Rotor lock prevention systems for electric vehicles and related methods

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a rotor lock prevention system for an electric vehicle and related methods. Rotor lock prevention systems and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an electric motor having an output shaft; a drive axle for driving one or more wheels of the vehicle; a torque converter for operatively coupling the output shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft; and a clutch movable between an open position and a closed position. The clutch fluidly couples the output shaft and the drive shaft of the electric motor when the clutch is in the open position. When the clutch is in the closed position, the clutch enables the electric motor to bypass the torque converter to mechanically couple the output shaft and the drive shaft of the electric motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to vehicles, and more specifically to rotor lock prevention systems and related methods. Background Technology

[0002] Electric vehicles (EVs) use electric motors or electric motors to apply torque to rotate the wheels of the electric vehicle. However, due to the rotor lock-in torque (LRT) characteristics of electric motors, electric vehicles may be limited in applications such as off-road applications, towing applications, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Rotor lock-in torque (also known as starting torque) is the torque (e.g., maximum torque) generated by an electric motor when its rotor is stationary and commanded at full power or torque demand. For example, rotor lock-in torque is the initial torque generated by the motor when it begins to rotate from a standstill or initial position. Therefore, an electric vehicle starting from a standstill can generate the maximum torque corresponding to the rotor lock-in torque characteristics of the electric motor. For this reason, electric vehicles may be limited in certain applications where the motor needs to start under loads exceeding the rotor lock-in torque.

[0004] As a result of rotor locking torque limitation, electric vehicles employing electric motors may experience reduced motor performance at low speeds and / or when starting from a standstill (e.g., when the vehicle speed is zero). At low or zero vehicle speeds, if the voltage supplied to the motor is insufficient, the electric motor may not generate enough torque to overcome loads or obstacles. In some examples, reduced motor performance may occur when the vehicle speed is zero, when the vehicle is attempting to overcome obstacles in its path, when towing a heavy load, when the vehicle is traveling on an incline or sloped path (e.g., a slope greater than 20 degrees), or when the vehicle is stationary.

[0005] When an electric motor stalls, it typically continues to draw maximum current. In some cases, the motor does not generate back electromotive force (EMF) during stall, resulting in maximum power consumption, which can reduce the battery range of an electric vehicle. Therefore, electric vehicles may experience performance degradation for off-road applications, towing applications, driving on inclines (e.g., slopes of approximately 20 degrees or greater), and / or traversing other obstacles in the vehicle's path.

[0006] Some electric vehicle manufacturers are increasing the inverter capacity (e.g., inverter power capacity) of their electric vehicles to reduce stall problems caused by rotor lock-up torque. However, increasing the inverter power capacity leads to increased complexity associated with integrating and / or modifying the electric vehicle's electrical system to manage the increased inverter power capacity. Therefore, using a larger inverter can require more space and increase vehicle weight, which may affect (e.g., degrade or reduce) the vehicle's overall performance and efficiency (e.g., the vehicle's range per charge). In some cases, a larger motor with greater rotor lock-up torque characteristics can be used. However, this approach significantly increases weight and / or consumes a greater amount of power, thereby reducing the vehicle's total range / battery charge cycles.

[0007] The examples disclosed herein enhance handling by reducing or preventing rotor lock-up and / or motor stall in electric vehicles. To reduce or prevent rotor lock-up conditions, the example electric vehicles disclosed herein employ a rotor lock-up prevention system that detects rotor lock-up conditions in the vehicle. When activated, the example rotor lock-up prevention system maintains a minimum motor speed of the electric motor (e.g., a minimum of 500 rpm), which allows or corresponds to the full torque capability of the electric motor. The example rotor lock-up prevention system disclosed herein may use closed-loop speed control to maintain the motor speed at a speed equal to or greater than the minimum motor speed threshold (e.g., equal to or greater than 500 rpm). When no rotor lock-up condition is detected, the example rotor lock-up prevention system disclosed herein is deactivated, thereby reducing the inefficiencies associated with the example rotor lock-up prevention system.

[0008] The example rotor lock-up prevention system disclosed herein employs a transmission system including a hydraulic coupling (e.g., a torque converter) and a lock-up clutch. Specifically, the example hydraulic coupling disclosed herein enables slippage between the output shaft of the motor and the input shaft or drive shaft of the transmission, thereby allowing the motor to operate at a minimum speed when the vehicle is stationary (i.e., the vehicle speed is zero).

[0009] Additionally, the examples disclosed herein employ a lock-up clutch to activate or enable the hydraulic coupling between the motor's output shaft and the transmission's input shaft when slippage is required (e.g., when the vehicle speed does not exceed a vehicle speed threshold), and to disable or bypass the hydraulic coupling between the motor's output shaft and the transmission's input shaft when slippage is not required (e.g., when the vehicle speed exceeds a vehicle speed threshold). To operate the lock-up clutch and / or activate or determine the vehicle's rotor lock-up condition, the example transmission systems disclosed herein employ a rotor lock-up prevention control system (e.g., a processor circuitry system).

[0010] The example hydraulic couplings disclosed herein reduce motor stall at low vehicle speeds because they allow slippage, enabling the electric motor to operate at elevated or threshold motor speeds when the vehicle is stationary (e.g., at zero speed). Additionally, the example hydraulic couplings (e.g., torque converters) disclosed herein provide torque multiplication that enhances vehicle performance. In some cases, the example hydraulic couplings (e.g., torque converters) disclosed herein can improve vehicle handling by suppressing torque fluctuations (e.g., periodic variations in torque output) from the electric motor, such as during low-speed rock climbing. Using the example hydraulic couplings or torque converters disclosed herein, electric motors can be employed with less consideration for torque fluctuations. For example, the electric motor can have less rotor skew. Reducing rotor skew improves torque and / or power density, which reduces mechanical vibration and / or noise, thereby improving motor performance.

[0011] In some examples, the torque multiplication provided by the example torque converters disclosed herein at low vehicle speeds allows for higher gearbox ratios, thereby increasing or improving the maximum speed performance of the electric vehicle. In some examples, the torque multiplication provided by the example hydraulic couplings and / or torque converters disclosed herein allows for a smaller motor, resulting in weight reduction. In some examples, at low vehicle speeds, the torque multiplication provided by the hydraulic coupling allows the electric motor to operate at lower torque and lower current, thereby reducing motor power losses (e.g., I0). 2 (R loss). Additionally, the example locking clutch can lock or bypass the hydraulic coupling or torque converter at higher vehicle speeds to eliminate losses and any inefficiencies.

[0012] The example rotor lock-up prevention system disclosed herein can be activated manually (e.g., via a human-machine interface or user input) or automatically based on detected vehicle conditions. For example, the example rotor lock-up prevention system disclosed herein can be activated when the vehicle is detected to be in towing mode, off-road mode, hill-hold mode, motor speed / torque ratio irregularity, inverter phase current irregularity, and / or any other condition. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an example vehicle that implements the examples disclosed herein.

[0014] Figure 2 An example rotor locking prevention system based on the teachings of this disclosure. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an example vehicle.

[0015] Figure 3A yes Figure 2 A partial sectional side view of an example hydraulic coupling, with the example locking clutch in the example open position.

[0016] Figure 3B yes Figure 3A A partial sectional side view of an example hydraulic coupling, with the example locking clutch in the example open position.

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating an example implementation of a rotor locking prevention control circuit system.

[0018] Figures 5-8 This is a flowchart illustrating example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations that can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by an example programmable circuit system to achieve... Figure 4 Example of a rotor lock-up prevention control circuit system.

[0019] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of an example processing platform including a programmable circuit system structured to execute, instantiate, and / or implement example machine-readable instructions and / or execute... Figures 5-8 Example operations to implement Figure 4 Example of a rotor lock-up prevention control circuit system.

[0020] Generally, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the accompanying drawings and written description to refer to the same or similar parts. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, the thickness of layers or areas may be magnified in the drawings. Although the drawings show layers and areas with simple lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and / or boundaries may be idealized. In reality, boundaries and / or lines may be unobservable, mixed, and / or irregular. Detailed Implementation

[0021] Figure 1 An example electric vehicle (EV) 100 in which the teachings of this disclosure can be implemented is shown. Figure 1 In the example shown, electric vehicle 100 is a pickup truck. In other examples, electric vehicle 100 can be any type of electric vehicle (e.g., van, coupe, sedan, SUV, semi-truck, minivan, rail vehicle, all-terrain vehicle (ATV), etc.). Figure 1 In the example shown, electric vehicle 100 is a dual-axle vehicle. The examples disclosed herein apply to drive axles (e.g., front axle and / or rear axle).

[0022] Figure 2 It is based on the teachings of this publication. Figure 1A schematic diagram of an example rotor lock-up prevention system 200 for an electric vehicle 100. The example rotor lock-up prevention system 200 shown includes an electric motor 202 (e.g., an electric motor) coupled via a transmission 208 to a differential 204 (e.g., a rear axle, front axle, etc.) of a drive axle 206 (e.g., a rear axle, front axle, etc.). The electric motor 202 shown may be an alternating current (AC) motor (e.g., a three-phase motor), a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, and / or any other electric motor and / or electric motor.

[0023] The rotor lock-up prevention system 200 of the illustrated example includes a hydraulic coupling 210 (e.g., a hydraulic torque converter) and a clutch 212 (e.g., a lock-up clutch). Specifically, the electric motor 202 has an output shaft 214 operatively coupled to a drive shaft 216 (e.g., an input shaft) of the transmission 208. The drive shaft 216 provides input (e.g., input torque and / or speed) to the differential 204. In some examples, the rotor lock-up prevention system 200 and / or the transmission 208 of the electric vehicle 100 may include a gearbox 218. In some examples, the gearbox 218 may be coupled between the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 and the hydraulic coupling 210. In some examples, the gearbox 218 may be coupled between the hydraulic coupling 210 and the differential 204. In some examples, the transmission 208 of the illustrated example may include multiple gearboxes (e.g., two or more).

