Angle sensing device and controlling method thereof
Patent Information
- Application Number
- KR1020250023601
- Authority / Receiving Office
- KR · KR
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-02-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-09-01
Smart Images
Figure PAT00004_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technology Field
[0001] The disclosed invention relates to an angle sensing device and a method for controlling the same. Background Technology
[0002] The rotation range of the steering wheel varies depending on the vehicle's purpose, weight, and / or ease of operation, and the angle sensing device utilizes an angle sensor to determine the absolute angle of the steering wheel.
[0003] Conventionally, to ensure precise performance across a wide rotation range of a steering wheel, a technology has been developed that utilizes a Vernier algorithm to apply two angle elements complementarily through an angle sensor containing two different angle elements.
[0004] However, there are limitations to the maximum rotation range that can be measured using conventionally developed technology, and it has been impossible to detect a steering wheel rotation range larger than the maximum rotation range measurable by conventional technology.
[0005] Therefore, a technology capable of precisely detecting a wider rotation range of the steering wheel compared to conventional technology is required. The problem to be solved
[0006] One aspect of the disclosed invention aims to provide an angle sensing device and a control method thereof that can precisely detect a wider rotation range of a steering wheel compared to the prior art.
[0007] One aspect of the disclosed invention aims to provide an angle sensing device and a control method thereof that can detect a steering wheel rotation range greater than the maximum steering wheel rotation range that can be determined by utilizing a vernier algorithm. means of solving the problem
[0008] An angle sensing device according to one aspect of the disclosed invention comprises: a steering column that supports a steering wheel of a vehicle and rotates according to the rotation of the steering wheel; one or more angle sensors that output a signal corresponding to the rotation of the steering column; a rotor connected to the steering column and rotating according to the rotation of the steering column; a proximity sensor disposed to face one surface of the rotor and detecting a part of the rotor based on the rotation of the rotor; and a controller electrically connected to the one or more angle sensors and the proximity sensor, wherein the controller determines the rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the output signal of the one or more angle sensors, and determines the final rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor.
[0009] The rotor extends from the main body in a form in which a first wing of a first length and a second wing of a second length shorter than the first length intersect each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body, and a part of the rotor detected by the proximity sensor may be the first wing.
[0010] The angle sensing device further comprises a coil generating an electromagnetic field as part of the first angle element, the second angle element, and the proximity sensor disposed thereon and a substrate disposed opposite the bottom surface of the rotor, wherein the proximity sensor may be disposed on the substrate such that the second blade is not detected based on the rotation of the rotor.
[0011] The above one or more angle sensors include a first angle element having a first maximum measurement angle and a second angle element having a second maximum measurement angle greater than the first maximum measurement angle, and the controller can determine the rotation angle through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element and the output signal of the second angle element.
[0012] The controller can determine the final rotation angle by obtaining a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measurement angle, obtaining a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2, and obtaining a value obtained through an exclusive OR operation between the value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor and the obtained remainder.
[0013] The controller can determine the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1.
[0014] The controller may determine the final rotation angle by adding the third maximum measured angle based on the first angle element and the second angle element and the determined rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 0.
[0015] The above proximity sensor may include a magnetic proximity sensor, a photoelectric proximity sensor, an inductive proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, or an ultrasonic proximity sensor.
[0016] An angle sensing device according to one aspect of the disclosed invention comprises: a steering column that supports a steering wheel of a vehicle and rotates according to the rotation of the steering wheel; one or more angle sensors that output a signal corresponding to the rotation of the steering column; a rotor that is connected to the steering column and rotates according to the rotation of the steering column, and extends from the main body in a form in which a first wing of a first length and a second wing of a second length shorter than the first length intersect each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body; a substrate disposed below the rotor and having a proximity sensor disposed thereon that detects the first wing based on the rotation of the rotor; and a controller electrically connected to the one or more angle sensors and the proximity sensor, wherein the controller determines the rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the output signal of the one or more angle sensors and determines the final rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor.
[0017] The above one or more angle sensors include a first angle element having a first maximum measurement angle and a second angle element having a second maximum measurement angle greater than the first maximum measurement angle, and the controller can determine the rotation angle through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element and the output signal of the second angle element.
[0018] The controller can determine the final rotation angle by obtaining a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measurement angle, obtaining a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2, and obtaining a value obtained through an exclusive OR operation between the value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor and the obtained remainder.
[0019] The controller can determine the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1.
