System and method for providing thermal protection for steering system

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for providing thermal protection for a steering system. A method for electrical component temperature control includes receiving a plurality of temperature values over a period of time from a temperature sensor associated with at least one electrical component in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that an ignition device is in an on position; determining a slope of the temperature change within the time period based on the plurality of temperature values; activating a first cooling function in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold; and activating a second cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than a threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to steering systems, and in particular to systems and methods for providing thermal protection for steering systems. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles (such as automobiles, trucks, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, boats, airplanes, all-terrain vehicles, recreational vehicles, or other suitable forms of transportation) typically include a steering system, such as an electric power steering (EPS) system, a steer-by-wire (SbW) steering system, a hydraulic steering system, or other suitable steering system. The steering system of such a vehicle typically controls various aspects of the vehicle's steering, including providing steering assistance to the vehicle's operator, controlling the vehicle's steerable wheels, etc.

[0003] Such a steering system includes various electrical components, such as circuits (e.g., including inductors, capacitors, resistors, metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), etc.), motors, sensors, and / or other suitable electrical components. Such electrical components may suffer damage or wear due to the increase in temperature caused by the operation of such a steering system. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure generally relates to vehicle steering systems.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosed embodiment includes a method for temperature control of an electrical component. The method includes: in response to an ignition on signal indicating that an ignition device is in an on position, receiving a plurality of temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor within a period of time, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determining a slope of a temperature change within the period of time based on the plurality of temperature values; in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, activating a first cooling function; and in response to an absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, activating a second cooling function.

[0006] Another aspect of the disclosed embodiment includes a system for temperature control of an electrical component. The system includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition device is in an on position, receive a plurality of temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor within a period of time, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determine a slope of a temperature change within the period of time based on the plurality of temperature values; in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, activate a first cooling function; and in response to an absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, activate a second cooling function.

[0007] Another aspect of the disclosed embodiment includes an apparatus for temperature control of an electrical component. The apparatus includes a controller configured to: in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that an ignition is in an on position, receive a plurality of temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor within a period of time, the period starting at the ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ending at a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determine a slope of a temperature change within the period of time based on the plurality of temperature values; in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, initiate a first cooling function, the first cooling function being configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate; and in response to an absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, initiate a second cooling function, the second cooling function being configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

[0008] These and other aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description of the embodiments, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not to scale. Instead, the sizes of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity.

[0010] Figure 1 A vehicle in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is generally shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A controller according to the principles of the present disclosure is generally shown.

[0012] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Generally shown are vehicle characteristics over a period of time in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 4 is a flow chart generally illustrating a thermal protection method according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5A A printed circuit board with electrical components and sensors according to the principles of the present disclosure is generally shown.

[0015] Figure 5B is a graph generally showing the temperature versus clock period of a target lumped model.

[0016] Figure 5C It generally shows Figure 5B A graph of the slope of the temperature change in .

[0017] Figure 6A lookup table that corresponds a torque limit of a steering system to a slope of a temperature change in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is generally shown.

[0018] Figure 7 is a flow chart generally illustrating an alternative thermal protection method according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 8 A sequence model for estimating ignition off-on time according to the principles of the present disclosure is generally shown.

[0020] Fig. 9 is a flow chart generally illustrating an alternative thermal protection method according to the principles of the present disclosure.

[0021] Fig.10 is a flow chart generally illustrating an alternative thermal protection method according to the principles of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following discussion relates to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the disclosed embodiments should not be interpreted or otherwise used to limit the scope of the present disclosure (including the claims). In addition, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the following description has a wide range of applications, and the discussion of any embodiment is only meant as an example of that embodiment, and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present disclosure (including the claims) is limited to that embodiment.

[0023] As described, a vehicle (such as an automobile, truck, SUV, crossover, minivan, boat, airplane, all-terrain vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other suitable form of transportation) typically includes a steering system, such as an EPS system, a SbW steering system, a hydraulic steering system, or other suitable steering system. The steering system of such a vehicle typically controls various aspects of the vehicle's steering, including providing steering assistance to the operator of the vehicle, controlling the vehicle's steerable wheels, etc.

