment program stored in the memory unit of the above-mentioned operational amount acquisition device. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows a portion of the operation amount acquisition program stored in the memory unit of the operation amount acquisition device described above. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart representing another part of the aforementioned operation quantity acquisition program. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the program for acquiring the operating amount during straight-line driving, which is stored in the memory unit of the above-mentioned operating amount acquisition device. [Figure 10] (10A)(10B) This figure shows one embodiment in which the position of the steering rod is adjusted during rear wheel steering angle control in the above rear wheel steering system. [Figure 11] (11A)(11B) This figure shows another embodiment, different from the one shown in Figure 9. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the adjustment of the steering rod position when the vehicle is stationary. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, an operating amount acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. This operating amount acquisition device acquires the operating amount of an actuator included in a rear wheel steering system installed in a vehicle. [Examples]

[0009] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle includes a dynamic rear steering system 4, an electric power steering (EPS) system 6, and the like. The dynamic rear steering system 4 steers the left rear wheel 10L and the right rear wheel 10R. The electric power steering system 6 steers the left front wheel 12L and the right front wheel 12R.

[0010] Hereafter, the left rear wheel 10L and the right rear wheel 10R will be abbreviated as left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R. The left front wheel 12L and the right front wheel 12R will be abbreviated as left and right front wheels 12L and 12R. The electric power steering system 6 will be abbreviated as EPS system 6.

[0011] The rear wheel steering system 4 includes a housing 20, a steering rod 22, a power transfer device 24, etc. The housing 20 extends in the width direction of the vehicle and is held by a vehicle body side member (not shown). The steering rod 22 extends in a direction parallel to the axis L. Tie rods 26L and 26R are connected to both ends of the steering rod 22, respectively. The left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R are connected to the tie rods 26L and 26R, respectively. The axis L extends in the width direction of the vehicle. The direction parallel to the axis L will be abbreviated as the axial direction below.

[0012] The steering rod 22 is held in the housing 20 so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction and non-rotatable relative to the axis L. The steering rod 22 is held in the housing 20 by spline fitting or the like. Further, a male screw portion 22s is provided at an intermediate portion of the steering rod 22.

[0013] The moving force applying device 24 applies a moving force, which is an axial force, to the steering rod 22. The moving force applying device 24 includes an actuator 30, a nut member 32, a motion conversion mechanism 34, and the like. The actuator 30 includes an electric motor 36 and the like. The electric motor 36 includes a stator 36a and a rotating shaft portion 36b. The nut member 32 is provided so as to be rotatable integrally with the rotating shaft portion 36b.

[0014] The stator 36a is fixedly provided in the housing 20. A pair of bearings 38, 39 are provided between the rotating shaft portion 36b and the housing 20, and a bearing 44 is provided between the nut member 32 and the housing 20. As a result, the rotating shaft portion 36b and the nut member 32 are held in the housing 20 so as to be non-movable relative to each other in the axial direction and rotatable relative to the axis L. The rotating shaft portion 36b is provided on the inner peripheral side of the stator 36a so as to extend in the axial direction. The rotating shaft portion 36b has a hollow shape, and the steering rod 22 passes through the central portion thereof. The male screw portion 22s of the steering rod 22 is screwed into the female screw portion 32s provided on the inner peripheral surface of the nut member 32.

[0015] Note that the actuator 30 can include a speed reducer that reduces the rotational speed of the electric motor 36.

[0016] In this embodiment, the motion conversion mechanism 34 is constituted by the female screw portion 32s of the nut member 32, the male screw portion 22s of the steering rod 22, and the like.

[0017] In the steering system, when the nut member 32 is rotated by the actuator 30, the steering rod 22 is moved in the axial direction, and the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R are steered via the tie rods 26L and 26R. Also, in this embodiment, for example, when the steering rod 22 is in the neutral position, the actuator 30 is in the neutral position. Also, in that case, the steering angles of the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R are set to 0°. Further, at the neutral position of the steering rod 22, the cumulative rotation number of the actuator 30 is 0, and the displacement from the neutral position of the steering rod 22 is 0. Hereinafter, the steering angles of the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R may be referred to as rear wheel steering angles. Similarly, the steering angles of the left and right front wheels 12L and 12R may be referred to as front wheel steering angles.

[0018] In this embodiment, the cumulative rotation number from the neutral position of the actuator 30, the displacement (movement amount) from the neutral position of the steering rod 22, and the rear wheel steering angle correspond to each other in a one-to-one manner. For the rear wheel steering system 4 according to this embodiment, for example, it is considered that when the actuator 30 (nut member 32) rotates once, the steering rod 22 moves 0.1 mm, and the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R are steered by 0.1°.

[0019] The rear wheel steering system 4 is provided with a rear wheel steering ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 mainly composed of a computer. The rear wheel steering ECU 50 includes an execution unit 50c, a storage unit 50m, an input / output unit 50f, etc. A resolver 52, an absolute angle sensor 54, a database 56, a lateral acceleration sensor 58, etc. are connected to the input / output unit 50f.

[0020] The resolver 52 is an example of a rotation number detection device that detects the rotation number of the actuator 30. In this embodiment, the rotation numbers detected by the resolver 52 are accumulated, and the cumulative rotation number Nc is obtained. The resolver 52 can accurately detect the rotation number of the actuator 30. The tolerance of the resolver 52 is smaller than one rotation of the actuator 30. The tolerance refers to the allowable variation in the value detected by the sensor.

[0021] The absolute angle sensor 54 detects the relative position of the steering rod 22 with respect to the housing 20. In this embodiment, the absolute angle sensor 54 detects the displacement of the steering rod 22 from its neutral position. The neutral position of the steering rod 22 is acquired in advance before the vehicle is shipped, but is also acquired and learned after driving. The displacement of the steering rod 22 from its neutral position is sometimes referred to as the position of the steering rod 22 or the rod position.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, the absolute angle sensor 54 has low accuracy in detecting the displacement of the steering rod 22 from the neutral position. The tolerance of the absolute angle sensor 54 is ±0.15 mm. Therefore, it is difficult to detect the difference in the position of the steering rod 22 corresponding to a difference of one rotation in the rotational speed of the actuator 30 using the absolute angle sensor 54.