[0024] The hydraulic coupling 210 shown in the example is a torque converter (e.g., a hydraulic torque converter). For example, the hydraulic coupling 210 shown in the example may be a lock-up torque converter, a multi-channel torque converter (e.g., a two-channel torque converter, a three-channel torque converter, a four-channel torque converter), a high stall torque converter, and / or any other type of torque converter and / or hydraulic coupling.

[0025] The hydraulic coupling 210 includes a drive rotor or pump wheel 222, a driven rotor or turbine 226, a stator 228, and a clutch 212 (e.g., a lock-up clutch) coupled to a housing 224. A front cover 230 is coupled (e.g., fixed, welded, etc.) to the housing 224 to enclose the clutch 212, pump wheel 222, and turbine 226. The front cover 230 and the housing 224 receive or enclose fluids (e.g., transmission fluid, hydraulic fluid, oil, etc.). The output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 in the illustrated example is coupled (e.g., fixed) to the front cover 230, which is coupled (e.g., rotatably fixed) to the pump wheel 222 via the housing 224 (e.g., the front cover 230 is fixed, welded, or fastened to the housing 224). For example, the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 may include a plate (e.g., welded or fixed to an end of the output shaft 214), which is coupled or attached to the front cover 230 (e.g., via fasteners, welding, etc.). In the example shown, drive shaft 216 is coupled to turbine 226. Specifically, a first end 232 of drive shaft 216 extends within housing 224 of hydraulic coupling 210 and is coupled to turbine 226 (e.g., via spline connection). Thus, rotation of output shaft 214 causes rotation of pump wheel 222, which in turn causes fluid within hydraulic coupling 210 to rotate turbine 226, and thus drive shaft 216. Housing 224 in the example shown includes drive hub 234 (e.g., bushing) to allow the first end 232 of drive shaft 216 to pass through housing 224 and / or to allow housing 224 and / or pump wheel 222 to rotate relative to drive shaft 216. A second end 236 of drive shaft 216 opposite the first end 232 (e.g., via gear such as bevel gear) is coupled to differential 204 (e.g., input) of drive axle 206. Differential 204 includes a half-shaft 238 extending from differential 204 to the corresponding wheel (e.g., the rear wheel of electric vehicle 100) in wheel 220. In some examples, drive shaft 216 may be coupled to input shaft 204a of differential 204.

[0026] During operation of the electric vehicle 100, when the electric vehicle 100 starts from a stationary position (e.g., vehicle speed is zero), the output torque requirement of the electric motor 202 exceeding the rotor lock-in torque (e.g., maximum torque output) characteristic of the electric motor 202 can cause the motor to stall. For example, in scenarios where the electric vehicle 100 is in towing mode (e.g., towing a load), off-road mode, traversing an incline and / or parked on an incline and / or otherwise overcoming obstacles when the electric vehicle 100 starts from a stationary position, the torque requirement to overcome the obstacle can be as much as 3.5 times the torque output of the output shaft and / or the electric motor 202. This torque requirement can be greater than the rotor lock-in torque (e.g., maximum output torque) of the electric motor 202 associated with zero vehicle speed.

[0027] To overcome the rotor locking torque limitation of the electric motor 202, the electric vehicle 100 of the illustrated example employs a hydraulic coupling 210. The hydraulic coupling 210 enables slippage between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216. As a result, when the electric vehicle 100 is stationary or traveling at low speeds (e.g., less than 5 mph, 10 mph, etc.), the electric motor 202 can be commanded to rotate at a minimum motor speed threshold. For example, the electric motor 202 can operate at the minimum motor speed threshold (e.g., 500 rpm) that achieves maximum torque output, thereby eliminating or reducing the rotor locking torque. The hydraulic coupling provided by the hydraulic coupling 210 between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 allows the output shaft 214 to rotate (e.g., slip) when the drive shaft 216 is stalled or at zero rotational speed. As a result, the hydraulic coupling 210 allows the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 to rotate at a first speed different from the second speed of the drive shaft 216.

[0028] To achieve slip, a hydraulic coupling 210 fluidly connects (e.g., mechanically disconnects) the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216. In operation, rotation of the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 enables the pump impeller 222 to rotate via the connection between the front cover 230 and the housing 224. As the electric motor 202 rotates, it causes the pump impeller 222 to spin or rotate, which in turn puts the fluid in the housing 224 into motion (e.g., centrifugal motion). Specifically, centrifugal force moves the fluid toward the outer wall of the housing 224. The fluid then moves through blades of a stator 228 positioned between the pump impeller 222 and the turbine 226. The stator 228 deflects the fluid flow, thereby increasing the torque delivered to the force output side and / or toward the turbine 226. As fluid moves from pump wheel 222 to turbine 226 via stator 228, the fluid generates torque on turbine 226, causing turbine 226 and thus drive shaft 216 to rotate, thereby providing input force to differential 204, which causes wheel 220 to rotate.

[0029] The torque multiplication effect allows the hydraulic coupling 210 to increase the torque output from the electric motor 202, thereby achieving enhanced vehicle acceleration and overall performance. This is particularly useful during acceleration and when overcoming resistance, such as when starting from a stop, towing operations, or climbing hills. Additionally, the hydraulic coupling 210 enables smooth engagement or power transmission from the electric motor 202 to the transmission 208 or drive shaft 216. Furthermore, the torque amplification provided by the hydraulic coupling 210 reduces the load and / or stress on the electric motor 202, resulting in less wear on the electric motor 202 and thus extending its lifespan.

[0030] Additionally, the rotor locking prevention system 200 shown in the example employs a rotor locking prevention circuit system 240 to bypass the hydraulic coupling 210 or employs the hydraulic coupling 210 based on the condition of the electric vehicle 100, as described below. Figures 4-8 To describe in more detail. Specifically, bypassing the hydraulic coupling 210 allows the output shaft 214 to be mechanically coupled (e.g., rigidly fixed) to the drive shaft 216 to prevent slippage between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216. Activating or engaging the hydraulic coupling 210 fluidly engages (e.g., mechanically disengages) the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 to allow slippage between them.

[0031] To engage and / or disengage the hydraulic coupling 210, the rotor locking prevention system of the illustrated example includes a clutch 212 (e.g., a lock-up clutch). The clutch 212 of the illustrated example is in a disengaged position (e.g., Figure 3A The disengagement position 302) and the engagement position (e.g., Figure 3B The clutch 212 moves between the engaged position 304 and the disengaged position 302. In the disengaged position 302, the clutch 212 mechanically separates the pump wheel 222 and the turbine 226. Therefore, when the clutch is in the disengaged position 302, the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 of the electric motor 202 are fluidly connected via the hydraulic coupling 210 (e.g., resulting in torque generation and / or torque amplification as described above), thereby enabling slippage between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 of the electric motor 202. In this way, the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 rotates at a first speed different from the second speed of the drive shaft 216. In the engaged position 304, the clutch 212 directly or rigidly connects (e.g., mechanically connects) the pump wheel 222 and the turbine 226, thereby effectively bypassing the hydraulic coupling 210. In this way, when the clutch 212 is in the engaged position, the clutch 212 prevents slippage between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 of the electric motor 202. As a result, output shaft 214 and drive shaft 216 rotate at the same speed. In some examples, clutch 212 moves to engagement position 304 at higher vehicle speeds, thereby improving efficiency and reducing heat generation. Specifically, bypassing the hydraulic coupling 210 reduces power loss and / or heat generation caused by the fluid connection between pump impeller 222 and turbine 226.

[0032] The clutch 212 shown in the example is an electronically operated clutch. To control or move the clutch 212 between the disengaged and engaged positions, the rotor lock-up prevention system 200 employs a pressurized fluid system 242. The pressurized fluid system 242 provides or supplies pressurized fluid to the front surface 244 of the clutch 212 or to the rear surface 246 of the clutch 212 opposite to the front surface 244. Engagement and disengagement of the clutch 212 depend on the direction of the pressurized fluid relative to the clutch 212.

[0033] To control the pressurized fluid of clutch 212, the example pressurized fluid system 242 shown includes a main regulating valve 252 piloted by solenoid 254. For example, commanding solenoid 254 to a first position (e.g., the "open" position) causes valve 250 to supply pressurized fluid to the front surface 244 of clutch 212 (e.g., clutch disc, multiple clutch discs) via a first port 256 of front cover 230. For example, solenoid 254 can be actuated via a command signal (e.g., current, electrical signal, binary value "1", etc.) to move solenoid 254 to the first position. The pressurized fluid then applies force to the front surface 244 of clutch 212 (e.g., clutch disc) to move clutch 212 (e.g., axially slide) to disengagement position 302 (e.g., move clutch 212 in a direction away from front cover 230 to frictionally disengage from front cover 230). In this state, clutch 212 is in disengagement position 302 (e.g., open position), mechanically separated from front cover 230. Therefore, when the clutch 212 is in the disengaged position 302, the clutch 212 fluidly connects (e.g., mechanically separates) the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 via the hydraulic coupling 210.

[0034] In contrast, commanding solenoid 254 to a second position (e.g., the "closed" position) causes valve 250 to direct pressurized fluid to the rear surface 246 of clutch 212 via the second port 258 of front cover 230. For example, solenoid 254 can be disengaged via a command signal (e.g., removing current, binary value "0", etc.) to move solenoid 254 to the second position. The increased pressure then causes clutch 212 to move toward front cover 230 (e.g., axial sliding) to engage with front cover 230 (e.g., friction engagement). When clutch 212 is in the engaged position 304 (e.g., clutch 212 is frictionally engaged with front cover 230), clutch 212 is coupled to turbine 226, causing turbine 226 to rotate together with front cover 230, housing 224, and pump wheel 222. In the engaged position 304, clutch 212 mechanically connects output shaft 214 and drive shaft 216. When clutch 212 is in the engaged position 304, pump wheel 222 is mechanically coupled to turbine 226, and power from electric motor 202 is transmitted to transmission 208 without power loss caused by hydraulic coupling 210. Additionally, the clutch 212 in the illustrated example includes a damping spring that absorbs torsional vibrations during clutch engagement / disengagement to prevent or reduce shock transmission to transmission 208.