[0024] Such a steering system includes various electrical components, such as circuits (e.g., including inductors, capacitors, resistors, MOSFETs, etc.), motors, sensors, and / or other suitable electrical components. Such electrical components may suffer damage or wear due to increased temperatures caused by operation of such a steering system. To avoid or reduce such damage or wear, thermal protection data (e.g., received from one or more thermal sensors) can be used to trigger various thermal control techniques (e.g., such as cooling to reduce or control component temperature).

[0025] Typically, once the vehicle's ignition is turned off, the thermal protection data of the vehicle's steering system is reset (e.g., because the clock of the controller associated with the steering system is lost when the ignition is powered off). Then, EPS is defaulted to starting from cold. Typically, the time between ignition off and ignition on is sufficient for the components of the steering system to cool. Figure 3A As generally shown in FIG. 1 , when there is sufficient time between ignition off and ignition on for the components of the steering system to cool, when the ignition is turned on, the controller receives thermal protection data and adjusts the thermal protection model based on the current temperature of one or more components of the steering system. The thermal protection model can calculate or recalculate the temperature value of one or more components of the steering system and apply thermal protection accordingly.

[0026] However, if Figure 3B As generally shown in FIG. 1 , if the time period between ignition off and ignition on (e.g., for frequent power on and off), the components of the steering system (e.g., such as MOSFETs, motors, capacitors, and / or other suitable components) may not have sufficient time to cool. In this case, the controller, which has lost temperature data before the ignition was turned on, may start under the assumption that the components have cooled. Therefore, as described with respect to FIG. Figure 3A The described process may be suboptimal and / or may result in thermal damage or wear to components of the steering system.

[0027] Therefore, systems and methods configured to provide improved thermal protection to steering systems, such as those described herein, may be desirable. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to identify a thermal representation of the steering system when the ignition is on, and determine based on the thermal representation whether the steering system has cooled below a threshold (e.g., which may include a threshold period, a threshold temperature, and / or other suitable thresholds) or has not cooled below a threshold.

[0028] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can be configured to determine the thermal state of the steering system before ignition by using the slope of the temperature change curve of the temperature sensor. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to provide a mathematical model of the thermal module based on the relationship between the temperature and the slope of the thermal representation.

[0029] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to receive multiple temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor over a period of time in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is in an on position. The temperature sensor may be associated with at least one electrical component. The at least one electrical component is associated with a steering system of a vehicle (such as an EPS steering system, an SbW steering system, a hydraulic steering system, etc.). The period of time may include a period of time starting at an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is on and ending at a predetermined time, a period of time starting at an ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ending at a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on, and / or any other suitable period of time.

[0030] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine a time associated with an ignition-off signal and a time associated with an ignition-on signal. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to estimate an associated ignition-off period based on the time associated with the ignition-off signal and the time associated with the ignition-on signal.

[0031] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine the slope of the temperature change within the period based on multiple temperature values. For example, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine a first temperature value associated with at least one electrical component at a time associated with an ignition off signal. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine a second temperature value associated with at least one electrical component at a time associated with an ignition on signal. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine the slope of the temperature change within the ignition off period based on an estimated ignition off period, a first temperature value, and a second temperature value. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to determine the slope of the temperature change within the period based on multiple temperature values ​​and the slope of the temperature change within the ignition off period.

[0032] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to initiate a first cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold. The first cooling function may be configured to cool at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to initiate a second cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than a threshold. The second cooling function may be configured to cool at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

[0033] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to estimate the time between ignition-off and ignition-on based on thermal time constants of existing components and / or temperature sensors.

[0034] Figure 1A vehicle 10 in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure is generally shown. The vehicle 10 may include any suitable vehicle, such as a car, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, a minivan, a crossover, any other passenger vehicle, any suitable commercial vehicle, or any other suitable vehicle. Although the vehicle 10 is shown as a passenger vehicle having wheels and used on roads, the principles of the present disclosure may be applied to other vehicles, such as airplanes, boats, trains, drones, or other suitable vehicles.

