SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ACTIVE DAMPING IN A STEER-BY-WIRE HANDLEBAR ACTUATOR SYSTEM

Abstract

System (200) for active damping, wherein the system (200) comprises at least one inverter circuit (204) connected to a motor (202), wherein the at least one inverter circuit (204) comprises a power circuit (208); a damping circuit comprising a gate driver and / or a leakage resistor (220) and / or at least one transistor; a processor (102);and a memory (104) containing instructions which, when executed by the processor (102), cause the processor (102) to: selectively control the damping circuit to provide damping for an actuator using the gate driver and / or the leakage resistor (220) and / or the at least one transistor, wherein the selective control of the damping circuit to provide damping for the actuator comprises at least one of the following elements: providing at least one signal to the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the at least one transistor; and decoupling the leakage resistor (220).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This U.S. utility patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 593016, filed October 25, 2023, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 462204, filed April 26, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 431632, filed December 9, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to steering systems and, more particularly, to systems and methods for active damping in a steer-by-wire handwheel actuator system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A vehicle, such as a car, truck, sport utility vehicle, crossover, minivan, personal watercraft, aircraft, off-road vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other suitable means of transportation, typically includes a steering system, such as an electronic power steering (EPS) system, a steer-by-wire (SBW) system, a hydraulic steering system, or other suitable steering system. The steering system of such a vehicle typically controls various aspects of the vehicle's steering, including providing steering assistance to a driver of the vehicle, controlling steerable wheels of the vehicle, and the like. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] This disclosure relates generally to vehicle steering systems.

[0005] One aspect of the disclosed embodiments includes a system for active damping in a steering system. The system includes at least one multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor. The multi-phase inverter circuit includes a power circuit and at least one bipolar transistor. The system also includes a processor and a memory. The memory contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to a handwheel; generate a damping signal based on the torque signal; and selectively control current flow to the at least one bipolar transistor based on the damping signal.

[0006] Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments includes a method for active damping in a steering system. The method includes providing a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor, the multi-phase inverter circuit including a power circuit and at least one bipolar transistor; receiving a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to a handwheel; generating a damping signal based on the torque signal; and selectively controlling current flow to the at least one bipolar transistor based on the damping signal.

[0007] Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments includes a system for active damping. The system includes: at least one inverter circuit connected to a motor; wherein the at least one inverter circuit includes a power circuit; a damping circuit including a gate driver and / or a bleeder resistor and / or at least one transistor; a processor;and a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: selectively control the attenuation circuit to provide attenuation to an actuator using the at least one low-side gate driver, a bleeder resistor, and at least one transistor, wherein selectively controlling the attenuation circuit to provide attenuation to the actuator comprises at least one of the following steps: providing at least one signal to the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the at least one transistor; and decoupling the bleeder resistor;

[0008] Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments includes a method for active damping. The method includes: providing at least one signal to lower transistors (of at least one transistor connected to a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor), wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower transistors; in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 0 percent, operating the multi-phase inverter circuit as a full-wave multi-phase rectifier; in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 100 percent, actively damping energy supplied to the multi-phase inverter circuit;and in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being between 0 percent and 100 percent: for lower transistors in an on-state, actively damping the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit with the phases of the multiphase inverter circuit shorted; and for lower transistors in an off-state, operating the multiphase inverter circuit as a full-wave multiphase rectifier.;

[0009] Another aspect of the disclosed embodiments includes an apparatus for active damping. The apparatus includes: a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor; wherein the multi-phase inverter circuit includes a power circuit, a low-side gate driver, a bleeder resistor, and at least one transistor; and a controller configured to provide at least one signal to lower transistors of the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower transistors.

[0010] These and other aspects of the present disclosure are disclosed in the following detailed description of the embodiments, the appended claims, and the accompanying figures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, in accordance with common practice, the various features in the drawings are not to scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily exaggerated or reduced for clarity. Fig. 1 generally shows a vehicle according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 generally shows a controller according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 generally shows a steering system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 generally shows an active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 5 generally shows a circuit diagram of the active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 generally shows a diagram illustrating current curves according to the principle of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 generally shows a graph illustrating handwheel torque at various motor speeds according to the principle of the present disclosure. Fig. 10 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 11 is a flow diagram generally illustrating an active damping method according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 12 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 13 generally shows a diagram illustrating curves according to the principle of the present disclosure. Fig. 14 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 15 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 16 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 17 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 18 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 19 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. Fig. 20 generally shows a circuit diagram of an alternative active damping system according to the principles of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The following discussion relates to various embodiments of the disclosure. Although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred, the disclosed embodiments should not be interpreted or otherwise used as limiting the scope of the disclosure, including the claims. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is intended only as exemplary of that embodiment and is not intended to imply that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

[0013] As described, a vehicle, such as a passenger car, truck, sport utility vehicle, crossover, minivan, watercraft, aircraft, off-road vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other suitable means of transportation, typically includes a steering system, such as an electronic power steering (EPS) system, a steer-by-wire (SbW) system, a hydraulic steering system, or other suitable steering system. The steering system of such a vehicle typically controls various aspects of the vehicle's steering, including providing steering assistance to a driver of the vehicle, controlling steerable wheels of the vehicle, and the like.

[0014] Due to groundbreaking innovations in electric motors, sensors, power electronics, and engine control algorithms over the past decades, the EPS system has been increasingly used as an alternative to the conventional hydraulic power steering (HPS) system. However, the intermediate shaft in the EPS system is structurally vulnerable in an accident. The absence of the intermediate shaft in SbW systems offers a way to solve this problem. Furthermore, the SbW system is a direct evolution of the EPS and can be adapted for autonomous vehicle operation.

[0015] As in Fig. 3, a SbW system can provide freedom in the arrangement of the steering wheel subsystems relative to the rack. However, if a SbW system experiences a fault or the power supply to the handwheel subsystem is interrupted, the loss of driver feedback is undamped and can become a problem for stability control with rack position tracking. The lack of a mechanical interface between the handwheel and rack subsystems can pose an operational risk if not addressed.