[0035] To determine rotor lock-up conditions and / or control the state of clutch 212, the example rotor lock-up prevention system shown includes a rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240. Typically, the rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 controls the state of clutch 212 based on detected conditions of the electric vehicle 100. For example, when a rotor lock-up condition is detected at low vehicle speeds, the rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 disengages / opens clutch 212 to maintain transmission 208 in a slippery state. Conversely, when no rotor lock-up condition is present and / or the vehicle is operating above a threshold vehicle speed, the rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 engages / closes clutch 212 to maintain transmission 208 in a non-slippery state.

[0036] In some examples, to determine rotor lock-up status, rotor lock-up prevention circuitry 240 compares one or more of the following parameters: motor speed value, torque command value, motor torque output value, inverter phase current value, and / or other parameters indicating irregularities and / or exceeding desired operating parameters of the electric vehicle 100. For example, rotor lock-up prevention circuitry 240 employs one or more signals (e.g., feedback signals) from one or more sensors 260 and / or motor control unit (MCU) 262 of the electric vehicle 100. For example, MCU 262 is an electronic module that interfaces between one or more batteries (e.g., DC power supply) and electric motor 202 (e.g., AC motor). In the illustrated example, MCU 262 converts the DC power supplied from the battery of the electric vehicle 100 into three-phase AC current to drive the electric motor 202. Therefore, MCU 262 controls the motor speed and / or torque of the electric motor 202. One or more sensors 260 may include tachometers, magnetic sensors (e.g., Hall effect sensors), inductive sensors, temperature sensors, current sensors, encoders, resolvers, cameras, imaging sensors, accelerometers, trailer light detection sensors, and / or any other sensors. For example, Hall effect sensors, encoders, resolvers, etc., can be used to detect the speed of the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202. Torque output is proportional to magnetic flux, and magnetic flux is proportional to current. Therefore, the torque output of the electric motor 202 can be derived by measuring the current flowing to the motor inverter driver. Cameras and / or imaging sensors can be used to detect towing conditions, off-road conditions, slope conditions, etc. In some examples, the slope of the road can be determined by detecting the orientation of the electric vehicle based on the feedback signal from the accelerometer, imaging processing, etc.

[0037] Figure 3A yes Figure 2 A partial sectional side view of an example hydraulic coupling 210, with the clutch in the example disengaged position 302. Figure 3B yes Figure 3AA partial sectional side view of an example hydraulic coupling 210, with the clutch in the example engaged position 304. (Reference) Figures 3A-3B The clutch 212 slides axially relative to the front cover 230 via a pressure system, so that the clutch 212 moves between the engaged position 304 and the disengaged position 302.

[0038] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating an example implementation of the rotor lock-out prevention circuit system 240. The rotor lock-out prevention circuit system 240 operates the hydraulic coupling 210 based on detected conditions of the electric vehicle 100. In some examples, the rotor lock-out prevention circuit system 240 may determine that one or more conditions of the electric vehicle 100 (e.g., towing conditions, off-road conditions, hill-holding conditions, vehicle speed conditions, and / or any other vehicle conditions) could lead to rotor lock-up and / or motor stall. Figure 4 The rotor lock-prevention circuitry 240 can be instantiated (e.g., instantiated, exist, materialized, implemented, etc.) by a programmable circuitry (such as a central processing unit (CPU) that executes the first instruction). Alternatively or concurrently, Figure 4 The rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 can be instantiated (e.g., instantiated, exist, materialized, implemented, etc.) by (i) an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) and / or (ii) a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), the FPGA being structured and / or configured to perform an operation corresponding to the first instruction in response to the execution of the second instruction. It should be understood that... Figure 4 Some or all of the circuit system can therefore be instantiated at the same or different times. Figure 4 Some or all of the circuit system can be instantiated, for example, in one or more threads that execute concurrently on hardware and / or serially on hardware. Furthermore, in some examples, Figure 4 Some or all of the circuitry in the system can be implemented by executing instructions through a microprocessor circuitry and / or performing operations through an FPGA circuitry to implement one or more virtual machines and / or containers.

[0039] Figure 4The example rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 includes an example vehicle condition circuit system 402, an example rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404, an example rotor lock-up recognizer circuit system 406, an example motor speed determiner circuit system 408, and an example brake adjustment circuit system 410. The example vehicle condition circuit system 402 also includes an example towing mode detection circuit system 412, an example off-road detection circuit system 414, an example slope detection circuit system 416, an example vehicle speed detection circuit system 418, an example torque command circuit system 420, an example motor speed detection circuit system 422, an example motor torque determiner circuit system 424, and an example inverter phase current detection circuit system 426.

[0040] The example vehicle condition circuitry 402 determines the condition of the electric vehicle 100 based on information (e.g., one or more feedback signals) provided by sensors 260, user input (e.g., a human-machine interface), MCU 262, and / or any other system of the example electric vehicle 100. In some examples, the vehicle condition circuitry 402 may determine the condition of the electric vehicle 100, including, for example, towing condition, off-road condition, hill-hold condition, stationary condition, temperature condition, and / or any other vehicle condition. In other examples, the vehicle condition circuitry 402 may include any other circuitry for detecting conditions of the electric vehicle 100 associated with and / or that may lead to rotor lock-up conditions.

[0041] The illustrated towing mode detection circuitry 412 determines whether the electric vehicle 100 is in a towing mode or condition. For example, the towing mode detection circuitry 412 can determine that the electric vehicle 100 is in a towing mode by detecting the connection of a trailer light to the electric vehicle 100. For example, the trailer light module or connector of the electric vehicle 100 may include sensors that provide feedback to the MCU 262 and / or the towing mode detection circuitry 412 indicating a trailer light (e.g., electrical connection) connected to the module connector. In some examples, the towing mode detection circuitry 412 may determine whether the electric vehicle 100 is in a towing mode based on image recognition or image feedback provided by sensors 260 (e.g., cameras) of the electric vehicle 100. In some examples, the towing mode detection circuitry 412 detects the towing mode based on user input provided by a human-machine interface (e.g., buttons in the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle 100).

[0042] The off-road mode detection circuitry 414 determines whether the electric vehicle 100 is in off-road mode and / or off-road condition. For example, the off-road mode detection circuitry 414 may determine whether the electric vehicle 100 is in off-road mode based on image recognition or image feedback provided by sensors 260 (e.g., cameras) of the electric vehicle 100. In some examples, the off-road mode detection circuitry 414 detects the off-road mode based on user input provided by a human-machine interface (e.g., buttons in the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle 100).

[0043] The slope detection circuitry 416 detects the orientation of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the slope detection circuitry 416 receives feedback signals from the accelerometer of the electric vehicle 100, which detects the orientation of the electric vehicle 100 (e.g., pitch, angle, or tilt). The orientation of the electric vehicle 100 indicates the angle of the road or path. In other examples, the slope detection circuitry 416 can detect the slope of the road by processing images captured by a camera on the electric vehicle 100.

[0044] The vehicle speed detection circuit system 418 determines the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the vehicle speed detection circuit system 418 may receive vehicle speed information from the MCU 262 and / or receive feedback signals from one or more sensors 260 and / or any other components of the electric vehicle 100.

[0045] The torque command circuitry 420 determines the torque command provided by the driver. For example, the torque command circuitry 420 receives the torque command value from the MCU 262. The torque command value may be provided, for example, through user interaction with the pedals of the electric vehicle 100.

[0046] The motor speed detection circuitry 422 determines, receives, and / or otherwise obtains the motor speed output of the electric motor 202. For example, the motor speed detection circuitry 422 receives motor speed values ​​from the MCU 262 and / or one or more sensors 260 (e.g., Hall effect sensors, encoders, resolvers) used to detect the speed of the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202.

[0047] The motor torque determiner circuitry 424 determines, receives, and / or otherwise obtains the motor torque output of the electric motor 202. For example, the motor torque determiner circuitry 424 receives the motor torque value from the MCU 262. In some examples, the motor torque determiner circuitry 424 calculates the motor torque output based on a measured current of the electric motor 202. For example, the torque output is proportional to the magnetic flux, which in turn is proportional to the current. Therefore, the torque output of the electric motor 202 can be derived by measuring the current flowing to the motor inverter driver.

[0048] Inverter phase current detection circuitry 426 determines, receives, and / or otherwise obtains the current value flowing to electric motor 202 and / or the inverter of electric motor 202. In some examples, inverter phase current detection circuitry 426 receives current consumption information from MCU 262. In some examples, inverter phase current detection circuitry 426 receives measured current values ​​from electric motor 202.

[0049] In some examples, vehicle condition circuitry 402 (e.g., example towing mode detection circuitry 412, example off-road detection circuitry 414, example slope detection circuitry 416, example vehicle speed detection circuitry 418, example torque command circuitry 420, example motor speed detection circuitry 422, example motor torque determiner circuitry 424, and example inverter phase current detection circuitry 426) is instantiated by executing vehicle condition circuitry instructions via programmable circuitry, and / or configured to perform operations such as those by... Figures 5-8 The flowchart illustrates the operations. In some examples, the vehicle condition circuit system 402 includes components for determining the operating conditions of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the components for determination may be implemented by the vehicle condition circuit system 402. In some examples, the vehicle condition circuit system 402 may be implemented by a programmable circuit system (such as... Figure 9 Example programmable circuit system 900) instantiated. For example, vehicle condition circuit system 402 can be executed by a microprocessor with machine-executable instructions (such as those from at least Figure 9 The vehicle condition circuit system 402 is instantiated by the instructions implemented in blocks 912, 914, and 916. In some examples, the vehicle condition circuit system 402 may be instantiated by a hardware logic circuit system, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or FPGA circuit system configured and / or structured to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Alternatively, the vehicle condition circuit system 402 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the vehicle condition circuit system 402 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuit systems, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuit systems, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers, logic circuits, etc.) configured and / or structured to perform some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without performing software or firmware, but other structures are equally applicable.