[0035] The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12 and a hood 14. A passenger compartment 18 is at least partially defined by the vehicle body 12. Another portion of the vehicle body 12 defines an engine compartment 20. The hood 14 may be movably attached to a portion of the vehicle body 12 such that when the hood 14 is in a first position or an open position, the hood 14 provides access to the engine compartment 20, and when the hood 14 is in a second position or a closed position, the hood 14 covers the engine compartment 20. In some embodiments, the engine compartment 20 may be disposed on a rear portion of the vehicle 10 as generally shown.

[0036] The passenger compartment 18 may be disposed rearward of the engine compartment 20, but in embodiments where the engine compartment 20 is disposed in the rear portion of the vehicle 10, the passenger compartment 18 may be disposed forward of the engine compartment 20. The vehicle 10 may include any suitable propulsion system, including an internal combustion engine, one or more electric motors (e.g., an electric vehicle), one or more fuel cells, a hybrid (e.g., a hybrid vehicle) propulsion system, and (including a combination of an internal combustion engine, one or more electric motors) and / or any other suitable propulsion system.

[0037] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a gasoline or gasoline fuel engine, such as a spark ignition engine. In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a diesel fuel engine, such as a compression ignition engine. The engine compartment 20 accommodates and / or surrounds at least some components of the propulsion system of the vehicle 10. Additionally or alternatively, a propulsion control device (such as an accelerator actuator (e.g., an accelerator pedal), a brake actuator (e.g., a brake pedal), a steering wheel, and other such components) are disposed in the passenger compartment 18 of the vehicle 10. The propulsion control device may be actuated or controlled by the driver of the vehicle 10 and may be directly connected to corresponding components of the propulsion system, such as a throttle, brake, axle, vehicle transmission, etc., respectively. In some embodiments, the propulsion control device may communicate a signal to a vehicle computer (e.g., drive-by-wire), which in turn may control corresponding propulsion components of the propulsion system. Thus, in some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may be an autonomous vehicle.

[0038] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 includes a transmission that is connected to the crankshaft via a flywheel or a clutch or a fluid coupling. In some embodiments, the transmission includes a manual transmission. In some embodiments, the transmission includes an automatic transmission. In the case of an internal combustion engine or a hybrid vehicle, the vehicle 10 may include one or more pistons that operate in conjunction with the crankshaft to generate force that is transmitted to one or more shafts through the transmission, which rotates the wheels 22. When the vehicle 10 includes one or more electric motors, the vehicle battery and / or fuel cell provides energy to the electric motors to rotate the wheels 22.

[0039] The vehicle 10 may include an automatic vehicle propulsion system, such as a cruise control, an adaptive cruise control, an automatic brake control, other automatic vehicle propulsion systems, or a combination thereof. The vehicle 10 may be an automatic or semi-automatic vehicle, or other suitable type of vehicle. The vehicle 10 may include additional features or fewer features than those generally shown and / or disclosed herein.

[0040] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include an Ethernet component 24, a controller area network (CAN) bus 26, a media oriented system transport component (MOST) 28, a FlexRay component 30 (e.g., a wire control system, etc.), and a local interconnect network component (LIN) 32. The vehicle 10 may use the CAN bus 26, the MOST 28, the FlexRay component 30, the LIN 32, other suitable networks or communication systems, or a combination thereof, to communicate various information from sensors, such as within or outside the vehicle, to various processors or controllers, such as within or outside the vehicle. The vehicle 10 may include additional features or fewer features than those generally shown and / or disclosed herein.

[0041] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a steering system, such as an EPS system, a steer-by-wire steering system (e.g., which may include or be in communication with one or more controllers that control components of the steering system without using a mechanical connection between a hand wheel of the vehicle 10 and the wheel 22), a hydraulic steering system (e.g., which may include a magnetic actuator incorporated into a valve assembly of the hydraulic steering system), or other suitable steering systems.

[0042] The steering system may include an open-loop feedback control system or mechanism, a closed-loop feedback control system or mechanism, or a combination thereof. The steering system may be configured to receive various inputs, including but not limited to hand wheel position, input torque, one or more wheel positions, other suitable inputs or information, or a combination thereof.

[0043] Additionally or alternatively, the input may include a hand wheel torque, a hand wheel angle, a motor speed, a vehicle speed, an estimated motor torque command, other suitable inputs or combinations thereof. The steering system may be configured to provide steering functionality and / or control to the vehicle 10. For example, the steering system may generate an assist torque based on various inputs. The steering system may be configured to selectively control the motor of the steering system using the assist torque to provide steering assistance to the operator of the vehicle 10.

