Motor drive control device for a multicopter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10707794-B2
Application number	US-201815908822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A multicopter includes a body, propellers, each of which is rotated by a motor to generate lift for the body, a main controller configured to supply a speed instruction signal to the motor, a supply circuit configured to supply a torque current signal and a field current signal obtained from the motor, and a motor drive control device. The motor drive control device includes a control signal generation circuit configured to generate a torque current instruction signal and a field current instruction signal in response to the speed instruction signal, a vector control circuit configured to receive the torque current signal, the field current signal, the torque current instruction signal and the field current instruction signal, and output control signals so that the torque current signal and the field current signal from the motor coincide with the torque current instruction signal and the field current instruction signal, respectively, and a motor driver circuit configured to accept the control signals from the vector control circuit to control the motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multicopter comprising:
a body;
propellers, each of which is rotated by a motor to generate lift for the body;
a main controller configured to supply a speed instruction signal to the motor;
a supply circuit configured to supply a torque current signal and a field current signal obtained from the motor; and
a motor drive control device including
a control signal generation circuit configured to generate a torque current instruction signal and a field current instruction signal in response to the speed instruction signal;
a vector control circuit configured to receive the torque current signal, the field current signal, the torque current instruction signal and the field current instruction signal, and output control signals so that the torque current signal and the field current signal from the motor coincide with the torque current instruction signal and the field current instruction signal, respectively; and
a motor driver circuit configured to accept the control signals from the vector control circuit to control the motor.

2. The multicopter according to claim 1 , wherein
the speed instruction signal from the main controller is generated based on a CAN (Controller Area Network) specification and is supplied to the vector control circuit via a CAN communication transmission path.

3. The multicopter according to claim 1 , wherein
the vector control circuit performs vector control using hardware for executing a logic arithmetic process.

4. The multicopter according to claim 3 , wherein
the vector control circuit executes PI control, fixed coordinate transformation, space vector transformation, three-phase to two-phase conversion, and rotation coordinate transformation.

5. The multicopter according to claim 1 , wherein
the speed instruction signal is generated based on telecommunication standard RS485.

6. The multicopter according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a radio communication unit that supplies a control signal serving as an operation signal to the main controller through radio communication.

7. The multicopter according to claim 1 , wherein the vector control circuit determines position estimation error from information of currents for driving the motor without use of a rotational sensor and supplies this information to the main controller.

8. The multicopter according to claim 7 , wherein an abnormality is communicated to the main controller when the position estimation error exceeds a threshold value.

9. The multicopter according to claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises three field coils and the vector control circuit supplies a torque current signal and a field current signal obtained from currents measured in the three field coils.

10. The multicopter according to claim 9 , wherein the vector control circuit includes a three-phase to two-phase conversion of signals from the three field coils.

11. A method for controlling a multicopter motor, comprising:
supplying a speed instruction signal from a main controller to a multicopter motor;
generating a torque current instruction signal and a field current instruction signal in response to the speed instruction signal;
generating a torque current signal and field current signal from the motor; and
outputting a control signal to the motor in response to the torque current instruction signal, the field current instruction signal, the generated torque current instruction signal and the generated field current signal such that the generated torque current and the field current signal from the motor coincide with the torque current instruction signal and the field current instruction signal, respectively.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the speed instruction signal from the main controller is generated based on a CAN (Controller Area Network) specification and is supplied to a vector control circuit via a CAN communication transmission path.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the vector control circuit uses hardware to execute a logic arithmetic process to generate the outputted control signal.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the vector control circuit executes PI control, fixed coordinate transformation, space vector transformation, three-phase to two-phase conversion, and rotation coordinate transformation.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the speed instruction signal is generated based on telecommunication standard RS485.

16. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
sending a radio control signal from a radiocommunication unit to the main controller.

17. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
determining rotor position estimation error without the use of a rotational sensor.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the step of communicating a rotor position abnormality to the main controller further comprises communicating when the rotor position estimation error exceeds a threshold value.

19. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of generating a torque current signal and field current signal from the motor is carried out by measuring currents from three field coils of the motor.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the step of generating a torque current signal and field current signal from the motor further comprises conversion of three phase signals from the three field coils to two phase signals.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corp
• Toshiba Electronics Devices & Storage Corp

Inventors

• Wamura Tetsuro

Classifications

• B64D31/09

  in response to power plant failure · CPC title

• B64D35/021

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• B64D31/16

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• H02P21/22 Primary

  Current control, e.g. using a current control loop · CPC title

• H02P21/18 Primary

  Estimation of position or speed · CPC title