[0016] To mitigate this problem, damping is typically added, either through a passive strategy or an active control strategy. With the passive damping strategy, at least some of the motor phases can be permanently short-circuited to generate a braking torque during the fault condition. However, this braking torque is also present when the system is operating in normal mode. Therefore, the motor must actually be oversized to handle the damping torque. In addition, additional energy is required from the battery during normal operation in the first or third quadrant. The special winding in the short-circuited condition also requires additional space in the motor.

[0017] Alternatively, instead of a permanently short-circuited winding, the existing inverter can be operated with minimal additional components to also generate the required damping to meet the specification. Because this method uses active switches, it can be referred to as an active damping strategy. One problem with active damping is that it requires power from the battery for operation. In the event of a power failure, the system may not be operational, and the damping aspects are therefore not present.

[0018] Accordingly, systems and methods, such as those described herein, configured to provide battery-independent active damping may be desirable. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide an active control strategy that utilizes motor back electromotive force (BEMF) power to generate the damping. Additionally or alternatively, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to avoid the problems of a passive damping strategy. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide active damping strategies in which the energy for operating the MOSFETs and subcircuits is harvested from the BEMF of the machine.

[0019] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can be configured to utilize the energy generated by the GEMK to create active damping in the SbW handwheel actuator (HWA) motor by shorting (e.g., energizing) the lower MOSFETs in an inverter, using existing windings for normal operating conditions to create the damping during fault conditions. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to provide a higher degree of freedom to achieve the desired torque. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to utilize a switching frequency, a duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs, and the value of the bleeder resistor to provide more freedom in optimizing the overall design to achieve the damping.

[0020] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a common inverter as a rectifier for the motor EMF to generate a power supply for the circuit. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use the energy generated by the EMF to turn on the inverter's lower MOSFETs via parallel gate drivers to generate snubber by shorting the motor during OFF states. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide circuitry to disable the entire function during the "ON" state when the SbW system is operating in its "Normal" mode.

[0021] The systems and methods described herein can be configured to use the same motor windings as in normal mode to generate braking torque (e.g., no additional set of windings is used to generate damping, and a much smaller and less expensive motor can be used). The systems and methods described herein can be configured to use the inverter as a rectifier to provide a voltage proportional to speed, allowing for increased or decreased damping. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to add a switched bleeder resistor across the inverter bridge to protect the MOSFETs and bulk capacitor from overvoltage and to circulate currents to provide damping.The bleeder resistor circuit can be switched off during dynamic braking when the lower MOSFETs are driven to reduce the power dissipation in the bleeder resistor.

[0022] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to configure a bleeder resistor to achieve the appropriate damping, reducing power dissipation with cheaper components, and requiring less physical layout space. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to configure the bleeder resistor to provide damping for all systems using a selected wattage to dissipate power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable and disable different bleeder resistors to achieve improved damping across the entire speed range.

[0023] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use additional circuitry to control the MOSFET drivers. The circuitry may be suitable for various frequencies and pulse-width modulation (PWM) duty cycles. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use various combinations of duty cycles for the inverter's lower MOSFETs at a fixed switching frequency to achieve tunability of the damping torque across the motor speed range. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use various combinations of switching frequencies for the inverter's lower MOSFETs for a fixed duty cycle for NVH, efficiency, and better damping performance at low handwheel speeds.

[0024] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a battery interrupt mechanism so that the battery does not hold the rectified GEMK voltage and create unwanted additional damping. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to adjust a gate driver current / resistance to allow the SbW system to overdrive the damping circuits on the lower MOSFETs in normal mode through the standard gate driver.

[0025] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor. The multi-phase inverter circuit may include a three-phase inverter circuit and / or any other suitable multi-phase inverter circuit. The multi-phase inverter circuit may include a power circuit, a low-side gate driver, a bleeder resistor, and at least one MOSFET. The system may also include a processor and memory. The memory contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide at least one signal to the lower MOSFETs of the at least one MOSFET. The at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs.When the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs is 0 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit operates as a multiphase full-wave rectifier. When the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs is 100 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit actively attenuates the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit when all three phases of the multiphase inverter circuit are short-circuited, either directly or through the MOSFET body diodes. When the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs is between 0 percent and 100 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit actively attenuates the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit when all three phases of the multiphase inverter circuit are short-circuited; and when the lower MOSFETs are in the off state, the multiphase inverter circuit operates as a multiphase full-wave rectifier.

[0026] In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system comprises a self-aligning steering system. In some embodiments, the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine.

[0027] In SbW systems, the HWA typically emulates road feel, with the motor providing feedback to the driver, simulating the feel of friction and the feel of the wheels on the ground. If the motor fails or a fault occurs in the motor, a redundant backup system typically operates to maintain road feel and prevent the handwheel from spinning and losing synchronization with the road wheel actuator (RWA). Typically, vehicle systems provide off-state damping, essentially lowering a load while the motor (or, for example, a generator) operates in quadrant 4, producing negative torque that opposes the driver input, as designed. The load is placed parallel to the motor, as in Fig. 6, where the magnitude of the load is directly proportional to the damping.

[0028] At lower speeds (e.g., 50–200 motor revolutions per minute (rpm), the output EMF is typically below 5 V (e.g., in the range of 1–2 V or close to it). In such cases, a MOSFET may not conduct (e.g., because the drain-source channel resistance decreases as the lower gate-source voltages approach high values, approaching lower Vgs).

[0029] Accordingly, the systems and methods described herein, as in Fig. 8, may be configured to implement a circuit 300 including a bipolar transistor (BJT) 302, such as a negative-positive-negative (NPN) BJT transistor, or other suitable BJT or transistor. The BJT 302 may comprise a multi-terminal semiconductor device (e.g., a base terminal, a collector terminal, and an emitter terminal) with two pn junctions for amplifying a signal.

[0030] As in Fig. 7, a higher base current injected into the base results in a sharper slope for a given curve (e.g., for a given q-point of the load line, the transistor operates deeper in the saturation region, thereby reducing the collector-emitter voltage drop and making the operation more like an ideal switch).

[0031] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide a circuit that conducts faster or earlier than typical normal-level MOSFETs. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide damping feedback at relatively low handwheel speeds.