[0020] The controller may determine the final rotation angle by adding the third maximum measured angle based on the first angle element and the second angle element and the determined rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 0.
[0021] A control method for an angle sensing device according to one aspect of the disclosed invention can determine a rotation angle of a steering wheel based on an output signal of one or more angle sensors that output a signal corresponding to the rotation of a steering wheel of a vehicle, receive an output signal of a proximity sensor that detects a part of a rotor based on the rotation of a rotor connected to a steering column to rotate according to the rotation of the steering wheel, and determine a final rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor.
[0022] The rotor is extended in a form in which a first wing of a first length and a second wing of a second length shorter than the first length intersect each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body, and a part of the rotor detected by the proximity sensor may be the first wing.
[0023] The above proximity sensor may be positioned facing the lower surface of the rotor, such that the second blade is not detected based on the rotation of the rotor.
[0024] The above one or more angle sensors include a first angle element having a first maximum measurement angle and a second angle element having a second maximum measurement angle greater than the first maximum measurement angle, and determining the rotation angle may include determining the rotation angle through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element and the output signal of the second angle element.
[0025] Determining the final rotation angle may include obtaining a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measurement angle, obtaining a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2, and determining the final rotation angle based on a value obtained through an exclusive OR operation between the value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor and the obtained remainder.
[0026] Determining the final rotation angle may include determining the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1.
[0027] Determining the final rotation angle may include, when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 0, determining the value obtained by adding the third maximum measured angle based on the first angle element and the second angle element and the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle. Effects of the invention
[0028] An angle sensing device and a control method according to one aspect of the disclosed invention can provide a new technology capable of detecting a steering wheel rotation range greater than the maximum rotation range of the steering wheel that can be determined by utilizing a vernier algorithm. Brief explanation of the drawing
[0029] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a steering system according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a drawing for explaining the rotor structure in a steering system according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of an angle sensing device included in a steering system according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of an angle sensing device according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation in which an angle sensing device according to the embodiment of FIG. 4 determines the final rotation angle of a steering wheel. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the output result according to the operation of an angle sensing device according to one embodiment. Specific details for implementing the invention
[0030] Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals refer to the same components. This specification does not describe all elements of the embodiments, and general content in the art to which the disclosed invention pertains or content that overlaps between embodiments is omitted. The terms 'part, module, component, block' used in the specification may be implemented in software or hardware, and depending on the embodiments, a plurality of 'parts, modules, components, blocks' may be implemented as a single component, or a single 'part, module, component, block' may include a plurality of components.
[0031] Throughout the specification, when a part is described as being 'connected' to another part, this includes not only cases where they are directly connected but also cases where they are indirectly connected, and indirect connections include connections made via a wireless communication network.
[0032] Furthermore, when it is stated that a part 'includes' a certain component, this means that, unless specifically stated otherwise, it does not exclude other components but may include additional components.
[0033] Throughout the specification, when it is stated that a component is located 'on' another component, this includes not only cases where a component is in contact with another component, but also cases where another component exists between the two components.
[0034] Terms such as "first," "second," etc., are used to distinguish one component from another, and the components are not limited by the aforementioned terms.
[0035] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless there is an obvious exception in the context.
[0036] In each step, identification codes are used for convenience of explanation and do not describe the order of the steps; the steps may be performed differently from the specified order unless a specific order is clearly indicated in the context.
[0037] The disclosed invention is intended to provide a steering system and a control method thereof that complements the prior art, which could not determine the actual rotation angle of the steering wheel when the steering wheel rotates significantly more than the maximum rotation range of the steering wheel based on the output signal of an angle sensor.
[0038] An embodiment of the disclosed invention is intended to provide a technology for determining the position of the rotor of an angle sensing device of a steering wheel through an additional sensor and, based on this, expanding the range of the Vernier algorithm by twofold to distinguish the rotation range of the steering wheel.
[0039] For example, an embodiment of the disclosed invention can provide a technology that identifies the position of a rotor by detecting a part of the wing structure through a proximity sensor, which is a non-contact sensor, through a new wing structure of the rotor of an angle sensing device, and utilizes this to extend the maximum measurable rotation angle of a steering wheel.
[0040] The operating principle and embodiments of the disclosed invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.
