Motor control device

Abstract

To provide a motor control device capable of suppressing torque shortage even during a steady operation period and more appropriately controlling a drive motor so that an opening / closing body of a vehicle moves smoothly.SOLUTION: A motor control device 50, which controls a drive motor 60 that is connected to an opening / closing body 13 of a vehicle 10 and conducts control for automatically opening / closing the opening / closing body 13, includes an output detection unit 514 that detects an output of the drive motor 60 according to an operating state of the opening / closing body 13, and a method switching unit 518 that switches control method of the drive motor 60 between a sine wave drive method and a rectangular drive control method based on a determination value obtained from the output result by the output detection unit 514.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are opening and closing bodies such as sliding doors equipped in vehicles that are configured to be automatically opened and closed by a drive motor. Motor control devices that control the drive motor for automatically opening and closing the opening and closing body include those that adopt a sine wave drive system using a sine wave signal and those that adopt a square wave drive system using a square wave signal.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that when the motor is started, the motor is subjected to rectangular wave control, and when the motor is in steady operation, the drive power according to the rotation angle of the motor is controlled to be an optimal sine wave power. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6939447 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, in the invention of Patent Document 1, when the sliding door starts to operate, the drive motor is started using a square wave braking / driving system (square wave control system), and during steady operation, the drive motor is driven using a sine wave driving system (sine wave control system). This makes it possible to prevent torque shortages when an opening / closing body such as a sliding door starts to operate, making it easier to operate the opening / closing body smoothly.

[0006] In addition, by using the sinusoidal drive method to drive the drive motor during steady operation, there is the advantage that the operating noise of the drive motor can be suppressed. However, even during the steady operation period of the drive motor, there is a risk that the drive motor may not have enough torque depending on the operating conditions of the opening and closing body.

[0007] However, the invention of Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the lack of torque during the steady operation period of the drive motor, which may result in the opening / closing body not operating smoothly due to the lack of torque of the drive motor during the steady operation period of the drive motor.

[0008] One object of the present disclosure is to provide a motor control device that can suppress torque shortages even during steady operation periods and more appropriately control a drive motor so that an opening / closing body of a vehicle operates smoothly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the motor control device disclosed herein is a motor control device that is connected to a vehicle opening / closing body and controls a drive motor for automatically opening and closing the opening / closing body, and has an output detection unit that detects the output of the drive motor according to the operating state of the opening / closing body, and a method switching unit that switches the control method of the drive motor to a sine wave drive method or a rectangular wave drive method based on a judgment value obtained from the output result by the output detection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The motor control device of the present disclosure can suppress torque shortages even during steady-state operation, thereby more appropriately controlling the drive motor. As a result, the opening / closing body of the vehicle can be operated more smoothly while suppressing operating noise. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle on which a motor control device according to a first embodiment is mounted. [Figure 2]1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a control device for a vehicle opening / closing member including a motor control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 2 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of a drive unit provided in the vehicle opening / closing member control device; FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a drum provided in the drive unit. [Figure 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of a motor control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the transition between a startup operation period and a steady operation period. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling a drive motor by the motor control device of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a relationship between a change in the output duty of the drive motor and a switching state of the control method. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling a drive motor by the motor control device of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for controlling a drive motor by a motor control device of a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the door position and the target speed of a sliding door. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) <Outline of power sliding door device> Fig. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of a vehicle equipped with a power sliding door device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration example of the power sliding door device in Fig. 1.

[0013] A vehicle 10 shown in Fig. 1 is, for example, a minivan. A sliding door (opening / closing body) 13 that opens and closes an opening 12 along a guide rail 14 is provided on the side of a vehicle body 11 that forms the vehicle 10. A roller assembly 13a is connected to the sliding door 13, as shown in Fig. 2. The roller assembly 13a moves together with the sliding door 13 along the guide rail 14 that is fixed to the side of the vehicle body 11.

[0014] As a result, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sliding door 13 opens and closes the opening 12 by moving in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 between a "fully closed position" and a "fully open position." Here, as shown in Figure 2, a retraction portion 14a that is curved toward the inside of the vehicle compartment (upper side in the figure) is provided at the front side of the vehicle of the guide rail 14. As the roller assembly 13a is guided by the retraction portion 14a, the sliding door 13 closes the opening 12 and is stored flush with the side surface of the vehicle body 11. In more detail, in addition to the guide rail 14 provided at the center of the vehicle body 11, guide rails (not shown) are also provided at the top and bottom of the vehicle body 11.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a power sliding door device (vehicle opening / closing body control device) 20 that automatically opens and closes the sliding door 13. In this example, the power sliding door device 20 is a cable-type opening and closing device, and includes a drive unit 21 having a drive motor 60, an opening cable 22a, a closing cable 22b, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 that is a motor control device. The drive unit 21 is disposed, for example, in the passenger compartment of the vehicle body 11, approximately in the center in the extension direction of the guide rail 14, and drives the sliding door 13 to open and close using the drive motor 60. The ECU 50 controls the rotation of this drive motor 60. The ECU (motor control device) 50 will be described in detail later.