[0023] The database 56 may be connected to the rear-wheel steering ECU 50 (external) or built into the rear-wheel steering ECU 50. The database 56 stores the cumulative rotational speed Ne when OFF, the rod position Pe when OFF, the steering amount dm when driving straight, etc. The cumulative rotational speed Ne when OFF is the cumulative rotational speed when the main switch 100 is switched from ON to OFF. The rod position Pe when OFF is the rod position when the main switch 100 is switched from ON to OFF, and is obtained based on the cumulative rotational speed Ne when OFF. The steering amount d when driving straight is the amount of steering from the neutral position of the steering operating member 70 when the vehicle is driving straight.

[0024] The lateral acceleration sensor 58 detects the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle. When the vehicle is traveling in a straight line on a flat surface, the lateral acceleration is less than the set value. However, even when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line, if it is traveling on an inclined surface (camber), the lateral acceleration will be greater than the set value. Also, if the vehicle body is in a roll position, the lateral acceleration will be greater than the set value.

[0025] The EPS system 6 assists the steering force applied to the steering control member 70 to steer the left and right front wheels 12L and 12R. The EPS system 6 provides an assist force corresponding to the amount of operation θ from the neutral position of the steering control member 70. The amount of operation θ from the neutral position of the steering control member 70 is detected by the operation state detection device 72. The steering control member 70 is operable by the driver. The steering control member 70 can be, for example, a steering wheel, but is not limited to that. When the steering control member 70 is a steering wheel, the amount of operation can be referred to as the operating angle.

[0026] The EPS system 6 may include, for example, an electric power steering ECU 60, a housing 62, a steering rod 64, a power transfer device (not shown), and the like. The steering operating member 70 is connected to the steering shaft 76 and the gearbox 78. The steering rod 64 is provided with a rack (not shown). The steering operating member 70 is engaged with the rack of the steering rod 64 in the gearbox 78. Hereinafter, the electric power steering ECU 60 will be abbreviated as EPSECU 60.

[0027] EPSECU60 is primarily a computer-based system, and its input / output section is connected to an operating state detection device 72, a resolver 82, an absolute angle sensor 84, a yaw rate sensor 86, and other components. The yaw rate sensor 86 detects the yaw rate. The yaw rate is the rotational speed of the vehicle around its vertical axis. If the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate sensor 86 is below a set value, it can be estimated that the vehicle is traveling in a straight line.

[0028] In this embodiment, when the steering control member 70 is in the neutral position, the steering rod 64 is considered to be in the neutral position, and the front wheel steering angle is considered to be 0. Also, when the steering control member 70 is operated by 1.5°, the front wheel steering angle is considered to be approximately 0.1°.

[0029] In this embodiment, the vehicle is determined to be in a straight-line driving state when the detected value γ of the yaw rate sensor 66 remains smaller than the set value γth for a set time or longer. The straight-line driving state is an example of a set state. When the vehicle is in a straight-line driving state, the operation amount θ of the steering operation member 70 is detected by the operation state detection device 72, and the straight-line operation amount d is obtained. The straight-line operation amount d is updated and learned as needed.

[0030] In EPSECU60, the program for acquiring the steering input during straight-line driving, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 9, is executed at set intervals when the vehicle is in motion.

[0031] In step 201 (hereinafter abbreviated as S201; the same applies to other steps), it is determined whether the vehicle is in a straight-ahead driving state. If the determination is YES, in S202, the operating amount θ of the steering operating member 70 is detected by the operating state detection device 72, and in S203, the operating amount d for straight-ahead driving is acquired and stored through learning.

[0032] Multiple ECUs, such as the rear-wheel steering ECU 50 and EPSECU 60, are connected via a CAN (Controller Area Network) 90. The CAN 90 is connected to the drive ECU 91, the Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS) ECU 92, the driving control ECU 94, and others. These rear-wheel steering ECU 50, EPSECU 60, drive ECU 91, ADAS ECU 92, and driving control ECU 94 are capable of communicating with each other.

[0033] The drive ECU 91 controls the vehicle's drive system (not shown). The vehicle's main switch 100 and the like are connected to the drive ECU 91. Information indicating the ON / OFF state of the main switch 100 is supplied to the rear wheel steering ECU 50 and the like via CAN 90. The main switch 100 can be, for example, an ignition switch.

[0034] The automatic driving support ECU 92 assists in the driving of the vehicle. This assistance includes assistance with the driver's operation. The automatic driving support ECU 92 is connected to the surrounding environment acquisition device 102, etc. The surrounding environment acquisition device 102 acquires surrounding objects, etc., which are objects located around the vehicle, and acquires the relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the surrounding objects, etc. The surrounding environment acquisition device 102 includes a camera, etc. Information representing the relative positional relationship between the vehicle and the surrounding objects, etc., is supplied to the rear wheel steering ECU 50, etc., via CAN 90.

[0035] The driving control ECU 94 is designed to stabilize the vehicle's driving. Therefore, the driving control ECU 94 can be called a Vehicle Stability Control ECU. Wheel speed sensors 104 and the like are connected to the driving control ECU 94. Wheel speed sensors 104 are provided for each of the left and right front wheels 12L and 12R, and the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R. The wheel speed sensors 104 detect the rotational speed of the left and right front wheels 12L and 12R, and the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R, respectively. Based on the values ​​detected by the wheel speed sensors 104, the vehicle's driving speed can be detected. Information representing the vehicle's driving speed v is supplied to the rear wheel steering ECU 50 and the like via CAN 90.

[0036] The operation of the vehicle configured as described above will now be explained. In the rear wheel steering ECU 50, the target steering angles for the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R are determined. The target steering angles for the rear wheels may be determined based on the relative positional relationship between the vehicle and surrounding objects, or based on the amount of operation θ of the steering control member 70 and the vehicle's travel speed v, etc. The target steering angles for the rear wheels may be determined in the same phase as the target steering angles for the front wheels, or in the opposite phase, etc.

