Motor control device

Abstract

The present invention provides a motor control device capable of suppressing torque insufficiency and more appropriately controlling a drive motor to smoothly operate an opening and closing body of a vehicle even during a stable operation period. A motor control device (50) for controlling a drive motor (60) that is connected to an opening / closing body (13) of a vehicle (10) and that automatically opens and closes the opening / closing body (13) is provided with: an output detection unit (514) that detects the output of the drive motor (60) in accordance with the operating state of the opening / closing body (13); and a mode switching unit (518) that switches the control mode of the drive motor (60) to a sine wave drive mode or a rectangular wave drive mode on the basis of a determination value determined from the output result of the output detection unit (514).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a motor control device for controlling a drive motor for automatically opening and closing an opening and closing body of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, some opening and closing bodies, such as sliding doors, included in vehicles are configured to be automatically opened and closed by a drive motor. Motor control devices that control the drive motors used to automatically open and close the opening and closing bodies include those that employ a sinusoidal wave drive method using a sinusoidal wave signal and those that employ a rectangular wave drive method using a rectangular wave signal.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes performing rectangular wave control on a motor at the time of starting the motor and controlling the driving power according to the rotation angle of the motor to an optimum sine wave power during the steady operation of the motor.

[0004] [Prior art literature]

[0005] [Patent Document]

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6939447 Summary of the Invention

[0007] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0008] As described above, in the invention of Patent Document 1, the drive motor is started using a rectangular wave drive method (rectangular wave control method) at the start of operation of the sliding door, and is driven using a sine wave drive method (sine wave control method) during stable operation. This can prevent insufficient torque at the start of operation of an opening and closing body such as a sliding door, facilitating smooth operation of the opening and closing body.

[0009] Moreover, by driving the drive motor in a sinusoidal drive mode during stable operation, the advantage of being able to suppress the operating sound of the drive motor is that even during the stable operation of the drive motor, the torque of the drive motor may still be insufficient depending on the operating conditions of the opening and closing body.

[0010] But, among the invention of patent documentation 1, not considering for the torque deficiency during the stable operation of drive motor. Therefore, during the stable operation of drive motor, the situation that opening and closing body can't run smoothly might be caused by the torque deficiency of drive motor.

[0011] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a motor control device that can suppress torque deficiency even during steady operation and more appropriately control a drive motor so that an opening and closing body of a vehicle can operate smoothly.

[0012] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0013] One embodiment of the motor control device disclosed herein is a motor control device that controls a drive motor connected to an opening and closing body of a vehicle and used to automatically open and close the opening and closing body. The motor control device includes: an output detection unit that detects the output of the drive motor corresponding to the operating state of the opening and closing body; and a mode switching unit that switches the control mode of the drive motor to a sinusoidal wave drive mode or a rectangular wave drive mode based on a judgment value obtained from an output result of the output detection unit.

[0014] [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the motor control device disclosed herein, even during steady operation, it is possible to suppress torque deficiency and more appropriately control the drive motor. Therefore, the opening and closing body of the vehicle can be operated more smoothly while suppressing operating noise. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle equipped with the motor control device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a plan view showing a configuration example of a vehicle opening and closing body control device including the motor control device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 It is a front view showing a structural example of a drive unit included in the vehicle opening and closing body control device.

[0019] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing a structural example of a drum included in the drive unit.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a main part of the motor control device according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a diagram explaining the transition between the startup operation period and the steady operation period.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling a drive motor by the motor control device according to the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between changes in the output duty of the drive motor and the switching state of the control method.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling a drive motor by the motor control device according to the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 10This is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling a drive motor by the motor control device according to the third embodiment.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the door position and the target speed of a sliding door.

[0027] Explanation of Figure Numbers

[0028] 10: Vehicles

[0029] 11: Car body

[0030] 13: Sliding door (opening and closing body)

[0031] 20: Electric sliding door device (vehicle opening and closing body control device)

[0032] 21: Drive unit

[0033] 30: Shell

[0034] 50: Motor control unit (ECU)

[0035] 51: Drive control unit

[0036] 52: Inverter (motor driver)

[0037] 53: Current sensor

[0038] 60: Drive motor

[0039] 61: Rotation angle sensor

[0040] 70: Operation switch

[0041] 511: Rotation control unit

[0042] 512: PWM signal generation unit (control signal generation unit)

[0043] 513: Operation status detection unit

[0044] 514: Output detection unit

[0045] 515: Storage

[0046] 516: Rectangular wave drive unit

[0047] 517: Sine wave drive unit

[0048] 518: Mode switching unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] (Implementation 1)

[0051] <Outline of Power Sliding Door System>

[0052] Figure 1 It is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle equipped with the power sliding door device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 A plan view of a structural example of an electric sliding door device.

[0053] Figure 1 The vehicle 10 shown is, for example, a single-cab vehicle. A sliding door (opening and closing body) 13 is provided on the side of the vehicle body 11 forming the vehicle 10, which opens and closes the opening 12 along a guide rail 14. Figure 2 As shown, a roller assembly 13 a is connected to the sliding door 13 , and the roller assembly 13 a moves along a guide rail 14 fixed to a side portion of the vehicle body 11 together with the sliding door 13 .