[0016] The opening cable 22a and the closing cable 22b are both connected to the sliding door 13 via the roller assembly 13a and function to transmit the power of the drive unit 21 to the sliding door 13. Specifically, the opening cable 22a is drawn into the inside of the drive unit 21 via a first reversing pulley 23a located on the rear side of the vehicle 10, and the closing cable 22b is drawn into the inside of the drive unit 21 via a second reversing pulley 23b located on the front side of the vehicle 10. As a result, the drive unit 21 drives the sliding door 13 in the opening direction by winding up the opening cable 22a, and drives the sliding door 13 in the closing direction by winding up the closing cable 22b.

[0017] Fig. 3 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of the drive unit in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the drum in Fig. 3. Drive unit 21 shown in Fig. 3 includes a case 30 made of a resin material such as plastic. Case 30 also functions as a frame that supports the various members and mechanisms that make up drive unit 21. Drive unit 21 is fixed to vehicle body 11 (see Figs. 1 and 2) with bolts or the like (not shown) via four fixing parts FP provided on case 30.

[0018] The case 30 is provided with a drive motor 60 that serves as a power source for the drive unit 21. The drive motor 60 is, for example, a flat brushless motor that can rotate in both forward and reverse directions. Using a brushless motor as the drive motor 60 makes it possible to prevent the thickness of the drive unit 21 from increasing. A reduction mechanism (not shown) made of a planetary gear reducer is provided inside the case 30 and near the drive motor 60. The reduction mechanism reduces the rotation of the drive motor 60 at a predetermined ratio to increase the torque, and this increased torque drives the output shaft 32. A drum housing chamber 30a formed in a substantially cylindrical shape is also provided in the approximate center of the case 30. The drum housing chamber 30a is arranged coaxially with the drive motor 60, and a drum 33 is rotatably housed therein.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 4, the drum 33 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a spiral guide groove 33a on its outer circumferential surface, and its axis is fixed to the output shaft 32 that protrudes into the drum housing chamber 30a. One end of the opening cable 22a (and the closing cable 22b) is fixed to the drum 33 by a locking block 34. When the drum 33 rotates counterclockwise (CCW), the opening cable 22a is wound along the guide groove 33a from one side in the axial direction. When the drum 33 rotates clockwise (CW), the closing cable 22b is wound along the guide groove 33a from the other side in the axial direction.

[0020] 3, a circuit board housing chamber (not shown) is provided on the rear side of drum housing chamber 30a, near opening tensioner mechanism 40a and closing tensioner mechanism 40b (lower part in the figure). The circuit board housing chamber houses a control board that controls the rotation of drive motor 60 and corresponds to ECU 50 in FIG. 2. This control board is electrically connected to the battery (power source) installed in vehicle 10 and to operation switches inside the vehicle cabin via connectors 35a and 35b.

[0021] Here, the control board (ECU 50) drives the drive motor 60 to rotate counterclockwise (CCW) in response to the "open operation" of the operation switch. Accordingly, the output shaft 32 and the drum 33 rotate counterclockwise with high torque, and the opening cable 22a is wound around the drum 33 while pulling the sliding door 13. As a result, the sliding door 13 is automatically controlled in the opening direction. At this time, the closing cable 22b is sent out from the drum 33 to the outside of the case 30.

[0022] Similarly, the control board (ECU50) drives the drive motor 60 to rotate clockwise (CW) in response to the "closing operation" of the operation switch. Along with this, the output shaft 32 and the drum 33 rotate clockwise with high torque, and the closing-side cable 22b is wound around the drum 33 while pulling the sliding door 13. As a result, the sliding door 13 is automatically controlled in the closing direction. At this time, the opening-side cable 22a is sent out from the drum 33 to the outside of the case 30. Each of the cables 22a and 22b is covered by an outer tube TU having flexibility in the section between the entrance / exit of the drive unit 21 and the reversing pulleys 23a and 23b (see FIG. 2), and is adapted to move inside thereof.

[0023] Adjacent to the drum housing chamber 30a in the case 30, an opening-side tensioner housing chamber 30b and a closing-side tensioner housing chamber 30c are provided. The opening-side tensioner housing chamber 30b and the closing-side tensioner housing chamber 30c house an opening-side tensioner mechanism 40a and a closing-side tensioner mechanism 40b that apply a predetermined tension to the opening-side cable 22a and the closing-side cable 22b, respectively. Each of the opening-side tensioner mechanism 40a and the closing-side tensioner mechanism 40b includes a pulley 46 that rotates around a pulley shaft �5 and a coil spring (elastic member) 44 that presses the pulley 46.