[0050] Example rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 activates the rotor lockout prevention mode of electric vehicle 100 based on detected vehicle conditions determined by vehicle condition circuitry 402. For example, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 determines whether the vehicle conditions detected by vehicle condition circuitry 402 are associated with and / or indicate a potential rotor lockout condition. In some examples, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 may employ a lookup table to determine whether the detected condition indicates a potential rotor lockout condition. For example, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 may activate the rotor lockout prevention mode in response to the detection of a vehicle speed less than a vehicle speed threshold (e.g., 5 mph), electric vehicle 100 in towing mode, electric vehicle 100 in off-road mode, electric vehicle 100 on a slope greater than a gradient threshold, electric motor 202 torque output greater than a torque threshold, electric motor 202 motor speed less than a motor speed threshold (e.g., 500 rpm), inverter phase current greater than a current threshold, and / or any other condition or parameter of electric vehicle 100. In some examples, rotor lock prevention activation circuitry 404 initiates control logic (e.g., and / or enables rotor lock prevention identification circuitry 406) to monitor and / or check the vehicle speed of electric vehicle 100.

[0051] In some examples, the rotor lock prevention activation circuitry 404 is instantiated and / or configured to perform operations by instructions executed by the programmable circuitry, such as by... Figures 5-8 The flowchart illustrates the operation. In some examples, the rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404 includes components for activating the rotor lock-up prevention circuit system upon detection of a vehicle condition indicating a potential rotor stall condition. For example, the components for activating the rotor lock-up prevention circuit system may be implemented by the rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404. In some examples, the rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404 may be implemented by a programmable circuit system (such as... Figure 9 Example programmable circuit system 900) instantiated. For example, rotor lock anti-activation circuit system 404 can be executed by a microprocessor with machine-executable instructions (such as those from at least Figure 9The rotor lock-off activation prevention circuitry system 404 can be instantiated by the instructions implemented in blocks 912, 914, and 916. In some examples, the rotor lock-off activation prevention circuitry system 404 can be instantiated by a hardware logic circuitry system, which can be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or FPGA circuitry system configured and / or structured to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Alternatively or concurrently, the rotor lock-off activation prevention circuitry system 404 can be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the rotor lock-off activation prevention circuitry system 404 can be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuitry systems (e.g., processor circuitry systems, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry systems, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers, logic circuitry, etc.) configured and / or structured to perform some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without performing software or firmware, but other structures are equally applicable.

[0052] Rotor lockout identifier circuitry 406 determines whether the vehicle condition is a rotor lockout condition. For example, rotor lockout identifier circuitry 406 compares one or more conditions or signals from vehicle condition circuitry 402, MCU 262, sensor 260, and / or other systems of the electric vehicle 100. For example, rotor lockout identifier circuitry 406 compares one or more of the following parameters—vehicle speed, motor speed, motor torque, inverter phase current, torque command / torque output mismatch, vehicle speed / torque command mismatch, and / or any other parameter—to thresholds to determine whether the vehicle condition identified by vehicle condition monitor circuitry 402 indicates rotor lockout and / or motor stall. In some examples, rotor lockout identifier circuitry 406 compares one or more measured or detected values ​​or parameters to thresholds associated with a related value 428. In some examples, rotor lockout identifier circuitry 406 obtains or determines thresholds (e.g., motor speed threshold, motor torque threshold, etc.) from the related value 428. For example, the associated value 428 may include a motor speed versus torque value, a motor current versus speed value, a motor current versus motor torque value, a vehicle speed versus motor speed value, and / or any other value. For example, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 may use the associated value 428 to operate the electric motor 202 at a motor speed (e.g., RPM) associated with a motor torque corresponding to a torque demand value generated by the user of the electric vehicle 100 based on the vehicle speed.

[0053] Based on the vehicle status and / or other parameters of the electric vehicle 100 provided by the vehicle status circuitry 402, MCU, sensors, and / or other systems, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines whether to move the clutch 212 to the engaged position 304 or the disengaged position 302. The rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 commands, instructs, and / or otherwise causes the clutch 212 to move to the disengaged position 302 in response to the determination of a rotor lock condition, and to the engaged position 304 in response to the determination of the absence of a rotor lock condition. For example, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 commands, instructs, and / or otherwise causes the solenoid 254 to move between an open and closed position, thereby moving the valve 252 between a first and a second position, and thus moving the clutch 212 between the disengaged position 302 and the engaged position 304.

[0054] In some examples, the rotor lock recognizer circuitry 406 is instantiated by instructions executed by a programmable circuitry system and / or configured to perform operations such as those by... Figures 5-8 The flowchart illustrates the operation. In some examples, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 includes components for determining the rotor lock status of the electric vehicle 100. For example, the components for determination may be implemented by the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406. In some examples, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 may be implemented by a programmable circuit system (such as... Figure 9 Example programmable circuit system 900) instantiated. For example, rotor lock recognizer circuit system 406 can be executed by a microprocessor with machine-executable instructions (such as those from at least Figure 9 The instructions implemented in blocks 912, 914, and 916 are instantiated. In some examples, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 may be instantiated by a hardware logic circuit system, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or FPGA circuit system configured and / or structured to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Alternatively or concurrently, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuit systems, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuit systems, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers, logic circuits, etc.) configured and / or structured to perform some or all of the machine-readable instructions, and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions, without performing software or firmware, but other structures are equally applicable.

[0055] Example motor speed determiner circuitry 408 determines, commands, and / or causes electric motor 202 to operate at a motor speed operating threshold based on vehicle conditions determined by rotor lock-up identifier circuitry 406. For example, when clutch 212 is in the disengaged position 302, motor speed determiner circuitry 408 determines a minimum motor operating speed. Specifically, the minimum motor operating speed is a motor speed greater than a minimum motor speed threshold associated with the full torque capability of electric motor 202. For example, the associated value 428 may include a speed-to-torque value indicating a minimum speed (e.g., 500 rpm) of electric motor 202 to prevent rotor torque lock and to output full nominal torque capability based on vehicle speed and / or the conditions of electric vehicle 100. In some examples, when clutch 212 is in the disengaged position 302, motor speed determiner circuitry 408 causes electric motor 202 to operate at a minimum motor speed threshold (e.g., greater than 500 rpm) or higher. For example, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 causes the MCU 262 to operate the electric motor 202 based on a motor speed value determined by the motor speed determiner circuitry 408. In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 maintains the motor speed based on a torque command (e.g., detected by the torque command circuitry 420). For example, the torque output is dynamic (e.g., based on the slip level) when the clutch 212 is engaged / disengaged and the hydraulic coupling 210 “slips.” Therefore, instead of torque-based control, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 controls the motor speed with a minimum motor speed threshold to maintain the commanded vehicle speed.

[0056] In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuit system 408 is instantiated by instructions executed by a programmable circuit system and / or configured to perform operations such as those by... Figures 5-8 The flowchart illustrates the operation. In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuit system 408 includes components for determining a motor speed value when the clutch 212 is in the disengaged position 302 and / or the electric vehicle 100 is in a rotor lock condition determined by the vehicle condition circuit system 402, the rotor lock prevention activation circuit system 404, and / or the rotor lock recognizer circuit system 406. For example, the components for determination may be implemented by the motor speed determiner circuit system 408. In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuit system 408 may be implemented by a programmable circuit system (such as...). Figure 9 Example programmable circuit system 900) instantiated. For example, motor speed determiner circuit system 408 can be executed by a microprocessor with machine-executable instructions (such as those from at least Figure 9The instructions implemented in blocks 912, 914, and 916 are instantiated. In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuit system 408 may be instantiated by a hardware logic circuit system, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or FPGA circuit system configured and / or structured to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Alternatively, the motor speed determiner circuit system 408 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the motor speed determiner circuit system 408 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuit systems, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuit systems, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers, logic circuits, etc.) configured and / or structured to perform some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without performing software or firmware, but other structures are equally applicable.

[0057] Example brake adjustment circuitry 410 determines whether to adjust the brakes (e.g., friction brakes) to control vehicle speed and / or resist creep torque from hydraulic coupling 210. For example, when off-road mode detection circuitry 414 determines that the vehicle condition is off-road and rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 moves clutch 212 to disengagement position 302, brake adjustment circuitry 410 determines brake adjustment. When determining the amount of adjustment required to control the vehicle speed to a target vehicle speed value, brake adjustment circuitry 410 may receive vehicle speed information from vehicle speed detection circuitry 418.

[0058] In some examples, the brake adjustment circuit system 410 is instantiated by a programmable circuit system executing brake adjustment circuit system instructions and / or configured to perform operations, such as by... Figures 5-8 The flowchart illustrates the operation. In some examples, the brake adjustment circuit system 410 includes components for determining brake adjustment based on a detected rotor lock-up condition and / or off-road mode detection circuit system 414. For example, the components for determination may be implemented by the brake adjustment circuit system 410. In some examples, the brake adjustment circuit system 410 may be implemented by a programmable circuit system (such as... Figure 9 Example programmable circuit system 900) instantiated. For example, brake regulation circuit system 410 can be executed by a microprocessor with machine-executable instructions (such as those from at least Figure 9The brake regulating circuit system 410 is instantiated by the instructions implemented in blocks 912, 914, and 916. In some examples, the brake regulating circuit system 410 may be instantiated by a hardware logic circuit system, which may be implemented by an ASIC, XPU, or FPGA circuit system configured and / or structured to perform operations corresponding to machine-readable instructions. Alternatively or additionally, the brake regulating circuit system 410 may be instantiated by any other combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. For example, the brake regulating circuit system 410 may be implemented by at least one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuit systems, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuit systems, FPGAs, ASICs, XPUs, comparators, operational amplifiers, logic circuits, etc.) configured and / or structured to perform some or all of the machine-readable instructions and / or perform some or all of the operations corresponding to the machine-readable instructions without performing software or firmware, but other structures are equally applicable.