[0054] The results, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the sliding door 13 moves in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 between a “fully closed position” and a “fully open position” to open and close the opening 12. Figure 2 As shown, the guide rail 14 has a retractable portion 14a curved toward the interior (upper side in the figure) of the vehicle compartment on the front side of the vehicle. The roller assembly 13a is guided by the retractable portion 14a, allowing the sliding door 13 to close the opening 12 and converge with the side surfaces of the vehicle body 11. Specifically, in addition to the guide rail 14 provided in the center of the vehicle body 11, guide rails (not shown) are also provided at the upper and lower portions of the vehicle body 11.

[0055] like Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle 10 is equipped with an electric sliding door device (vehicle opening and closing body control device) 20 that automatically opens and closes the sliding door 13. The electric sliding door device 20 is a cable-type opening and closing device in this example, including a drive unit 21 having a drive motor 60, an opening side cable 22a, a closing side cable 22b, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 50 as a motor control device. The drive unit 21 is, for example, arranged in the vehicle body 11 and approximately in the center of the extension direction of the guide rail 14, and uses the drive motor 60 to open and close the driving sliding door 13. The ECU 50 controls the rotation of the drive motor 60. In addition, the ECU (motor control device) 50 will be described in detail later.

[0056] Both the opening cable 22a and the closing cable 22b are connected to the sliding door 13 via the roller assembly 13a, and they transmit power from the drive unit 21 to the sliding door 13. Specifically, the opening cable 22a is guided into the drive unit 21 via a first reversing pulley 23a located at the rear of the vehicle 10, while the closing cable 22b is guided into the drive unit 21 via a second reversing pulley 23b located at the front of the vehicle 10. Thus, the drive unit 21 drives the sliding door 13 in the opening direction by winding the opening cable 22a, and drives the sliding door 13 in the closing direction by winding the closing cable 22b.

[0057] Figure 3 Yes Figure 2 A front view of a structural example of a drive unit in FIG. Figure 4 Yes Figure 3 A three-dimensional diagram of an example of the structure of the drum. Figure 3 The drive unit 21 shown includes a housing 30 made of a resin material such as plastic. The housing 30 also functions as a frame that supports the various components or mechanisms that constitute the drive unit 21. The drive unit 21 is fixed to the vehicle body 11 (see FIG. 1 ) via fixing portions FP provided at four locations of the housing 30 using bolts or the like (not shown). Figure 1 、 Figure 2 ).

[0058] In the housing 30, a drive motor 60 is provided as a power source for the drive unit 21. The drive motor 60 is, for example, a flat brushless motor that can rotate forward and reverse. By using a brushless motor as the drive motor 60, the increase in the thickness of the drive unit 21 can be suppressed. Inside the housing 30 and near the drive motor 60, a reduction mechanism (not shown) including a planetary gear reducer is provided. The reduction mechanism increases the torque by reducing the rotation of the drive motor 60 at a predetermined ratio, and utilizes this high-torque driving force to rotate the output shaft 32. In addition, in the approximately central portion of the housing 30, a drum accommodating chamber 30a formed in a roughly cylindrical shape is provided. The drum accommodating chamber 30a is coaxially arranged with respect to the drive motor 60, and a drum 33 is rotatably accommodated in its interior.

[0059] like Figure 4As shown, the drum 33 is formed into a generally cylindrical shape with a spiral guide groove 33a on its outer circumference. Its axis is fixed to the output shaft 32 that protrudes into the drum housing chamber 30a. One end of the open-side cable 22a (the same applies to the closed-side cable 22b) is fixed to the drum 33 by a locking block 34. When the drum 33 rotates counterclockwise (CCW), the open-side cable 22a is wound along the guide groove 33a from one axial side. When the drum 33 rotates clockwise (CW), the closed-side cable 22b is wound along the guide groove 33a from the other axial side.

[0060] Figure 3 In the drum storage chamber 30a, a substrate storage chamber (not shown) is provided at the back side of the drum storage chamber 30a and close to the open side tensioner mechanism 40a and the closed side tensioner mechanism 40b (lower part in the figure). The substrate storage chamber houses a control substrate that controls the rotation of the drive motor 60 and is equivalent to Figure 2 The control board is electrically connected to a battery (power source) mounted in the vehicle 10 or an operation switch in the vehicle cabin via the connector connection portion 35a and the connector connection portion 35b.

[0061] Here, the control board (ECU 50) responds to the "ON" operation of the operating switch by driving the drive motor 60 in a counterclockwise (CCW) direction. This causes the output shaft 32 and drum 33 to rotate counterclockwise at high torque, causing the opening cable 22a to wind around the drum 33 while pulling the sliding door 13. As a result, the sliding door 13 is automatically controlled to open. At this time, the closing cable 22b is fed from the drum 33 to the exterior of the housing 30.

