Methods and systems for controllably moving one or more moveable stages in a displacement device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10763733-B2
Application number	US-201715853632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Jul 6, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the invention provide methods and systems for moving moveable stages relative to a stator. A stator is operationally divided into multiple stator tiles. The movement of the one or more moveable stages is controlled by a plurality of controllers (each assigned particular control responsibilities). A controller is provided for each stator sector, where each stator sector comprises a group of one or more stator tiles. Controllers from neighboring sectors share various information to facilitate controllable movement of one or more moveable stages relative to the stator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controllably moving one or more moveable stages relative to a stator, the system comprising:
one or more moveable stages, each of the one or more moveable stages comprising one or more magnetization elements, each magnetization element having a corresponding magnetization direction and the one or more moveable stages comprising a first moveable stage;
a stator comprising a plurality of sectors, each sector comprising a plurality of coil traces, the plurality of sectors further comprising a first sector comprising a first plurality of coil traces and a second sector comprising a second plurality of coil traces;
a first controller and one or more first amplifiers associated with the first sector, the first controller and the one or more first amplifiers connected to controllably drive first currents in one or more first coil trace groups from among the first plurality of coil traces;
a second controller and one or more second amplifiers associated with the second sector, the second controller and the one or more second amplifiers connected to controllably drive second currents in one or more second coil trace groups from among the second plurality of coil traces;
the first and second controllers in bi-directional communication with one another via a sector link between the first and second controllers;
wherein the first controller is configured to determine a particular second current reference command for a particular second coil trace group from among one or more second coil trace groups and to communicate the particular second current reference command to the second controller via the sector link between the first and second controllers; and
wherein the second controller is configured to determine a particular second final current reference for the particular second coil trace group based at least in part on the particular second current reference command, and the second controller and the one or more second amplifiers are connected to drive current into the particular second coil trace group and to cause the current in the particular second coil trace group to track the particular second final current reference and to thereby cause interaction with the one or more magnetization elements of the first moveable stage which causes corresponding movement of the first moveable stage relative to the stator.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the particular second coil trace group comprises one of more coil traces that are linearly elongated in a stator-X direction and wherein:
the first controller is configured to:
determine a particular second Y-current reference command for a particular second Y-coil trace group from among one or more second coil trace groups; and
communicate the particular second Y-current reference command to the second controller via the sector link between the first and second controllers;

the second controller is configured to determine a particular second Y-final current reference for the particular second Y-coil trace group based at least in part on the particular second Y-current reference command, and the second controller and the one or more second amplifiers are connected to drive current into the particular second Y-coil trace group and to cause the current in the particular second Y-coil trace group to track the particular second Y-final current reference and to thereby cause interaction with the one or more magnetization elements of the first moveable stage which causes corresponding movement of the first moveable stage relative to the stator; and
the particular second Y-coil trace group comprises one or more coil traces that are linearly elongated in a stator-Y direction that is non parallel with the stator-X direction.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of sectors further comprises a third sector comprising a third plurality of coil traces and the system further comprises a third controller and one or more third amplifiers associated with the third sector, the third controller and the one or more third amplifiers connected to controllably drive third currents in one or more third coil trace groups from among the third plurality of coil traces, the first and third controllers in bi-directional communication with one another via a sector link between the first and third controllers and wherein:
the one or more moveable stages comprises a third moveable stage;
wherein the third controller is configured to determine a particular indirect second current reference command for a particular indirect second coil trace group from among the one or more second coil trace groups and to communicate the particular indirect second current reference command to the second controller via the sector link between the first and third controllers and via the sector link between the first and second controllers; and
wherein the second controller is configured to determine a particular indirect second final current reference for the particular indirect second coil trace group based at least in part on the particular indirect second current reference command, and the second controller and the one or more second amplifiers are connected to drive current into the particular indirect second coil trace group and to cause the current in the particular indirect second coil trace group to track the particular indirect second final current reference and to thereby cause interaction with the one or more magnetization elements of the third moveable stage which causes corresponding movement of the third moveable stage relative to the stator.

4. A system according to claim 1 wherein:
the one or more moveable stages comprises a second moveable stage;
the second controller is configured to determine a particular internal current reference for the particular second coil trace group and to determine the particular second final current reference for the particular second coil trace group based at least in part on: the particular second current reference command and the particular internal current reference;
the current driven into the particular second coil trace group causes interactions with the one or more magnetization elements of the first moveable stage and the one or more magnetization elements of the second moveable stage which cause corresponding movements of the first moveable stage and the second moveable stage relative to the stator.

5. A system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of sectors further comprises a third sector comprising a third plurality of coil traces and the system further comprises a third controller and one or more third amplifiers associated with the third sector, the third controller and the one or more third amplifiers connected to controllably drive third currents in one or more third coil trace groups from among the third plurality of coil traces, the second and third controllers in bi-directional communication with one another via one or more sector links therebetween;
and wherein:
the one or more moveable stages comprises a third moveable stage;
wherein the third controller is configured to determine an additional particular second current reference command for the particular second coil trace group and to communicate the additional particular second current reference command to the second controller via the one or more sector links between the second and third controllers; and
wherein the second controller is configured to determine the particular second final current reference for the particular second coil trace group based at least in part on: the particular second current reference command and the additional particular second current reference command; and
the second controller and the one or more second amplifiers are connected to drive current into the particular second coil trace group and to cause t

Assignees

• Univ British Columbia

Inventors

• Lu Xiaodong

Classifications

• H10P72/50

  for positioning, orientation or alignment · CPC title

• H02P25/06

  Linear motors · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• H02K1/12

  Stationary parts of the magnetic circuit · CPC title

• H02K41/02 Primary

  Linear motors; Sectional motors · CPC title