[0024] The opening-side cable 22a is wound around the pulley 46 of the opening-side tensioner mechanism 40a and then wound around the drum 33. Similarly, the closing-side cable 22b is wound around the pulley 46 of the closing-side tensioner mechanism 40b and then wound around the drum 33. At this time, the opening-side tensioner mechanism 40a and the closing-side tensioner mechanism 40b respectively remove the slack of the opening-side cable 22a and the closing-side cable 22b by pressing the pulley 46 with the coil spring 44. For example, each of the cables 22a and 22b may have its cable length extended by repeatedly pulling the heavy sliding door 13. Each tensioner mechanism 40a and 40b removes the slack accompanying such an extension of the cable length.

[0025] <Schematic configuration around the ECU> Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts around the ECU in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, ECU 50, which is the motor control device of embodiment 1, includes a drive control unit 51, an inverter (motor driver) 52, and a current sensor 53. In addition, ECU 50 is connected to an operation switch 70, which is, for example, a switch around the driver's seat of vehicle 10 or a remote control switch.

[0026] The drive control unit 51 controls the rotation of the drive motor 60 by generating a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal to the inverter 52 in response to an operation command from the operation switch 70. As will be described in detail later, when controlling the rotation of the drive motor 60, the drive control unit 51 appropriately switches the control method for the drive motor 60 between a sine wave drive method and a rectangular drive method.

[0027] The sine wave drive method is a control method for driving the drive motor 60 using a sine wave control signal, which has inferior torque characteristics but is quieter than the square wave drive method. The square wave drive method is a control method for driving the drive motor 60 using a square wave control signal, which has better torque characteristics but is quieter than the sine wave drive method. Note that since the control of the drive motor 60 using these sine wave drive method and square wave drive method is itself a well-known technology, a detailed description of the control methods will be omitted.

[0028] In response to user operation, the operation switch 70 issues various commands, including an auto-open command for automatically moving the sliding door 13 to a fully open position, and an auto-close command for automatically moving the sliding door 13 to a fully closed position.

[0029] Although not shown, the inverter 52 includes six switching elements, each of which is configured with, for example, a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) and a freewheeling diode. These six switching elements generate three-phase drive voltages Vu, Vv, and Vw by switching in response to PWM signals PWMu, PWMv, and PWMw from the drive control unit 51. A drive motor 60, which is a brushless motor MT, is driven by the three-phase drive voltages Vu, Vv, and Vw generated by the inverter 52.

[0030] The current sensor 53 is provided at the output terminal of the inverter 52, in other words, at the input terminal of the drive motor 60, and detects the operating current (also called the phase current, actual current value, or load current value) that actually flows through the drive motor 60.

[0031] <Configuration of drive control unit> The drive control unit 51 will be described in more detail. The drive control unit 51 is configured, for example, by a microcontroller including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and is mounted on a control board (wiring board) that configures the ECU 50 together with the inverter 52. However, the drive control unit 51 is not limited to a microcontroller, and may be configured partially or entirely by an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), dedicated hardware, or the like. The drive control unit 51 may be configured by program processing by a CPU, hardware processing by dedicated hardware, or a combination thereof.

[0032] The drive motor 60 controlled by the drive control unit 51 is typically a three-phase brushless DC motor having a rotor including a permanent magnet and a stator that generates a magnetic force for rotating the rotor, and is provided with a rotation angle sensor 61 that detects the rotation position (rotation angle) of the rotor. The rotation angle sensor 61 is typically a Hall IC that generates a three-phase position detection signal according to the rotation position of the rotor. The rotation angle sensor 61 is not limited to a Hall IC, and may be, for example, a rotary encoder, a resolver, or the like.

[0033] The drive control unit 51 includes a rotation control unit 511 , a PWM signal generation unit 512 , an operation state detection unit 513 , an output detection unit 514 , and a storage unit 515 .

[0034] The rotation control unit 511 appropriately controls the rotation of the drive motor 60 based on the detection results of the operation state detection unit 513 and the output detection unit 514, for example, so that the moving speed of the sliding door 13 becomes a predetermined speed.

[0035] As an example, the rotation control unit 511 acquires the door position based on the detection result by the operation state detection unit 513, and acquires the target door speed by referring to, for example, a speed control map or the like that defines the relationship between the door position of the sliding door 13 and the target door speed. That is, the rotation control unit 511 acquires the target rotation speed of the drive motor 60 that drives the sliding door 13 by referring to the speed control map or the like. The speed control map is stored in advance in, for example, the storage unit 515.

[0036] The rotation control unit 511 calculates a target current by performing, for example, PI control (proportional-integral control) or the like based on the error between the acquired door target speed and the door movement speed (actual movement speed) detected by the operation state detection unit 513. More specifically, the rotation control unit 511 calculates a duty ratio command value of the PWM signal by performing PI control or the like based on the error between the target current and the phase currents (coil currents) Iu, Iv, Iw from the current sensor 53, and transmits the calculated duty ratio command value to the PWM signal generation unit 512.