[0041] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a steering system according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the rotor structure in a steering system according to one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control configuration of an angle sensing device included in a steering system according to one embodiment.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 1, the steering system (1) may include a steering wheel (10), a steering column (20), a first gear (31), a second gear (33), a rotor (40), a substrate (50), a rack bar assembly (60), a steering motor (70), an angle sensor (110), a proximity sensor (130) and / or a controller (150). The configurations shown in FIG. 1 do not correspond to essential configurations of the steering system (1), and at least some of the configurations shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 3, the angle sensor (110), proximity sensor (130), and controller (150) of the steering system (1) can be described as the control configuration of the angle sensing device (100) included in the steering system (1).
[0044] The steering wheel (10) can receive steering inputs in which the driver rotates it clockwise or counterclockwise.
[0045] The steering column (20) supports the steering wheel (10) and can function as the axis of rotation of the steering wheel (10). The steering column (20) can rotate according to the rotation of the steering wheel (10).
[0046] The steering column (20) may include an input shaft (21) and an output shaft (23). The input shaft (21) may be mechanically connected to or fixed to the steering wheel (10), and the output shaft (23) may be mechanically connected to the rack bar assembly (60). The input shaft (21) and the output shaft (23) may be axially aligned with each other.
[0047] The input shaft (21) and the output shaft (23) can be connected to each other by a torsion bar (25). The torsion bar (25) can be configured so that the input shaft (21) and the output shaft (23) can rotate relative to each other in response to torque applied to the steering wheel (10).
[0048] The first gear (31) is connected to an input shaft (21) that corresponds to a part of the steering column (20) and can rotate in conjunction with the input shaft (21).
[0049] The second gear (33) can be connected to a sub-shaft (27) arranged parallel to the input shaft (21) and can rotate in conjunction with the sub-shaft (27). The second gear (33) can rotate by meshing with the first gear (31).
[0050] The rotor (40) is connected to the input shaft (21) and can rotate in conjunction with the input shaft (21). The rotor (430) can be positioned on one side of the first gear (31), for example, the bottom side.
[0051] Referring to FIG. 2, the rotor (40) may include a main body (41) and a plurality of first wings (43) of a first length extending along the outer surface of the main body (41) and second wings (43) of a second length shorter than the first length. For example, the first wings (43) and the second wings (45) may extend from the main body (41) in a manner that intersects each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body (41).
[0052] The substrate (50) may be a printed circuit board (PCB).
[0053] The substrate (50) may be positioned opposite one side of the rotor (40), for example, the bottom surface, and may be provided in a fixed manner.
[0054] For example, the substrate (50) may be provided in a fixed position. For example, the substrate (50) may be fixed by being connected to a torsion bar (25) having the same axis as the input shaft (21). Accordingly, the substrate (50) may not move relative to the input shaft (21). Additionally, the substrate (50) may be positioned parallel to the bottom surface of the rotor (40).
[0055] The rack bar assembly (60) can be connected to the steering column (20) and the wheels of the vehicle. The rack bar assembly (60) can move in a straight line by driving the steering motor (70). The rack bar assembly (60) can change the direction of rotation of the wheel's axis of rotation to change the vehicle's driving direction. For example, the rack bar assembly (60) can move in a straight line to rotate the wheel's axis of rotation counterclockwise, thereby allowing the vehicle to turn to the left. Additionally, the rack bar assembly (60) can move in a straight line to rotate the wheel's axis of rotation clockwise, thereby allowing the vehicle to turn to the right.
[0056] The steering motor (70) is connected to the rack bar assembly (60) through a power conversion device and can provide rotational force to move the rack bar assembly (60) in a straight line. For example, the steering motor (70) can provide rotational force to move the rack bar assembly (60) in a straight line to the left or right based on a control signal from the controller (150). For example, the rotation of the steering motor (70) can be converted into linear motion through a rack gear and a pinion gear, etc.
[0057] The angle sensor (110) may be one or more and may detect rotation of the steering wheel (10) and / or steering column (20) by the driver and output a signal indicating the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) and / or steering column (20). For example, the angle sensor (110) may transmit an electrical signal indicating the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) and / or steering column (20) to a controller (150).
[0058] The angle sensor (110) may include one or more angle elements, for example, a first angle element (111) and / or a second angle element (113). For example, the maximum rotation range measurable by the first angle element (111) and the second angle element (113) may be different from each other.
[0059] The first angle element (111) may be an inductive angle element.
[0060] The first angle element (111) can convert physical position information according to the rotation of the steering wheel (10) and / or steering column (20) into an electrical signal and transmit it to the controller (150).