[0044] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a controller, such as controller 100. Figure 2 . The controller 100 may include any suitable controller, such as an electronic control unit or other suitable controller. For example, the controller 100 may be configured to control various functions of the steering system and / or various functions of the vehicle 10. The controller 100 may include a processor 102 and a memory 104. The processor 102 may include any suitable processor, such as those described herein. Additionally or alternatively, in addition to the processor 102 or in addition to the processor 102, the controller 100 may include any suitable number of processors. The memory 104 may include a single disk or multiple disks (e.g., a hard disk drive), and include a storage management module that manages one or more partitions within the memory 104. In some embodiments, the memory 104 may include flash memory, semiconductor (solid-state) memory, etc. The memory 104 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. The memory 104 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 102, cause the processor 102 to at least control various aspects of the vehicle 10. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 104 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 102 , cause the processor 102 to at least control various functions of the steering system and / or perform any other suitable functions, including the functions of the systems and methods described herein.

[0045] The controller 100 may receive one or more signals from various measuring devices or sensors 106 that indicate sensed or measured characteristics of the vehicle 10. The sensors 106 may include any suitable sensors, measuring devices, and / or other suitable mechanisms. For example, the sensors 106 may include one or more torque sensors or devices, one or more handwheel position sensors or devices, one or more motor position sensors or devices, one or more position sensors or devices, one or more temperature sensors or devices, other suitable sensors or devices, or combinations thereof. The one or more signals may indicate handwheel torque, handwheel angle, motor speed, vehicle speed, temperature, other suitable information, or combinations thereof.

[0046] In some embodiments, the controller 100 may be configured to provide thermal protection to components of the vehicle 10, including, but not limited to, various electrical and / or mechanical components of the steering system of the vehicle 10. For example, the controller 100 may receive multiple temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor (such as sensor 106) over a period of time in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition of the vehicle 10 is in the on position. The sensor 106 may be associated with at least one component of the steering system of the vehicle 10, such as at least one electrical component or at least one mechanical component. The sensor 106 may be configured to sense or measure the temperature (e.g., ambient temperature or other suitable temperature) of at least one component of the steering system or the vehicle 10. The period may include a period starting at an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is on and ending at a predetermined time, a period starting at an ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ending at a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on, and / or any other suitable period of time.

[0047] In some embodiments, the controller 100 may determine a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal. The controller 100 may estimate an associated ignition-off period based on the time associated with the ignition-off signal and the time associated with the ignition-on signal.

[0048] In some embodiments, the controller 100 may determine the slope of the temperature change within the period based on multiple temperature values. For example, the controller 100 may determine a first temperature value associated with at least one component at a time associated with an ignition off signal. The controller 100 may determine a second temperature value associated with at least one component at a time associated with an ignition on signal. The controller 100 may determine the slope of the temperature change within the ignition off period based on the estimated ignition off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value. The controller 100 may determine the slope of the temperature change within the period based on multiple temperature values ​​and the slope of the temperature change within the ignition off period.

[0049] The controller 100 may activate a first cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold. The first cooling function may be configured to cool at least one component based on a first cooling rate. The controller 100 may activate a second cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than a threshold. The second cooling function may be configured to cool at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

[0050] In some embodiments, the controller 100 can perform the methods described herein. However, the methods described herein performed by the controller 100 are not meant to be limiting, and any type of software executed on a controller or processor can perform the methods described herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, a controller (such as a processor executing software within a computing device) can perform the methods described herein.

[0051] Figure 4 2 is a flow chart generally illustrating a thermal protection method 200 according to the principles of the present disclosure. At 202, the method 200 receives an ignition-on signal. For example, the controller 100 may receive an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition of the vehicle 10 is on.

[0052] At 204, method 200 determines whether a component of the steering system of vehicle 10 is sufficiently cooled. For example, controller 100 may determine whether a component of the steering system of vehicle 10 has cooled for a threshold period of time, cooled to below a threshold temperature, and / or any other suitable threshold. Figure 5A and Figure 5B As generally shown in FIG. 1 , the controller 100 may determine or receive temperature data including a plurality of temperature values ​​over a period of time from a target lumped model 304 including at least one electrical component 302 of the steering system and the sensor 106. The electrical component 302 and the sensor 106 may be disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) 300.