[0037] The PWM signal generating unit (control signal generating unit) 512 generates a motor control signal for supplying drive power to the drive motor 60. Specifically, the PWM signal generating unit 512 receives a duty ratio command value transmitted from the rotation control unit 511 and generates PWM signals PWMu, PWMv, and PWMw that reflect the duty ratio.

[0038] The operation state detection unit 513 detects the operation state of the sliding door (opening / closing body) 13 based on the number of cycles, frequency, phase difference, etc. of the position detection signals Pu, Pv, Pw from the rotation angle sensor 61. The operation state of the sliding door 13 includes, for example, the door position, door movement speed, door opening / closing direction, etc. of the sliding door 13. Note that the operation state of the sliding door 13 also includes a state in which the sliding door 13 is stopped.

[0039] In this embodiment, the operation state detection unit 513 detects the operation state of the sliding door 13 based on information such as the rotation position, rotation speed, and rotation direction of the drive motor 60 obtained from the measurement results of the rotation angle sensor 61. In this case, the door position is output as a count value of the number of rotations of the drive motor 60. It can also be said that the operation state detection unit 513 detects the rotation state, such as the rotation speed, of the drive motor 60 for driving the sliding door 13.

[0040] The output detection unit 514 detects the output of the drive motor 60 according to the operating state of the sliding door 13, which is the opening / closing body. Specifically, the output detection unit 514 detects the output value of the current sensor 53 as the operating current (also referred to as a phase current, an actual current value, or a load current value) that actually flows through the drive motor 60.

[0041] <Configuration of rotation control unit> A more detailed description will be given of the configuration of the rotation control unit 511. In this embodiment, the rotation control unit 511 includes a square wave driving unit 516, a sine wave driving unit 517, and a method switching unit 518.

[0042] The square wave driving unit 516 drives the drive motor 60 by a square wave driving method. The square wave driving unit 516 determines the timing (energization timing) for energizing the stator coil of each phase of the drive motor 60 based on, for example, the detection results of the output detection unit 514 and the operation state detection unit 513, and calculates a duty ratio command value DT1 for square wave driving in accordance with the determined energization timing and transmits it to the PWM signal generation unit 512.

[0043] The sine wave driving unit 517 drives the drive motor 60 by a sine wave driving method. The sine wave driving unit 517 determines the timing for energizing the stator coil of each phase of the drive motor 60 based on, for example, the detection results of the output detection unit 514 and the operation state detection unit 513, and transmits a duty ratio command value DT2 for sine wave driving to the PWM signal generation unit 512 in accordance with the determined energization timing.

[0044] The mode switching unit 518 executes a switching process for switching the control mode of the drive motor 60 between the square wave drive mode and the sine wave drive mode as necessary. In other words, the mode switching unit 518 switches, as necessary, between driving the drive motor 60 by the square wave drive unit 516 and driving the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive unit 517. In other words, one of the square wave drive unit 516 and the sine wave drive unit 517 transmits a duty ratio command value to the PWM signal generating unit 512 based on an instruction from the mode switching unit 518.

[0045] The method switching unit 518 switches between the rectangular wave drive method and the sine wave drive method based on a determination value determined from the output result by the output detection unit 514. More specifically, the method switching unit 518 compares the determination value determined from the output result by the output detection unit 514 with a preset threshold value, and switches the control method for the drive motor 60 based on the comparison result.

[0046] In this embodiment, the mode switching unit 518 switches the control mode of the drive motor 60 when the operating state of the drive motor 60 is in a steady operation (normal operation) period after the startup operation period. During the startup operation period of the drive motor 60 immediately after the start of operation of the sliding door 13, the drive motor 60 is controlled by the square wave drive mode. In contrast, during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60 after the startup operation period, the drive motor 60 is basically controlled by the sine wave drive mode. In other words, during the startup operation period, the drive motor 60 is controlled by the square wave drive mode, and then, when the steady operation period begins, the control mode is switched from the square wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode to control the drive motor 60.

[0047] The method switching unit 518 does not switch the control method of the drive motor 60 during the startup operation period of the drive motor 60, but switches the control method of the drive motor 60 as necessary once the drive motor 60 enters the steady operation period. That is, when the drive motor 60 is in the steady operation period, the method switching unit 518 temporarily switches the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method based on the above-mentioned determination value.

[0048] Here, the judgment value in the first embodiment is the output duty in the PWM control of the drive motor 60, and when the judgment value increases and becomes equal to or greater than a preset first judgment threshold while the drive motor 60 is being controlled by the sine wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 switches the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method. In other words, when the judgment value becomes equal to or greater than the first judgment threshold, the method switching unit 518 switches from driving the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive unit 517 to driving the drive motor 60 by the square wave drive unit 516.