[0062] Similarly, the control board (ECU 50) drives the drive motor 60 to rotate clockwise (CW) in response to the "closing operation" of the operating switch. As a result, the output shaft 32 and the drum 33 rotate clockwise with high torque, and the closing side cable 22b is wound around the drum 33 while pulling the sliding door 13. As a result, the sliding door 13 is automatically controlled in the closing direction. At this time, the opening side cable 22a is sent out from the drum 33 to the outside of the housing 30. In addition, each cable 22a, 22b is connected to the reversing pulley 23a, reversing pulley 23b (see Figure 2 ) is covered by a flexible outer tube TU so as to move inside it.

[0063] Within the housing 30, adjacent to the drum housing chamber 30a, are located an open-side tensioner housing chamber 30b and a closed-side tensioner housing chamber 30c. The open-side tensioner housing chamber 30b and the closed-side tensioner housing chamber 30c house the open-side tensioner mechanism 40a and the closed-side tensioner mechanism 40b, respectively, which apply a predetermined tension to the open-side cable 22a and the closed-side cable 22b. Each of the open-side tensioner mechanism 40a and the closed-side tensioner mechanism 40b includes a pulley 46 that rotates about a pulley shaft 45 and a coil spring (elastic member) 44 that presses against the pulley 46.

[0064] The opening-side cable 22a is wound around the pulley 46 of the opening-side tensioner mechanism 40a and then wound onto the drum 33. Similarly, the closing-side cable 22b is wound around the pulley 46 of the closing-side tensioner mechanism 40b and then wound onto the drum 33. At this time, the opening-side tensioner mechanism 40a and the closing-side tensioner mechanism 40b, respectively, press the pulley 46 using the coil spring 44, thereby removing slack from the opening-side cable 22a and the closing-side cable 22b. For example, the cables 22a and 22b may stretch due to repeated pulling on the heavy sliding door 13. The tensioners 40a and 40b remove the slack caused by this cable extension.

[0065] <General structure of the ECU and its surroundings>

[0066] Figure 5 Yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of the main parts around the ECU. Figure 5 As shown, the motor control device ECU 50 of the first embodiment includes a drive control unit 51, an inverter (motor driver) 52, and a current sensor 53. ECU 50 is connected to an operation switch 70 such as a switch around the driver's seat of vehicle 10 or a remote control switch.

[0067] The drive control unit 51 generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for the inverter 52 in response to an operation command from the operating switch 70, thereby controlling the rotation of the drive motor 60. As will be described in detail later, the drive control unit 51 appropriately switches the control method of the drive motor 60 between a sine wave drive method and a rectangular wave drive method when controlling the rotation of the drive motor 60.

[0068] The so-called sinusoidal wave drive method refers to a control method that drives the drive motor 60 using a sinusoidal wave control signal. Compared to the rectangular wave drive method, the sinusoidal wave drive method has inferior torque characteristics but superior quietness. The so-called rectangular wave drive method refers to a control method that drives the drive motor 60 using a rectangular wave control signal. Compared to the sinusoidal wave drive method, although it has good torque characteristics, it has inferior quietness. The control of the drive motor 60 using these sinusoidal and rectangular wave drive methods is a known technology, so a detailed description of the control methods is omitted.

[0069] The operation switch 70 issues various commands corresponding to user operations, including an automatic opening command for automatically moving the sliding door 13 toward the fully open position or an automatic closing command for automatically moving the sliding door 13 toward the fully closed position.

[0070] Although not shown in the figure, the inverter 52 includes six switching elements, such as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and freewheeling diodes. These six switching elements generate three-phase drive voltages Vu, Vv, and Vw by switching in accordance with PWM signals PWMu, PWMv, and PWMw from the drive control unit 51. The drive motor 60, which is a brushless motor MT, is driven by the three-phase drive voltages Vu, Vv, and Vw generated by the inverter 52.

[0071] The current sensor 53 is provided at the output terminal of the inverter 52 , in other words, the input terminal of the drive motor 60 , and detects the operating current (also called phase current, actual current value, or load current value) actually flowing to the drive motor 60 .

[0072] <Structure of the drive control unit>

[0073] The drive control unit 51 will be described in further detail. The drive control unit 51 includes, for example, a microcontroller including a central processing unit (CPU), and is mounted on the control substrate (wiring board) that constitutes the ECU 50 along with the inverter 52. However, the drive control unit 51 is not limited to a microcontroller and may also partially or entirely include a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or dedicated hardware. The drive control unit 51 may include program processing by the CPU, hardware processing by dedicated hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0074] Typically, the drive motor 60 controlled by the drive control unit 51 is a three-phase brushless DC (brushless direct current) motor having a rotor composed of permanent magnets and a stator that generates magnetic force to rotate the rotor. The motor also includes a rotation angle sensor 61 that detects the rotor's rotational position (rotation angle). Typically, the rotation angle sensor 61 is a Hall effect integrated circuit (IC) that generates a three-phase position detection signal corresponding to the rotor's rotational position. The rotation angle sensor 61 is not limited to a Hall effect IC; for example, a rotary encoder or resolver may also be used.

[0075] The drive control unit 51 includes a rotation control unit 511 , a PWM signal generation unit 512 , an operation state detection unit 513 , an output detection unit 514 , and a storage unit 515 .

[0076] The rotation control unit 511 appropriately controls the rotation of the drive motor 60 based on the detection result of the operation state detection unit 513 or the output detection unit 514 so that the moving speed of the sliding door 13 reaches a predetermined speed.