[0037] In the rear-wheel steering ECU 50, while the main switch 100 is ON, the rotational speed of the actuator 30 is detected by the resolver 52, and the cumulative rotational speed of the resolver 52 is obtained. Based on the cumulative rotational speed, the position of the steering rod 22 is obtained, and the rear-wheel steering angle is obtained. Then, the actuator 30 is controlled so that the obtained rear-wheel steering angle approaches the target rear-wheel steering angle.

[0038] In contrast, while the main switch 100 is OFF, the resolver 52 does not detect the rotational speed of the actuator 30. Therefore, for example, when the main switch 100 is switched from ON to OFF, the cumulative rotational speed Ne when OFF is stored in the database 56. Also, as mentioned above, the rod position Pe when OFF is stored in the database 56. Next, when the main switch 100 is switched from OFF to ON, it is conceivable that the cumulative rotational speed Ne when OFF is used as the count starting value Ncf, and the counting of the cumulative rotational speed of the actuator 30 begins. Ne→Ncf

[0039] However, if an external force is applied to the vehicle body while the main switch 100 is OFF and the actuator 30 is stopped, the steering rod 22 in the rear wheel steering system 4 may be moved. This may be described as the steering rod 22 being "moved" or "caused to move."

[0040] For example, this could occur if a large force is applied to the rear of the vehicle, if vibrations occur due to the vehicle being transported on a car carrier, and if the steering control member 70 is locked. In these cases, the steering rod 64 in the EPS system 6 may hardly move, while the steering rod 22 in the rear-wheel steering system 4 may move.

[0041] In this way, when "movement" occurs, the actual cumulative rotation count of the actuator 30 at the time the main switch 100 is turned ON will differ from the cumulative rotation count Ne when it is OFF. Therefore, if the cumulative rotation count Ne when it is OFF is set as the count starting value Ncf, the cumulative rotation count of the actuator 30 will differ from the actual cumulative rotation count. This makes it impossible to accurately obtain the rear wheel steering angle, and makes it difficult to control the rear wheel steering angle with precision.

[0042] Therefore, when the main switch 100 is turned from OFF to ON, the position of the steering rod 22 is detected by the absolute angle sensor 54, and the detected rod position is defined as the ON rod position Ps. Then, it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position Pe and the ON rod position Ps |Pe-Ps| is greater than the judgment threshold ΔPth. If the absolute value of these differences |Pe-Ps| is greater than the judgment threshold ΔPth, it is determined that "movement" occurred while the main switch 100 was OFF. The judgment threshold ΔPth can be set to a magnitude that suggests the steering rod 22 was moved by an external force. The judgment threshold ΔPth is one form of the second threshold.

[0043] If "movement" occurs while the main switch 100 is OFF, then when the main switch 100 switches from OFF to ON, the steering rod 22 is considered to be in the ON position Ps. Therefore, the cumulative rotational speed Ns is obtained based on the ON position Ps and set as the ON cumulative rotational speed Ns. Then, the ON cumulative rotational speed Ns is set as the starting value Ncf for the count. Ns→Ncf

[0044] Then, the cumulative rotational speed of actuator 30 is counted from the count starting value Ncf. This suggests that the cumulative rotational speed Nc of actuator 30 has been corrected based on the detected value of the absolute angle sensor 54.

[0045] In the rear-wheel steering ECU 50, the rear-wheel steering angle control program, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 5, is executed at predetermined set intervals.

[0046] In S101, it is determined whether the main switch 100 has been switched from OFF to ON. If the determination is YES, S102-108 are executed.

[0047] In S102 and S103, the OFF cumulative rotational speed Ne and OFF rod position Pe are read from the database 56, and the ON rod position Ps is detected by the absolute angle sensor 54. In S104, it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between these values ​​|Pe-Ps| is greater than the judgment threshold ΔPth. If the determination is NO, in S105 and S106, the OFF cumulative rotational speed Ne is set as the count starting value Ncf, and the counting of the cumulative rotational speed Nc starts from the count starting value Ncf.

[0048] On the other hand, if the determination in S104 is YES, in S107 the cumulative rotational speed Ns when ON is determined based on the rod position Ps when ON, and the cumulative rotational speed Ns when ON is set as the count starting value Ncf. In S108, the counting of the cumulative rotational speed of the actuator 30 starts from the count starting value Ncf.

[0049] On the other hand, if the result of S101 is NO, then in S109, it is determined whether or not the main switch 100 is in the ON state. If the result of S101 is NO and the result of S109 is YES, then S102-108 are not executed, and S110 onwards are executed.

[0050] Next, in S110, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has started moving. If the determination is YES, in S111, the rear wheel steering angle is controlled. The position of the steering rod 22 is obtained based on the cumulative rotational speed Nc, and the rear wheel steering angle is obtained. Then, the actuator 30 is controlled so that the rear wheel steering angle approaches the target rear wheel steering angle.

[0051] In S112, it is determined whether the vehicle has finished running, and in S113, it is determined whether the main switch 100 has been turned OFF. If the result of S112 is NO, S111 is executed repeatedly, and if the result of S113 is NO, S110-113 are executed repeatedly. If the results of S112 and S113 are YES, S114-116 are executed.

[0052] In S114, the counting of the cumulative rotational speed Nc is completed, in S115 the cumulative rotational speed Ne when the engine is OFF is obtained, and the rod position Pe when the engine is OFF is obtained, and in S116 these are stored in the database 56.

[0053] However, as mentioned above, the tolerance of the absolute angle sensor 54 is large, making it difficult to accurately detect displacements of 0.15 mm or less of the steering rod 22. Even if the cumulative rotation count is corrected based on the detected value of the absolute angle sensor 54, the corrected cumulative rotation count may differ from the actual cumulative rotation count. This makes it difficult to accurately control the rear wheel steering angle.

[0054] For example, even if the steering is controlled so that the rear wheel steering angle becomes 0° and the front wheel steering angle becomes 0°, the rear wheel steering angle may not be 0° even if the front wheel steering angle is controlled to 0°. In this case, if straight-line driving is desired, the steering control member 70 is operated, and the left and right front wheels 12L and 10R are also steered.

