IP Library Granted Patent US 12683534
Granted Patent B2
US 12683534 · App. 18/322,457 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Motor control device and image forming apparatus

Inventor: Shigeru Kameyama (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
H02P29/66
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12683534
App. No.
18/322,457
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An estimation unit estimates a first coil temperature in a state where the motor is stopped, and a second coil temperature in a state where the motor is driven, and the control unit controls the driving of the motor based on the first coil temperature and the second coil temperature.

Claims (28)

1 . A device comprising:

an application unit configured to apply a voltage to a motor including a plurality of coils to apply a current to the plurality of coils;

a detection unit configured to detect the current;

an estimation unit configured to estimate a coil temperature based on the detected current; and

a control unit configured to control driving of the motor based on the coil temperature,

wherein the estimation unit estimates a first coil temperature in a state where the motor is stopped, and a second coil temperature in a state where the motor is driven, and

wherein the control unit controls the driving of the motor based on the first coil temperature and the second coil temperature,

wherein, when estimating the first coil temperature while the motor is stopped, the estimation unit is configured to: cause the application unit to apply, to an excitation phase of the motor, a measurement voltage pattern for temperature estimation and for measuring a peak value of an excitation current, thereby causing the excitation current to flow; measure, as a physical quantity that changes according to an inductance of at least one of the plurality of coils, the peak value of the excitation current detected by the detection unit in response to the measurement voltage pattern; and estimate the first coil temperature from the measured peak value, and

wherein, when estimating the second coil temperature while the motor is being driven, the estimation unit is configured to: set an initial value of a temperature rise amount used to estimate the second coil temperature based on the first coil temperature or a coil temperature rise value obtained from the first coil temperature; update the temperature rise amount based on the current detected by the detection unit while the motor is being driven; and estimate the second coil temperature based on the updated temperature rise amount.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the second coil temperature exceeds a first threshold, the control unit stops the motor.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein, in the case where the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold, the control unit rotates the motor for a predetermined period and then stops the motor.

4 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein, in the case where the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold, the control unit reduces a load torque to be applied to the motor and rotates the motor for the predetermined period.

5 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein, in the case where the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold, the control unit rotates the motor for the predetermined period by increasing the number of rotations of the motor compared to the number of rotations before the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold.

6 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein, in a case where the first coil temperature falls below a second threshold after the motor is stopped, the control unit drives the motor.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the estimation unit estimates the first coil temperature, the estimation unit estimates the coil temperature based on the current detected after a rotor is pulled into a predetermined phase and stopped.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the estimation unit estimates the first coil temperature, the estimation unit estimates a stop position of a rotor from a plurality of detection results obtained by applying a voltage to each of the plurality of coils and detecting a current, and estimates the coil temperature.

9 . An apparatus comprising:

the device according to claim 1 ;

a forming unit; and

a fixing unit configured to fix an image formed by the forming unit to a sheet,

wherein the motor drives the fixing unit.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in a case where the second coil temperature exceeds a first threshold, the control unit stops the motor.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, in the case where the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold, the control unit rotates the motor for a predetermined period and then stops the motor.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, in the case where the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold, the control unit reduces a load torque to be applied to the motor and rotates the motor for the predetermined period.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein, in the case where the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold, the control unit rotates the motor for the predetermined period by increasing the number of rotations of the motor compared to the number of rotations before the second coil temperature exceeds the first threshold.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, in a case where the first coil temperature falls below a second threshold after the motor is stopped, the control unit drives the motor.

15 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in a case where the estimation unit estimates the first coil temperature, the estimation unit estimates the coil temperature based on the current detected after a rotor is pulled into a predetermined phase and stopped.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein, in a case where the estimation unit estimates the first coil temperature, the estimation unit estimates a stop position of a rotor from a plurality of detection results obtained by applying a voltage to each of the plurality of coils and detecting a current, and estimates the coil temperature.