[0053] The controller 100 may calculate a slope value for the temperature data (eg, by determining a rate of change of a plurality of temperature values ​​of the temperature data). Figure 5B The temperature of the target lumped model 304 (vertical axis) is generally shown as a function of the controller 100 clock cycle (horizontal axis), and Figure 5C The slope (vertical axis) is generally shown as a function of the controller 100 clock period. As shown, when the slope value is 0 or close to 0, the controller 100 determines that the target lumped model 304 is sufficiently cooled, and when the slope value is negative (e.g., less than 0), the controller 100 determines that the target lumped model 304 is not sufficiently cooled.

[0054] The mathematical expression of the thermal characteristics of the target lumped model 304 can be described as equation (1):

[0055] Equation (1) can be rewritten as:

[0056] The initial conditions are: θ(0)=t0-t ∞ =θ0 (3)

[0057] θ(t) can be solved according to the following formula:

[0058] The slope can be expressed exponentially as:

[0059] If the controller 100 determines that the components of the steering system have not been sufficiently cooled, the method 200 continues at 206 . Alternatively, if the controller 100 determines that the components of the steering system have been sufficiently cooled, the method 200 continues at 208 .

[0060] At 208, the method 200 performs a first thermal protection strategy. For example, the controller 100 may cool the target lumped model 304 based on a first cooling rate. The first cooling rate may be a predetermined rate configured to cool the temperature of the target lumped model 304. In some embodiments, when the target lumped model 304 is cooled using the first cooling rate, a redline filter (e.g., a protection limit) of the steering system may be 1. Figure 6 Generally shown is a lookup table showing protection limit (vertical axis) versus slope (horizontal axis).

[0061] At 210 , the method 200 determines a limit on the torque command of the steering system based on the first thermal protection strategy. For example, the controller 100 may determine a limit on the torque command of the steering system based on the first thermal protection strategy.

[0062] At 206, the method 200 executes a second thermal protection strategy. For example, the controller 100 may cool the target lumped model 304 based on a second cooling rate. The second cooling rate may be determined by reducing the redline filter based on the slope, such as Figure 6 shown.

[0063] Figure 7 is a flow chart generally illustrating an alternative thermal protection method 300 in accordance with the principles of the present invention. At 302, the method 300 receives an ignition-on signal. For example, the controller 100 may receive an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition of the vehicle 10 is on.

[0064] At 304, the method 300 estimates the period between the ignition off and the ignition on. As described, during frequent ignition off / ignition on cycles, the steering system of the vehicle 10 may not cool during the period when the ignition is off. Therefore, the controller 100 can estimate the period between the ignition off and the ignition on, and can use the estimate to adjust thermal protection of the steering system of the vehicle 10. For example, the controller 100 can record a temperature associated with the target lumped model 304 at a time before the ignition is turned off (e.g., the controller 100 can periodically record the temperature of the target lumped model 304). The controller 100 can record the temperature of the target lumped model 304 after receiving the ignition on signal. The controller 100 can estimate the period between the ignition off and the ignition on based on the recorded temperature.

[0065] The controller 100 can use the estimated period to provide thermal protection to the target lumped model 304. For example, the controller 100 can calculate a thermal protection nominal value, which can make the thermal management strategy relatively reliable. In some embodiments, the controller 100 can record at least three temperature values ​​of the target lumped model 304: (1) Ta: ambient temperature (for example, when the ignition is turned on again and the steering system is sufficiently cooled, it needs to be recorded in the EEROM); (2) Teo: temperature when the ignition is turned off (for example, the data monitored by the sensor 106 is updated in real time-when the ignition is turned off, the temperature data is stored in the EEROM); and (3) Te: temperature when the ignition is turned on again (which may include constants depending on the thermal properties of the target lumped model 304). The estimated temperature can be defined according to the following formula:

[0066] Figure 8 The sequence model for estimating the ignition off-on time is generally shown. As shown in the sequence diagram, Figure 8 Progress in estimating the ignition off-on time based on the temperature of the target lumped model 304 is shown.

