Method and electronic device for improving the availability of an electromechanical actuator

1. A method for improving the availability of an electromechanical actuator of an electromechanical or electrohydraulic brake system in a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

providing electronic motor regulation functioning in a non-restricted operating mode for a field-commutated electric motor actuated by pulse width modulation and having at least one further operating mode defined for the motor regulation, which further operating mode functions with restricted access to state variables of the electric motor and the actuation electronics thereof, and

implementing a change in the regulation sequence or a switching-off of individual functions of the motor regulation depending on operating in the further operating mode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising ordering the non-restricted and the further operating mode of the motor regulation hierarchically corresponding to defined power degradation stages of the electromechanical actuator.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising in that, in types of operation of a non-mechanical release level of the actuator in which, in addition to a restricted access to the measurement results of the currents in the phases of the electric motor, the access to at least one further state variable is restricted, switching regulation of the motor from a current-regulated operating mode to a voltage-commutated operating mode.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising implementing a switching-off of a vehicle electrical distribution system protection measure or a temperature monitoring or a dead time compensation depending on operating in the non-restricted or the further operating mode.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a fixing of one of the non-restricted or the further operating mode is dependent on the access to measurement results of the currents in the phases of the electric motor, and drawing a distinction between one or more of the classes of current measurement functional, current measurement failed in one phase and current measurement completely failed.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising in that, in the case of a restricted access to measurement results of a current in a phase of the electric motor, performing a reconstruction of a value using measured current values of the other phases.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising preforming a reduction in a modulation degree of the pulse width modulation for the actuation of the electric motor when the current measurement takes place for a transistor of the phase of the actuation electronics.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising in that, in the case of restricted access to the current measurement at a transistor of the phase of the actuation electronics, determining the actual current values in model-based fashion, when a reduction in the modulation degree of the pulse width modulation of the electric motor cannot be performed.

9. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising in that, in the case of a restricted access to the measurement results of all of the currents in the phases of the electric motor, a model-based determination of actual current values takes place.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising in that a fixing of one of the non-restricted or the further operating mode is dependent on at least one of a restricted or an unrestricted access to temperatures, or an intermediate circuit voltage or a switching time of pulse width modulation of the electric motor, and actuation electronics.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising in that, for the non-restricted operating mode, there is largely unrestricted access to the state variables, rotation speed, and motor position of the electric motor.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a setpoint value interface for presetting setpoint variables and parameters, a module for calculating pulse width modulation switching times,

a module for dead time compensation, a power electronics module for actuating an electric motor actuated on three phases, a module for measuring the pulse width modulation switching times,

a module for current detection, a module for voltage measurement, a module for temperature detection, a module for temperature monitoring,

a field-oriented current controller, and electrical connecting lines between the component parts, and a module for setpoint current determination which is electrically connected to a field-oriented current controller and receives, setpoint current values calculated using a state or an estimated variables and stored parameters from the module for setpoint current determination.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising the electronic device comprises an algorithm, which is configured such that the electronic device can execute a method for improving the availability of an electromechanical actuator of an electromechanical or electrohydraulic brake system in a motor vehicle, including electronic motor regulation functioning in a non-restricted operating mode for a field-commutated electric motor actuated by pulse width modulation, at least one further operating mode defined for the motor regulation, which operating non-restricted and further modes function with restricted access to state variables of the electric motor and the actuation electronics thereof, wherein a change in the regulation sequence or switching-off of individual functions of the motor regulation depending on the restricted access or the restricted accesses is implemented in the further operating mode.

14. The electronic device as claimed in either of claim 12 further comprising in that the electric motor is a type actuated on three phases and of a permanent magnet synchronous motor type.

15. The electronic device as claimed in at least one of claim 12 further comprising a vehicle electrical distribution system measures module which is electrically connected to the module for setpoint current determination, and the maximum values for limiting the drawn or output vehicle electrical distribution system current are transmitted via the connection.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 15 further comprising in that the module for voltage measurement is connected to a vehicle electrical distribution system measures module, and measured voltage values, in the form of an intermediate circuit voltage, are transmitted via the connection.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12 further comprising in that the module for temperature monitoring is connected to the module for setpoint current determination, and maximum values for limiting the motor-side current are transmitted via the connection.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12 further comprising in that the setpoint value interface is electrically connected to the module for setpoint current determination, and setpoint variables or parameters are transmitted via this connection.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12 further comprising in that the module for temperature monitoring is connected to the module for temperature detection, and temperature values formed on the basis of measured values, model calculations or a mixture of these are transmitted via the connection.