[0032] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can be configured to provide a damping output at relatively low handwheel speeds. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to provide damping at lower speeds using a BJT switch (e.g., current-controlled). Typically, a MOSFET has a gate-source voltage threshold that allows the MOSFET's channel to open (e.g., less resistance). The Vgs(th) of most normal-level FETs is around 2-4 V.This means that at least 2-4 V must be applied to the MOSFET to begin opening the MOSFET's drain-source channel, and most manufacturers define the threshold so that the drain current at Vgs(th) is ~250 uA, which can make conduction difficult at relatively low handwheel speeds since speed is directly proportional to back EMF (e.g., back EMF is relatively lower at lower speeds for a motor of given Ke).

[0033] As in Fig. 9, the torque output at lower speeds is favorable when the BJT 302 is used as a bypass switch, which can turn on the load earlier at lower speeds due to the current control of the BJT 302. Regarding Fig. 10, the circuit 300 can produce 2 V at 200 rpm of the motor (e.g., with some of the voltage dropped across the rectifier diode), so the input to the BJT 302 is approximately 1.4 V (e.g., if the circuit includes a 400-ohm resistor acting as a base current limiter). With a DC gain Hfe of 150, the current Ic is then equal to Hfe times Ib (e.g., the collector current is therefore approximately 263 mA at low currents, causing damping).

[0034] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a BJT (current-controlled transistor) such as BJT 302 to provide adequate damping at lower speeds (e.g., 100-400 rpm) where lower voltages are generated. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to conduct more current at a lower input voltage because BJT 302 is not tied to an initial voltage threshold of a MOSFET.

[0035] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a multi-phase inverter circuit in conjunction with a motor. The multi-phase inverter circuit includes a power circuit and at least one BJT, such as an NPN BJT or other suitable transistor. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to receive a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to a handwheel. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to generate a damping signal based on the torque signal. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to selectively control current flow to the at least one BJT based on the damping signal.

[0036] In some embodiments, a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-based SbW system can be configured so that creating a circular motion on the rotor generates a modulated EMF, where the magnitude of the modulated EMF depends on the speed of the circular motion. When the handwheel rotates in a SbW system, it can generate a similar modulated EMF, where the motor speed is proportional to the handwheel gear ratio. Damping by a bleeder resistor can be present and proportional to the current through the bleeder resistor.

[0037] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide fault condition damping for handwheel actuators. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide base damping (e.g., which may be enabled by default and disabled by an appropriate processor during normal operation) using external power, load switching, motor rectification damping, and battery interruption.

[0038] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide back-EMF-operated damping having similar characteristics to base damping with a load circuit activated by motor back-EMF power and / or rectified back-EMF. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide dual-mode damping using battery power and back-EMF power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide base damping with multiple controllers for a multi-phase motor, with one or more processors (or, for example, controllers) configured to deactivate the shunt switch.

[0039] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide base damping with multiple controllers on a multi-phase motor, where one or more processors (or, for example, controllers) are configured to disable the shunt switch, where multiple batteries provide a circuit with or without a back EMF circuit, or without battery power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide back EMF damping of a multi-phase motor with multiple controllers, where back EMF from other phases is rectified for activation at lower speeds. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide tunable damping, including PWM on low-side inverter switches with higher damping resistance.

[0040] The systems and methods described here can be configured to provide direct phase shorting with back EMF power. Any switching modes described here can be added for DFMEA (e.g., without impacting basic functionality).

[0041] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide basic damping, including power from one or more batteries, low-current circuitry through the absence of a pull-down resistor, full amplification of transistors for maximum damping, load switching and control for damping curve tuning achieved by selecting a bleeder resistor that adjusts the damping current across speed, and battery interruption (e.g., allowing power to be disconnected in light of fault conditions and interrupting charging and damping when the back EMF is greater than the supply voltage). In some embodiments, the processor / controller may override the circuit for normal operation, with damping enabled by default.

[0042] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide back EMF-powered damping, including energy from the back EMF and low-current switching through the absence of a pull-down resistor. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to omit the battery (e.g., which does not cancel damping). The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide load switching and control for damping. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable curve tuning through the selection of a bleeder resistor that adjusts the damping current across speed. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable battery interruption, allowing disconnection during power supply faults.The systems and methods described herein can be configured to disable charging and damping when the back EMF is greater than the supply voltage. The systems and methods described herein can be configured so that the control unit overrides the circuit for normal operation, with damping enabled by default.

[0043] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to utilize the motor's internal back EMF power to switch a resistive load into the inverter's rectification path to provide damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to utilize a battery disconnect circuit for the inverter to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit's switch to prevent activation when the controller is in normal operation.

[0044] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide dual-mode damping using battery power and back EMF power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use external power and internal motor back EMF power to connect a resistive load into the inverter rectification path to provide damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a battery cutoff circuit for the inverter to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch to prevent activation when the control unit is in normal operation.

[0045] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide multi-controller-based damping for multi-phase motors (e.g., damping on only one phase, damping on multiple phases, damping on both controllers, and / or the like). For a multi-controller multi-phase motor, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use external power and internal motor back EMF power to connect a resistive load into the rectification path of an inverter to provide damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use battery disconnect circuits for the inverters to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch by any control device to prevent activation when said control device is in normal operation.

[0046] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured for a multi-phase motor with multiple controllers. Either external power or one of the motor phases is used for back EMF power to connect a resistive load into the rectification path of one of the two inverters to provide damping as a function of handwheel speed in an SBW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SBW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use battery disconnect circuits for the inverters to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch of one of the two control units to prevent activation when the control unit is in normal operation.

[0047] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable shunt activation of a second inverter using back EMF power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide improved damping at low speeds (e.g., because the shunt resistance does not affect the rectifier voltage). The systems and methods described herein may be configured to allow multiple controllers to disable the damping.The systems and methods described herein can be configured to utilize the motor's internal back EMF power from the rectification of one inverter to connect a resistive load into the rectification path of another inverter to effect damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system, thus enabling safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to use battery disconnect circuits for the inverters to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch of one of the two control units to prevent activation when the control unit is in normal operation.