[0059] Although Figure 4 The implementation is shown in the figure. Figure 2 An example of the rotor locking prevention circuit system 240, but Figure 4 One or more of the elements, processes, and / or devices shown may be combined, divided, rearranged, omitted, excluded, and / or implemented in any other way. Further, the example vehicle condition circuit system 402, the example rotor lock prevention activation circuit system 404, the example rotor lock identifier circuit system 406, the example motor speed determiner circuit system 408, the example brake adjustment circuit system 410, the example towing mode detection circuit system 412, the example off-road detection circuit system 414, the example slope detection circuit system 416, the example vehicle speed detection circuit system 418, the example torque command circuit system 420, the example motor speed detection circuit system 422, the example motor torque determiner circuit system 424, and the example inverter phase current detection circuit system 426 and / or more generally... Figure 4 The example rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 can be implemented individually in hardware or in combination with hardware, software, and / or firmware. Therefore, for example, the example vehicle condition circuit system 402, the example rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404, the example rotor lock-up recognizer circuit system 406, the example motor speed determiner circuit system 408, the example brake adjustment circuit system 410, the example towing mode detection circuit system 412, the example off-road detection circuit system 414, the example slope detection circuit system 416, the example vehicle speed detection circuit system 418, the example torque command circuit system 420, the example motor speed detection circuit system 422, the example motor torque determiner circuit system 424, and the example inverter phase current detection circuit system 426 and / or more generally... Figure 4Any of the example rotor lock-up prevention circuit systems 240 can be implemented by a combination of programmable circuit systems with machine-readable instructions (e.g., firmware or software), processor circuit systems, analog circuits, digital circuits, logic circuits, programmable processors, programmable microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), ASICs, programmable logic devices (PLDs), and / or field-programmable logic devices (FPLDs) (such as FPGAs). Furthermore, Figure 4 Example rotor lock-prevention circuitry 240 may include one or more elements, processes, and / or devices to supplement or replace it. Figure 4 Those shown, and / or may include more than one of any or all of the elements, processes and apparatus shown.

[0060] exist Figures 5-8 The flowchart shown represents example machine-readable instructions that can be executed by a programmable circuit system to implement and / or instantiate them. Figure 4 The example rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240 represents an example operation that can be implemented and / or instantiated by a programmable circuit system. Figure 4 Example rotor lock-prevention circuit system 240. Machine-readable instructions can be generated by programmable circuit systems (such as those combined below). Figure 9 The programmable circuit system 912 shown in the example programmable circuit system platform 900 discussed herein executes one or more executable programs or portions thereof, and / or may be one or more functions or portions thereof to be performed by the example programmable circuit system. In some examples, machine-readable instructions cause operations, tasks, etc., to be performed and / or executed in an automated manner in the real world. As used herein, “automation” means without human intervention.

[0061] The program may be embodied in instructions (e.g., software and / or firmware) stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable storage media, such as cache memory, magnetic storage devices or disks (e.g., floppy disks, hard disk drives (HDDs), etc.), optical storage devices or optical discs (e.g., Blu-ray discs, compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), etc.), redundant arrays of independent disks (RAID), registers, ROM, solid-state drives (SSDs), SSD memory, non-volatile memory (e.g., electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) of any type), and / or any other storage device or disk. The instructions of the non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media may be programmed and / or executed by a programmable circuit system located in one or more hardware devices, but the entire program and / or portions thereof may alternatively be executed and / or instantiated by one or more hardware devices rather than a programmable circuit system, and / or embodied in dedicated hardware. Machine-readable instructions may be distributed across multiple hardware devices and / or executed by two or more hardware devices (e.g., server and client hardware devices). For example, client hardware devices may be implemented by endpoint client hardware devices (e.g., hardware devices associated with human and / or machine users) or by an intermediate client hardware device gateway (e.g., a radio access network (RAN)) that facilitates communication between the server and endpoint client hardware devices. Similarly, non-transitory computer-readable storage media may include one or more media. Further, although references... Figures 5-8 The flowchart shown describes the example program, but an alternative implementation can be used. Figure 4Many other methods exist for the example rotor lock-prevention circuit system 240. For example, the execution order of the flowchart blocks can be changed, and / or some of the described blocks can be altered, eliminated, repeated, or combined. Alternatively or additionally, any or all of the flowchart blocks can be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., processor circuitry, discrete and / or integrated analog and / or digital circuitry, ASICs, comparators, operational amplifiers (op-amps), logic circuitry, etc.) structured to perform corresponding operations without executing software or firmware. The programmable circuitry can be distributed across different network locations and / or localized to one or more hardware devices (e.g., a single-core processor (e.g., a single-core CPU), a multi-core processor (e.g., a multi-core CPU, XPU, etc.)). For example, the programmable circuitry can be a CPU located in the same package (e.g., the same integrated circuit (IC) package or two or more separate housings), one or more processors in a single machine, multiple processors distributed across multiple servers in a server rack, multiple processors distributed across one or more server racks, and / or any combination thereof.

[0062] The machine-readable instructions described herein can be stored in one or more of the following formats: compressed format, encrypted format, segmented format, compiled format, executable format, and packaged format. As described herein, machine-readable instructions can be stored as data (e.g., computer-readable data, machine-readable data, one or more bits (e.g., one or more computer-readable bits, one or more machine-readable bits, etc.), bit streams (e.g., computer-readable bit streams, machine-readable bit streams, etc.)) or data structures (e.g., stored as parts of instructions, code, representations of code, etc.). For example, machine-readable instructions can be segmented and stored on one or more storage devices, disks, and / or computing devices (e.g., servers) located in the same or different locations (e.g., in the cloud, on an edge device, etc.) within a network or network set. Machine-readable instructions may require one or more of the following processes: installation, modification, rewriting, updating, combination, supplementation, configuration, decryption, decompression, unpacking, distribution, reallocation, compilation, etc., to enable them to be directly read, interpreted, and / or executed by computing devices and / or other machines. For example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in multiple parts, which are individually compressed, encrypted, and / or stored on separate computing devices, wherein the parts, when decrypted, decompressed, and / or combined, form a set of computer-executable and / or machine-executable instructions that implement one or more functions and / or operations of a program such as the program described herein.

[0063] In another example, machine-readable instructions may be stored in a state that can be read by a programmable circuit system, but require the addition of libraries (e.g., dynamic link libraries (DLLs)), software development kits (SDKs), application programming interfaces (APIs), etc., to execute the machine-readable instructions on a specific computing device or other device. In another example, it may be necessary to configure the machine-readable instructions (e.g., store settings, input data, record network addresses, etc.) before they can be executed in whole or in part. Therefore, as used herein, machine-readable, computer-readable media, and / or machine-readable media may include instructions and / or programs, regardless of their specific format or state.

[0064] The machine-readable instructions described in this article can be represented by any past, present, or future instruction language, scripting language, programming language, etc. For example, machine-readable instructions can be represented using any of the following languages: C, C++, Java, C#, Perl, Python, JavaScript, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Structured Query Language (SQL), Swift, etc.

[0065] As mentioned above, Figures 5-8Example operations can be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or machine-readable instructions) stored on one or more non-transitory computer-readable and / or machine-readable media. As used herein, the terms non-transitory computer-readable medium, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, non-transitory machine-readable medium, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage medium are expressly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device and / or storage disk, excluding propagation signals and transmission media. Examples of such non-transitory computer-readable media, non-transitory computer-readable storage media, non-transitory machine-readable media, and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage media include optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, and / or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., extended time period, permanent, for short-term cases, for temporary buffering, and / or for caching information). As used herein, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable storage device" and "non-transitory machine-readable storage device" are defined as including any physical (mechanical, magnetic, and / or electrical) hardware that retains information for a period of time, excluding the propagation of signals and the transmission medium. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and / or non-transitory machine-readable storage devices include any type of random access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disk, magnetic disk, disk drive, and / or RAID system. As used herein, the term "device" refers to a physical structure, such as mechanical and / or electrical equipment, hardware, and / or circuitry, that can be configured and / or may be manufactured or may not be manufactured to execute computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc., whether or not they are computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0066] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 500, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by an example programmable circuit system to detect the rotor lock status of the electric vehicle 100. Figure 5 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 500 begin at box 502, where example vehicle condition circuitry 402 monitors and / or determines vehicle condition. For example, vehicle condition circuitry 402 determines whether electric vehicle 100 is in towing mode, off-road mode, on a slope, vehicle speed, torque command, motor speed, inverter phase current, and / or any other vehicle condition and / or parameter. Figures 6-8 The document describes some example vehicle condition detection operations.

[0067] At block 504, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 determines whether a rotor lockout prevention mode is activated. For example, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 determines whether a vehicle condition detected by vehicle condition circuitry 402 at block 502 could potentially lead to a rotor lockout condition. In some examples, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 compares one or more detected conditions and / or parameters provided by vehicle condition circuitry 402 with thresholds and / or lookup tables to determine whether the detected conditions and / or parameters result in the activation of a rotor lockout prevention mode.