[0049] Furthermore, after switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method as described above, the method switching unit 518 switches the control method from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method when the judgment value decreases and becomes less than a second judgment threshold, which is a value smaller than the first judgment threshold. In other words, during the steady operation period, after the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method, when the judgment value becomes less than the second judgment threshold, the method switching unit 518 performs processing to return the control method of the drive motor 60 from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method. Note that switching of the control method of the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518 will be described in more detail below.

[0050] According to the configuration of the motor control device 50 of this embodiment as described above, it is possible to suppress torque shortages and more appropriately control the drive motor 60 even when the drive motor 60 is in a steady operating period, and ultimately to operate the sliding door 13, which is the vehicle's opening and closing body, more smoothly while suppressing operating noise.

[0051] <An example of a motor control method> An example of a method for controlling the drive motor 60 by the motor control device 50, particularly an example of a method for controlling the drive motor 60 during a steady operation period, will be described below.

[0052] In the motor control device 50 according to the embodiment, for example, when a user operates the operation switch 70 to start the operation of the sliding door 13, the drive motor 60 first goes through a startup operation period in which it is driven by the rectangular wave drive method, and then transitions (shifts) to a steady operation period in which it is driven mainly by the sine wave drive method. Then, after the drive motor 60 is in the steady operation period, that is, after the transition from the startup operation period to the steady operation period, the method switching unit 518 switches the control method based on the above-mentioned determination value.

[0053] 6 is a diagram illustrating the transition between the startup operation period and the steady operation period. As shown in FIG. 6, when transition condition 1 (operation start condition) is satisfied during the stop period in which the drive motor 60 is stopped, the drive motor 60 transitions to the startup operation period, and driving of the drive motor 60 by the square wave drive method is started. In other words, when transition condition 1 is satisfied, driving of the drive motor 60 by the square wave drive unit 516 is started. This starts the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 13. The transition condition 1 for transitioning from the stop period to the startup operation period may be determined as appropriate, and an example thereof is when the user operates the operation switch 70.

[0054] Then, when transition condition 2 is satisfied during the startup operation period, the drive motor 60 transitions to the steady operation period, and the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method. That is, the drive of the drive motor 60 is switched from being driven by the square wave drive unit 516 to being driven by the sine wave drive unit 517. Transition condition 2 for transitioning from the startup operation period to the steady operation period may also be determined appropriately, and examples thereof include the elapsed time from the start of operation of the sliding door 13, the operation speed of the sliding door 13, the door position of the sliding door 13, and the target speed of the sliding door 13.

[0055] Thereafter, during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60, the mode switching unit 518 performs processing to temporarily switch the control mode of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive mode to the square wave drive mode as necessary. Furthermore, during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60, if transition condition 3 (operation stop condition) for transitioning from the steady operation period to the stop period is met, the sliding door 13 is stopped. In other words, control of the drive motor 60 by the rotation control unit 511 is terminated. The transition condition 3 may also be determined as appropriate, and an example thereof is when the sliding door 13 reaches a fully open position or a fully closed position.

[0056] Next, an example of a control method for the drive motor during a steady operation period, in particular, the process of switching the control method for the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518, will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control method in the drive motor control device of embodiment 1. Figure 8 is a diagram schematically illustrating changes in output duty and the switching state of the control method.

[0057] When the operating state of the drive motor 60 transitions from the startup operation period to the steady operation period as described above, first, as shown in FIG. 7 , in step S01, the rotation control unit 511 sets the control method of the drive motor 60 to the sine wave drive method. In this embodiment, while the drive motor 60 is in the startup operation period, the control method of the drive motor 60 is set to the square wave drive method. Then, when the operating state of the drive motor 60 transitions from the startup operation period to the steady operation period, the method switching unit 518 switches the control method of the drive motor 60 from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method. In other words, the method switching unit 518 switches the drive of the drive motor 60 from the square wave control unit 517 to the sine wave drive unit 517. In the example shown in FIG. 8 , the method switching unit 518 switches the control method of the drive motor 60 from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method at timing T1.

[0058] Next, while the drive motor 60 is being driven by the sine wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the output duty in the PWM control of the drive motor 60 has increased to equal to or greater than the first determination threshold (step S02). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and may be set as needed, but may be set at regular intervals, for example.

[0059] If the method switching unit 518 determines that the output duty, which is the determination value, is less than the first determination threshold (step S02: No), the process returns to step S01, and the drive motor 60 continues to be driven by the sine wave drive method. On the other hand, if the method switching unit 518 determines that the output duty is equal to or greater than the first determination threshold (step S02: Yes), the process proceeds to step S03, and the control method of the drive motor 60 is set to the square wave drive method. In other words, the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method. In the example of FIG. 8, the drive motor 60 continues to be driven by the sine wave drive method between times T1 and T2, and when the output duty reaches the first determination threshold at time T2, the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method.

[0060] In this way, by appropriately switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60, torque shortage can be suppressed, and ultimately the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly.