[0048] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide a tunable damping curve, which may include a PWM circuit for low-side transistors to increase the tunability to maintain the predetermined damping curve. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a bleeder resistor to reduce high voltages due to feedback currents that would damage transistors. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a relatively high-value bleeder resistor, which may be optimized for lower power dissipation in the bleeder resistor.

[0049] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to utilize battery power and / or multiset phases and controllers.

[0050] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable direct phase shorting with back EMF power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide a low current circuit by omitting a pull-down resistor. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to omit the battery without removing the damping. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide load switching and control for the damping. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable curve tuning by selecting a direct phase shorting resistor that can adjust the damping current across speed.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a battery disconnect device. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable shutdown of power supply faults. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to disable charging and snubbering when the back EMF is greater than the supply voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override normal operation of the circuit (e.g., when the default snubbering state is enabled). The systems and methods described herein may be configured to achieve enhanced snubbering through direct phase shorting.

[0051] In some embodiments and with reference to Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to receive power from a battery. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to omit the pull-down resistor to provide a low current circuit. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to maximize or enhance damping using the battery to enable full amplification of the transistor. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide load switching and control for damping. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable curve tuning through the use of a selected bleeder resistor that can adjust the damping current across speed.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable battery disconnection. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable disconnection upon power supply faults. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to disable charging and snubbering when the back EMF is greater than the supply voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the circuit for normal operation (e.g., when the default snubbering state is enabled).

[0052] The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use external power to switch a resistive load into the rectification path of the inverter to effect damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a battery disconnect circuit for the inverter to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch to prevent activation when the controller is in normal operation.

[0053] With reference to Fig. 14, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide dual-mode damping using battery power and back EMF power. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use external power and internal motor back EMF power to connect a resistive load into the inverter rectification path to provide damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a battery cutoff circuit for the inverter to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch to prevent activation when the control unit is in normal operation.

[0054] With reference to Fig. 15, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use multiple controllers to provide base damping for a multi-phase motor. For example, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide damping on only one set of phases, with both controllers bypassed and configured to disable damping for motor operation. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a multi-phase motor with multiple controllers.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use external power and internal motor back EMF power to switch a resistive load into the rectification path of an inverter to effect damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use battery disconnect circuits for the inverters to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to allow the load circuit switch to be overridden by any controller to prevent activation when said controller is in normal operation.

[0055] With reference to Fig. 16, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide base damping with multiple control units for multi-phase motors using either battery power or motor back EMF power circuits. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use either external power or one of the motor phases for back EMF power to switch a resistive load into the rectification path of one of the two inverters to effect damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system to enable safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a control unit failure.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use battery disconnect circuits for the inverters to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch by one of the two control devices to prevent activation when the control device is in normal operation.

[0056] With reference to Fig. 17, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide base damping with multiple controllers for multi-phase motors with activation of the secondary inverter bleeder resistor. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide enhanced low-speed damping because the bleeder resistor does not affect the rectifier voltage. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to allow any controller to disable the damping.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to utilize the motor's internal back EMF power from the rectification of one inverter to connect a resistive load into the rectification path of another inverter to provide damping as a function of handwheel speed in a SbW handwheel system, enabling safe operation of the SbW system in the event of a controller failure. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to use battery disconnect circuits for the inverters to limit power dissipation in the load resistor and prevent battery charging when the back EMF is greater than the battery voltage.The systems and methods described herein may be configured to override the load circuit switch of either control unit to prevent activation when the control unit is in normal operation.

[0057] With reference to Fig. 18, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use a single controller and a single inverter. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to enable shutdown of the gate driver during normal operation. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to eliminate issues with gate drivers during normal operation that interfere with snubber operation. Some gate driver controllers may include a driver sink current to prevent the gate of the bridge transistors from being boosted. Isolating the gates from the gate driver may prevent overdriving the gate voltage of the snubber circuit.The systems and methods described herein can be configured to use a bypass switch circuit to increase damping at low handwheel speeds, which can improve performance by increasing damping at lower motor speeds. And when back EMF is used, the gate of the damping transistor can remain boosted by eliminating a pull-down resistor and adding capacitance. This allows the transistor to remain boosted for a longer period of time, so there is no torque surge in the handwheel. The systems and methods described herein can be configured to use battery power with or without back EMF power, allowing the transistors to be boosted without motor speed, resulting in damping being performed at lower motor speeds.This can be used in conjunction with back EMF to provide damping when there is a loss of battery.

[0058] With reference to Fig. 19, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide a dual-controller system that may enable operation with 100% switching of the lower MOSFETs with back EMF from the other controller and the phases. The systems and methods described herein may be configured to overdrive the controllers so that either controller can disable damping. This allows operation of a single controller without damping, so both controllers must be faulted for damping to be enabled.

[0059] With reference to Fig. 20, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide a dual controller system that uses battery power with or without standard back EMF power to power the damping circuit.

[0060] Fig. 1 generally shows a vehicle 10 according to the principles of the present disclosure. The vehicle 10 may be any suitable vehicle, such as a car, a truck, a sport utility vehicle, a minivan, a crossover, any other passenger vehicle, a suitable commercial vehicle, or any other suitable vehicle. Although the vehicle 10 is illustrated as a wheeled passenger vehicle for use on roads, the principles of the present disclosure may also apply to other vehicles, such as aircraft, boats, trains, drones, or other suitable vehicles.

[0061] The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12 and a hood 14. A passenger compartment 18 is at least partially defined by the vehicle body 12. Another portion of the vehicle body 12 defines an engine compartment 20. The hood 14 may be movably attached to a portion of the vehicle body 12 such that the hood 14 provides access to the engine compartment 20 when the hood 14 is in a first, or open, position, and the hood 14 covers the engine compartment 20 when the hood 14 is in a second, or closed, position. In some embodiments, the engine compartment 20 may be located at a rear portion of the vehicle 10, other than as generally illustrated.