[0068] If, at box 504, the rotor lockout prevention activation circuit system 404 determines that the vehicle condition detected at box 502 will not result in a rotor lockout condition, then the rotor lockout prevention activation circuit system 404 and / or the rotor lockout identifier circuit system 406 command, instruct, and / or otherwise move the solenoid 254 to a second position to engage / disengage the clutch 212 (box 518). In the engaged position, the clutch 212 bypasses the hydraulic coupling 210 and allows the output shaft 214 of the electric motor 202 to be mechanically coupled to the drive shaft 216.

[0069] If, at box 504, the rotor lock prevention activation circuit system 404 determines that the vehicle condition detected at box 502 could potentially lead to a rotor lock condition, then the rotor lock prevention activation circuit system 404 activates the rotor lock prevention mode (box 506). Activation of the rotor lock prevention mode enables the rotor lock detector circuit system 406 to monitor for rotor lock.

[0070] At box 508, rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines whether the vehicle speed exceeds a vehicle speed threshold. In some examples, the vehicle speed threshold may be a predetermined value (e.g., 5 miles per hour (mph)). In some examples, the vehicle speed threshold may be determined based on a lookup table (such as, for example, relevant value 428).

[0071] If at box 508, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 determines that the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed threshold, then the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 determines that the detected condition and / or parameters provided by the vehicle condition circuit system 402 do not cause rotor lock and commands, instructs and / or otherwise moves the solenoid 254 to the second position to engage / disengage the clutch 212 (box 518).

[0072] If, at box 508, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines that the vehicle speed does not exceed a vehicle speed threshold, then the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 commands, instructs, and / or otherwise moves the clutch 212 to the disengaged position 302 (e.g., the open position) to engage the hydraulic coupling 210 (box 510). For example, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines or identifies detected conditions and / or parameters provided by the vehicle condition circuitry 402 that could cause rotor lock and commands, instructs, and / or otherwise moves the solenoid 254 to a first position to disengage / engage the clutch 212. In the disengaged position, the clutch 212 engages the hydraulic coupling 210 and allows slippage between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216.

[0073] At block 512, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 determines and / or maintains the motor speed of the electric motor 202 above a motor speed threshold. In some examples, the motor speed threshold is a predetermined motor speed value based on the performance characteristics of the electric motor 202. In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 and / or the MCU 262 employ closed-loop speed control to control the motor speed of the electric motor 202 based on the motor speed threshold (e.g., maintaining a threshold motor speed or higher). For example, the motor speed threshold could be 500 RPM. In some examples, the rotor lock-in recognizer circuitry 406 maintains a motor speed at least equal to or greater than the motor speed threshold. In some examples, the motor speed threshold can be dynamically determined by the rotor lock-in recognizer circuitry 406. For example, the motor speed threshold could be the minimum motor speed required to achieve the full torque capability of the electric motor 202. For example, the motor speed threshold can be determined based on the vehicle speed of the electric vehicle 100 determined by the vehicle speed detection circuitry 418 and / or the torque command determined by the torque command circuitry 420. In some examples, the motor speed threshold can be determined based on a lookup table (such as, for example, related value 428). In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 commands the MCU 262 to operate the electric motor 202 at the determined motor speed. In some examples, the motor speed determiner circuitry 408 (e.g., the Overdrive MCU 262) controls the motor speed of the electric motor 202.

[0074] At box 514, brake adjustment circuitry 410 determines whether brake adjustment is activated. For example, in response to maintaining the motor speed at a motor speed threshold (e.g., when the vehicle is stationary or traveling at low speeds (e.g., less than 5 mph)), brake adjustment circuitry 410 determines whether brake adjustment is needed to control vehicle speed. Specifically, brake adjustment circuitry 410 determines whether the vehicle condition provided by vehicle condition circuitry 402 indicates off-road conditions and / or off-road mode. For example, brake adjustment may be required during off-road conditions and may not be required during non-off-road conditions.

[0075] If, at box 514, the brake adjustment circuit system 410 determines that brake adjustment is required, then the brake adjustment circuit system 410 commands, instructs, and / or otherwise causes the vehicle brake actuator 430 to adjust the friction brakes of the wheel 220 to control vehicle speed and / or resist the creep torque generated by the hydraulic coupling 210 (box 516). If, at box 514, the brake adjustment circuit system 410 determines that brake adjustment is not required, the process returns to box 502.

[0076] Figure 6 This is a flowchart representing example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 600, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by an example programmable circuit system to monitor the vehicle status of electric vehicle 100. Figure 6 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 600 begin at box 602, where vehicle condition circuitry 402 monitors and / or determines whether a trailer towing mode is detected. For example, to determine a towing mode or towing condition, towing mode detection circuitry 412 determines whether trailer lights are connected to electric vehicle 100, whether user input indicates a towing mode, and / or whether image recognition indicates a towing condition. If a trailer mode is detected at box 602, a rotor lock condition is detected (box 608). If a trailer mode is not detected at box 602, a rotor lock condition is not detected (box 610).

[0077] If towing mode is not detected at box 602, vehicle condition circuitry 402 monitors off-road conditions and / or determines whether off-road mode is detected (box 604). For example, to determine off-road mode or off-road condition, off-road mode detection circuitry 414 determines whether user input indicates off-road mode and / or whether image recognition indicates off-road condition. If off-road mode is detected at box 604, rotor lock condition is detected (box 608). If off-road mode is not detected at box 604, rotor lock condition is not detected (box 610).

[0078] If no off-road mode or condition is detected at box 604, the vehicle condition circuitry 402 monitors and / or determines whether the detected gradient exceeds a gradient threshold (box 606). For example, gradient detection circuitry 416 receives, retrieves, or otherwise acquires a signal (e.g., a feedback signal) from the accelerometer of the electric vehicle 100. Gradient detection circuitry 416 compares the detected or measured gradient with a gradient threshold to determine whether the gradient exceeds the threshold. For example, the gradient threshold may be a predetermined value of approximately 20 degrees, 30 degrees, etc., relative to the horizontal plane. If the gradient threshold is exceeded at box 606, a rotor lock-up condition is detected (box 608). If the gradient threshold is not exceeded at box 606, a rotor lock-up condition is not detected (box 610).

[0079] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 700, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by an example programmable circuit system to detect the rotor lock status of the electric vehicle 100. For example, Figure 7 The flowchart can be used to detect motor stall conditions in example electric motor 202. Figure 7 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 700 begin at block 702, wherein vehicle condition circuitry system 402 monitors and / or detects the motor speed of electric motor 202. For example, motor speed detection circuitry system 422 detects, retrieves, obtains, and / or otherwise determines the motor speed of electric motor 202.

[0080] Rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 determines whether the motor speed exceeds a motor speed threshold (box 704). For example, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 uses a comparator to determine whether the motor speed exceeds the motor speed threshold.

[0081] If, at box 704, the rotor lockout prevention activation circuit system 404 determines that the motor speed provided by the motor speed detection circuit system 422 does not exceed the motor speed threshold, then the rotor lockout prevention activation circuit system 404 determines a potential rotor lockout condition and activates the rotor lockout prevention monitoring mode (box 706).

[0082] Then, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 detects the torque command (block 708). For example, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 receives and / or otherwise obtains the torque command from the torque command circuitry 420, which monitors and / or retrieves the torque command from the MCU 262 and / or other sensors 260.

[0083] At box 710, rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines whether the torque command exceeds a torque threshold. For example, rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 employs a comparator to compare the torque command and the torque threshold. In some examples, the torque threshold is a predetermined torque threshold (e.g., 100 Nm, 440 Nm, 560 Nm, etc.). In some examples, a lookup table and / or... Figure 4 The torque threshold is retrieved from the relevant value 428. For example, the torque threshold may be based on or associated with the detected motor speed (e.g., depending on the detected motor speed). Therefore, the torque threshold may be predetermined and / or may be dynamically determined during operation of the electric vehicle 100.

[0084] If, at box 710, the rotor lock-in identifier circuitry 406 determines that the torque command exceeds a torque threshold, then the rotor lock-in identifier circuitry 406 determines a rotor lock-in condition and commands, instructs, and / or otherwise moves the clutch 212 to the disengaged position 302 (e.g., the open position) to activate the hydraulic coupling 210 (box 712). For example, if, at box 704, the vehicle condition circuitry 402 detects that the motor speed is zero and the torque command is 100 Nm at box 708, then the rotor lock-in identifier circuitry 406 detects a rotor lock-in condition and disengages the clutch 212 from the front cover 230 to establish a hydraulic connection between the output shaft 214 and the drive shaft 216 via the hydraulic coupling 210. The process returns to box 702.

[0085] If the motor speed exceeds the motor speed threshold at box 704 or the torque command does not exceed the torque threshold at box 710, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 does not recognize the rotor lock condition and commands, instructs and / or otherwise moves the clutch 212 to the engagement position 304 to bypass the hydraulic coupling 210 (box 714).

[0086] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 800, which can be executed, instantiated, and / or implemented by an example programmable circuit system to detect the rotor lock status of an electric vehicle 100. For example, Figure 8 The flowchart can be used to detect inverter fault conditions of the inverter of the example electric motor 202. Figure 8 Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 800 begin at block 802, where example vehicle condition circuitry 402 monitors and / or detects inverter phase currents. For example, inverter phase current detection circuitry 426 detects, retrieves, obtains, and / or otherwise determines inverter phase currents from MCU 262 and / or electric motor 202.

[0087] Rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 determines whether the inverter phase current exceeds a current threshold (box 804). For example, rotor lockout prevention activation circuitry 404 uses a comparator to determine whether the inverter phase current exceeds a current threshold.

[0088] If the inverter phase current exceeds the current threshold at block 804, the rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404 determines that a rotor lock-up condition has been detected and activates the rotor lock-up prevention mode (block 806).

[0089] Then, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 detects the motor speed (block 808). For example, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 receives and / or otherwise obtains the motor speed from the motor speed detection circuit system 422.