[0061] The first determination threshold value of the output duty, which is the criterion for determining whether to switch the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method, may be determined appropriately, but is preferably set to, for example, about 70%.

[0062] Thereafter, while the drive motor 60 is controlled by the square wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the output duty of the drive motor 60 has decreased to less than the second determination threshold (step S04). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and may be set as needed, but may be set, for example, at regular intervals. The second determination threshold is preferably set to a value smaller than the first determination threshold. For example, the second determination threshold for the output duty is preferably set to about 60%.

[0063] If the mode switching unit 518 determines that the output duty is equal to or greater than the second determination threshold (step S04: No), the process proceeds to step S03, where the drive motor 60 continues to be driven by the square wave drive mode. On the other hand, if the mode switching unit 518 determines that the output duty is less than the second determination threshold (step S04: Yes), the process proceeds to step S01, where the control mode of the drive motor 60 is set to the sine wave drive mode. In other words, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the square wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode. In the example shown in FIG. 8, when the output duty decreases to less than the second determination threshold at time T3, the control mode of the drive motor 60 is switched from the square wave drive mode to the sine wave drive mode.

[0064] As described above, in this embodiment, during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60, the drive motor 60 is mainly driven by the sine wave drive method, and the control method of the drive motor 60 is temporarily switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method, for example, depending on the output duty of the drive motor 60. This makes it possible to temporarily increase the output torque of the drive motor 60 at an appropriate timing. As a result, the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly while suppressing operating noise.

[0065] In this example, the second determination threshold is set to a value smaller than the first determination threshold, but the second determination threshold is not particularly limited, and may be the same value as the first determination threshold.

[0066] Furthermore, the second determination threshold may be set to a value greater than the first determination threshold. Then, when the drive motor 60 is driven by the square wave drive method and the output duty increases to or exceeds the second determination threshold (>first determination threshold), the control method may be switched back to the sine wave drive method when the output duty subsequently falls below the second determination threshold. This allows the control method, which has been switched to the square wave drive method, to be switched back to the sine wave drive method relatively quickly.

[0067] However, in this case, it is possible that the output duty may increase again without decreasing below the first determination threshold. In this case, it is preferable to switch the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method back to the square wave drive method. For example, if the output duty decreases below the second determination threshold (> the first determination threshold) and then increases again to equal to or exceed the second determination threshold, the drive method of the drive motor 60 may be switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method.

[0068] (Embodiment 2) In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the output duty of the drive motor 60 was used as the judgment value, but in the second embodiment, an example is described in which the control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 is used as the judgment value. The control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 here refers to the ratio of the control speed (actual speed) to the target speed of the drive motor 60. The target speed of the drive motor 60 (target speed of the sliding door 13) is stored in the memory unit 515 as a speed control map as described above. Note that the device configuration is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] An example of a control method in the motor control device of the second embodiment, in particular, the process of switching the control method for the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518, will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0070] 9, when the operating state of the drive motor 60 transitions from the startup operation period to the steady operation period, first, in step S011, the rotation control unit 511 sets the control method of the drive motor 60 to the sine wave drive method. In other words, the drive of the drive motor 60 by the square wave drive unit 516 is switched to the drive of the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive unit 517.

[0071] Next, in a state where the drive motor 60 is driven by the sine wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 is less than the first determination threshold value (step S02). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and may be set as needed, but may be set at regular intervals, for example.

[0072] If the method switching unit 518 determines that the control speed ratio is equal to or greater than the first determination threshold (step S012: No), the method switching unit 518 returns to step S011 and continues driving the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive method. In other words, if the method switching unit 518 determines that the difference between the control speed and the target speed is small (step S012: No), the method switching unit 518 continues driving the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive method.

[0073] On the other hand, if it is determined that the control speed ratio is less than the first determination threshold (step S012: Yes), the process proceeds to step S013, where the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method. In other words, if it is determined that the deviation between the control speed and the target speed is large (step S012: Yes), the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method.

[0074] In this way, by switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be increased, making it easier to bring the control speed closer to the target speed. In other words, it is possible to prevent the drive motor 60 from becoming short of torque. As a result, the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly.

[0075] The first determination threshold of the control speed ratio, which is the criterion for determining whether to switch the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method, may be determined as appropriate, but is preferably set to, for example, about 60%. Note that the first determination threshold is a general term for thresholds that are the criterion for determining whether to switch the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method. Therefore, for example, the first determination threshold of the output duty described in the first embodiment and the first determination threshold of the control speed ratio will be different values.

[0076] Thereafter, while the drive motor 60 is controlled by the square wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the speed control ratio of the drive motor 60 is equal to or greater than a second determination threshold (step S014). The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and may be set as needed, but may be set at regular intervals, for example. The second determination threshold is preferably set to a value greater than the first determination threshold. As an example, the second determination threshold for the control speed ratio is preferably set to about 80%.