[0062] The passenger compartment 18 may be located behind the engine compartment 20, but may also be located forward of the engine compartment 20 if the engine compartment 20 is located in the rear of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 may include any suitable propulsion system, including an internal combustion engine, one or more electric motors (e.g., an electric vehicle), one or more fuel cells, a hybrid propulsion system (e.g., a hybrid vehicle) comprising a combination of an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, and / or any other suitable propulsion system.

[0063] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a gasoline engine, e.g., a spark-ignition engine. In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a diesel engine, such as a compression-ignition engine. The engine compartment 20 houses and / or encloses at least some components of the propulsion system of the vehicle 10. Additionally or alternatively, propulsion controls such as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a handwheel, and other such components are disposed within the passenger compartment 18 of the vehicle 10. The propulsion controls may be actuated or controlled by an operator of the vehicle 10 and may be directly connected to the corresponding components of the propulsion system, such as a throttle, a brake, a vehicle axle, a vehicle transmission, and the like. In some embodiments, the propulsion controls may send signals to a vehicle computer (e.g.,Drive-by-Wire), which in turn can control the corresponding drive component of the drive system. Thus, in some embodiments, vehicle 10 can be an autonomous vehicle.

[0064] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 includes a transmission connected to a crankshaft via a flywheel, a clutch, or a fluid coupling. In some embodiments, the transmission includes a manual transmission. In some embodiments, the transmission includes an automatic transmission. The vehicle 10, in the case of an internal combustion engine or a hybrid vehicle, may include one or more pistons that cooperate with the crankshaft to generate power that is transmitted through the transmission to one or more axles that rotate the wheels 22. If the vehicle 10 has one or more electric motors, a vehicle battery and / or a fuel cell provides power to the electric motors to rotate the wheels 22.

[0065] Vehicle 10 may include automatic vehicle propulsion systems, such as cruise control, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking control, other automatic vehicle propulsion systems, or a combination thereof. Vehicle 10 may be an autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle or another suitable vehicle type. Vehicle 10 may include additional or fewer features than those generally illustrated and / or disclosed herein.

[0066] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include an Ethernet component 24, a CAN bus (Controller Area Network Bus) 26, a MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) component 28, a FlexRay component 30 (e.g., a brake-by-wire system and the like), and a LIN (Local Interconnect Network) component 32. The vehicle 10 may use the CAN bus 26, the MOST component 28, the FlexRay component 30, the LIN component 32, other suitable networks or communication systems, or a combination thereof, to communicate various information from, e.g., sensors inside or outside the vehicle to, e.g., various processors or control units inside or outside the vehicle. The vehicle 10 may include additional or fewer features than those generally illustrated and / or disclosed herein.

[0067] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a steering system, such as an EPS system, a wired steering system (which may, for example, include or communicate with one or more controllers that control components of the steering system without the use of a mechanical connection between the handwheel and the wheels 22 of the vehicle 10), a hydraulic steering system (which may, for example, include a magnetic actuator integrated into a valve assembly of the hydraulic steering system), or other suitable steering system.

[0068] The steering system may comprise an open-feedback system or mechanism, a closed-feedback system or mechanism, or a combination thereof. The steering system may be configured to receive various inputs, including, but not limited to, a handwheel position, an input torque, one or more road wheel positions, other suitable inputs or information, or a combination thereof.

[0069] Additionally or alternatively, the inputs may include a handwheel torque, a handwheel angle, a motor speed, a vehicle speed, an estimated motor torque command, another suitable input, or a combination thereof. The steering system may be configured to provide the steering function and / or control of the vehicle 10. For example, the steering system may generate assist torque based on the various inputs. The steering system may be configured to selectively control a motor of the steering system using the assist torque to provide steering assistance to the driver of the vehicle 10.

[0070] In some embodiments, the vehicle 10 may include a controller, such as controller 100, as generally described in Fig. 2. The controller 100 may be any suitable controller, such as an electronic control unit or other suitable controller. The controller 100 may be configured to control, for example, the various functions of the steering system and / or various functions of the vehicle 10. The controller 100 may include a processor 102 and a memory 104. The processor 102 may be any suitable processor as described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 100 may include any suitable number of processors in addition to the processor 102 or may include other processors. The memory 104 may include a single disk or a plurality of disks (e.g., hard drives) and includes a memory management module that manages one or more partitions within the memory 104.In some embodiments, memory 104 may include flash memory, solid-state memory, or the like. Memory 104 may be random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a combination thereof. Memory 104 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 102, cause processor 102 to control at least various aspects of vehicle 10. Additionally or alternatively, memory 104 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 102, cause processor 102 to control at least various functions of the steering system and / or perform any other suitable function, including those of the systems and methods described herein.

[0071] Controller 100 may receive one or more signals from various gauges or sensors 106 indicative of sensed or measured characteristics of vehicle 10. Sensors 106 may include any suitable sensors, gauges, and / or other suitable mechanisms. For example, sensors 106 may include one or more torque sensors or devices, one or more handwheel position sensors or devices, one or more motor position sensors or devices, one or more position sensors or devices, other suitable sensors or devices, or a combination thereof. The one or more signals may indicate handwheel torque, handwheel angle, motor speed, vehicle speed, other suitable information, or a combination thereof.

[0072] In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to provide an active damping strategy using energy generated by GEMK, as generally referred to as active damping system 200 in Fig. 4, which illustrates an active damping strategy where the battery or primary source is not present. It should be understood that the standard inverter 204 is shown for clarity. The system 200 may be connected to a self-propelled steering system of the vehicle 10. The system 200 may include a motor 202. The motor 202 may be any suitable motor or machine, such as a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine (SMPSM) or other suitable motor or machine. Circular motion of the rotor of the motor 20 may generate an EMF, where the magnitude of the EMF depends on the speed of the circular motion. When the handwheel of the vehicle 10 rotates, the handwheel may generate a similar EMF, where the motor speed is proportional to the handwheel gear ratio. The EMF may be the power source for the system 200.