[0067] The mathematical description of the temperature of the target lumped model 304 can be defined according to the following equation:

[0068] Among them, T eo is the temperature when the ignition is turned off, Ta is the ambient temperature, and Te is the temperature when the ignition is restarted, as described above.

[0069] Fig. 94 is a flow chart generally illustrating an alternative thermal protection method 400 according to the principles of the present disclosure. At 402, the method 400 receives an ignition-on signal. For example, the controller 100 may receive an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition of the vehicle 10 is on.

[0070] At 404 , the method 400 loads the ignition-off temperature and the ambient temperature from the memory. For example, the controller 100 retrieves the ignition-off temperature and the ambient temperature of the target lumped model 304 from the memory 104 .

[0071] At 406 , the method 400 records the temperature data and calculates a slope. For example, the controller 100 records the temperature data and calculates a slope value.

[0072] At 408, the method 400 determines whether the slope changes from zero to greater than zero, or from less than zero to greater than zero. For example, the controller 100 may determine whether the slope changes from zero to greater than zero, or from less than zero to greater than zero. If the controller 100 determines that the slope changes from zero to greater than zero, the method 400 continues at 410. Alternatively, if the controller 100 determines that the slope changes from less than zero to greater than zero, the method 400 continues at 412.

[0073] At 410 , method 400 stores the temperature as the ambient temperature. For example, controller 10 may store the temperature as the ambient temperature.

[0074] At 418 , the method 400 calculates thermal protection data based on the actual clock. For example, the controller 100 may calculate thermal protection data based on the actual clock.

[0075] At 420 , the method 400 executes a thermal protection strategy. For example, the controller 100 may cool a steering system of the vehicle 10 based on a first thermal protection function.

[0076] At 430, the method 400 records the temperature data and updates the data over time. For example, the controller 100 periodically records the temperature data.

[0077] At 440 , method 400 receives a signal indicating that the ignition is off. For example, controller 100 may receive a signal indicating that the ignition is off.

[0078] At 412 , method 400 uses the temperature as the temperature at which the ignition is turned back on. For example, controller 100 may use the temperature as the temperature at which the ignition is turned on.

[0079] At 414 , method 400 estimates ignition off-on time. For example, controller 100 may estimate the period between ignition off and ignition on.

[0080] At 416 , the method 400 calculates thermal protection data based on the estimated clock.For example, the controller 100 may calculate thermal protection data based on an estimated period between ignition off and ignition on.

[0081] Fig.10 is a flow chart generally illustrating an alternative thermal protection method 500 according to the principles of the present disclosure. At 502, the method 500 receives a plurality of temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor over a period of time in response to an ignition on signal indicating that the ignition is in an on position. For example, the controller 100 may receive a plurality of temperature values ​​from the temperature sensor 106 over the period of time. The temperature sensor may be associated with at least one electrical component.

[0082] At 504, the method 500 determines a slope of the temperature change during the period based on the plurality of temperature values. For example, the controller 100 may determine a slope of the temperature change during the period based on the plurality of temperature values.

[0083] At 506 , method 500 initiates the first cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold. For example, controller 100 may initiate the first cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold.

[0084] At 508 , method 500 initiates the second cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than a threshold. For example, controller 100 may initiate the second cooling function in response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than a threshold.

[0085] In some embodiments, a method for temperature control of an electrical component includes: in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that an ignition device is in an on position, receiving multiple temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor within a time period, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determining a slope of temperature change within the time period based on the multiple temperature values; in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, starting a first cooling function; and in response to an absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, starting a second cooling function.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate. In some embodiments, the second cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate. In some embodiments, the period includes a period that starts at an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is on and ends at a predetermined time. In some embodiments, the period includes a period that starts at an ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ends at a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on. In some embodiments, the method further includes: determining a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal, and estimating an associated ignition-off period based on the time associated with the ignition-off signal and the time associated with the ignition-on signal. In some embodiments, determining the slope of the temperature change within the time period based on the multiple temperature values ​​includes: determining a first temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition off signal; determining a second temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition on signal; determining the slope of the temperature change within the ignition off period based on an estimated ignition off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value; and determining the slope of the temperature change within the period based on the multiple temperature values ​​and the slope of the temperature change within the ignition off period. In some embodiments, the at least one electrical component is associated with a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system includes an electric power steering system.