[0090] At block 810, rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines whether the motor speed exceeds a motor speed threshold. For example, rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 uses a comparator to compare the motor speed with the motor speed threshold.

[0091] If, at box 810, the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines that the motor speed has not exceeded the motor speed threshold, then the rotor lock identifier circuitry 406 determines the rotor lock status and commands, instructs, and / or otherwise moves the clutch 212 to the disengaged position 302 (e.g., the open position) to activate the hydraulic coupling 210 (box 812). The process returns to box 802.

[0092] If the inverter phase current at box 804 does not exceed the current threshold or the motor speed at box 810 exceeds the motor speed threshold, the rotor lock identifier circuit system 406 commands, instructs and / or otherwise moves the clutch 212 to the engaged position to bypass the hydraulic coupling 210 (box 814).

[0093] The rotor locking prevention system can be implemented by the anti-rotor circuit system 220 using the foregoing examples of machine-readable instructions and / or example operations 500-800. Although each example machine-readable instruction and / or example operation 500-800 disclosed above has certain features, it should be understood that it is not necessary to use a particular feature of one example exclusively with that example. Rather, any feature described above and / or depicted in the figures can be combined with any example to complement or replace any other feature of those examples. Features of one example are not mutually exclusive with features of another example. Rather, the scope of this disclosure covers any combination of any features.

[0094] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of an example programmable circuit system platform 900, which is structured for execution and / or instantiation. Figures 5-8Example machine-readable instructions and / or example operations to implement Figure 2 and Figure 4 Example rotor lock-prevention circuit system 240. Programmable circuit system platform 900 may be, for example, a server, personal computer, workstation, self-learning machine (e.g., neural network), mobile device (e.g., mobile phone, smartphone, tablet) or other wearable device, or any other type of computing and / or electronic device.

[0095] The programmable circuit system platform 900 illustrated includes a programmable circuit system 912. The programmable circuit system 912 illustrated is hardware. For example, the programmable circuit system 912 can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, and / or microcontrollers from any desired family or manufacturer. The programmable circuit system 912 can be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices. In this example, programmable circuit system 912 implements example rotor lock-up prevention circuit system 240, example vehicle condition circuit system 402, example rotor lock-up prevention activation circuit system 404, example rotor lock-up recognizer circuit system 406, example motor speed determiner circuit system 408, example brake adjustment circuit system 410, example towing mode detection circuit system 412, example off-road detection circuit system 414, example slope detection circuit system 416, example vehicle speed detection circuit system 418, example torque command circuit system 420, example motor speed detection circuit system 422, example motor torque determiner circuit system 424 and / or example inverter phase current detection circuit system 426.

[0096] The programmable circuit system 912 of the illustrated example includes local memory 913 (e.g., cache, registers, etc.). The programmable circuit system 912 of the illustrated example communicates via bus 918 with main memories 914, 916, including volatile memory 914 and non-volatile memory 916. Volatile memory 914 may be implemented using synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® dynamic random access memory (RDRAM®), and / or any other type of RAM device. Non-volatile memory 916 may be implemented using flash memory and / or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memories 914, 916 of the illustrated example is controlled by a memory controller 917. In some examples, the memory controller 917 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microcontrollers, or any other type of circuit system from any desired family or manufacturer to manage data flows to and from the main memories 914, 916.

[0097] The programmable circuit system platform 900 shown in the example also includes an interface circuit system 920. The interface circuit system 920 can be implemented in hardware according to any type of interface, such as an Ethernet interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth® interface, a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, and / or a Peripheral Component Interconnect High Speed ​​(PCIe) interface.

[0098] In the illustrated example, one or more input devices 922 are connected to the interface circuitry 920. The input devices 922 allow users (e.g., human users, machine users, etc.) to input data and / or commands into the programmable circuitry 912. The input devices 922 can be implemented, for example, audio sensors, microphones, cameras (still or video), keyboards, buttons, mice, touchscreens, trackpads, trackballs, dot devices, and / or voice recognition systems.

[0099] One or more output devices 924 are also connected to the interface circuitry system 920 of the illustrated example. The output devices 924 may be implemented, for example, via display devices (e.g., light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), liquid crystal display (LCD), cathode ray tube (CRT) display, in-situ switch (IPS) display, touchscreen, etc.), haptic output devices, and / or speakers. Therefore, the interface circuitry system 920 of the illustrated example includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and / or a graphics processor circuitry system, such as a GPU.

[0100] The interface circuit system 920 of the example shown also includes communication devices, such as transmitters, receivers, transceivers, modems, residential gateways, wireless access points, and / or network interfaces, to facilitate data exchange with external machines (e.g., any type of computing device) via network 926. Communication can be carried out via, for example, Ethernet connections, digital subscriber line (DSL) connections, telephone line connections, coaxial cable systems, satellite systems, beyond-line-of-sight wireless systems, line-of-sight wireless systems, cellular telephone systems, optical connections, etc.

[0101] The programmable circuit system platform 900 illustrated also includes one or more mass storage disks or devices 928 for storing firmware, software, and / or data. Examples of such mass storage disks or devices 928 include magnetic storage devices (e.g., floppy disks, drives, HDDs, etc.), optical storage devices (e.g., Blu-ray discs, CDs, DVDs, etc.), RAID systems, and / or solid-state storage disks or devices, such as flash memory devices and / or SSDs.

[0102] It can be by Figures 5-8The machine-readable instructions 932 implemented by the machine-readable instructions can be stored in a mass storage device 928, a volatile memory 914, a non-volatile memory 916, and / or can be on at least one removable non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (such as a CD or DVD).

[0103] "Comprising" and "including" (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, whenever a claim uses any form of "comprising" or "including" (e.g., including, containing, encompassing, covering, having, etc.) as a preamble or within any kind of claim statement, it should be understood that additional elements, items, etc., may be present without falling outside the scope of the corresponding claim or statement. As used herein, when the phrase "at least" is used as a transitional term in the preamble of a claim, it becomes an open-ended term in the same way that the terms "comprising" and "including" become open-ended terms. The term "and / or," when used, for example, in the form of A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of A, B, and C, such as (1) only A, (2) only B, (3) only C, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, and (7) A and B and C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, articles, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation comprising (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, articles, objects, and / or things, the phrase "at least one of A or B" is intended to refer to an implementation comprising (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the implementation or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase "at least one of A and B" is intended to refer to an implementation comprising (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used in this text in the context of describing the implementation or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase “at least one of A or B” is intended to refer to an implementation that includes (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0104] As used herein, singular references (e.g., "a," "an," "first," "second," etc.) do not exclude plurals. As used herein, the term "a" (or "an") object refers to one or more of that object. The terms "a" (or "an"), "one or more," and "at least one" are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed separately, multiple components, elements, or actions may be implemented by, for example, the same entity or object. Additionally, while individual features may be included in different examples or claims, they may be combined, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not imply that the combination of features is impractical and / or disadvantageous.

[0105] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, the term "above" describes the relationship of two parts relative to the Earth. The first part is above the second part if the second part has at least one portion between the Earth and the first part. Similarly, as used herein, the first part is "below" the second part when the first part is closer to the Earth than the second part. As stated above, the first part may be above or below the second part in one or more of the following ways: when there are other parts between them, when there are no other parts between them, when the first and second parts are in contact, or when the first and second parts are not in direct contact with each other.

[0106] As used in this patent, a statement that any part (e.g., layer, film, region, area, or plate) is located on another part in any way (e.g., positioned on it, situated on it, disposed on it, or formed on it, etc.) indicates that the referenced part is in contact with the other part, or that the referenced part is above the other part, wherein one or more intermediate parts are located between them.

[0107] As used herein, unless otherwise indicated, a connection reference (e.g., attachment, coupling, linking, and linking) may include intermediate components between the elements referenced by the connection reference and / or relative movement between these elements. Therefore, a connection reference does not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected and / or fixed to each other. As used herein, a statement that any part is “in contact” with another part is defined as meaning that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.

[0108] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors such as “first,” “second,” and “third” as used herein do not in any way impose or otherwise indicate any meaning of priority, physical order, arrangement in a list, and / or sorting, but are merely used as labels and / or arbitrary names to distinguish elements for the purpose of understanding the disclosed examples. In some examples, the descriptor “first” may be used to refer to an element in a detailed description, while in the claims, different descriptors such as “second” or “third” may refer to the same element. In such cases, it should be understood that such descriptors are only used to clearly identify these elements in the context of the discussion (e.g., within the claims), in which the elements may otherwise share the same name.

[0109] As used herein, “approximately” and “about” modify their subject / value to identify the potential presence of variations that occur in real-world applications. For example, “approximately” and “about” may modify dimensions that may be imprecise due to manufacturing tolerances and / or other real-world defects, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, unless otherwise stated herein, “approximately” and “about” may indicate that such dimensions are within tolerances of + / - 10%.

[0110] As used in this article, “substantially real-time” means occurring in a near-instantaneous manner, recognizing that there may be real-world delays for calculations, transmissions, etc. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, “substantially real-time” means real-time + / - 1 second.

[0111] As used herein, the phrase “to communicate” (including its variations) encompasses direct communication and / or indirect communication via one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and / or continuous communication, but additionally includes selective communication at periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, aperiodic intervals and / or one-off events.

[0112] As used herein, a “programmable circuit system” is defined to include: (i) one or more special-purpose circuits (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) that are structured to perform a particular operation and include one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors); and / or (ii) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based circuits that are programmable with instructions to perform a particular function and / or operation and include one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors). Examples of programmable circuit systems include programmable microprocessors, such as a central processing unit (CPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) (which can be programmed with second instructions to instantiate one or more operations and / or functions corresponding to the first instructions through FPGA configuration and / or structuring), a graphics processing unit (GPU) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions, a digital signal processor (DSP) capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions, an XPU, a network processing unit (NPU), one or more microcontrollers capable of executing first instructions to perform one or more operations and / or functions, and / or integrated circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). For example, an XPU can be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system that includes a variety of types of programmable circuit systems (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and / or any combination thereof) and orchestration techniques (e.g., application programming interfaces (APIs)) that can assign computational tasks to any one or more of the various types of programmable circuit systems best suited to perform the computational tasks.

