Clutch actuator, detection system and method for detecting an angular position of a rotary component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332087-B2
Application number	US-202117793470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2021
Priority date	Jan 29, 2020
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A first sensor signal and a second sensor signal are provided by a sensor unit to an evaluation unit. The first sensor signal is dependent on the angular position, and the second sensor signal is phase-shifted by 90° with respect to the first sensor signal. A noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal due to noise in the corresponding sensor signal is determined by the evaluation unit. Each sensor signal is corrected by the evaluation unit based on the noise value determined for the corresponding sensor signal. Highest amplitudes for each of the first and second sensor signals are determined by the evaluation unit as a maximum value of amplitudes of the respective sensor signals detected over multiple revolutions of the rotational element. An angular position of a rotational component is determined by the evaluation unit based on output from an atan 2-function that takes the first and second sensor signals and the highest amplitudes as input.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for detecting an angular position of a rotational component rotatable about a rotational axis, the method comprising:
providing, via a sensor unit, a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal to an evaluation unit, wherein the sensor unit includes a fixed sensor element and a rotational element rotatable relative to the sensor element and jointly with the rotational component, and wherein the first sensor signal is dependent on the angular position, and the second sensor signal is phase-shifted by 90° with respect to the first sensor signal;
determining, via the evaluation unit, a noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal due to noise in the corresponding sensor signal;
then correcting, via the evaluation unit, each sensor signal based on the noise value determined for the corresponding sensor signal;
determining, via the evaluation unit, highest amplitudes for each of the first and second sensor signals as a maximum value of amplitudes of the respective sensor signals detected over multiple revolutions of the rotational element; and
determining, via the evaluation unit, the angular position based on output from an atan2-function that takes the first and second sensor signals and the highest amplitudes as input.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adjusting, via the evaluation unit, the noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal at each revolution of the rotational element.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, the highest amplitude of the respective sensor signal is determined as half of a distance between a maximum amplitude and a minimum amplitude of the corresponding sensor signal.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, via the evaluation unit, an amplitude error by comparing the highest amplitudes; and
updating, via the evaluation unit, one of the highest amplitudes based on the amplitude error.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, via the evaluation unit, the noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal based on a number of measurement points.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the number of measurement points is at least 2000.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the number of measurement points are is determined based on a rotational speed of the rotational element and a sampling frequency of the sensor element.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, via the evaluation unit, the noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal based on a temperature of the sensor unit.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational component is a rotor of an electric motor or a component connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the rotor.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor element is axially spaced from the rotational element.

11. A detection system for detecting an angular position of a rotational component, the detection system comprising:
an evaluation unit; and
a sensor unit configured to provide a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal to the evaluation unit, wherein the sensor unit includes a fixed sensor element and a rotational element rotatable relative to the sensor element and jointly with the rotational component, and wherein the first sensor signal is dependent on the angular position, and the second sensor signal is phase-shifted by 90° with respect to the first sensor signal;
wherein the evaluation unit is configured to:
determine a noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal due to noise in the corresponding sensor signal;
then correct each sensor signal based on the noise value determined for the corresponding sensor signal;
determine highest amplitudes for each of the first and second sensor signals as a maximum value of amplitudes of the respective sensor signals detected over multiple revolutions of the rotational element; and
determine the angular position based on output from an atan 2-function that takes the first and second sensor signals and the highest amplitudes as input.

12. A clutch actuator for a clutch, having a detection system according to claim 11 .

13. The detection system according to claim 11 , wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to adjust the noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal at each revolution of the rotational element.

14. The detection system according to claim 11 , wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to determine the noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal based on a number of measurement points.

15. The detection system according to claim 14 , wherein the number of measurement points are is determined based on a rotational speed of the rotational element and a sampling frequency of the sensor element.

16. The detection system according to claim 14 , wherein the number of measurement points is at least 2000.

17. The detection system according to claim 11 , wherein the evaluation unit is further configured to determine the noise value that is superimposed on each sensor signal based on a temperature of the sensor unit.

18. The detection system according to claim 11 , wherein the rotational component is a rotor of an electric motor or a component connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the rotor.

19. The detection system according to claim 11 , wherein, the highest amplitude of the respective sensor signal is determined as half of a distance between a maximum amplitude and a minimum amplitude of the corresponding sensor signal.

20. The detection system according to claim 11 , wherein the sensor element is axially spaced from the rotational element.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag
• Schaeffler Tech Ag &Co Kg

Inventors

• Zhou Jie

Classifications

• G01D5/24471

  Error correction · CPC title

• G01D5/145 Primary

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

• F16D2300/18

  Sensors; Details or arrangements thereof · CPC title

• F16D2025/081

  Hydraulic devices that initiate movement of pistons in secondary cylinders for actuating clutches, i.e. primary cylinders · CPC title

• F16D29/005

  with a fluid pressure piston driven by an electric motor · CPC title