[0077] For example, the rotation control unit 511 obtains the door position based on the detection results obtained by the operating state detection unit 513, and obtains the door target speed by referring to, for example, a speed control map that defines the relationship between the door position and the door target speed of the sliding door 13. Specifically, the rotation control unit 511 obtains the target rotation speed of the drive motor 60 that drives the sliding door 13 by referring to the speed control map. The speed control map is pre-stored in the storage unit 515, for example.

[0078] The rotation control unit 511 calculates a target current by performing, for example, proportional-integral (PI) control based on the error between the acquired door target speed and the door movement speed (actual movement speed) detected by the operating state detection unit 513. More specifically, the rotation control unit 511 calculates a duty cycle command value for the PWM signal by performing, for example, PI control based on the error between the target current and the phase currents (coil currents) Iu, Iv, and Iw from the current sensor 53. The calculated duty cycle command value is then transmitted to the PWM signal generation unit 512.

[0079] The PWM signal generator (control signal generator) 512 generates a motor control signal for supplying drive power to the drive motor 60. Specifically, the PWM signal generator 512 receives a duty cycle command value from the rotation controller 511 and generates PWM signals PWMu, PWMv, and PWMw reflecting the duty cycle.

[0080] The operating state detection unit 513 detects the operating state of the sliding door (opening / closing body) 13 based on the number of cycles, frequency, phase difference, and other information of the position detection signals Pu, Pv, and Pw from the rotation angle sensor 61. The operating state of the sliding door 13 includes, for example, the door position, door movement speed, and door opening / closing direction of the sliding door 13. Furthermore, the operating state of the sliding door 13 also includes a state in which the sliding door 13 is stopped.

[0081] In this embodiment, the operating state detector 513 detects the operating state of the sliding door 13 based on information such as the rotational position, rotational speed, and rotational direction of the drive motor 60 obtained from the measurement results of the rotation angle sensor 61. In this case, the door position is output as a count of the number of rotations of the drive motor 60. Furthermore, it can be said that the operating state detector 513 detects the rotational state, such as the rotational speed, of the drive motor 60 that drives the sliding door 13.

[0082] The output detection unit 514 detects the output of the drive motor 60 corresponding to the operating state of the sliding door 13, which serves as an opening and closing body. Specifically, the output detection unit 514 detects the output value of the current sensor 53 as the actual operating current flowing to the drive motor 60 (also called phase current, actual current value, or load current value).

[0083] <Structure of the rotation control unit>

[0084] The structure of the rotation control unit 511 will be described in more detail. In this embodiment, the rotation control unit 511 includes a rectangular wave driving unit 516 , a sine wave driving unit 517 , and a mode switching unit 518 .

[0085] The rectangular wave drive unit 516 drives the drive motor 60 using a rectangular wave drive method. Based on the detection results of the output detection unit 514 and the operating state detection unit 513, for example, the rectangular wave drive unit 516 determines the timing (energization timing) of energizing the stator coils of each phase of the drive motor 60. Based on the determined energization timing, the rectangular wave drive unit 516 calculates a duty cycle command value DT1 for rectangular wave drive and transmits it to the PWM signal generation unit 512.

[0086] Sine wave drive unit 517 drives drive motor 60 using a sinusoidal drive method. Sine wave drive unit 517 determines the timing for energizing the stator coils of each phase of drive motor 60 based on the detection results of output detection unit 514 and operating state detection unit 513, for example. Sine wave drive unit 517 transmits duty cycle command value DT2 for sinusoidal drive to PWM signal generation unit 512 based on the determined energization timing.

[0087] Mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode of drive motor 60 between a rectangular wave drive mode and a sine wave drive mode as needed. Stated another way, mode switching unit 518 switches between driving motor 60 by rectangular wave drive unit 516 and driving motor 60 by sine wave drive unit 517 as needed. Specifically, one of rectangular wave drive unit 516 and sine wave drive unit 517 transmits a duty cycle command value to PWM signal generator 512 based on instructions from mode switching unit 518.

[0088] The mode switching unit 518 switches between the rectangular wave drive mode and the sinusoidal wave drive mode based on a determination value obtained from the output result of the output detection unit 514. More specifically, the mode switching unit 518 compares the determination value obtained from the output result of the output detection unit 514 with a preset threshold value and switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 based on the comparison result.

[0089] Moreover, in the present embodiment, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 when the operating state of the drive motor 60 is in the stable operation (normal operation) period after the starting operation period. During the starting operation period of the drive motor 60 immediately after the operation of the sliding door 13 begins, the drive motor 60 is controlled by the rectangular wave drive mode. In contrast, during the stable operation period of the drive motor 60 after the starting operation period, the drive motor 60 is basically controlled by the sine wave drive mode. In other words, the drive motor 60 is controlled by the rectangular wave drive mode during the starting operation period, and then, when it becomes the stable operation period, the control mode is switched from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode to control the drive motor 60.

[0090] The mode switching unit 518 does not switch the control mode of the drive motor 60 during the startup operation period of the drive motor 60. When the drive motor 60 enters the stable operation period, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 as needed. In other words, when the drive motor 60 is in the stable operation period, the mode switching unit 518 temporarily switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode based on the determination value.