[0077] The second determination threshold is a general term for a threshold that serves as a criterion for switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method. Therefore, the second determination threshold for the output duty described in the first embodiment and the second determination threshold for the control speed ratio are different values.

[0078] If the method switching unit 518 determines that the control speed ratio is less than the second determination threshold (step S014: No), the process proceeds to step S013, where the drive motor 60 continues to be driven by the sine wave drive method. On the other hand, if the method switching unit 518 determines that the control speed ratio is equal to or greater than the second determination threshold (step S014: Yes), the process proceeds to step S011, where the control method for the drive motor 60 is set to the sine wave drive method. In other words, the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method.

[0079] As described above, even if the control method of the drive motor 60 is switched between the sine wave drive method and the square wave drive method using the control speed ratio as the judgment value, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be temporarily increased at an appropriate timing, as in embodiment 1. As a result, the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly while suppressing operating noise.

[0080] (Embodiment 3) Similar to embodiment 2, embodiment 3 is a modified example of the judgment value. In embodiment 2, an example was described in which the control speed ratio of the drive motor 60 was used as the judgment value, but embodiment 3 is an example in which the deviation between the target speed and the control speed of the drive motor 60 (hereinafter referred to as the speed deviation of the drive motor 60) is used as the judgment value.

[0081] An example of a control method in the motor control device of the third embodiment, in particular, the process of switching the control method for the drive motor 60 by the method switching unit 518, will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0082] 10, when the operating state of the drive motor 60 transitions from the startup operation period to the steady operation period, the rotation control unit 511 first sets the control method of the drive motor 60 to the sine wave control method (step S021), as in the above-described embodiment. That is, the drive of the drive motor 60 by the square wave control unit 517 is switched to the drive of the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive unit 517.

[0083] Next, while the drive motor 60 is being driven by the sine wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the control speed (actual speed) of the drive motor 60 is less than the target speed (step S022). If it is determined that the control speed of the drive motor 60 is equal to or greater than the target speed (step S022: No), the process returns to step S021, and the drive motor 60 continues to be driven by the sine wave drive method.

[0084] On the other hand, if it is determined that the control speed of the drive motor 60 is less than the target speed (step S022: Yes), the process proceeds to step S023, where it is determined whether the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is equal to or greater than the first determination threshold. The timing of this determination is not particularly limited and may be set as needed, but may be set at regular intervals, for example.

[0085] If the method switching unit 518 determines that the speed deviation is less than the first determination threshold (step S023: No), it returns to step S021 and continues driving the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive method. In other words, if it determines that the deviation of the control speed from the target speed is small (step S023: No), it continues driving the drive motor 60 by the sine wave drive method.

[0086] Furthermore, if it is determined that the speed deviation is equal to or greater than the first determination threshold (step S23: Yes), the process proceeds to step S024, where the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method. In other words, if it is determined that the deviation in the negative direction of the controlled speed from the target speed is large, that is, if it is determined that the actual speed is significantly slower than the target speed (step S023: Yes), the process proceeds to step S024, where the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method. The first determination threshold for the speed deviation may be determined as appropriate, but is preferably set to, for example, about -30 mm / s.

[0087] In this way, by switching the control method of the drive motor 60 from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method during the steady operation period of the drive motor 60, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be increased. Therefore, even if the deviation of the controlled speed from the target speed of the drive motor 60 is large, the torque shortage of the drive motor 60 can be suppressed, and the controlled speed can be easily brought closer to the target speed. As a result, the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly.

[0088] Thereafter, while the drive motor 60 is controlled by the square wave drive method, the method switching unit 518 determines whether the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is less than the second determination threshold value (step S025). The timing for making this determination is not particularly limited and may be set as needed, but may be set at regular intervals, for example.

[0089] The second determination threshold for the speed deviation is preferably set to a value smaller than the first determination threshold, and as an example, the second determination threshold for the speed deviation is preferably set to approximately -20 [mm / s].

[0090] If the method switching unit 518 determines that the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is equal to or greater than the second determination threshold (step S025: No), the process proceeds to step S024, where the drive motor 60 continues to be driven by the square wave drive method. On the other hand, if the method switching unit 518 determines that the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is less than the second determination threshold (step S025: Yes), the process proceeds to step S021, where the control method for the drive motor 60 is set to the sine wave control method. In other words, the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched from the square wave drive method to the sine wave drive method.

[0091] As described above, even if the control method for the drive motor 60 is switched between the sine wave drive method and the square wave drive method using the speed deviation as the judgment value, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be temporarily increased at an appropriate timing, as in the first and second embodiments. As a result, the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly while suppressing operating noise.

[0092] (Embodiment 4) The fourth embodiment is a modified example of the judgment value, similar to the third embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the speed deviation of the drive motor 60 is used as the judgment value, but the fourth embodiment is an example in which the door position of the sliding door 13 operated by the drive motor 60 is used as the judgment value (judgment condition).

