Three-phase BLDC motor driver/controller having diagnostic signal processing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11942831-B2
Application number	US-202016935656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2020
Priority date	Jan 15, 2020
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

Method and apparatus for providing a motor controller/driver integrated circuit package having diagnostic processing of signal(s) from a magnetic field sensor positioned in relation to a motor. The sensor signal may have a first voltage range corresponding to a valid high state and a second voltage range corresponding to a valid low state. A diagnostic module can process the received signal from the magnetic field sensor to determine whether the received signal has a voltage level within the first or second voltage ranges. An output module may generate an output signal having a state based on the whether the received signal has a voltage level within the first or second voltage ranges.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a motor controller/driver, a signal from a magnetic field sensor positioned in relation to a motor, wherein the signal has a first voltage range corresponding to a valid high state and a second voltage range corresponding to a valid low state;
processing the received signal from the magnetic field sensor to determine whether the received signal has a voltage level within the first or second voltage ranges;
generating an output signal having a state based on the whether the received signal has a voltage level within the first or second voltage ranges.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further including processing the received signal from the magnetic field sensor to determine whether the received signal has a voltage level corresponding to a safe state.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the voltage level corresponding to a safe state is a voltage level above the first voltage range.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein first voltage range corresponds to percentages of a supply voltage.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises at least one magnetic field sensing element.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a Hall effect latch.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further including measuring current draw by the magnetic field sensor.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further including identifying open and/or short circuits of the magnetic field sensor based on the current draw.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further including connecting the output signal to a remote controller for alerting the system of faults associated with the magnetic field sensor.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further including receiving and processing signals from further magnetic field sensors positioned in relation to the motor.

11. A motor controller/driver integrated circuit package, comprising:
an input to receive a signal from a magnetic field sensor positioned in relation to a motor, wherein the signal has a first voltage range corresponding to a valid high state and a second voltage range corresponding to a valid low state;
a diagnostic module configured to process the received signal from the magnetic field sensor to determine whether the received signal has a voltage level within the first or second voltage ranges; and
an output module to generate an output signal having a state based on the whether the received signal has a voltage level within the first or second voltage ranges.

12. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein the diagnostic module is further configured to process the received signal from the magnetic field sensor to determine whether the received signal has a voltage level corresponding to a safe state.

13. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 12 , wherein the voltage level corresponding to a safe state is a voltage level above the first voltage range.

14. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein first voltage range corresponds to percentages of a supply voltage.

15. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises at least one magnetic field sensing element.

16. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a Hall effect latch.

17. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein the diagnostic module is further configured to measure current draw by the magnetic field sensor.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the diagnostic module is further configured to identify open and/or short circuits of the magnetic field sensor based on the current draw.

19. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein the motor controller/driver integrated circuit package is connected to a remote controller for alerting the system of faults associated with the magnetic field sensor.

20. The motor controller/driver integrated circuit package according to claim 11 , wherein the diagnostic module is further configured to receive and process signals from further magnetic field sensors positioned in relation to the motor.

Assignees

• Allegro Microsystems Llc

Inventors

• Metivier Ryan J
• Jacques Daniel

Classifications

• H02K11/215 Primary

  Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements · CPC title

• H02K11/26

  Devices for sensing voltage, or actuated thereby, e.g. overvoltage protection devices · CPC title

• H02K11/33

  Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02P6/16

  Circuit arrangements for detecting position · CPC title

• H02P29/024 Primary

  Detecting a fault condition, e.g. short circuit, locked rotor, open circuit or loss of load · CPC title