[0091] Here, in Embodiment 1, the determination value is the output duty cycle during PWM control of the drive motor 60. While the drive motor 60 is being controlled using the sinusoidal wave drive method, when the determination value increases and reaches or exceeds a predetermined first determination threshold, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control method from the sinusoidal wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method. Stated another way, when the determination value reaches or exceeds the first determination threshold, the mode switching unit 518 switches the drive motor 60 from being driven by the sinusoidal wave drive unit 517 to being driven by the rectangular wave drive unit 516.

[0092] Furthermore, after the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode as described above, if the determination value decreases and becomes less than a second determination threshold value, which is a value smaller than the first determination threshold value, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode. Specifically, during the stable operation period, after the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode, if the determination value becomes less than the second determination threshold value, the mode switching unit 518 restores the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode. Switching of the control mode of the drive motor 60 by the mode switching unit 518 will be described in further detail below.

[0093] According to the structure of the motor control device 50 of this embodiment as described above, even if the drive motor 60 is in stable operation, insufficient torque can be suppressed and the drive motor 60 can be controlled more appropriately. Even for the vehicle's opening and closing body, that is, the sliding door 13, the operating sound can be suppressed and the operation can be made smoother.

[0094] <An example of a motor control method>

[0095] An example of a method for controlling the drive motor 60 by the motor control device 50 , particularly an example of a method for controlling the drive motor 60 during a steady operation period, will be described below.

[0096] In the motor control device 50 of the embodiment, for example, when the user operates the operation switch 70 and the sliding door 13 starts operating, the drive motor 60 first undergoes a startup operation period driven by a rectangular wave drive method, and then transitions (shifts) to a stable operation period driven primarily by a sine wave drive method. Furthermore, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode based on the determination value while the drive motor 60 is in the stable operation period, i.e., after the transition from the startup operation period to the stable operation period.

[0097] Figure 6 This is a diagram illustrating the transition between the startup operation period and the steady operation period. Figure 6As shown, during the stop period when the drive motor 60 is stopped, if transition condition 1 (operation start condition) is satisfied, the drive motor 60 transitions to the start-up operation period and begins driving the drive motor 60 using the rectangular wave drive method. Specifically, when transition condition 1 is satisfied, the rectangular wave drive unit 516 begins driving the drive motor 60. This initiates the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 13. Transition condition 1 for transitioning from the stop period to the start-up operation period can be appropriately determined, and an example thereof includes a user operating the operating switch 70.

[0098] Furthermore, during the startup operation period, when transition condition 2 is met, the drive motor 60 transitions to the stable operation period, and the control method of the drive motor 60 switches from the rectangular wave drive method to the sinusoidal wave drive method. Specifically, the drive motor 60 is switched from being driven by the rectangular wave drive unit 516 to being driven by the sinusoidal wave drive unit 517. Transition condition 2 for transitioning from the startup operation period to the stable operation period can be appropriately determined, but examples thereof include the elapsed time from the start of operation of the sliding door 13, the operating speed of the sliding door 13, the door position of the sliding door 13, and the target speed of the sliding door 13.

[0099] Subsequently, during the stable operation period of the drive motor 60, the mode switching unit 518 temporarily switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode as needed. Furthermore, during the stable operation period of the drive motor 60, when transition condition 3 (operation stop condition) for transitioning from the stable operation period to the stop period is met, the sliding door 13 stops. That is, the rotation control unit 511 ends control of the drive motor 60. Transition condition 3 can also be appropriately determined, but as an example, it can be when the sliding door 13 has reached the fully open position or the fully closed position.

[0100] Next, refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 An example of a method for controlling the drive motor during the steady operation period, particularly a process of switching the control method of the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518 will be described. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method in the drive motor control device according to the first embodiment. Figure 8 This is a diagram schematically showing the change in output duty and the switching state of the control method.

[0101] As described above, when the operation state of the drive motor 60 is changed from the start-up operation period to the steady operation period, as shown in FIG. Figure 7As shown, first, in step S01, the rotation control unit 511 sets the control mode of the drive motor 60 to the sinusoidal wave drive mode. In this embodiment, while the drive motor 60 is in the startup operation period, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is set to the rectangular wave drive mode. Then, when the operating state of the drive motor 60 transitions from the startup operation period to the stable operation period, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sinusoidal wave drive mode. In other words, the mode switching unit 518 switches the drive motor 60 from being driven by the rectangular wave control unit 517 to being driven by the sinusoidal wave drive unit 517. Figure 8 In the illustrated example, at time T1 , the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode.

[0102] Next, while the drive motor 60 is being driven in a sinusoidal drive mode, the mode switching unit 518 determines whether the output duty of the PWM control of the drive motor 60 has increased to a value exceeding a first determination threshold (step S02). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and can be set as needed, for example, at fixed intervals.