[0055] When the front wheel steering angle and the rear wheel steering angle are the same, the vehicle will travel in a deviated direction, as shown in Figure 4. Deviated driving refers to straight-line driving with the axis Lf, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, tilted relative to the direction of travel F, as shown in Figure 4. Since the vehicle travels in a straight line in the direction of wheels 10L, 10R, 12L, and 12R, the direction of travel of the vehicle is F. In contrast, the axis Lf, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, is tilted relative to the direction of travel F. The axis Lf, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, is called the longitudinal axis.

[0056] From the above, it is clear that when the rear wheel steering angle is large, the amount of operation d of the steering control member 70 during straight-line driving is larger than when the rear wheel steering angle is small. Furthermore, based on the amount of operation d during straight-line driving, it is possible to obtain the front wheel steering angle, and similarly, the rear wheel steering angle can be obtained.

[0057] In this embodiment, the rear wheel steering angle is obtained based on the amount of operation of the steering control member 70 (straight-line operation amount d) when the rear wheel steering angle is controlled so that the vehicle travels in a straight line. Then, the actual cumulative rotational speed of the actuator 30 is obtained based on the rear wheel steering angle, and the cumulative rotational speed is corrected. In this embodiment, the cumulative rotational speed Nc of the actuator 30 is corrected based on the straight-line operation amount d.

[0058] When the steering control member 70 is a steering wheel, the steering wheel 70 can be rotated approximately 360° to 540° to one side from the neutral position. Even when the steering control member 70 is not a steering wheel, the maximum amount of movement of the steering control member 70 to one side is usually larger than the maximum steering angle to one side of the left and right rear wheels 10L and 10R. The operating state detection device 72 can accurately detect the amount of movement of the steering control member 70, which is 1.5°. The tolerance of the operating state detection device 72 is less than ±1.5°.

[0059] From the above, for example, if the steering input d during straight-line driving is ±1.5°, it can be estimated that the left and right front wheels 12L, 12R and the left and right rear wheels 10L, 10R are steered by ±0.1°. This corresponds to a difference of ±1 rotation in the cumulative rotations N of the actuator 30 in the rear-wheel steering system 4. Therefore, when the steering input d during straight-line driving is ±1.5°, the cumulative rotations Nc are corrected by ±1.

[0060] The values ​​such as 0.1°, 1.5°, and 0.1mm described herein are merely examples and are not exhaustive. These values ​​will also change by altering the specifications of the rear-wheel steering system 4 and the EPS system 6.

[0061] In this embodiment, the absolute value |d-dm| of the difference between the straight-line operation amount d detected when the main switch 100 is currently ON and the straight-line operation amount dm stored in the database 56 for the previous time when the main switch 100 was ON is obtained. Then, it is determined whether the absolute value |d-dm| of the difference between these straight-line operation amounts is greater than the first threshold dth, and it is determined whether the converted value ΔPd, which is the value obtained by converting the absolute value |d-dm| of these differences into the amount of movement of the steering rod 22, is less than the third threshold δ.

[0062] Furthermore, if the absolute value of these differences |d-dm| is greater than the first threshold dth, and the displacement equivalent value ΔPd is less than the third threshold δ, the cumulative rotational speed Nc is corrected based on the straight-line maneuver amount dm. |d-dm|>dth ΔPd<CE

[0063] The first threshold dth is set to a magnitude that suggests the vehicle is in a deviating driving state. The straight-ahead maneuver dm stored in the database 56 is considered to be approximately 0°. In contrast, when the vehicle is in a deviating driving state, the absolute value of the straight-ahead maneuver d becomes larger. The third threshold δ is set to a magnitude determined based on the tolerance of the absolute angle sensor 54. When the main switch 100 is switched from OFF to ON, any difference exceeding the tolerance of the absolute angle sensor 54 has already been corrected, so if a difference exceeding the tolerance of the absolute angle sensor 54 occurs again, it is considered that the reliability of the straight-ahead maneuver d value is low.

[0064] The alignment adjustment program shown in the flowchart in Figure 6 is executed when the vehicle is shipped, during vehicle inspections, etc. Alignment adjustments are performed on both the left and right front wheels (12L, 12R) and both the left and right rear wheels (10L, 10R).

[0065] In S1, the alignment adjustment mode is set in the rear wheel steering system 4. In S2, data such as the straight-line steering amount d stored in the database 56 is erased. In S3, the cumulative rotation count of the actuator 30 is started, and in S4, the alignment is adjusted.

[0066] Then, in S5, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has started moving. In S6 and S7, based on the lateral acceleration detected by the lateral acceleration sensor 58, it is determined whether or not the road surface is a special road surface, such as having a bank, and whether or not there are circumstances such as the vehicle being in a roll position. If the lateral acceleration is greater than the set value even when the vehicle is moving in a straight line, it is highly likely that the amount of operation θ of the steering control member 70 when the vehicle is moving in a straight line does not accurately reflect the rear wheel steering angle. If the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling is not a special road surface and the lateral tilt of the vehicle is small, the determination in S6 and S7 will be NO. If the determination in S6 and S7 is NO, in S8 and S9, the amount of operation d when moving in a straight line is received and stored in the database 56.

[0067] Thus, in this embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a straight line and is not tilted, information representing the straight-line operation amount d supplied from EPSECU 60 is received, stored in and updated in database 56.

[0068] In S10, it is determined whether the vehicle has finished driving and whether the main switch 100 has been turned OFF. If the straight-ahead operation amount d is acquired once between the start and end of driving, S10 and S11 are executed repeatedly until S10 and S11 become YES. On the other hand, if the straight-ahead operation amount d is acquired multiple times, S5-11 can be executed repeatedly as long as the determination in S10 and S11 is NO.

[0069] If the determination in S10 and S11 is YES, in S12 the rotation count is terminated, in S13 the cumulative rotation count Ne and rod position Pe when OFF are obtained, and in S14 they are stored in database 56. Subsequently, in S15 the alignment adjustment mode is canceled.