[0093] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the door position of the sliding door and the target speed. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the movement area of ​​the sliding door 13, i.e., the movement area of ​​the sliding door 13 from the fully closed position to the fully open position, is divided into eight control areas A0 to A7. As an example, each of the control areas A0 to A7 is an area where the slope of the target speed is different, and the slope of the target speed is approximately constant within each of the control areas A0 to A7. In other words, the boundaries of each of the control areas A0 to A7 are set at points where the slope of the target speed changes. The method switching unit 518 according to the fourth embodiment switches the control method of the drive motor 60 between the square wave drive method and the sine wave drive method depending on which of the control areas A0 to A7 the sliding door 13 is located in.

[0094] In this example, the door position of the sliding door 13 is determined based on the detection result of the operation state detection unit 513, i.e., the measurement result of the rotation angle sensor 61. In addition, the drive method of the drive motor 60 in each of the control areas (operation areas) A0 to A7 is specified in advance. As an example, the storage unit 515 stores a table or the like that specifies the control method of the drive motor 60 in each of the control areas (operation areas) A0 to A7 of the sliding door 13.

[0095] The method switching unit 518 refers to the table stored in the storage unit 515 and appropriately switches the control method of the drive motor 60 according to the control areas A0 to A7. The control method of the drive motor 60 in each of the control areas A0 to A7 may be different depending on whether the sliding door 13 moves in the opening direction or the closing direction.

[0096] In this way, similar to the above-described embodiment, the output torque of the drive motor 60 can be temporarily increased at an appropriate timing by switching the drive mode of the drive motor 60 according to the control areas A0 to A7 of the sliding door 13. As a result, the sliding door 13 can be operated more smoothly while suppressing operating noise.

[0097] In this example, the movement area of ​​the sliding door 13 is described as being divided into eight control areas, but the number of control areas is not particularly limited and may be seven or less or nine or more.

[0098] While one embodiment of the technology of the present disclosure has been described above, it goes without saying that the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, installation location, etc. of each component in the above embodiment are arbitrary as long as the technology of the present disclosure can be achieved, and are not particularly limited.

[0099] For example, in the above-described embodiment, a sliding door is used as an example of an opening / closing body, but the opening / closing body may be, for example, a tailgate, a sunroof, etc. The motor control device of the present disclosure can be applied to control a drive motor that drives various opening / closing bodies. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 10...electric vehicle, 11...vehicle body, 13...sliding door (opening / closing body), 20...power sliding door device (vehicle opening / closing body control device), 21...drive unit, 30...case, 50...motor control device (ECU), 51...drive control unit, 52...inverter (motor driver), 53...current sensor, 60...drive motor, 61...rotation angle sensor, 70...operation switch, 511...rotation control unit, 512...PWM signal generation unit (control signal generation unit), 513...operation state detection unit, 514...output detection unit, 515...memory unit, 516...rectangular wave drive unit, 517...sine wave drive unit, 518...system switching unit

Claims

1. A motor control device that is connected to an opening / closing body of a vehicle and controls a drive motor for automatically opening and closing the opening / closing body, an output detection unit that detects the output of the drive motor according to the operating state of the opening / closing body; and a method switching unit that switches the control method of the drive motor between a sine wave drive method and a square wave drive method based on a determination value obtained from the output result of the output detection unit. Motor control device.

2. 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, the method switching unit switches the control method during a steady operation period after a start-up operation period of the drive motor. Motor control device.

3. 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, the determination value is an output duty of the drive motor, the method switching unit switches the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method when the determination value increases and becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined first determination threshold while the drive motor is being controlled by the sine wave drive method. Motor control device.

4. 4. The motor control device according to claim 3, the method switching unit switches from the square wave driving method to the sine wave driving method when the determination value decreases and becomes less than a second determination threshold value that is smaller than the first determination threshold value after the control method is switched from the sine wave driving method to the square wave driving method. Motor control device.

5. 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, the determination value is a deviation between a target speed and a control speed of the drive motor, the method switching unit switches the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method when the determination value increases to a predetermined first determination threshold value or greater while the control speed of the drive motor is slower than the target speed while the drive motor is being controlled by the sine wave drive method; Motor control device.

6. 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, the determination value is a ratio of a control speed to a target speed of the drive motor, the method switching unit switches the control method from the sine wave drive method to the square wave drive method when the determination value decreases and becomes less than a predetermined first determination threshold while the drive motor is controlled by the sine wave drive method. Motor control device.

7. 2. The motor control device according to claim 1, an operation state detection unit that detects the operation state of the opening / closing body; the actuation state detection unit detects in which area the opening / closing body is located among a plurality of control areas set in an actuation area of ​​the opening / closing body, The method switching unit switches the control method when the opening / closing body is located in a predetermined specific control area. Motor control device.

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