Driver device for a stepping motor

1. A driver device for a stepping motor having a rotor and a coil, comprising:

an output stage circuit configured to supply an output current to the coil by applying a voltage to the coil;

a control circuit configured to control the output stage circuit based on

a current setting signal for setting a target of the output current to be supplied to the coil and

a current sense signal indicating a result of sensing of the output current; and

a particular current waveform detector configured to detect occurrence of a particular current waveform in a waveform of the output current,

wherein

the rotor rotates according to change of the output current based on change of the current setting signal,

when the current setting signal is changed to require that, according to the current setting signal changed, a polarity of the output current be set to a target polarity and a magnitude of the output current be set to a target magnitude, the control circuit changes the output current to a current having the target polarity and the target magnitude according to the current setting signal changed and then, to approximate the magnitude of the output current to the target magnitude, the control circuit repeatedly performs a unit operation which is a sequence of a power supply mode operation and a decay mode operation,

in the power supply mode operation, the output stage circuit is in a power supply state in which the output stage circuit supplies electric power to the coil to increase the magnitude of the output current and, in the decay mode operation, the output stage circuit is in a decay state in which the output stage circuit suspends supplying the electric power to decrease the magnitude of the output current,

after a start of repetition of the unit operation, the particular current waveform detector detects, as the particular current waveform, a waveform with which the magnitude of the output current increases above the target magnitude and, on detecting occurrence of the particular current waveform, the particular current waveform detector transmits a predetermined detection signal to a device external to the driver device.

2. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

during the repetition of the unit operation, the control circuit controls the output stage circuit so as to approximate the magnitude of the output current to the target magnitude such that the magnitude of the output current is equal to or smaller than the target magnitude, and

the particular current waveform is a waveform with which the magnitude of the output current increases above the target magnitude against control by the control circuit due to a counter-electromotive force appearing in the coil as the rotor rotates.

3. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

in each unit operation, the control circuit performs the power supply mode operation at least for a predetermined forced power supply time and, if the magnitude of the output current is detected to be equal to or greater than the target magnitude when, after a start of the power supply mode operation, the forced power supply time has elapsed, the control circuit ends the power supply mode operation and performs the decay mode operation for a predetermined decay time.

4. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

the particular current waveform detector detects, as an output on time, a time during which, in each unit operation, the output stage circuit is in the power supply state and detects occurrence of the particular current waveform based on change of the output on time during a detection target period in which the unit operation is repeated.

5. The driver device according to claim 4 , wherein

the detection target period includes a first period and a second period occurring after the first period, and

the particular current waveform detector sets a reference on time based on one or more output on times detected as the output on time during the first period and detects occurrence of the particular current waveform during the second period based on a comparison between the reference on time and the output on time during the second period.

6. The driver device according to claim 5 , wherein

in a case where an evaluation on time, which is the output on time during the second period, is shorter than the reference on time, if an absolute value of a difference between the reference on time and the evaluation on time is equal to or greater than a predetermined difference threshold value or if a ratio of the evaluation on time to the reference on time is equal to or smaller than a predetermined ratio threshold value, the particular current waveform detector recognizes occurrence of the particular current waveform during the second period.

7. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

during a detection target period in which the unit operation is repeated, the particular current waveform detector detects occurrence of the particular current waveform using a current threshold value greater than the target magnitude based on a comparison between the current threshold value and the magnitude of the output current.

8. The driver device according to claim 7 , wherein

the particular current waveform detector recognizes occurrence of the particular current waveform if, during the detection target period, the output current with a magnitude equal to or greater than the current threshold value is sensed.

9. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

the particular current waveform detector detects occurrence of the particular current waveform based on a slope of increase of the magnitude of the output current with the output stage circuit in the power supply state during a detection target period in which the unit operation is repeated.

10. The driver device according to claim 9 , wherein

during the detection target period, the particular current waveform detector detects a slope of increase of the magnitude of the output current with the output stage circuit in the power supply state in each unit operation and, if the slope is detected to be equal to or greater than a predetermined slope threshold value, the particular current waveform detector recognizes occurrence of the particular current waveform.

11. The driver device according to claim 9 , wherein

the detection target period includes a first period and a second period occurring after the first period, and

the particular current waveform detector sets a reference slope based on one or more slopes detected as the slope during the first period and then, based on a comparison between the reference slope and the slope during the second period, the particular current waveform detector detects occurrence of the particular current waveform during the second period.

12. The driver device according to claim 11 , wherein

in a case where an evaluation slope, which is the slope during the second period, is greater than the reference slope, if an absolute value of a difference between the reference slope and the evaluation slope is equal to or greater than a predetermined difference threshold value or if a ratio of the evaluation slope to the reference slope is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio threshold value, the particular current waveform detector recognizes occurrence of the particular current waveform during the second period.

13. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

the output stage circuit includes a full-bridge circuit comprising four output transistors,

currents commensurate with the output current flow through the output transistors respectively, and

the particular current waveform detector acquires current waveforms in the output transistors respectively based on results of sensing of the currents flowing through the output transistors respectively, and the particular current waveform detector detects occurrence of the particular current waveform based on a comparison between the current waveforms in the output transistors and a predetermined current waveform during a detection target period in which the unit operation is repeated.

14. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

after a start of repetition of the unit operation, when the current setting signal is changed again to require that, according to the current setting signal changed again, the polarity of the output current be reversed from the target polarity, the control circuit switches the output stage circuit from a first power supply state for feeding the coil with the output current of the target polarity to a second power supply state for feeding the coil with the output current of the polarity reversed from the target polarity and, if the magnitude of the output current immediately after the switching is equal to or greater than a current threshold value greater than the target magnitude, the control circuit recognizes occurrence of the particular current waveform.

15. The driver device according to claim 1 , wherein

as the coil, a plurality of coils are provided in the stepping motor,

in the driver device, a plurality of channel circuits are allocated to the plurality of coils respectively, and a plurality of the output stage circuits and a plurality of the control circuits are provided for the channel circuits respectively, and

as a result of the output current being controlled in each of the channel circuits, the rotor rotates.