[0061] For example, the first angle element (111) may include a coil (not shown) that generates an electromagnetic field and a contactless inductive position sensor application specific integrated circuit (CIPOS ASIC; Contactless Inductive Position Sensor Application Specific Integrated Circuit) (not shown) that processes a signal induced by the coil and outputs it to a controller (150).
[0062] Although omitted in FIGS. 1 and 2, a coil and a custom integrated circuit for a non-contact inductive position sensor application may be placed on a substrate (50). For example, the coil may be placed on the substrate (50) in a shape corresponding to the length portion of the first wing (43) extending from the main body (41) where the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) are placed.
[0063] The second angle element (113) may be a Hall-type angle element.
[0064] For example, the steering column (20) may be equipped with a magnet (not shown) that rotates in conjunction with the steering column (20), and the second angle element (113) may be a Hall integrated circuit (IC; Integrated Circuit) and may convert the change in magnetic flux density of the magnet into an electrical signal and transmit it to the controller (150).
[0065] Referring to FIG. 1, the second angle element (113) can be placed on the substrate (50), and although omitted in FIG. 1, a magnet can be mounted on the lower side of the second gear (33) facing the second angle element (113), for example, on the lower surface of the second gear (33).
[0066] The proximity sensor (130) can detect an object within a specified detection range and output an electrical signal.
[0067] For example, the proximity sensor (130) can output a binary signal, for example, output 1 (on signal) when an object is detected and output 0 (off signal) when an object is not detected.
[0068] Additionally, when the proximity sensor (130) outputs a distance or intensity value to an object, the processor (153) described later may generate 1 to indicate that an object has been detected if the distance to the object is within a predetermined reference distance or the intensity value is within a predetermined reference intensity, and 2 to indicate that an object has not been detected otherwise.
[0069] For example, the proximity sensor (130) may be a variety of conventional proximity sensors, such as a magnetic proximity sensor, a photoelectric proximity sensor, an inductive proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, or an ultrasonic proximity sensor.
[0070] The proximity sensor (130) can be placed on the substrate (50).
[0071] Referring to FIG. 2, the proximity sensor (130) can be mounted on a part of a substrate (50) that can detect the first blade (43) of the rotor (40) according to the rotation of the rotor (40) but cannot detect the second blade (45) of the rotor (40).
[0072] For example, as shown in Fig. 2(b), when the rotor (40) rotates, the length portion of the first wing (43) extending from the main body (41) is located on the same straight line in the axial and perpendicular directions, and the end portion of the first wing (43) of the rotor (40) and the proximity sensor (130) may face each other in the axial direction.
[0073] Accordingly, the proximity sensor (130) may output a signal indicating that it has detected the first wing (43). For example, the proximity sensor (130) may output 1 as an output signal, or output a distance or intensity value for the first wing (43). When the proximity sensor (130) outputs a distance or intensity value, the processor (153) may identify that the distance value is within a predetermined reference distance or the intensity value is within a predetermined reference intensity, thereby generating 1 to indicate that the first wing (43) has been detected.
[0074] Additionally, as shown in (c) of FIG. 2, when the rotor (40) rotates, the length portion of the second wing (45) extending from the main body (41) is located on the same straight line in the axial and perpendicular directions, but the second wing (45) of the rotor (40) and the proximity sensor (130) may not face each other in the axial direction. Also, as shown in (d) of FIG. 2, when the rotor (40) rotates, the length portions of the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) extending from the main body (41) are not located on the same straight line in the axial and perpendicular directions, and the second wing (45) of the rotor (40) and the proximity sensor (130) may not face each other in the axial direction.
[0075] Accordingly, the proximity sensor (130) may output a signal indicating that the first wing (43) has not been detected or a signal indicating that the housing (80) has been detected. For example, the proximity sensor (130) may output 0 as an output signal or output a distance or intensity value for the housing (80). When the proximity sensor (130) outputs a distance value, the processor (153) identifies that the distance value is not within a predetermined reference distance, or when the proximity sensor (130) outputs an intensity value, the processor (153) identifies that the intensity value is not within a predetermined reference intensity, and thus 0 may be generated indicating that the first wing (43) has not been detected.
[0076] Referring to FIG. 3, the controller (150) may be electrically or communicationally connected to the angle sensor (110) and / or proximity sensor (130).
[0077] The controller (150) can receive the output signal of the angle sensor (110) and / or the output signal of the proximity sensor (130).
[0078] The controller (150) can determine and output the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) based on the output signal received from the angle sensor (110).
