Method for operating a planar drive system and planar drive system

Inventors: Johannes Beckhoff (Schloß Holte-Stukenbrock, DE); Felix Schulte (Rietberg, DE); Jan Achterberg (Duisburg, DE); Uwe Prüßmeier (Lemgo, DE); Lukas Bentfeld (Delbrück, DE)

Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH

H02P25/064 H02K41/031 H02K2201/18

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12689316
App. No.: 18/638,344
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A planar drive system includes a stator module and a rotor. The stator module has a stator assembly with at least one coil arrangement that can be energized to generate a stator magnetic field above a stator surface, and a magnetic field sensor. The rotor has a magnet arrangement and can be moved above the stator surface via interaction between the stator magnetic field the magnet arrangement. The rotor can be used as an input device or output device, or both. A controller can compare the position of the rotor magnetic field detected with the sensor to the position expected based on energization of the coil arrangement, to determine any deviation of the expected position as an external movement, and to recognize an input thereby. The controller can control an output via a predetermined movement of the rotor, and to energize the coil arrangement so the rotor moves as defined.

Claims (36)

1 . A method for operating a planar drive system, the planar drive system comprising:

at least a stator module and a rotor, the stator module comprising at least a stator assembly having at least a coil arrangement, wherein the coil arrangement is energized and is configured to generate a stator magnetic field above a stator surface due to energization of the coil arrangement,

wherein the stator module comprises at least a magnetic field sensor, and

wherein the rotor comprises a magnet arrangement and is movable above the stator surface with the aid of an interaction between the stator magnetic field and a rotor magnetic field of the magnet arrangement;

wherein the rotor is used as an input device, wherein an input is detected by detecting a position of the rotor magnetic field with the aid of the magnetic field sensor and comparing said position of the rotor magnetic field to a position expected based on the energization of the coil arrangement, and

wherein a deviation of the position from the expected position is evaluated as a position drag error and detected over time, wherein the position drag error is determined as an external movement in combination with the respective time duration and is assigned to a predetermined input event.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a movement parallel to the stator surface is detected when comparing the position and the expected position.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a movement perpendicular to the stator surface is detected when comparing the position and the expected position.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a rotation of the rotor about a first axis in parallel to the stator surface is detected when comparing the position and the expected position.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a rotation of the rotor about a second axis perpendicular to the stator surface is detected when comparing the position and the expected position.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the external movement is used to energize one or more instances of said coil arrangement in such a way that the rotor and/or a further rotor carries out a predetermined movement.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein:

at first the rotor is held at a predetermined height with the aid of the interaction between the stator magnetic field and the rotor magnetic field, and

the movement of the rotor in parallel to the stator surface along a movement path is carried out as an external movement, and

the rotor is then movable along the movement path with the aid of the energization of the coil arrangement.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the external movement of the rotor is used to determine that the rotor is being removed from the stator surface, wherein the energization of the coil arrangement is such that the rotor is moved toward the stator surface and is attracted by a magnetic force.

9 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the external movement of the rotor is used to determine that the rotor is being removed from the stator surface, wherein the energization of the coil arrangement is such that the rotor is forcelessly switched in a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction.

10 . A method for operating a planar drive system, the planar drive system comprising:

wherein the stator module comprises at least a magnetic field sensor, and

wherein the rotor is used as an output device,

wherein an output is provided via a predetermined movement of the rotor, and

wherein the coil arrangement is energized in such a way that the rotor moves as defined by the predetermined movement.

11 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined movement of the rotor during the output comprises a back-and-forth movement in a direction parallel to the stator surface.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined movement of the rotor during the output comprises a back-and-forth movement in a direction perpendicular to the stator surface.

13 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined movement of the rotor in the output comprises a rotational oscillatory movement about a first axis parallel to the stator surface.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the rotational oscillation comprises a frequency such that the rotational oscillation produces an audible sound, particularly a sound in the frequency range between 20 hertz and 20 kilohertz.

15 . The method according to claim 10 , wherein the predetermined movement of the rotor in the output comprises a rotational oscillatory movement about a second axis perpendicular to the stator surface.

16 . A method for operating a planar drive system, the planar drive system comprising:

at least a stator module and a rotor, the stator module comprising at least a stator assembly having at least one coil arrangement, the coil arrangement being energizable and being configured to generate a stator magnetic field above a stator surface due to energization of the coil arrangement,

wherein the stator module comprises at least a magnetic field sensor, the magnetic field sensor detecting the rotor magnetic field in order to determine the position of the rotor;

wherein the rotor is used as an input device,

wherein an input is detected such that an amount of an additional energization of the coil arrangement, which is carried out in order to maintain the position of the rotor to be expected due to the energization of the coil arrangement, is determined and evaluated as an external force and detected over time, and

wherein the external force is evaluated as an external movement in combination with the respective time duration and is assigned to a predetermined input event.