[0087] In some embodiments, a system for temperature control of an electrical component includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a plurality of temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor in a period of time in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that an ignition device is in an on position, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determine a slope of temperature change in the period of time based on the plurality of temperature values; initiate a first cooling function in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold; and initiate a second cooling function in response to an absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold.

[0088] In some embodiments, the first cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate. In some embodiments, the second cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate. In some embodiments, the period includes a period that starts at an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is on and ends at a predetermined time. In some embodiments, the period includes a period that starts at an ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ends at a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on. In some embodiments, the instructions further cause the processor to: determine a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal; and estimate an associated ignition-off period based on the time associated with the ignition-off signal and the time associated with the ignition-on signal. In some embodiments, the instructions further cause the processor to determine a slope of temperature change within the period based on the multiple temperature values ​​by: determining a first temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition off signal; determining a second temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition on signal; determining a slope of temperature change within the ignition off period based on an estimated ignition off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value; and determining a slope of temperature change within the period based on the multiple temperature values ​​and the slope of temperature change within the ignition off period. In some embodiments, the at least one electrical component is associated with a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system includes an electric power steering system.

[0089] In some embodiments, a device for temperature control of an electrical component includes a controller, the controller being configured to: in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that an ignition device is in an on position, receive multiple temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor within a time period, the time period starting at the ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition device is turned off and ending at a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition device is turned on, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determine a slope of temperature change within the time period based on the multiple temperature values; in response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, start a first cooling function, the first cooling function being configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate; and in response to an absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, start a second cooling function, the second cooling function being configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

[0090] In some embodiments, the controller is further configured to: determine a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal; estimate an associated ignition-off period based on the time associated with the ignition-off signal and the time associated with the ignition-on signal; determine a slope of temperature change within the period based on the multiple temperature values ​​by: determining a first temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at the time associated with the ignition-off signal; determining a second temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at the time associated with the ignition-on signal; determining a slope of temperature change within the ignition-off period based on the estimated ignition-off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value; and determine a slope of temperature change within the period based on the multiple temperature values ​​and the slope of temperature change within the ignition-off period.

[0091] The above discussion is intended to illustrate the principles and various embodiments of the present disclosure. Once the above disclosure is fully understood, many changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. The following claims are intended to be interpreted as including all such changes and modifications.

[0092] The word "example" is used herein to mean used as an example, instance or illustration. Any aspect or design described as an "example" herein is not necessarily to be interpreted as being more preferred or advantageous than other aspects or designs. On the contrary, the use of the word "example" is intended to present the concept in a specific way. As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to represent an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless otherwise specified or clearly seen from the context, "X includes A or B" is intended to represent any natural inclusive arrangement. That is, if X includes A; X includes B; or X includes both A and B, then "X includes A or B" is satisfied in any of the foregoing cases. In addition, the article "a / an" used in this application and the appended claims should generally be interpreted as meaning "one or more", unless otherwise specified or clearly pointed to the singular form from the context. In addition, unless so described, the use of the term "embodiment" or "one embodiment" throughout the text is not intended to represent the same embodiment or embodiment.

[0093] Implementations of the systems, algorithms, methods, instructions, etc. described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. For example, the hardware may include a computer, an intellectual property (IP) core, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic array, an optical processor, a programmable logic controller, microcode, a microcontroller, a server, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, or any other suitable circuit. In the claims, the term "processor" shall be understood to include any of the foregoing hardware, alone or in combination. The terms "signal" and "data" may be used interchangeably.

[0094] As used herein, the term module may include a packaged functional hardware unit designed to be used with other components, a set of instructions executable by a controller (e.g., a processor executing software or firmware), a processing circuit configured to perform a specific function, and a self-contained hardware or software component that interfaces with a larger system. For example, a module may include an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit, a digital logic circuit, an analog circuit, a combination of discrete circuits, gate circuits, and other types of hardware or combinations thereof. In other embodiments, a module may include a memory that stores instructions executable by a controller to implement the features of the module.