[0073] In some embodiments, the inverter 204, which may include a multi-phase rectifier, operates via the Fig. 5 act as a rectifier when the switches in the inverter are off. The damping by the bleeder resistor 220 may be present and proportional to the current through the bleeder resistor 218. It is important to note that the full required damping effect can be achieved by choosing the appropriate bleeder resistor 218, but this can be a limitation. The energy generated in this "bleeder-only" scenario for standard damping requirements can be costly and excessive. An improvement on the "bleeder-only" option, when torque requirements for damping are higher, is to use the lower MOSFETs in the bridge to short the phases to generate a braking or damping torque. A selection can be made based on the duty cycle of the MOSFETs and the bleeder resistor to provide a wide range of adjustable damping.In this proposed strategy, only the lower MOSFETs 212 in the inverter are used as active switches to short the phase current of the motor 202 from line to line. For clarity, the upper switches could also be used for this attenuation. The circuits 208 for driving the MOSFETs 212 are also powered by the rectified voltage of the inverter circuit 204. Rectification can be activated when the duty cycle turns off the lower MOSFETs 212. The bleeder resistor 202, which may be connected to the bleeder circuit 206, is used to provide a path for the current to propagate when the lower MOSFETs 212 are turned off or high voltage spikes occur, since the current through the coils of the motor 202 has no path for return.

[0074] To obtain a stable rectified voltage, a secondary bulk capacitor 222 is used across the rectifier 204, which can be combined with the primary standard bulk capacitor so that only one capacitor is used. Additionally or alternatively, the bleeder resistor 220 on the secondary bulk capacitor 222 can be configured to protect the capacitor 222 from overcharging due to the EMF of the motor 202. The bleeder resistor 220 can limit the voltage between the drain and source of the MOSFETs 212 to protect them from overvoltage. Selecting higher voltage values ​​can reduce the dependence on the selection of the bleeder resistor 220, which must dissipate more energy to protect the components on the bridge from overvoltage.

[0075] In some embodiments, the upper MOSFETs of system 200 may be pulled down and not driven, so that only the internal body diodes 218 are used. PWM drive signals are provided to the lower three MOSFETs 216. Additionally or alternatively, a low-side MOSFET 216 may be connected in series with the bleeder resistor 220, and the switch may turn off the bleeder resistor 220 during normal operation of the inverter 204, thus removing the snubber. Otherwise, continuous energy from the power supply 208 (which may include, for example, one or more batteries or another suitable power source) may be shunted via this shunt circuit 206 during normal operation. This may provide some additional snubber to the system 200 when off.The switch of the bypass circuit 206 can be turned off when the lower MOSFETs 216 are activated, so that no unnecessary additional power dissipation of the bypass circuit 206 occurs.

[0076] A duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs 216 can be controlled (e.g., with the controller 100 or another suitable controller) to achieve the target attenuation. In some embodiments, when the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs 216 is 0 percent, none of the MOSFETs 212 are operational. The multi-phase inverter circuit 204 can operate as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier, and the average voltage across the capacitor 222 can be calculated using Equation (1). Vavg=33πVm

[0077] Where Vm is the peak value of the phase voltages Van, Vbn and Vcn of the GEMK of the motor 202. The power dissipated in the bleeder resistor 220 can be calculated using equation (2), where Rbleeder is the value of the bleeder resistor. Pbleeder=Vavg2Rbleeder

[0078] The braking torque due to the bleeder resistor 220 can be calculated according to equation (3), where ωm is the mechanical speed of the motor. τbrake=Pbleederωm=Vavg2Rbleeder∗ωm

[0079] In some embodiments, when the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs 216 is 100 percent, all three lower MOSFETs 216 are continuously on. As a result, the inverter circuit 204 can actively dampen all energy throughout this operating range. In this case, all three phases are short-circuited. The steady-state short-circuit currents are calculated using equations (4) and (5), where Ke is the EMF constant and Np is the number of poles of the machine. Ld, Lq, R, and ωe are, respectively, the d-axis inductance, the q-axis inductance, the phase resistance, and the electrical speed of the motor 202. Id=2Npωe2LqKeR2+ωe2LdLq Iq=−2NpωeKeRR2+ωe2LdLq

[0080] By combining these two equations, the braking torque in this steady state is calculated as in equation (6), where Np is the number of poles of the motor 202. τ=−3NpRKe2ωeR2+ωe2Lq2(R2+ωe2LdLq)2

[0081] In some embodiments, when the duty cycle is maintained between 0 percent and 100 percent, the inverter 204 operates as a short-circuit when the lower MOSFETs 216 are on and as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier when the lower MOSFETs 216 are off. However, during a single switching cycle of the lower MOSFETs 216, the inverter 204 operates neither in the fully short-circuited phase state nor as a full-wave rectifier in every switching cycle. Therefore, neither of the two presented equations (3) and (6) can be directly used to calculate the total braking torque of the motor 202 due to the MEMF. Nevertheless, the braking torque under these conditions can be calculated using the various mathematical equations. Based on the model of the inverter 204 and the motor 202 in a simulation platform such as MAT-LAB / Simulink, the d-axis and q-axis phase voltages can be calculated according to equations (7) and (8), respectively.(8), where Ke is the GEMK constant and Np is the number of poles of the motor 202. Ld, Lq, R, and ωm are the d-axis inductance, the q-axis inductance, the phase resistance, and the mechanical speed of the motor 202, respectively. Vd=Lddiddt+Rid+Np2ωmLqiq Vq=Lqdiqdt+Riq−Np2ωmLqiq+Keωm

[0082] In addition, the braking torque can also be calculated based on the simulation using equation (9). τ=[32Keiq+34Np(Lq−Ld)idiq]

[0083] In some embodiments, inverter 204 may include or communicate with multiple controllers, including, but not limited to, controller 100 and / or any combination of other controllers or processors. Additionally or alternatively, inverter 204 may include multiple phases.

[0084] In some embodiments, controller 100 may be configured to use BJT 302 or another suitable transistor to provide damping characteristics to the steering system of vehicle 10. BJT 302 may be an NPN BJT or another suitable BJT. Controller 100 may receive a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to the handwheel of vehicle 10. Controller 100 may generate a damping signal based on the torque signal. Controller 100 may selectively control current flow to BJT 302 based on the damping signal. It is understood that the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use any suitable transistor in place of and / or in addition to BJT 302.Additionally or alternatively, the systems and methods described herein may be configured to use any number of transistors, including one or more BJTs 302 or any other suitable transistor combination.