[0079] The controller (150) can determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) based on the output signals of the first angle element (111) and the second angle element (113) through a Vernier algorithm, or a combination of the Vernier algorithm and an angle follower algorithm. At this time, for example, the first maximum measured angle (or first maximum rotation range) of the steering wheel (10) that can be determined by the output signal of the first angle element (111) and the second maximum measured angle (or second maximum rotation range) of the steering wheel (10) that can be determined by the output signal of the second angle element (113) may be different.
[0080] The vernier algorithm is a method of determining the rotation angle of a steering wheel (10) by combining two signals that have different phases of repeating angles (or repeating angles of signals).
[0081] The combination of the vernier algorithm and the angle tracking algorithm is a method in which the current position of the steering wheel (10) is determined through the vernier algorithm, and then the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) is determined through the angle tracking algorithm. The angle tracking algorithm is a method in which, for one of the two signals used to determine the rotation angle, the output value of the previous signal and the output value of the current signal are compared to calculate a difference value (Delta angle), and then the difference value is accumulated and summed up with the existing rotation angle value.
[0082] The method of determining the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) using a vernier algorithm alone and a combination of a vernier algorithm and an angle tracking algorithm is a conventional technology, so a detailed description is omitted.
[0083] The controller (150) can determine the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor (130).
[0084] For example, the controller (150) can obtain a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measurement angle of the first angle element (111), and obtain a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2.
[0085] The controller (150) can determine the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) based on the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation of the value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor (130) and the remainder obtained.
[0086] For example, when the first wing (43) of the rotor (40) is detected, the output signal received by the controller (150) from the proximity sensor (130) may be 1, and when the first wing (43) of the rotor (40) is not detected, the output signal received by the controller (150) from the proximity sensor (130) may be 0.
[0087] The controller (150) can determine the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1.
[0088] The controller (150) can determine the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) by adding the value of the third maximum measured angle, which can be determined through a vernier algorithm based on the first angle element (111) and the second angle element (113), and the determined rotation angle when the value obtained through an exclusive OR operation is 0.
[0089] The controller (150) may include memory (151) and / or a processor (153).
[0090] The memory (151) can store or remember a program (and / or algorithm) and data for implementing an operation to control the angle sensing device (100).
[0091] The memory (151) may store information on the first maximum measurement angle of the first angle element (111) and / or the second maximum measurement angle of the second angle element (113) for the steering wheel (10).
[0092] The memory (151) may store information on the third maximum measurement angle of the steering wheel (10) that can be determined through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element (111) and the output signal of the second angle element (113).
[0093] The memory (151) can provide stored programs and data to the processor (153) and store temporary data generated during the operation of the processor (153). For example, the memory (151) may include volatile memory such as S-RAM (Static Random Access Memory, S-RAM) and D-RAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory, D-RAM), and non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory: ROM), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory: EPROM), and flash memory.
[0094] The processor (153) can provide a control signal to control the operation of the components included in the angle sensing device (100).
[0095] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of an angle sensing device (100) (and / or controller (150)) according to one embodiment.
[0096] Referring to FIG. 4, the angle sensing device (100) can receive the output signal of the first angle element (111) and / or the second angle element (113) (401).
[0097] The angle sensing device (100) can determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) based on the output signal of the first angle element (111) and / or the second angle element (113) (403).
[0098] For example, the angle sensing device (100) can determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) through a vernier algorithm based on the output signals of the first angle element (111) and the second angle element (113).
[0099] As another example, the angle sensing device (100) can determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) through a combination of a vernier algorithm and an angle tracking algorithm based on the output signals of the first angle element (111) and the second angle element (113).
[0100] The angle sensing device (100) can receive the output signal of the proximity sensor (130) (405).
[0101] The angle sensing device (100) can determine the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor (130) (407)
[0102] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the operation in which an angle sensing device (100) (and / or controller (150)) according to the embodiment of FIG. 4 determines the final rotation angle of a steering wheel (10).
[0103] Referring to FIG. 5, the angle sensing device (100) can determine the X value according to the following mathematical formula 1 (4071).