[0070] In the rear-wheel steering ECU 50, the cumulative rotation speed acquisition program, as shown in the flowcharts in Figures 7 and 8, is executed at predetermined set intervals. In S21, it is determined whether the main switch 100 has been switched from OFF to ON. If the determination is YES, in S22, the cumulative rotational speed Ne and the rod position Pe when OFF are read out, and in S23, the rod position Ps when ON is detected by the absolute angle sensor 54. In S24, it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between the rod position Pe when OFF and the rod position Ps when ON is greater than the determination threshold ΔPth. If the determination is YES, steps S51 onwards are executed. If the determination in S24 is NO, in S25, the cumulative rotational speed Ne when OFF is set as the count starting value Ncf, and the rotational speed count of the actuator 30 is started.

[0071] If the result in S21 is NO, then in S26, it is determined whether or not the main switch 100 is ON. If the result is YES, then steps S27 onwards are executed without executing steps S22-25.

[0072] In S27-36, the same procedure as in S6-14 of the alignment adjustment program is performed. In the rear wheel steering ECU 50, the rear wheel steering angle control program shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 is executed while S27-31 is performed. After the start of driving, if the vehicle is not tilted, the straight-line steering input d supplied from the EPSECU 60 is stored in the database.

[0073] Then, when the driving is finished and the main switch 100 is turned OFF, the rotation count is terminated in S34. Rear wheel steering control is also terminated in this step. In S35, the cumulative rotation count Ne and rod position Pe at the time of OFF are acquired and stored in the database 56 in S36.

[0074] On the other hand, if the judgment in S24 is YES, in S51, the cumulative rotational speed Ns is obtained based on the ON rod position Ps, and the ON cumulative rotational speed Ns is set as the count starting value Ncf. Then, in S52, the cumulative rotational speed count of the actuator 30 starts from the count starting value Ncf. If driving starts and the judgment in S53 is YES, the rear wheel steering ECU 50 controls the rear wheel steering angle based on the cumulative rotational speed Nc counted in S52. Meanwhile, steps S54 onwards are executed.

[0075] In S54 and S55, it is determined whether the vehicle is tilted based on the lateral acceleration. If these determinations are NO, in S56, the straight-ahead operation amount d, which was acquired when the main switch 100 was ON, is supplied to the EPS system 6 via CAN 90. In S57, it is determined whether the absolute difference |d-dm| between the straight-ahead operation amount d and the straight-ahead operation amount (previous value of the straight-ahead operation amount) dm stored in the database 56 is greater than the first threshold dth. If the determination is NO, in S58 and S59, it is determined whether the state in which the absolute difference |d-dm| is less than or equal to the first threshold dth has continued for a set time or longer. When S59 is executed for the first time, the determination result is NO, but if S54-59 are executed repeatedly and the set time has elapsed, the determination in S59 may become YES. If the determination in S59 becomes YES, it is determined that the correction based on the ON rod position Ps is appropriate, and the system returns to S27 in Figure 7. Then, the input amount d during straight-line movement is acquired and stored in database 56.

[0076] On the other hand, if the determination in S57 is YES, in S60, the absolute value of these differences |d-dm| is converted into the amount of movement of the steering rod 22, and a value ΔPd is obtained. In S61, it is determined whether the converted value ΔPd is less than or equal to the third threshold δ. If the determination is YES, in S61, the cumulative rotational speed Nc is corrected based on the straight-line operation amount d. In this embodiment, the cumulative rotational speed Nc is often corrected by ±1.

[0077] Furthermore, in S62, the actual position of the steering rod 22 is also changed in accordance with the correction of the cumulative rotational speed Nc. The steering rod 22 is moved so that the rod position corresponding to the corrected cumulative rotational speed Nc matches the rod position detected by the absolute angle sensor 54.

[0078] During rear wheel steering angle control, a range determined by the control value and set value of the rear wheel steering angle at the start of the correction instruction is assumed. Then, as shown in Figure 10, the steering rod 22 can be slowly moved as a trigger when the control value of the rear wheel steering angle changes from a value within the range to a value outside the range. Also, as shown in Figure 11, the steering rod 22 can be slowly moved as a trigger when the control value of the rear wheel steering angle changes from a value outside the range to a value within the range.

[0079] This allows the steering rod 22 to be moved while reducing discomfort for the driver. Furthermore, it is possible to maintain a good relationship between the detected value of the absolute angle sensor 54 and the cumulative rotational speed Nc.

[0080] After S62 is executed, S32 and subsequent steps are executed.

[0081] Conversely, if the judgment in S61 is NO, it is determined that the reliability of the straight-line control amount d is low, and the process returns to S54. The straight-line control amount d is obtained again. As steps S54-60 are repeatedly executed, if the judgment in S61 becomes YES, S62 is executed, followed by steps S32-36.

[0082] In this embodiment, the presence or absence of "movement" of the steering rod 22 while the main switch 100 is OFF is determined based on the detection value of the absolute angle sensor 54. If it is determined that "movement" has occurred, the cumulative rotation count is corrected based on the ON-time rod position detected by the absolute angle sensor 54 when the main switch 100 is ON. As a result, even if "movement" occurs, a decrease in the control accuracy of the rear wheel steering angle can be suppressed.

[0083] Furthermore, during rear-wheel steering angle control, the cumulative rotational speed Nc is corrected based on the straight-line steering input d when the rear-wheel steering angle is not 0° and the vehicle is in a deviating driving state. Therefore, even for the portion of the cumulative rotational speed that cannot be corrected based on the detection value of the absolute angle sensor 54, the cumulative rotational speed Nc of the actuator 30 can be corrected. As a result, the decrease in the control accuracy of the rear-wheel steering angle can be effectively suppressed.

[0084] Furthermore, the position of the steering rod 22 can be corrected while the vehicle is stopped. In this case, as shown in Figure 12, the steering rod 22 is forcibly moved while the vehicle is stopped. It is thought that the driver will not feel much discomfort even if the steering rod 22 is forcibly moved while the vehicle is stopped.

