A motor controller of a steering control apparatus is configured to drive, based on an assist command and a tracking command, a motor to thereby generate assist torque and automatic steering torque. A state determiner of the steering control apparatus is configured to determine at least whether a driver's steering state is a biased steering state or a return steering state in accordance with a first parameter associated with steering torque based on the driver's steering, and a second parameter associated with an angular velocity of the motor. A ratio changer of the steering control apparatus is configured to change a ratio of the assist torque to the automatic steering torque in accordance with a determination result of the state determiner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a power steering apparatus control device in which it is possible to suppress generation of the canceling of the automatic steering unintended by the driver. The present invention provides a control device controlling the operation of a power steering apparatus in which there is selected either an assist control (28) in which a steering force is assisted based on a steering torque input through the operation of a steering wheel or an automatic steering control (29) in which a steering angle of a turning wheel is controlled based on a steering angle command value. When, in the state in which the automatic steering control (29) is selected, the steering torque exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the automatic steering control (29) is canceled and the assist control (28) is selected. There is set a steering angle velocity command value in accordance with an increase amount of the steering torque due to the turning based on the automatic steering control (29), whereby there is performed a canceling suppression control in which canceling of the automatic steering control (28) is suppressed.

A manipulating apparatus for facilitating continuously holding a manipulating unit that is under automatic manipulation is provided. Controlling the movement of the manipulating unit under automatic manipulation facilitates continuously holding the manipulating unit during automatic manipulation, and furthermore, the movement of the manipulating unit enables grasping the state of the manipulation object under automatic manipulation and intervention in manipulation under automatic manipulation.

[Problem] An object of the present invention is to provide an electric power steering apparatus that achieves a manual steering even if a steering intervention is performed by a driver during an automatic steering, ensures more safety when a driver steers urgently, and enables both an assist control and a steering angle control. [Means for Solving the Problem] An electric power steering apparatus comprises a steering angle control section that calculates a steering angle control current command value for the steering angle control based on at least a steering angle command value and an actual steering angle, the steering angle control section comprises a position control section that calculates a basic steering angular velocity command value, a steering intervention compensating section that obtains a compensatory steering angular velocity command value, a filter section that converts a steering angular velocity calculated from the basic steering angular velocity command value and the compensatory steering angular velocity command value into an extended steering angular velocity command value, and a steering angular velocity control section that calculates the steering angle control current command value based on the extended steering angular velocity command value and an actual steering angular velocity, wherein the steering intervention compensating section comprises a compensation map section, and obtains the compensatory steering angular velocity command value for the steering torque.

A retractable steering column assembly includes a retractable portion. The retractable steering column assembly also includes an electric actuator mechanism for moving the retractable portion throughout a plurality of regions, the plurality of regions comprising an unstowed region, a stowed region, and a transition region between the unstowed region and the stowed region. The retractable steering column assembly further includes a controller monitoring at least one positional property of the retractable portion during movement within the transition region to detect a potential driver intervention of the movement.

A driving support apparatus includes a driving support unit, a switching control unit, a reliability detection unit, and a threshold lowering unit. The switching control unit ceases driving support by the driving support unit and switches a driving state from driving in which the driving support is performed to manual driving, according to input from an operation detection unit when operating force or an operation amount exceeds a threshold. The reliability detection unit detects degradation of reliability of the driving support by the driving support unit. The threshold lowering unit lowers the threshold when the reliability detection unit detects the degradation of the reliability.

A steering control method and a steering control system for self-driving of a vehicle are disclosed. The method comprises obtaining information about an expected steering angle of a vehicle based on an automatic planning control operation; detecting whether an effective torque is applied to a steering wheel by a driver; and when it is detected that the driver has applied the effective torque to the steering wheel, computing a difference between a turning angle of the steering wheel controlled by the driver and the expected steering angle of a vehicle, and determining a self-driving intent prompt torque according to the difference between the two, wherein the self-driving intent prompt torque is to be applied to a steering system.

A control system for an autonomous driving vehicle comprises an operation device configured to be operated by a driver; a notification device configured to give notification to the driver; and an electronic control unit. Autonomous driving is performed. When the driver operates the operation device during autonomous driving, autonomous driving is terminated and vehicle driving is switched to manual driving. Further, when the driver should be requested to terminate autonomous driving during autonomous driving, the notification device is controlled to first notify a request for preparing for manual driving to the driver and then notify a request for terminating autonomous driving to the driver.

A motor vehicle power steering mechanism with an electric motor for steering assist and/or steering, and a steering controller, which controls the electric motor with a position control mode for autonomous driving and/or automatic steering and a torque control mode for manual steering by a driver. The steering controller includes a steering column reference controller, an arbitration unit, a column torque controller, a steering algorithm, and the steering system. The steering column reference controller calculates for position control based on a reference position and a measured position, and a first reference steering column torque. A steering algorithm calculates for torque control based on a measured column torque and a second reference steering column torque. The arbitration unit weights and adds the first and second reference steering column torques, and the output of the arbitration unit is input to the column torque controller.

An autonomous driving system configured to perform an autonomous driving of a vehicle includes a lane change determination unit configured to determine a necessity of an operation intervention for a lane change of the vehicle by a driver of the vehicle during the autonomous driving, a lane change request unit configured to request the driver to perform the operation intervention for the lane change of the vehicle when the lane change determination unit determines that it is necessary to perform the operation intervention for the lane change of the vehicle by the driver, and a mode switching unit configured to switch a steering torque mode for a lane keep control in the autonomous driving from a normal steering torque mode to a weak steering torque mode when the driver is requested to perform the operation intervention for the lane change of the vehicle.