[0085] In some embodiments, controller 100 may perform the methods described herein. However, the methods described herein performed by controller 100 are not intended to be limiting, and any type of software executing on a controller or processor may perform the methods described herein without departing from the scope of this disclosure. For example, a controller, such as a processor executing software in a computing device, may perform the methods described herein.

[0086] Fig.6 is a flowchart generally illustrating an active damping method 400 according to the principles of the present disclosure. At 402, the method 400 provides a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor. The multi-phase inverter circuit may include a power circuit and at least one bipolar transistor. For example, the multi-phase inverter circuit may include circuit 300, and the at least one bipolar transistor may include BJT 302. The controller 100 may be configured to use the circuit 300 and the BJT 302.

[0087] At 404, method 400 receives a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to a handwheel. For example, controller 100 may receive the torque signal corresponding to the torque applied to the handwheel of vehicle 10.

[0088] At 406, method 400 generates a damping signal based on the torque signal. For example, controller 100 may generate the damping signal based on the torque signal.

[0089] At 408, method 400 selectively controls current flow to the at least one bipolar transistor based on the damping signal. For example, controller 100 may selectively control current flow to BJT 302.

[0090] In some embodiments, an active damping system includes a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor. The multi-phase inverter circuit includes a power circuit, a low-side gate driver, a bleeder resistor, and at least one metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). The system also includes a processor and memory. The memory contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide at least one signal to the lower MOSFETs of the at least one MOSFET. The at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs. When the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs is 0 percent, the multi-phase inverter circuit operates as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier.When the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs is 100 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit actively attenuates the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit. When the duty cycle of the lower MOSFETs is between 0 and 100 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit actively attenuates the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit when the lower MOSFETs are on, with all three phases of the multiphase inverter circuit short-circuited; and when the lower MOSFETs are off, the multiphase inverter circuit operates as a multiphase full-wave rectifier.

[0091] In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. In some embodiments, the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine.

[0092] In some embodiments, a system for active damping in a steering system includes a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor. The multi-phase inverter circuit includes a power circuit and at least one bipolar transistor. The system also includes a processor and memory. The memory contains instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to a handwheel; generate a damping signal based on the torque signal; and selectively control current flow to the at least one bipolar transistor based on the damping signal.

[0093] In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. In some embodiments, the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine. In some embodiments, the bipolar transistor comprises a negative-positive-negative bipolar transistor.

[0094] In some embodiments, a method for active damping in a steering system comprises providing a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor, the multi-phase inverter circuit including a power circuit and at least one bipolar transistor; receiving a torque signal corresponding to a torque applied to a handwheel; generating a damping signal based on the torque signal; and selectively controlling current flow to the at least one bipolar transistor based on the damping signal.

[0095] In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. In some embodiments, the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine. In some embodiments, the bipolar transistor comprises a negative-positive-negative bipolar transistor.

[0096] In some embodiments, an active damping system comprises: at least one inverter circuit connected to a motor; wherein the at least one inverter circuit comprises a power circuit; a damping circuit comprising a gate driver and / or a bleeder resistor and / or at least one transistor; a processor;and a memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: selectively control the attenuation circuit to provide attenuation to an actuator using at least one of the low-side gate driver, a bleeder resistor, and at least one transistor, wherein selectively controlling the attenuation circuit to provide attenuation to the actuator comprises at least one of the following steps: providing at least one signal to the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the at least one transistor; and decoupling the bleeder resistor;

[0097] In some embodiments, the at least one inverter circuit operates as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier when the duty cycle of the at least one transistor is 0 percent. In some embodiments, in response to a duty cycle of the at least one transistor of 100 percent, the at least one inverter circuit actively attenuates power supplied to the at least one inverter. In some embodiments, in response to a duty cycle of the at least one transistor between 0 percent and 100 percent: for lower transistors in an on-state, the at least one inverter circuit actively attenuates power supplied to the at least one inverter circuit with all phases of the at least one inverter circuit shorted; and for lower transistors in an off-state, the at least one inverter circuit operates as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier.In some embodiments, the actuator comprises a handwheel actuator of a vehicle's steering system. In some embodiments, the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. In some embodiments, the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine.

[0098] In some embodiments, a method for active damping comprises: providing at least one signal to lower transistors (of at least one transistor connected to a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower transistors; in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 0 percent, operating the multi-phase inverter circuit as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier; in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 100 percent, actively damping energy supplied to the multi-phase inverter circuit;and in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being between 0 percent and 100 percent: for lower transistors in an on-state, actively damping the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit with the phases of the multiphase inverter circuit shorted; and for lower transistors in an off-state, operating the multiphase inverter circuit as a full-wave multiphase rectifier.

[0099] In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. In some embodiments, the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. In some embodiments, the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface-mounted permanent magnet machine.

[0100] In some embodiments, an active damping device comprises: a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor; wherein the multi-phase inverter circuit comprises a power circuit, a low-side gate driver, a bleeder resistor, and at least one transistor; and a controller configured to provide at least one signal to lower transistors of the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower transistors.

[0101] In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit operates as a multiphase full-wave rectifier when the bottom transistor duty cycle is 0 percent. In some embodiments, in response to a bottom transistor duty cycle of 100 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit actively attenuates the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit. In some embodiments, in response to a bottom transistor duty cycle between 0 and 100 percent: for bottom transistors in the on-state, the power supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit is actively attenuated by the multiphase inverter circuit with all three phases of the multiphase inverter circuit shorted; and for bottom transistors in the off-state, the multiphase inverter circuit operates as a multiphase full-wave rectifier.In some embodiments, the multiphase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the steering system includes a steer-by-wire steering system. In some embodiments, the motor includes a permanent magnet synchronous machine.

