Motor module, motor step operation control system, and motor control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10505478-B2
Application number	US-201716099464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

In one implementation, a motor module according to the present invention includes: a motor driving circuit 10 to drive a motor M; and a position estimation device 30 to output an estimated position signal of a rotor R of the motor M. It also includes: a motor control circuit 20 to supply a command voltage value to the motor driving circuit 10 in response to a pulse signal; and a variable step-size memory 40 storing variable step-size information, which defines an amount of displacement of the rotor R per pulse of the pulse signal. The estimated position signal is an analog or digital signal. Upon receiving a pulse signal, the motor control circuit 20 determines the command voltage value based on an estimated position value of the rotor R acquired from the position estimation device 30 and the variable step-size information read from the variable step-size memory 40 . The motor driving circuit 10 changes the position of the rotor R based on the command voltage value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor module comprising:
a motor having a mover and a stator;
a motor driving circuit to drive the motor;
a position estimation device to output an analog or digital estimated position signal indicating an estimated position value of the mover;
a motor control circuit being connected to the motor driving circuit to supply a command voltage value to the motor driving circuit in response to a pulse signal; and
a memory storing variable step-size information, the variable step-size information defining an amount of displacement of the mover per pulse of the pulse signal, wherein,
upon receiving the pulse signal, the motor control circuit determines the command voltage value based on the estimated position value of the mover acquired from the position estimation device and the variable step-size information read from the memory; and
the motor driving circuit changes a position of the mover based on the command voltage value.

2. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein the motor control circuit generates a command position value based on the variable step-size information and the pulse signal, and determines the command voltage value based on the command position value and the estimated position value.

3. The motor module of claim 2 , wherein,
the motor control circuit outputs a command position value expressed by the equation θ*=θset ×N_STMP×Dir+θ, where
θ* represents the command position value;
θ represents the estimated position value of the mover;
θset represents an amount of displacement of the mover per pulse of the pulse signal;
N_STMP represents a number of pulse counts in the pulse signal that is input from the external device within a designated period; and
Dir represents a designated direction of displacement of the mover, such that Dir=1 when the direction of displacement is a first direction and Dir=−1 when the direction of displacement is a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.

4. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein the motor control circuit generates a command position value and a command speed value based on the variable step-size information and the pulse signal and generates an estimated speed value from the estimated position value, and determines the command voltage value based on the command position value and estimated position value and on the command speed value and estimated speed value.

5. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a brushless DC motor.

6. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein the estimated position signal that is output from the position estimation device has a magnitude which linearly changes in accordance with the position of the mover.

7. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein,
the memory stores at least one value to be read as the variable step-size information; and
during boot or operation, the motor control circuit reads the at least one value from the memory.

8. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein,
the memory stores a plurality of candidate values to be read as the variable step-size information;
the plurality of candidate values respectively define different amounts of displacement of the mover per pulse of the pulse signal; and
during boot or operation, the motor control circuit selectively reads one of the plurality of candidate values from the memory, in accordance with an internal program or an external instruction.

9. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein,
the memory stores a plurality of candidate values to be read as the variable step-size information;
the plurality of candidate values respectively define different amounts of displacement of the mover per pulse of the pulse signal; and
the motor control circuit includes a pin or a switch for selecting an arbitrary one among the plurality of candidate values.

10. The motor module of claim 1 , wherein, during boot or operation, the motor control circuit changes the amount of displacement of the mover per pulse of the pulse signal, in accordance with an internal program or an external instruction.

11. The motor module of claim 1 , further comprising an interface for updating the variable step-size information stored in the memory.

12. An apparatus comprising:
the motor module of claim 1 ;
a mechanical part connected to the motor of the motor module; and
a controller to input the pulse signal to the motor control circuit.

13. A motor step operation control system comprising:
a motor driving circuit to drive a motor having a mover and a stator;
a position estimation device to output an analog or digital estimated position signal indicating an estimated position value of the mover;
a motor control circuit being connected to the motor driving circuit to supply a command voltage value to the motor driving circuit in response to a pulse signal; and
a memory storing variable step-size information, the variable step-size information defining an amount of displacement of the mover per pulse of the pulse signal, wherein,
upon receiving the pulse signal, the motor control circuit determines the command voltage value based on the estimated position value of the mover acquired from the position estimation device and the variable step-size information read from the memory; and
the motor driving circuit changes a position of the mover based on the command voltage value.

14. A motor control device for use while being connected to a motor driving circuit which drives a motor having a mover and a stator and to a position estimation device which outputs an analog or digital estimated position signal indicating an estimated position value of the mover, the motor control device comprising:
a control circuit to generate a command voltage value based on a command position value and the estimated position value, and supply the command voltage value to the motor driving circuit;
a memory storing variable step-size information, the variable step-size information defining an amount of displacement of the mover per pulse of a pulse signal that is input from an external device; and
a command position value generation circuit to generate the command position value based on the pulse signal and the variable step-size information.

15. A step operation control method for a motor having a mover and a stator, the step operation control method comprising:
with a motor control device, generating an analog or digital estimated position signal indicating an estimated position value of the mover;
with the motor control device, acquiring variable step-size information from a memory, the variable step-size information defining an amount of displacement of the mover per pulse of a pulse signal that is input from an external device;
with the motor control circuit, receiving a pulse signal from the external device, and generating the command voltage value based on the estimated position value of the mover and the variable step-size information; and
with the motor driving circuit, changing a position of the mover in variable steps, based on the command voltage value.

16. The step operation control method of claim 15 , comprising, during boot or operation of the motor, causing the motor control device to modify the variable step-size information.

Assignees

• Nidec Corp

Inventors

• Fujita Atsushi
• ISHIGAMI Shota
• Fukumura Tomohiro

Classifications

• H02P6/06 Primary

  Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed · CPC title

• G01R23/00

  Arrangements for measuring frequencies; Arrangements for analysing frequency spectra · CPC title

• H02P8/42

  characterised by non-stepper motors being operated step by step · CPC title

• H02P6/17

  and for generating speed information · CPC title

• H02P8/14

  Arrangements for controlling speed or speed and torque (H02P8/12, H02P8/22 take precedence) · CPC title