Estimating torque/force exerted by a load against a motor-driven actuator

1. A method for estimating a torque/force exerted by a load against an actuator driven by an electric motor against the load, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) measuring motor current of the electric motor;

b) calculating a motor torque/force of the electric motor from the measured motor current;

c) measuring a position/angle or speed/angular speed of the actuator when the actuator is driven by the electric motor to engage the load;

d) calculating an actuator-experienced torque/force due to the electric motor and the load from the measured position/angle or the measured speed/angular speed using a mathematical model of the actuator without calculating a difference between the measured position/angle or the measured speed/angular speed and an estimated position/angle or estimated speed/angular speed of the actuator derived from using at least the calculated actuator-experienced torque/force; and

e) calculating the torque/force exerted by the load against the actuator using at least a difference between the calculated motor torque/force and the calculated actuator-experienced torque/force.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an electromechanical actuator driven by the electric motor, and wherein the mathematical model of the actuator is a mathematical model of the mechanical aspects of the electromechanical actuator.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electromechanical actuator is an electromechanical brake caliper.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the electromechanical brake caliper is an automotive electromechanical brake caliper.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein step b) calculates the motor torque/force of the electric motor by multiplying the measured motor current times a current-to-torque/force conversion factor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein step e) uses a mathematical filter to pass lower frequencies of the difference and to block higher frequencies of the difference, and wherein step e) calculates the torque/force exerted by the load against the actuator using at least the mathematically-filtered difference.

7. A method for estimating a torque/force exerted by a load against an actuator driven by an electric motor against the load, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) measuring input voltage of the electric motor;

b) calculating a motor torque/force of the electric motor using at least the measured input voltage and a mathematical model of the electric motor;

c) measuring a position/angle or speed/angular speed of the actuator when the actuator is driven by the electric motor to engage the load;

d) calculating an actuator-experienced torque/force due to the electric motor and the load from the measured position/angle or the measured speed/angular speed using a mathematical model of the actuator without calculating a difference between the measured position/angle or the measured speed/angular speed and an estimated position/angle or estimated speed/angular speed of the actuator derived from using at least the calculated actuator-experienced torque/force; and

e) calculating the torque/force exerted by the load against the actuator using at least a difference between the calculated motor torque/force and the calculated actuator-experienced torque/force.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the actuator is an electromechanical actuator driven by the electric motor, and wherein the mathematical model of the actuator is a mathematical model of the mechanical aspects of the electromechanical actuator.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the electromechanical actuator is an electromechanical brake caliper.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electromechanical brake caliper is an automotive electromechanical brake caliper.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein step b) calculates a motor current from the measured input voltage, the measured position/angle or speed/angular speed, and the mathematical model of the electric motor, and wherein step b) calculates the motor torque/force of the electric motor by multiplying the calculated motor current times a current-to-torque conversion factor.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein step e) uses a mathematical filter to pass lower frequencies of the difference and to block higher frequencies of the difference, and wherein step e) calculates the torque/force exerted by the load against the actuator using at least the mathematically-filtered difference.

13. A method for estimating a torque/force exerted by a load against an actuator driven by an electric motor against the load, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

a) measuring input voltage and motor current of the electric motor;

b) measuring a position/angle of the actuator when the actuator is driven by the electric motor to engage the load

c) calculating first and second time derivatives of the position/angle; and

d) calculating the torque/force exerted by the load against the actuator using at leasst the measured input voltage and electric current, the measured position/angle, the calculated first and second time derivatives, and mathematical models of the electric motor and the actuator without calculating a difference between the measured position/angle and an estimated position/angle of the actuator derived from using at least the calculated actuator-experienced torque/force.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the actuator is an electromechanical actuator driven by the electric motor, and wherein an actuator portion of the mathematical model of the electric motor and the actuator is a mathematical model of the mechanical aspects of the electromechanical actuator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the electromechanical actuator is an electromechanical brake caliper.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the electromechanical brake caliper is an automotive electromechanical brake caliper.