Electric motor regulation with controlled error intercept
View Patent ↗A motor is controlled by a motor control signal so that it reaches a target state, which is derived from sensor data sensed by a sensor. The motor can be put into a rest state at the occurrence of an error in simple and efficient manner by means of a safety means generating an alternative motor control signal at the occurrence of the error. Thus, the underlying idea is, instead of redundantly embodying components, to consciously accept a failure and integrate a corresponding fall-back solution into the overall concept. The failure is detected, and the motor is switched off in a user-manageable manner by a targeted shutdown.
1. A motor control apparatus to control a motor, comprising:
a sensor for outputting sensor data;
a controller for determining a target state of the motor depending on the sensor data, and for generating a motor control signal for controlling the motor depending on a deviation of a current state of the motor from the target state, to approximate the current state of the motor to the target state;
a monitor for outputting an error signal at an error of the sensor or the controller; and
a safety controller for generating, at the occurrence of an error signal, an alternative motor control signal suited to put the motor into a rest state in a controlled manner.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor is an electric assistance motor of an electrical steering assistance.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the safety controller is formed to generate the alternative motor control signal so that a motor control quantity is put from an initial control quantity value into a final control quantity value according to a predetermined emergency rule.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the motor control quantity is a current or a voltage.
5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the safety controller is formed to reduce a momentary current flow as a motor control quantity to zero according to a predetermined reduction rule.
6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the safety controller is formed to generate the motor control quantity by means of a pulse-width-modulated signal.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a torque sensor for sensing a torque.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the torque sensor is formed to sense the torque occurring at the steering wheel of a vehicle.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller includes a calculating unit formed to calculate the motor control signal depending on the sensor data.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the calculating unit is a microcontroller or an FPGA.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller additionally comprises a motor control sensor circuitry for outputting control data describing the current state of the motor.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the motor control sensor circuitry comprises a Hall sensor to sense a magnetic field in the motor.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the motor control sensor circuitry comprises a rotor position sensor to sense a position of the rotor of the motor.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the motor control sensor circuitry comprises a current sensor to sense a supply current of the motor.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the motor control sensor circuitry comprises a back current sensor to sense a current flowing out of the motor.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a polyphase-driven electric motor.
17. A method of controlling a motor, comprising:
sensing sensor data;
determining a target state of the motor depending on the sensor data;
generating a motor control signal for controlling the motor depending on a deviation of the motor from the target state to approximate a current state of the motor to the target state;
outputting an error signal at an error; and
generating, at the occurrence of the error signal, an alternative motor control signal suited to put the motor into a rest state in a controlled manner.
18. A computer program product comprising a program code for performing, when executed on a computer, performs a method of controlling a motor, the method comprising:
sensing sensor data;
determining a target state of the motor depending on the sensor data;
generating a motor control signal for controlling the motor depending on a deviation of the motor from the target state to approximate a current state of the motor to the target state;
outputting an error signal at an error; and
generating, at the occurrence of the error signal, an alternative motor control signal suited to put the motor into a rest state in a controlled manner.
19. A method of controlling a motor, comprising the steps of:
determining a target state of the motor depending on sensor data,
generating a motor control signal for controlling the motor
depending on a deviation of a current state of the motor from the target state, to approximate the current state of the motor to the target state;
outputting an error signal at an error of the sensor or the controller; and
generating, at the occurrence of an error signal, an alternative motor control signal suited to put the motor into a rest state in a controlled manner.
20. The method of claim 19 , comprising the steps of generating the alternative motor control signal so that a motor control quantity is put from an initial control quantity value into a final control quantity value according to a predetermined emergency rule.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the motor control quantity is a current or a voltage.
22. The method of claim 21 , comprising the step of reducing a momentary current flow as a motor control quantity to zero according to a predetermined reduction rule.
23. The method of claim 20 , comprising the step of generating the motor control quantity by means of a pulse-width-modulated signal.
24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the torque occurring at the steering wheel of a vehicle is determined.
25. The method of claim 19 , wherein a magnetic field in the motor is determined.
26. The method of claim 19 , wherein a position of the rotor of the motor is determined.
27. The method of claim 19 , wherein a supply current of the motor is determined.
28. The method of claim 19 , wherein a current flowing out of the motor is determined.