[0113] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit system is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements, such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, diodes, etc. For example, an integrated circuit can be implemented as one or more of an ASIC, FPGA, chip, microchip, programmable circuit system, semiconductor substrate connecting multiple circuit elements, system-on-a-chip (SoC), etc.

[0114] As will be understood from the foregoing, example systems, devices, articles of art, and methods have been disclosed that are capable of detecting and / or preventing rotor locking conditions associated with electric motors and / or electric vehicles. Further examples and combinations thereof include the following: Example 1 includes an apparatus comprising: an electric motor having an output shaft; a drive shaft for driving one or more wheels of a vehicle; a torque converter for operatively connecting the output shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft; and a clutch movable between an engaged position and a disengaged position. When the clutch is in the disengaged position, the clutch fluidly connects the output shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft. When the clutch is in the engaged position, the clutch enables the electric motor to bypass the torque converter to mechanically connect the output shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft.

[0115] Example 2 includes the device described in Example 1, wherein when the clutch is in the disengaged position, the clutch allows slippage between the output shaft and the drive shaft of the electric motor, and when the clutch is in the engaged position, the clutch prevents slippage between the output shaft and the drive shaft of the electric motor.

[0116] Example 3 includes the device described in Example 1 or 2, wherein when the clutch is in the disengaged position, the clutch enables the output shaft of the electric motor to rotate at a first speed different from the second speed of the drive shaft, and when the clutch is in the engaged position, the clutch enables the output shaft of the electric motor and the drive shaft to rotate at the same speed.

[0117] Example 4 includes any one of the devices described in Examples 1-3, and further includes a gearbox connected between the output shaft of the electric motor and the hydraulic torque converter.

[0118] Example 5 includes any of the devices described in Examples 1-4, and further includes a gearbox connected between the hydraulic torque converter and the drive shaft.

[0119] Example 6 includes any of the devices described in Examples 1-5, wherein the hydraulic torque converter is a hydraulic torque converter.

[0120] Example 7 includes any one of the devices described in Examples 1-6, wherein the hydraulic torque converter includes a turbine and a pump impeller, wherein the pump impeller is coupled to the output shaft of the electric motor, and the turbine is coupled to the drive shaft.

[0121] Example 8 includes any of the devices described in Examples 1-7, wherein the clutch is slidably coupled to the turbine.

[0122] Example 9 includes any one of the devices described in Examples 1-7, further comprising a valve fluidly coupled to the clutch, the valve being movable between a first position and a second position, in the first position, the valve moving the clutch to the engaged position to mechanically engage the output shaft and the drive shaft of the motor, and in the second position, the valve moving the clutch to the disengaged position to fluidly engage the output shaft and the drive shaft of the motor.

[0123] Example 10 includes any one of the devices described in Examples 1-8, and further includes a controller for moving the valve to the second position in response to detecting a rotor lock-up condition of the vehicle and determining that the vehicle speed does not exceed a vehicle speed threshold.

[0124] Example 11 includes any of the devices described in Examples 1-9, wherein the controller moves the clutch to an open position to fluidly connect the output shaft and the drive shaft in response to detecting a rotor lock-up condition and determining that the motor speed of the electric motor does not exceed a motor speed threshold.

[0125] Example 12 includes any one of the devices described in Examples 1-10, and further includes a controller for moving the valve to the second position and operating the electric motor at least at a minimum motor speed threshold in response to detecting a rotor lock-up condition.

[0126] Example 13 includes an apparatus comprising an interface circuit system, machine-readable instructions, and a programmable circuit system, the programmable circuit system being configured to: instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions to: activate a rotor lock-up prevention mode based on a detected vehicle condition; compare a vehicle speed with a vehicle speed threshold; in response to the vehicle speed not exceeding the vehicle speed threshold: move the locking clutch of a torque converter to an open position; and maintain the motor speed of an electric motor greater than the motor speed threshold.

[0127] Example 14 includes the device described in Example 13, wherein if the detected vehicle condition is an off-road condition, the programmable circuitry activates the rotor lock prevention mode.

[0128] Example 15 includes the device described in Example 13 or 14, wherein the programmable circuit system is configured to perform at least one of the following: instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions to adjust the friction brakes of the wheels in response to determining that the detected vehicle condition is in off-road mode.

[0129] Example 16 includes any of the devices described in Examples 13-15, wherein the programmable circuitry system moves the lock-up clutch of the torque converter to a closed position in response to determining that the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed threshold.

[0130] Example 17 includes at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions to cause at least one processor circuitry to: monitor a vehicle condition; if the detected vehicle condition includes a rotor lock-up condition, activate a rotor lock-up prevention mode; after activating the rotor lock-up prevention mode, compare a vehicle speed with a vehicle speed threshold; in response to the vehicle speed not exceeding the vehicle speed threshold, move the locking clutch of a torque converter to an open position; and maintain a motor speed of an electric motor greater than the motor speed threshold.

[0131] Example 18 includes at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium as described in Example 17, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to adjust the friction brakes of the wheels in response to determining that the vehicle condition is an off-road condition.

[0132] Example 19 includes at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium as described in Example 17 or 18, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to move the lock-up clutch of the torque converter to a closed position in response to determining that the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed threshold.

[0133] Example 20 includes at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium as described in any of Examples 17-19, wherein the machine-readable instructions are used to move the lock-up clutch of the torque converter to a closed position in response to determining that the vehicle condition is not a rotor lock-up condition.

[0134] The appended claims are hereby incorporated by reference into this specific embodiment. While certain example systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods have been disclosed herein, the scope of this patent is not limited thereto. Rather, this patent covers all systems, devices, articles of manufacture, and methods that fall fully within the scope of the claims of this patent.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: An electric motor (202) having an output shaft (214); A drive shaft (216) for driving one or more wheels (220) of the vehicle; A hydraulic torque converter for operatively connecting the output shaft (214) and the drive shaft (216) of the electric motor (202); and The clutch (212) is movable between an engaged position (304) and a disengaged position (302). When the clutch (212) is in the disengaged position (302), the clutch (212) fluidly connects the output shaft (214) and the drive shaft (216) of the electric motor (202). When the clutch (212) is in the engaged position (304), the clutch (212) allows the electric motor (202) to bypass the torque converter to mechanically connect the output shaft (214) and the drive shaft (216) of the electric motor (202).

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the clutch (212) is in the disengaged position (302), the clutch (212) allows slippage between the output shaft (214) and the drive shaft (216) of the electric motor (202), and when the clutch (212) is in the engaged position (304), the clutch (212) prevents slippage between the output shaft (214) and the drive shaft (216) of the electric motor (202).

3. The device according to any one of claims 1-2, wherein when the clutch (212) is in the disengaged position (302), the clutch (212) enables the output shaft (214) of the electric motor (202) to rotate at a first speed different from the second speed of the drive shaft (216), and when the clutch (212) is in the engaged position (304), the clutch (212) enables the output shaft (214) of the electric motor (202) and the drive shaft (216) to rotate at the same speed.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a gearbox (218) connected between the output shaft (214) of the electric motor (202) and the hydraulic torque converter.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a gearbox (218) connected between the hydraulic torque converter and the drive shaft (216).

6. The device according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the hydraulic torque converter is a hydraulic torque converter.

7. The device according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the hydraulic torque converter comprises a turbine (226) and a pump wheel (222), wherein the pump wheel (222) is coupled to the output shaft (214) of the electric motor (202), and the turbine (226) is coupled to the drive shaft (216).

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the clutch (212) is slidably coupled to the turbine (226).

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising valves (250, 252) fluidly connected to the clutch (212), the valves (250, 252) being movable between a first position and a second position; In the first position, the valves (250, 252) move the clutch (212) to the engaged position (304) to mechanically connect the output shaft (214) of the motor and the drive shaft (216); and In the second position, the valves (250, 252) move the clutch (212) to the disengaged position (302) to fluidly connect the output shaft (214) and the drive shaft (216) of the motor.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a controller configured to move the valves (250, 252) to the second position in response to detecting a rotor lock-up condition of the vehicle and determining that the vehicle speed does not exceed a vehicle speed threshold.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising a controller for moving the valves (250, 252) to the second position and operating the electric motor (202) at least a minimum motor speed threshold in response to detecting a rotor lock-up condition.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the rotor locking condition of the vehicle includes at least one of towing mode, off-road mode, electric motor (202) stall, increased slope, or inverter condition.

13. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1-12, further comprising: Interface circuit system (920); Machine-readable instructions (932); as well as A programmable circuit system (912) is configured to perform at least one of the following: instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions (932) to: The rotor lock prevention mode is activated based on the detected vehicle condition. Compare the vehicle speed with a vehicle speed threshold; In response to the vehicle speed not exceeding the vehicle speed threshold: Move the clutch (212) of the hydraulic torque converter to the disengaged position; and The motor speed of the electric motor (202) is maintained above the motor speed threshold.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein if the detected vehicle condition is an off-road condition, the programmable circuitry (912) activates the rotor lock-up prevention mode, or alternatively, The programmable circuit system (912) is configured to perform at least one of the following: instantiate or execute the machine-readable instructions (932) to adjust the friction brakes of the wheels (220) in response to determining that the detected vehicle condition is in off-road mode, or alternatively, The programmable circuit system (912) moves the clutch (212) of the torque converter to the engagement position in response to determining that the vehicle speed exceeds the vehicle speed threshold.

15. A computer program that, when executed, causes at least one processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 9-14.

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