[0103] Then, if the mode switching unit 518 determines that the output duty, which is the determination value, is less than the first determination threshold (step S02: No), the process returns to step S01 and continues driving the drive motor 60 using the sinusoidal wave drive mode. On the other hand, if the output duty is determined to be greater than the first determination threshold (step S02: Yes), the process proceeds to step S03 and sets the control mode of the drive motor 60 to the rectangular wave drive mode. In other words, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sinusoidal wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode. Figure 8 In the example, during the period from time T1 to time T2, the driving of the drive motor 60 continues based on the sinusoidal wave driving method. At time T2, when the output duty reaches the first judgment threshold, the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sinusoidal wave driving method to the rectangular wave driving method.

[0104] Thus, by appropriately switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method during the stable operation of the drive motor 60 , it is possible to suppress torque shortage and enable the sliding door 13 to operate more smoothly.

[0105] The first determination threshold value of the output duty, which serves as a criterion for determining whether the control method is switched from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method, may be appropriately determined, and is preferably set to approximately 70%, for example.

[0106] Subsequently, while the drive motor 60 is being controlled using the rectangular wave drive mode, the mode switching unit 518 determines whether the output duty of the drive motor 60 has decreased and become less than a second determination threshold (step S04). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and can be set as needed, such as at regular intervals. Furthermore, the second determination threshold is preferably set to a value lower than the first determination threshold. For example, the second output duty determination threshold is preferably set to approximately 60%.

[0107] Then, if the mode switching unit 518 determines that the output duty is greater than the second determination threshold (step S04: No), the process proceeds to step S03 and continues driving the drive motor 60 using the rectangular wave drive mode. On the other hand, if the output duty is less than the second determination threshold (step S04: Yes), the process proceeds to step S01 and sets the control mode of the drive motor 60 to the sinusoidal wave drive mode. In other words, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sinusoidal wave drive mode. Figure 8 In the illustrated example, at time T3 , when the output duty decreases to be less than the second determination threshold, the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the rectangular wave drive method to the sine wave drive method.

[0108] As described above, in this embodiment, during the stable operation period of the drive motor 60, the drive motor 60 is primarily driven using a sinusoidal wave drive mode. For example, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is temporarily switched from a sinusoidal wave drive mode to a rectangular wave drive mode according to the output duty cycle of the drive motor 60. This allows the output torque of the drive motor 60 to be temporarily increased at an appropriate time. As a result, operating noise can be suppressed while ensuring smoother operation of the sliding door 13.

[0109] In this example, the second determination threshold is set to a value smaller than the first determination threshold. However, the second determination threshold is not particularly limited and may be set to the same value as the first determination threshold.

[0110] Furthermore, the second determination threshold value may be set to a value greater than the first determination threshold value. Furthermore, while the drive motor 60 is being driven in the rectangular wave drive mode, if the output duty has increased to or above the second determination threshold value (> the first determination threshold value), and then the output duty value becomes less than the second determination threshold value, the control mode may be restored to the sinusoidal wave drive mode. This allows the control mode, which was switched to the rectangular wave drive mode, to be restored to the sinusoidal wave drive mode at a relatively early stage.

[0111] However, in this case, the output duty cycle may not decrease to below the first determination threshold but may increase again. In this case, it is preferable to switch the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode again. For example, the drive mode of the drive motor 60 may be switched from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode when the output duty cycle decreases to below the second determination threshold (> the first determination threshold) and then increases again to above the second determination threshold.

[0112] (Implementation Method 2)

[0113] While the first embodiment described an example in which the output duty cycle of the drive motor 60 was set as the determination value, the second embodiment uses an example in which the control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 is set as the determination value. The control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 referred to here refers to the ratio of the control speed (actual speed) of the drive motor 60 to the target speed. The target speed of the drive motor 60 (the target speed of the sliding door 13) is stored in the storage unit 515 as a speed control map as described above. The device structure is the same as that of the first embodiment, so its description is omitted.

[0114] Below, refer to Figure 9 An example of a control method in the motor control device according to the second embodiment, particularly a process of switching the control method of the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518 will be described.

[0115] When the operation state of the drive motor 60 changes from the start-up operation period to the steady operation period, as shown in FIG. Figure 9 As shown, first in step S011 , the rotation control unit 511 sets the control method of the drive motor 60 to the sine wave drive method. In other words, the drive of the drive motor 60 by the rectangular wave drive unit 516 is switched to the drive of the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive unit 517 .

[0116] Next, while the drive motor 60 is being driven in the sinusoidal drive mode, the mode switching unit 518 determines whether the control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 is less than a first determination threshold (step S02). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and can be set as needed, for example, at fixed intervals.

[0117] Then, if the mode switching unit 518 determines that the control speed ratio is greater than the first determination threshold (step S012: No), the process returns to step S011 and continues driving the drive motor 60 using the sine wave drive mode. In other words, if the deviation between the control speed and the target speed is determined to be small (step S012: No), driving the drive motor 60 using the sine wave drive mode continues.

[0118] On the other hand, if it is determined that the control speed ratio is less than the first determination threshold (step S012: YES), the process proceeds to step S013, where the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method. In other words, if it is determined that the control speed deviates significantly from the target speed (step S012: YES), the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method.

[0119] Thus, during the stable operation of the drive motor 60, switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method can increase the output torque of the drive motor 60, thereby making it easier to bring the controlled speed closer to the target speed. In other words, insufficient torque of the drive motor 60 can be suppressed. As a result, the sliding door 13 can operate more smoothly.