[0085] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a case in which the straight-line steering input d is supplied to the rear-wheel steering ECU 50 from the EPSCU 60, it is not limited to this case. For example, when the rear-wheel steering system 4 and the EPS system 6 are combined to form a vehicle steering system, both the learning of the straight-line steering input d and the correction of the cumulative rotational speed Nc are performed in the vehicle steering system.

[0086] Furthermore, the straight-line steering input d is also acquired by the automated driving support ECU 92 and the driving control ECU 94. Therefore, the straight-line steering input d can be supplied from the automated driving support ECU 92 and the driving control ECU 94 to the rear-wheel steering ECU 50.

[0087] Furthermore, whether the vehicle is in a deviating driving state can be detected using the camera included in the surrounding environment acquisition device 102. For example, this can be detected based on changes in the captured image along the camera's axis. The camera is mounted in the front center of the vehicle, facing forward.

[0088] When a vehicle is traveling in a straight line and its direction of travel F coincides with its longitudinal axis Lf, the image of the same object should always be located within the camera's reference area. Conversely, when a vehicle is traveling in a deflected state and its longitudinal axis Lf is tilted relative to its direction of travel F, the image of the same object will be located in a part of the camera's reference area that is separated from it. Based on this, it is possible to determine when a vehicle is traveling in a deflected state and to obtain the tilt of the vehicle's longitudinal axis Lf relative to its direction of travel F.

[0089] Furthermore, whether a vehicle is in a deviating driving state can be determined based on the movement trajectory, etc., which is based on changes in position detected by two position detection devices (e.g., GPS receivers) installed separated in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0090] Furthermore, the actuator 30 may include a reduction gear. Moreover, the on-board device is not limited to a rear-wheel steering system. Furthermore, the set state is not limited to a straight-line driving state, but may also be a turning driving state, etc.

[0091] As described above, in this embodiment, the operating amount acquisition device is configured with a rear wheel steering ECU 50, resolver 52, absolute angle sensor 54, lateral acceleration sensor 58, EPSECU 60, operation state detection device 72, yaw rate sensor 86, etc.

[0092] The steering operation amount d of the steering operation member 70 during straight-line movement is an example of a tilt-related value, which is the inclination of the longitudinal axis Lf with respect to the vehicle's direction of travel F. The mobility application device 24 or rear-wheel steering system 4 corresponds to an on-board device. The cumulative rotational speed of the actuator 30 corresponds to the operation amount, and the resolver 52, etc., constitutes an operation amount detection device. Furthermore, the steering operation amount d of the steering operation member 70 during straight-line movement corresponds to a first physical quantity, and the operation state detection device 72 corresponds to the first physical quantity detection device and tilt-related value detection unit. The position of the steering rod 22 corresponds to a second physical quantity, and the absolute angle sensor 54 corresponds to the second physical quantity detection device and rod position detection unit. The rod position Pe when OFF corresponds to the second physical quantity when OFF, and the rod position Ps when ON corresponds to the second physical quantity when ON and the detected rod position. Furthermore, the detected tilt-related value corresponds to the current value d of the straight-line operation amount, and the reference tilt detection value corresponds to the straight-line operation amount dm stored in the database 56.

[0093] The control device is configured with the rear wheel steering ECU 50, and the operating amount correction unit is configured with the part that stores and executes S21-62. The determination unit is configured with the part that stores and executes S24.

[0094] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 4: Rear wheel steering system 6: EPS system 22: Steering rod 24: Mobility force application device 30: Actuator 32: Nut 34: Motion conversion mechanism 50: Rear wheel steering ECU 52: Resolver 54: Absolute angle sensor 56: Database 60: EPSECU 64: Steering rod 86: Yaw rate sensor 70: Steering operating member 72: Operating state detection device 92: Automated driving support ECU 94: Stabilization control ECU 100: Main switch 102: Surrounding environment acquisition device Patentable invention

[0096] The following sections describe the patentable inventions.

[0097] (1) A steering rod arranged to extend in the width direction of the vehicle, The steering rod is provided with an actuator that can move in the width direction. A rear wheel steering system that includes the actuator, which moves the steering rod in the width direction to steer at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel of the vehicle connected to the steering rod, wherein the actuator is used to acquire the amount of operation of the actuator, The rear wheel steering system includes a control device that controls the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel based on the amount of operation of the actuator, The device that acquires the amount of operation is An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, An inclination-related value detection unit detects an inclination-related value related to the inclination of the vehicle's longitudinal axis with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. Based on the amount of operation of the actuator detected by the operation amount detection device, the control device controls the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel so that the vehicle is in a straight-line driving state, and the operation amount correction unit corrects the amount of operation of the actuator detected by the operation amount detection device based on the detected tilt-related value which is a value detected by the tilt-related value detection unit. A device for acquiring working parameters, including working parameters.

[0098] A tilt-related value refers to the inclination of the vehicle's longitudinal axis relative to the vehicle's direction of travel, or a value that corresponds one-to-one with the inclination. When the rear wheel steering angle is controlled so that the vehicle is traveling in a straight line, the target rear wheel steering angle is often set to 0°.

[0099] (2) The operating amount acquisition device according to item (1), wherein the operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount of the actuator based on the detected tilt-related value when the absolute value of the difference between the detected tilt-related value and a reference tilt-related value which is the tilt-related value when the vehicle is in a straight-ahead driving state and has been acquired and stored in advance is greater than a first threshold value.

[0100] The reference tilt-related value can be, for example, the tilt-related value obtained in the past when the main switch was ON. The reference tilt-related value is the value when the vehicle is not in a deviating driving state. Therefore, the first threshold can be set to a magnitude that suggests the vehicle is deviating.

[0101] (3) The rear wheel steering system includes a rod position detection unit that detects the displacement from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod, An operating amount acquisition device according to item (1) or (2), wherein the operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount of the actuator based on the ON rod position when the vehicle's main switch is switched from ON to OFF, and the rod position when the steering rod is detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod, is greater than a second threshold value.