[0102] The above is intended to illustrate the principles and various embodiments of the present disclosure. Numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully understood. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

[0103] The word "example" is used herein to serve as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as an "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, the use of the word "example" is intended to illustrate concepts in a concrete manner. As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive "or" and not an exclusive "or." That is, unless otherwise stated or clear from the context, "X includes A or B" means any of the natural, inclusive permutations. That is, if X includes A, X includes B, or X includes both A and B, then "X includes A or B" is satisfied in each of the foregoing cases.Furthermore, as used in this application and the appended claims, the articles "a / an / an" are generally intended to mean "one or more" unless otherwise indicated or the context clearly indicates a singular form. Furthermore, the use of the term "an implementation" or "an implementation" is not synonymous with the same embodiment or implementation unless described as such.

[0104] The systems, algorithms, methods, instructions, etc., described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. The hardware may include, for example, computers, intellectual property (IP) cores, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, optical processors, programmable logic controllers, microcode, microcontrollers, servers, microprocessors, digital signal processors, or any other suitable circuitry. In the claims, the term "processor" is to be understood to include any of the foregoing hardware, either individually or in combination. The terms "signal" and "data" are used interchangeably.

[0105] As used herein, the term module can include a packaged functional hardware unit designed for use with other components, a set of instructions executable by a controller (e.g., a processor executing software or firmware), processing circuitry configured to perform a specific function, and a self-contained hardware or software component that interfaces with a larger system. For example, a module can include an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit, a digital logic circuit, an analog circuit, a combination of discrete circuits, gates, and other types of hardware, or a combination thereof.In other embodiments, a module may include memory storing instructions that can be executed by a controller to implement a feature of the module.

[0106] In one aspect, the systems described herein may be implemented, for example, with a general-purpose computer or a general-purpose processor having a computer program that, when executed, carries out the respective methods, algorithms, and / or instructions described herein. Additionally or alternatively, for example, a special-purpose computer / processor may be used, which may include other hardware for executing the methods, algorithms, or instructions described herein.

[0107] Furthermore, all or part of the implementations of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product, accessible, for example, from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium. A computer-usable or computer-readable medium may be any device that can, for example, tangibly contain, store, transmit, or transport the program for use by or in connection with any processor. The medium may be, for example, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor device. Other suitable media are also available.

[0108] The above-described embodiments, implementations, and aspects have been described to facilitate a simple understanding of the present disclosure and do not limit the present disclosure. On the contrary, the disclosure is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements that fall within the scope of the appended claims, which scope should be interpreted as broadly as possible to encompass all modifications and equivalent structures permitted by law.

[0109] Although the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention may be modified to incorporate any number of variations, changes, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements not described herein that are within the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered limited by the foregoing description. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 63593016

[0001] US 63462204

[0001] US 63431632

[0001]

Claims

[1] Active damping system, the system comprising at least one inverter circuit connected to a motor, the at least one inverter circuit comprising a power circuit; a damping circuit comprising a gate driver and / or a bleeder resistor and / or at least one transistor; a processor; and a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: selectively controlling the damping circuit to provide damping for an actuator using the gate driver and / or the bleeder resistor and / or the at least one transistor, wherein selectively controlling the damping circuit to provide damping for the actuator comprises at least one of the following elements: Providing at least one signal to the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the at least one transistor; and Switching off the bleeder resistor. [2] The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the duty cycle of the at least one transistor being 0 percent, the at least one inverter circuit operates as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier. [3] The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the duty cycle of the at least one transistor being 100 percent, the at least one inverter circuit actively attenuates the power supplied to the at least one inverter. [4] The system of claim 1, wherein in response to the duty cycle of the at least one transistor being between 0 percent and 100 percent: for lower transistors in an on-state, the at least one inverter circuit actively attenuates energy supplied to the at least one inverter circuit, wherein all phases of the at least one inverter circuit are short-circuited; and for lower transistors in an off-state, the at least one inverter circuit operates as a polyphase full-wave rectifier. [5] The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a handwheel actuator of a steering system of a vehicle. [6] The system of claim 5, wherein the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. [7] The system of claim 1, wherein the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. [8] The system of claim 7, wherein the permanent magnet synchronous machine comprises a surface mounted permanent magnet machine. [9] A method for active damping, the method comprising: Providing at least one signal to lower transistors (of at least one transistor connected to a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor), wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower transistors; in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 0 percent, the multiphase inverter circuit is operated as a multiphase full-wave rectifier; in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 100 percent, energy supplied to the multiphase inverter circuit is actively attenuated; and if the duty cycle of the lower transistors is between 0 percent and 100 percent: for lower transistors in the on state, the energy supplied to the multi-phase inverter circuit is actively damped, the phases of the multi-phase inverter circuit being short-circuited; and for lower transistors in the off state, the multi-phase inverter circuit is operated as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier. [10] The method of claim 9, wherein the multi-phase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. [11] The method of claim 10, wherein the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. [12] The method of claim 9, wherein the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine. [13] The method of claim 12, wherein the permanent magnet synchronous machine is a surface mounted permanent magnet machine. [14] Device for active damping, the device comprising: a multi-phase inverter circuit connected to a motor, the multi-phase inverter circuit comprising a power circuit and / or a high-side gate driver and / or a low-side gate driver and / or a bleeder resistor and / or at least one transistor; and a controller configured to provide at least one signal to the high-side and low-side transistors of the at least one transistor, wherein: the at least one signal corresponds to a duty cycle of the lower transistors. [15] The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the multi-phase inverter circuit operates as a multi-phase full-wave rectifier in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 0 percent. [16] The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the multi-phase inverter circuit actively attenuates energy supplied to the multi-phase inverter circuit in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being 100 percent. [17] The apparatus of claim 14, wherein in response to the duty cycle of the lower transistors being between 0 percent and 100 percent: for lower transistors in an on-state, the multi-phase inverter circuit actively attenuates energy supplied to the multi-phase inverter circuit with all three phases of the multi-phase inverter circuit shorted; and for lower transistors in an off-state, the multi-phase inverter circuit operates as a full-wave multi-phase rectifier. [18] The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the multi-phase inverter circuit is connected to a steering system of a vehicle. [19] The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the steering system comprises a steer-by-wire steering system. [20] The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the motor comprises a permanent magnet synchronous machine.