[0120] The first determination threshold of the control speed ratio, which serves as a criterion for switching the control mode from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode, can be appropriately determined; for example, it is preferably set to approximately 60%. The term "first determination threshold" generally refers to the thresholds that serve as a criterion for switching the control mode from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode. Therefore, for example, the first determination threshold of the output duty described in Embodiment 1 is different from the first determination threshold of the control speed ratio.

[0121] Subsequently, while the drive motor 60 is being controlled using the rectangular wave drive mode, the mode switching unit 518 determines whether the speed control ratio of the drive motor 60 has reached or exceeded a second determination threshold (step S014). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and can be set as needed, such as at regular intervals. Furthermore, the second determination threshold is preferably set to a value greater than the first determination threshold. As an example, the second determination threshold for the control speed ratio is preferably set to approximately 80%.

[0122] The second determination threshold is a general term for the threshold used as a criterion for determining whether to switch the control method of the drive motor 60 from the rectangular wave drive method to the sine wave drive method. Therefore, the second determination threshold for the output duty described in the first embodiment is different from the second determination threshold for the control speed ratio.

[0123] If the mode switching unit 518 determines that the control speed ratio is less than the second determination threshold (step S014: No), the process proceeds to step S013 and continues driving the drive motor 60 using the sinusoidal wave drive mode. On the other hand, if the control speed ratio is determined to be greater than the second determination threshold (step S014: Yes), the process proceeds to step S011 and sets the control mode of the drive motor 60 to the sinusoidal wave drive mode. Specifically, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sinusoidal wave drive mode.

[0124] As described above, even when the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched between the sine wave drive method and the rectangular wave drive method by setting the determination value as the control speed ratio, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be temporarily increased at an appropriate timing, similar to Embodiment 1. As a result, the operating noise can be suppressed while the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly.

[0125] (Implementation 3)

[0126] Embodiment 3 is a modified example of the determination value, similar to Embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 described an example in which the control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 is used as the determination value, but Embodiment 3 is an example in which the deviation between the target speed of the drive motor 60 and the control speed (hereinafter referred to as the speed deviation of the drive motor 60) is used as the determination value.

[0127] Below, refer to Figure 10 An example of a control method in the motor control device according to the third embodiment, particularly a process of switching the control method of the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518 will be described.

[0128] When the operation state of the drive motor 60 changes from the start-up operation period to the steady operation period, as shown in FIG. Figure 10 As shown, similarly to the above embodiment, first, the rotation control unit 511 sets the control method of the drive motor 60 to the sine wave control method (step S021). That is, the drive of the drive motor 60 by the rectangular wave control unit 517 is switched to the drive of the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive unit 517.

[0129] Next, while the drive motor 60 is being driven using the sinusoidal wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the controlled speed (actual speed) of the drive motor 60 is less than the target speed (step S022). If it is determined that the controlled speed of the drive motor 60 is equal to or greater than the target speed (step S022: No), the process returns to step S021 and driving of the drive motor 60 using the sinusoidal wave drive method is continued.

[0130] On the other hand, if it is determined that the controlled speed of the drive motor 60 is less than the target speed (step S022: Yes), the process proceeds to step S023, where it is determined whether the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is greater than or equal to a first determination threshold. The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and can be set as needed, for example, at fixed intervals.

[0131] Then, if the mode switching unit 518 determines that the speed deviation is less than the first determination threshold (step S023: No), the process returns to step S021 and continues driving the drive motor 60 using the sine wave drive mode. In other words, if it is determined that the deviation of the control speed from the target speed is small (step S023: No), the drive motor 60 continues to be driven using the sine wave drive mode.

[0132] If the speed deviation is determined to be greater than the first determination threshold (step S23: Yes), the process proceeds to step S024, where the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method. In other words, if the control speed is determined to have significantly deviated from the target speed in the negative direction, that is, if the actual speed is determined to be significantly slower than the target speed (step S023: Yes), the process proceeds to step S024, where the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method. The first determination threshold for speed deviation can be appropriately determined; for example, it is preferably set to approximately -30 [mm / s].

[0133] Thus, during the stable operation of the drive motor 60, the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the rectangular wave drive method, thereby increasing the output torque of the drive motor 60. Therefore, even when the control speed of the drive motor 60 deviates significantly from the target speed, insufficient torque of the drive motor 60 can be suppressed, and the control speed can be easily brought close to the target speed. As a result, the sliding door 13 can operate more smoothly.

[0134] Then, while the drive motor 60 is being controlled in the rectangular wave drive mode, the mode switching unit 518 determines whether the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 has become less than a second determination threshold (step S025). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and can be set as needed, for example, at fixed intervals.

[0135] The second speed deviation determination threshold is preferably set to a value smaller than the first speed deviation determination threshold. As an example, the second speed deviation determination threshold is preferably set to approximately -20 [mm / s].

[0136] Then, if the mode switching unit 518 determines that the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is greater than the second determination threshold (step S025: No), the process proceeds to step S024 and continues driving the drive motor 60 using the rectangular wave drive mode. On the other hand, if the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is determined to be less than the second determination threshold (step S025: Yes), the process proceeds to step S021 and sets the control mode of the drive motor 60 to the sine wave control mode. In other words, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode.