[0102] The second threshold can be set to a magnitude sufficient to determine that the steering rod has been moved. Furthermore, it is desirable that the second threshold be greater than or equal to the tolerance of the rod position detection device.

[0103] (4) The operating amount acquisition device according to item (3), wherein the operating amount correction unit corrects the corrected operating amount based on the detected tilt-related value, which is the operating amount of the actuator corrected by the control device based on the ON rod position, while the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel is controlled so that the vehicle is in a straight-ahead driving state, and the absolute value of the difference between the detected tilt-related value, which is the value detected by the tilt-related value detection unit and the reference tilt-related value, which is the tilt-related value in the straight-ahead driving state of the vehicle that has been acquired and stored in advance, is greater than a first threshold, and the value obtained by converting the absolute value of the difference between the detected tilt-related value and the reference tilt-related value into the amount of movement of the steering rod is less than a third threshold.

[0104] The third threshold value can be a value determined based on the tolerance of the rod position detection unit. The corrected operating amount corresponds to the cumulative number of rotations counted by the execution of S107 and S108 in the above embodiment.

[0105] (5) The rear wheel steering system includes a rod position detection unit that detects the displacement from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod, An operating amount acquisition device according to any one of items (1) to (4), which includes a movement determination unit that determines that the steering rod has been moved by an external force when the main switch of the vehicle is OFF, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod acquired based on the operating amount of the actuator detected by the operating amount detection device when the main switch of the vehicle is switched from ON to OFF, and the ON rod position, which is the position of the steering rod detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, is greater than a second threshold value.

[0106] (6) The actuator includes a motor, The operating amount acquisition device according to any one of items (1) to (5), wherein the operating amount detection device detects the rotational speed of the actuator and acquires the cumulative rotational speed of the actuator from the neutral position.

[0107] (7) The slope-related value acquisition unit shall, as the slope-related value, (a) The amount of operation of the steering control member provided in the vehicle from the neutral position, (b) An operating amount acquisition device according to any one of (1) to (6), which detects at least one of the inclination of the axis of a camera mounted to capture images in front of the vehicle with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

[0108] (8) The rear wheel steering system includes a rod position detection unit that detects the displacement from the neutral position which is the position of the steering rod, An operating amount acquisition device according to any one of items (1) to (7), wherein the amount of change of the tilt-related value that changes in accordance with the change in the set operating amount of the operating amount of the actuator is greater than the tolerance of the tilt-related value detection unit, and the amount of movement of the steering rod that changes in accordance with the change in the set operating amount of the operating amount is smaller than the tolerance of the rod position detection device.

[0109] These are the basic requirements that represent the performance of each detection device. The set operating change amount can be, for example, the set rotational speed of the actuator. In the above embodiment, the set rotational speed is 1.

[0110] (9) A steering rod that extends in the width direction of the vehicle and is connected to the wheel, The steering rod is provided with an actuator that can move in the width direction, An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, A rod position detection unit that detects the displacement of the steering rod from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod, When the main switch is switched from ON to OFF, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod obtained based on the operating amount, and the ON rod position, which is the position of the steering rod detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, is greater than a second threshold, the operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount based on the ON rod position. A device for acquiring working parameters, including working parameters.

[0111] The steering system described in this section may adopt any one of the features described in section (1) through (8).

[0112] (10) A steering rod that extends in the width direction of the vehicle and is connected to the wheel, The steering rod is provided with an actuator that can move in the width direction, An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, A rod position detection unit that detects the displacement of the steering rod from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod, When the main switch is switched from ON to OFF, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod obtained based on the amount of operation, and the ON rod position, which is the position of the steering rod detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, is greater than a second threshold, the movement determination unit determines that the steering rod was moved in the width direction by an external force while the main switch was OFF. A steering system including a steering mechanism.

[0113] The steering system described in this section may adopt any one of the features described in section (1) through (9).

[0114] (11) An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of an actuator of an on-board system mounted on a vehicle, A first physical quantity detection device that detects a first physical quantity which is a physical quantity that corresponds one-to-one with the aforementioned operating amount, An operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount based on the first physical quantity detected by the first physical quantity detection device. A device for acquiring working amount, including An operating amount acquisition device that corrects the operating amount based on a value detected by the first physical amount detection device when the vehicle is running in a predetermined set state while the actuator is being controlled based on the operating amount detected by the operating amount detection device.

[0115] An example of the first physical quantity detection device is a tilt-related value acquisition unit, and an example of the vehicle's set state is the vehicle's straight-ahead state. An example of the on-board system is a rear-wheel steering system. The first physical quantity detection device and the on-board system are not limited to the above embodiments.

[0116] The operational quantity acquisition device described in this section adopts the technical features described in any of sections (1) through (10).

[0117] (12) The operating amount acquisition device includes a second physical quantity detection device, which is separate from the first physical quantity detection device, that detects a second physical quantity that is a physical quantity different from the first physical quantity and that corresponds one-to-one with the operating amount, The working amount acquisition device according to item (11), wherein the working amount correction unit does not correct the working amount based on the second detected value if the absolute value of the difference between the second converted value, which is the value obtained by converting the working amount detected by the working amount detection device into the second physical quantity, and the second detected value, which is the value detected by the second physical quantity detection device, is smaller than the fourth threshold, and corrects the working amount based on the second detected value if it is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold.

[0118] In the above embodiment, the second detected value corresponds to the rod position Ps when ON, and the second converted value corresponds to the rod position Pe when OFF. The fourth threshold corresponds to the second threshold.

[0119] (13) The operating amount acquisition device according to item (11) or (12), wherein, when the vehicle is running in a set state, the operating amount correction unit controls the in-vehicle device based on the corrected operating amount corrected based on the second detected value, and the vehicle is running in a set state, the second difference converted value, which is the absolute value of the difference between the first detected value, which is a value detected by the first physical quantity detection device, and the first reference value, which is a first physical quantity that has been acquired and stored in advance and is converted into the second physical quantity, is considered abnormal if it is greater than or equal to the fifth threshold, and if it is less than the fifth threshold, the corrected operating amount is corrected based on the first detected value.

