Angle detection device and angle detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10024688-B2
Application number	US-201414509343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An angle detection device which includes multiple sensors to output multiple sinusoidal signals having different phases according to the rotation angle of a rotating body; a rotation calculation device to detect the rotation angle based on the multiple sinusoidal signals and detect an amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals to output the amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals as amplitude signal; and an amplitude comparison device to compare the amplitude signal with a predetermined amplitude target value and output an amplitude error signal indicating the comparison result; wherein the error of amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals is corrected by increasing or decreasing a drive input of a sensor driving unit based on the amplitude error signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An angle detection device that detects a rotation angle of a rotating body that includes a permanent magnet, the angle detection device comprising:
multiple magnetic sensors to detect a magnetic field caused by rotation of the rotating body and that to output voltages in proportion to the detected magnetic field, the output voltages forming multiple sinusoidal signals having different phases according to the rotation angle of the rotating body;
a rotation calculation device to detect the rotation angle based on the multiple sinusoidal signals and to detect an amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals to output the amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals as an amplitude signal;
an amplitude comparison device to compare the amplitude signal with an amplitude target value and to output an amplitude error signal indicating a comparison result; and
an amplification circuit that applies a drive voltage, to the multiple magnetic sensors, that corrects the multiple sinusoidal signals, wherein
the drive voltage applied by the amplification circuit is increased or decreased based on the amplitude error signal.

2. The angle detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an integration device to output an integrated signal in which a state of the amplitude error signal is integrated as predetermined time and value, wherein
the amplification circuit increases or decreases the drive voltage applied to the multiple magnetic sensors based on the integrated signal.

3. The angle detection device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a modulation device to modulate the integrated signal to a pulse-like signal and output the pulse-like signal as a pulse signal; and
a smoothing device to smooth the pulse signal to be output as a drive control signal to the amplification circuit, wherein
the amplification circuit applies the drive voltage based on the drive control signal.

4. The angle detection device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a digital/analog (DA) device to convert the integrated signal to an analog signal and output the analog signal as a drive control signal to the amplification circuit, wherein
the amplification circuit applies the drive voltage based on the drive control signal.

5. The angle detection device according to claim 3 , wherein the modulation device conducts pulse density modulation to the integrated signal to be output as the pulse signal.

6. The angle detection device according to claim 2 , wherein
when the state of the amplitude error signal is that the amplitude signal is less than the amplitude target value, the integration device counts up the integrated signal, and
when the state is that the amplitude signal is not less than the amplitude target values, the integration device counts down the integrated signal.

7. The angle detection device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a vector generating device to generate a vector based on the multiple sinusoidal signals, wherein
the rotation calculation device comprises:
a vector rotation device to rotate the vector according to detected angle data;
a sign determining device to determine whether the vector rotated is positioned in a positive direction or in a negative direction against a predetermined reference value and to output a result as a sign determination signal; and
an angle counter to increase or decrease a count value based on the sign determination signal and to output the count value as a detected angle signal.

8. An angle detection method for detecting a rotation angle of a rotating body that includes a permanent magnet, the angle detection method comprising:
detecting the rotation angle of the rotating body based on voltages, output by multiple magnetic sensors, that form multiple sinusoidal signals having different phases, the multiple magnetic sensors detecting a magnetic field caused by rotation of the rotating body and that output the voltages in proportion to the detected magnetic field;
detecting an amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals and outputting the amplitude of the multiple sinusoidal signals as an amplitude signal;
comparing the amplitude signal with an amplitude target value and outputting an amplitude error signal indicating a result of the comparison; and
applying a drive voltage, by an amplification circuit to the multiple magnetic sensors, that corrects the multiple sinusoidal signals, wherein
the drive voltage applied by the amplification circuit is increased or decreased based on the amplitude error signal.

9. The angle detection method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
outputting an integrated signal in which a state of the amplitude error signal is integrated as predetermined time and value, wherein
the drive voltage applied by the amplification circuit is increased or decreased based on the integrated signal.

10. The angle detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
modulating the integrated signal to a pulse-like signal and outputting the pulse-like signal as a pulse signal; and
smoothing the pulse signal to be output as a drive control signal to the amplification circuit, wherein
the amplification circuit applies the drive voltage based on the drive control signal.

11. The angle detection method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
converting the integrated signal to an analog signal and outputting the analog signal as a drive control signal to the amplification circuit, wherein
the amplification circuit applies the drive voltage based on the drive control signal.

12. The angle detection method according to claim 10 , wherein the modulating includes conducting pulse density modulation to the integrated signal to be output as the pulse signal.

13. The angle detection method according to claim 9 , wherein
when the state of the amplitude error signal is that the amplitude signal is less than the amplitude target value, the integrated signal is counted up, and
when the state is that the amplitude signal is not less than the amplitude target values, the integrated signal is counted down.

14. The angle detection method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
generating a vector based on the multiple sinusoidal signals, wherein
the detecting the rotation angle includes:
rotating the vector according to detected angle data;
determining whether the vector rotated is positioned in a positive direction or in a negative direction against a predetermined reference value;
outputting a result as a sign determination signal;
increasing or decreasing a count value based on the sign determination signal;
outputting the count value as a detected angle signal.

15. An angle detection device, comprising:
a plurality of hall effect sensors that output a plurality of sinusoidal signals;
a rotation angle calculation circuit configured to
detect a rotation angle of a rotating body based on the plurality of sinusoidal signals,
detect an amplitude of the plurality of sinusoidal signals, and
output an amplitude signal that represents the amplitude of the plurality of sinusoidal signals;

an amplitude comparison circuit configured to output an amplitude error signal that indicates a result of comparing the amplitude signal with an amplitude target value; and
an amplification circuit that applies a drive voltage to the plurality of hall effect sensors, wherein
the drive voltage is increased or decreased based on the amplitude error signal.

16. The angle detection device according to claim 15 , further comprising:
an integration device to output an inte

Assignees

• Shimizu Fumihiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shimizu Fumihiro

Classifications

• G01D3/036 Primary

  on measuring arrangements themselves · CPC title

• G01D5/145

  influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06) · CPC title