[0095] Furthermore, in one aspect, for example, the systems described herein may be implemented using a general purpose computer or general purpose processor with a computer program that, when executed, performs any corresponding method, algorithm and / or instruction described herein. Additionally or alternatively, for example, a special purpose computer / processor may be utilized that may include other hardware for performing any method, algorithm or instruction described herein.

[0096] In addition, all or part of the embodiments of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product accessible from, for example, a computer usable medium or a computer readable medium. A computer usable medium or a computer readable medium may be, for example, any device that can tangibly contain, store, communicate, or transmit a program for use by or in conjunction with any processor. The medium may be, for example, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic device, or a semiconductor device. Other suitable media may also be used.

[0097] The above embodiments, implementations and aspects have been described to allow easy understanding of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. On the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, which scope should be given the broadest interpretation to cover all such modifications and equivalent structures permitted by law.

Claims

1. A method for temperature control of an electrical component, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of temperature values ​​over a period of time from a temperature sensor associated with at least one electrical component in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is in an on position; determining a slope of a temperature change within the time period based on the plurality of temperature values; In response to the absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, starting a first cooling function; as well as In response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, a second cooling function is initiated.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The second cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The period includes a period starting at an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition device is turned on and ending at a predetermined time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The period includes a period that begins at an ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ends a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: determining a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal; as well as An associated ignition-off period is estimated based on a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: Determining the slope of the temperature change within the time period based on the multiple temperature values ​​includes: determining a first temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition-off signal; determining a second temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition on signal; determining a slope of a temperature change within the ignition-off period based on an estimated ignition-off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value; and A slope of the temperature change within the period is determined based on the plurality of temperature values ​​and the slope of the temperature change within the ignition-off period.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one electrical component is associated with a steering system of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein: The steering system includes an electric power steering system.

10. A system for temperature control of an electrical component, the system comprising: processor; as well as a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receiving a plurality of temperature values ​​over a period of time from a temperature sensor associated with at least one electrical component in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition is in an on position; determining a slope of a temperature change within the time period based on the plurality of temperature values; In response to the absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, starting a first cooling function; as well as In response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, a second cooling function is initiated.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The first cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The second cooling function is configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The period includes a period starting at an ignition-on signal indicating that the ignition device is turned on and ending at a predetermined time.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The period includes a period that begins at an ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ends a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The instructions further cause the processor to: determining a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal; and An associated ignition-off period is estimated based on a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein: The instructions further cause the processor to determine a slope of the temperature change within the time period based on the plurality of temperature values ​​by: determining a first temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition-off signal; determining a second temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition on signal; determining a slope of a temperature change during the ignition-off period based on an estimated ignition-off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value; as well as A slope of the temperature change within the period is determined based on the plurality of temperature values ​​and the slope of the temperature change within the ignition-off period.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one electrical component is associated with a steering system of the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein: The steering system includes an electric power steering system.

19. A device for temperature control of an electrical component, the device comprising: A controller, the controller being configured to: receiving a plurality of temperature values ​​from a temperature sensor over a period of time, in response to an ignition-on signal indicating that an ignition is in an on position, the period of time beginning at the ignition-off signal indicating that the ignition is off and ending a predetermined time after the ignition-on signal indicates that the ignition is on, the temperature sensor being associated with at least one electrical component; determining a slope of a temperature change within the time period based on the plurality of temperature values; In response to an absolute value of the slope being less than or equal to a threshold, initiating a first cooling function configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a first cooling rate; as well as In response to the absolute value of the slope being greater than the threshold, a second cooling function is initiated, the second cooling function being configured to cool the at least one electrical component based on a second cooling rate.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein: The controller is also configured to: determining a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal; estimating an associated ignition-off period based on a time associated with the ignition-off signal and a time associated with the ignition-on signal; as well as The slope of the temperature change within the time period is determined based on the multiple temperature values ​​in the following manner: determining a first temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition-off signal; determining a second temperature value associated with the at least one electrical component at a time associated with the ignition on signal; determining a slope of a temperature change during the ignition-off period based on an estimated ignition-off period, the first temperature value, and the second temperature value; as well as A slope of the temperature change within the period is determined based on the plurality of temperature values ​​and the slope of the temperature change within the ignition-off period.

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