[0120] The fifth threshold corresponds to the third threshold.

Claims

1. A steering rod is positioned extending in the width direction of the vehicle, A rear wheel steering system comprising a steering rod and an actuator movable in the width direction, wherein the actuator moves the steering rod in the width direction to steer at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel of the vehicle connected to the steering rod, wherein the actuator is used to acquire the amount of operation of the actuator, The rear wheel steering system includes a control device that controls the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel based on the amount of operation of the actuator, The device that acquires the amount of operation is An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, An inclination-related value detection unit detects an inclination-related value related to the inclination of the vehicle's longitudinal axis with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. The control device controls the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel so that the vehicle is in a straight-line driving state, based on the amount of operation of the actuator detected by the operation amount detection device, and includes an operation amount correction unit that corrects the amount of operation of the actuator detected by the operation amount detection device based on a detected tilt-related value which is a value detected by the tilt-related value detection unit. An operating amount acquisition device in which the operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount of the actuator based on the detected tilt-related value when the absolute value of the difference between the detected tilt-related value and a reference tilt-related value which is the tilt-related value when the vehicle is driving in a straight line and has been acquired and stored in advance is greater than a first threshold value.

2. The rear wheel steering system includes a rod position detection unit that detects the displacement from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod. The operating amount acquisition device according to claim 1, wherein the operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount of the actuator based on the ON rod position when the vehicle's main switch is switched from ON to OFF, and the rod position when the steering rod is detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod, is greater than a second threshold value.

3. The operating amount acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the operating amount correction unit corrects the corrected operating amount based on the detected tilt-related value, which is the operating amount of the actuator corrected by the control device based on the ON rod position, while the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel is controlled so that the vehicle is in a straight-line driving state, and the absolute value of the difference between the detected tilt-related value, which is a value detected by the tilt-related value detection unit, and the reference tilt-related value is greater than a first threshold, and the value obtained by converting the absolute value of the difference between the detected tilt-related value and the reference tilt-related value into the amount of movement of the steering rod is less than a third threshold.

4. The rear wheel steering system includes a rod position detection unit that detects the displacement from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod. An operating amount acquisition device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which includes a movement determination unit that determines that the steering rod has been moved by an external force when the main switch of the vehicle is OFF, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod acquired based on the operating amount of the actuator detected by the operating amount detection device when the main switch of the vehicle is switched from ON to OFF, and the ON rod position, which is the position of the steering rod detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, is greater than a second threshold value.

5. The slope-related value detection unit determines the slope-related value as follows: (a) The amount of operation of the steering control member provided in the vehicle from the neutral position, (b) The working amount acquisition device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which detects at least one of the inclination of the axis of a camera mounted to capture images in front of the vehicle with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

6. An operating amount detection device that detects the operating amount of an actuator of an in-vehicle system mounted on a vehicle, A first physical quantity detection device that detects a first physical quantity which is a physical quantity that corresponds one-to-one with the aforementioned operating amount, A second physical quantity detection device, separate from the first physical quantity detection device, detects a second physical quantity that is a different physical quantity from the first physical quantity and has a one-to-one correspondence with the operating quantity. An operating amount correction unit corrects the operating amount based on the first physical quantity detected by the first physical quantity detection device. A device for acquiring working amount, including The operating amount correction unit corrects the value detected by the first physical quantity detection device when the vehicle is running in a predetermined set state while the actuator is being controlled based on the operating amount detected by the operating amount detection device. An operation amount acquisition device that, if the absolute value of the difference between the operation amount detected by the operation amount detection device and the second converted value, which is the value obtained by converting the operation amount to the second physical quantity, and the second detected value, which is the value detected by the second physical quantity detection device, is smaller than the fourth threshold, does not correct the operation amount based on the second detected value, and if it is greater than or equal to the fourth threshold, corrects the operation amount based on the second detected value.

7. A steering rod is positioned extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connected to the wheel, The steering rod is provided with an actuator that can move in the width direction, An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, A rod position detection unit that detects the displacement of the steering rod from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod, An operating amount acquisition device including an operating amount correction unit that corrects the operating amount based on the ON rod position when the main switch is switched from ON to OFF, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod acquired based on the operating amount, and the ON rod position, which is the position of the steering rod detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, is greater than a second threshold value.

8. A steering rod is positioned extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connected to the wheel, The steering rod is provided with an actuator that can move in the width direction, An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, A rod position detection unit that detects the displacement of the steering rod from the neutral position, which is the position of the steering rod, A steering system including a movement determination unit that determines that the steering rod was moved by an external force in the width direction while the main switch was OFF, if the absolute value of the difference between the OFF rod position, which is the position of the steering rod acquired based on the amount of operation when the main switch is switched from ON to OFF, and the ON rod position, which is the position of the steering rod detected by the rod position detection unit when the main switch is switched from OFF to ON, is greater than a second threshold value.

9. A steering rod arranged to extend in the width direction of the vehicle, A rear wheel steering system comprising a steering rod and an actuator movable in the width direction, wherein the actuator moves the steering rod in the width direction to steer at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel of the vehicle connected to the steering rod, wherein the actuator is used to acquire the amount of operation of the actuator, The rear wheel steering system includes a control device that controls the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel based on the amount of operation of the actuator, The device that acquires the amount of operation is An operating amount detection device for detecting the operating amount of the actuator, An inclination-related value detection unit detects an inclination-related value related to the inclination of the vehicle's longitudinal axis with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle. The control device controls the steering angle of at least one of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel so that the vehicle is in a straight-line driving state, based on the amount of operation of the actuator detected by the operation amount detection device, and includes an operation amount correction unit that corrects the amount of operation of the actuator detected by the operation amount detection device based on a detected tilt-related value which is a value detected by the tilt-related value detection unit. The slope-related value detection unit determines the slope-related value as follows: (a) The amount of operation of the steering control member provided in the vehicle from the neutral position, (b) A working amount acquisition device that detects at least one of the inclination of the axis of a camera mounted to capture images in front of the vehicle with respect to the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Images