STEERING HANDLE NEUTRAL POSITION ESTIMATING APPARATUS

摘要

A steering handle neutral position estimating apparatus for use with a motor vehicle having a steering handle operable to provide a driver's vehicle steering demand. The apparatus comprises a first sensor sensitive to steering handle position for producing an electric signal indicative of a sensed steering wheel position, and a second sensor sensitive to steering handle position for producing a steering handle neutral position signal having a first level when the sensed steering handle position is in a predetermined range and a second level when the sensed steering handle position is out of the predetermined range. The first and second sensors are coupled to an estimating unit which produces an estimation command signal when conditions determined for parameters that are sensed when the vehicle is operating are fulfilled. In the presence of the estimation command signal, a steering handle neutral position value is estimated when the steering handle neutral position signal is at its first level. The estimation unit detects an error introduced into the estimated steering handle neutral position value to produce an error signal. The conditions are rendeted more severe each time the conditions are fulfilled in the absence of the error signal. The conditions are initialized in the presence of the error signal.