[0137] As described above, even when the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched between the sine wave drive method and the rectangular wave drive method by using the speed deviation as the determination value, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be temporarily increased at an appropriate timing, similar to Embodiments 1 and 2. As a result, the operating noise can be suppressed while the sliding door 13 can operate more smoothly.

[0138] (Implementation 4)

[0139] Embodiment 4 is a modified example of the determination value, similar to Embodiment 3. Embodiment 4 describes an example in which the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is used as the determination value, but Embodiment 4 is an example in which the door position of the sliding door 13 driven by the drive motor 60 is used as the determination value (determination condition).

[0140] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the door position and the target speed of a sliding door. Figure 11 In the example shown, the moving area of ​​the sliding door 13, that is, the moving area from the fully closed position to the fully open position of the sliding door 13, is divided into eight control areas A0 to A7. As an example, each control area A0 to A7 is an area with a different slope of the target speed, and within each control area A0 to A7, the slope of the target speed is approximately fixed. In other words, the boundary of each control area A0 to A7 is set as a change point where the slope of the target speed changes. In addition, the mode switching unit 518 of embodiment 4 switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 to a rectangular wave drive mode and a sine wave drive mode according to which area of ​​the control area A0 to control area A7 the door position of the sliding door 13 is located.

[0141] In this example, the door position of the sliding door 13 is determined based on the detection results of the operating state detection unit 513, that is, the measurement results of the rotation angle sensor 61. Furthermore, the driving method of the drive motor 60 in each control area (operating area) A0 to A7 is predetermined. As an example, the storage unit 515 stores a table that defines the control method of the drive motor 60 in the control areas (operating areas) A0 to A7 of the sliding door 13.

[0142] The mode switching unit 518 refers to a table stored in the storage unit 515 and appropriately switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 to the control mode corresponding to the control areas A0 to A7. The control mode of the drive motor 60 in each of the control areas A0 to A7 may be different when the sliding door 13 is moving in the opening direction and when it is moving in the closing direction.

[0143] By switching the drive mode of the drive motor 60 according to the control areas A0 to A7 of the sliding door 13, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be temporarily increased at an appropriate time, similar to the above-described embodiment. As a result, the operating noise can be suppressed while the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly.

[0144] In this example, the case where the movement area of ​​the sliding door 13 is divided into eight control areas is described. However, the number of control areas is not particularly limited and may be seven or less or nine or more.

[0145] While one embodiment of the disclosed technology has been described above, the disclosed technology is not limited to the described embodiment and can, of course, be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the materials, shapes, dimensions, quantities, and locations of the components of the described embodiment are arbitrary and are not particularly limited, as long as they achieve the disclosed technology.

[0146] For example, in the above embodiment, a sliding door is illustrated as an example of an opening and closing body, but the opening and closing body may also be, for example, a tailgate or a sunroof, etc. The motor control device of the present disclosure can be applied to control a drive motor that drives various opening and closing bodies.

Claims

1. A motor control device for controlling a drive motor connected to an opening and closing body of a vehicle and for automatically opening and closing the opening and closing body, the motor control device comprising: an output detection unit for detecting an output of the drive motor corresponding to an operating state of the opening and closing body; as well as The mode switching unit switches the control mode of the drive motor to a sine wave drive mode or a rectangular wave drive mode based on a determination value obtained from an output result of the output detection unit.

2. The motor control device according to claim 1, wherein The mode switching unit switches the control mode during a steady operation period following a startup operation period of the drive motor.

3. The motor control device according to claim 1, wherein The determination value is the output duty of the drive motor, The mode switching unit switches the control mode from the sinusoidal wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode when the determination value increases and reaches or exceeds a predetermined first determination threshold value while the drive motor is controlled in the sinusoidal wave drive mode.

4. The motor control device according to claim 3, wherein The mode switching unit switches the control mode from the rectangular wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode when the determination value decreases and becomes smaller than a second determination threshold value that is a value smaller than the first determination threshold value after the control mode is switched from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode.

5. The motor control device according to claim 1, wherein The determination value is the deviation between the target speed and the control speed of the drive motor. The mode switching unit switches the control mode from the sinusoidal wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode when the judgment value increases and reaches a predetermined first judgment threshold value or above while the control speed of the drive motor is slower than the target speed while the drive motor is controlled by the sinusoidal wave drive mode. The motor control device according to claim 1 , wherein The determination value is the ratio of the control speed of the drive motor to the target speed. The mode switching unit switches the control mode from the sine wave drive mode to the rectangular wave drive mode when the determination value decreases and becomes smaller than a preset first determination threshold value while the drive motor is controlled in the sine wave drive mode.

7. The motor control device according to claim 1, comprising: An operating state detection unit detects the operating state of the opening and closing body, The operation state detection unit detects in which area the opening and closing body is located among a plurality of control areas set for the operation area of ​​the opening and closing body. The mode switching unit switches the control mode when the opening and closing body is located in a predetermined specific control area.

Images