[0104] [Mathematical Formula 1]
[0105] X = XOR(Sensor3 output, MOD(QUOTIENT(Vernier angle, Full Sensor1 angle),2)))
[0106] (QUOTIENT(): a function to calculate the quotient of a division operation, MOD(): a function to calculate the remainder of a division operation, XOR(): a function to perform an Exclusive OR operation, Vernier angle: a rotation angle determined by the Vernier algorithm (a rotation angle determined according to the 403 operation described above), Full Sensor1 angle: the first maximum measured angle of the first angle element (111), Sensor3 output: the output signal (1 or 0) of the proximity sensor (130))
[0107] The angle sensing device (100) can determine the rotation angle determined by the vernier algorithm when X is True, that is, 1 (the rotation angle determined according to the above-described 403 operation) as the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) (4073).
[0108] The angle sensing device (100) can determine the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) by adding the rotation angle determined by the vernier algorithm (rotation angle determined according to the operation 403 described above) and the third maximum measurement angle (Full Vernier angle) that can be determined by the vernier algorithm when X is False, i.e., 0 (4075).
[0109] The final rotation angle determination of the steering wheel (10) according to the embodiment of FIG. 5 described above can be applied when the number of magnetic poles generated by the coils arranged to correspond to the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) of the second angle element (111), that is, the number of rotor poles (order of rotor poles), is even.
[0110] In addition, the fourth maximum measurement angle (Extended Vernier angle) of the steering wheel (10) that can be determined according to the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 5 described above may be equal to the following mathematical formula 2.
[0111] [Mathematical Formula 2]
[0112] Extended Vernier angle = Vernier angle + NOT(B) * Full Vernier angle
[0113] (B=XOR(Sensor3 output, A), A= MOD(QUOTIENT(Vernier angle, Full Sensor1 output angle),2), Full Vernier angle: Maximum measurement angle achievable via the Vernier algorithm)
[0114] Meanwhile, the final rotation angle determination of the steering wheel (10) according to the above-described embodiments can be performed when the number of magnetic poles generated by the coils arranged to correspond to the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) of the second angle element (111), i.e., the number of rotor poles (order of rotor poles), is even.
[0115] For example, after the above-described 403 operation, the angle sensing device (100) can immediately perform the 407 operation if the number of magnetic poles generated by the coils arranged to correspond to the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) of the second angle element (111) is even.
[0116] In addition, the determination of the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) according to the embodiments described above may also be applied when the number of magnetic poles generated by the coils arranged to correspond to the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) of the second angle element (111), i.e., the number of rotor poles (order of rotor poles), is odd. For example, when the number of rotor poles is odd, the determination of the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) may be performed in a section other than a certain specific section as shown in FIG. 6, and the determination of the final rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) may be withheld for a certain specific section.
[0117] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the output result according to the operation of an angle sensing device (100) (and / or controller (150)) according to one embodiment.
[0118] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the output result according to the operation of the angle sensing device (100) when the number of magnetic poles generated by the coils arranged to correspond to the first wing (43) and the second wing (45) of the second angle element (111), that is, the number of rotor poles (order of rotor poles), is odd.
[0119] Referring to FIG. 6(a), the first maximum measurement angle of the steering wheel (10) that can be determined through the output signal of the first angle element (111) is 40°, and the second maximum measurement angle of the steering wheel (10) that can be determined through the output signal of the second angle element (113) is 296°.
[0120] The controller (150) can determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) up to a third maximum measurement angle of about 1480°, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), through a vernier algorithm (or a combination of a vernier algorithm and an angle tracking algorithm), based on the fact that the first maximum measurement angle of the first angle element (111) is 40° and the second maximum measurement angle of the second angle element (113) is 296°.
[0121] The controller (150) can determine the rotation angle of the steering wheel (10) as the final rotation angle and output the result based on the output signal (0 or 1) of the proximity sensor for each angle of the steering wheel (10) and the measured angle of the steering wheel (10) determined through a vernier algorithm such as (b) of FIG. 6, up to a fourth maximum measured angle of about 2960° as in FIG. 6 (c).
[0122] However, referring to FIG. 6 (c), it can be seen that the final rotation angle cannot be determined in certain sections based on the measurement angle of the steering wheel (10) at 1800°, 2160°, 2520°, and 2880°. Accordingly, the controller (150) may defer the determination of the final rotation angle for the predetermined sections.
[0123] The controller (150) can be said to have an extended Bernier algorithm for determining the final rotation angle based on the output signal (0 or 1) of the proximity sensor for each angle of the steering wheel (10) and the measured angle of the steering wheel (10) determined through the Bernier algorithm.
[0124] Meanwhile, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented in the form of a recording medium that stores instructions executable by a computer. The instructions may be stored in the form of program code and, when executed by a processor, may generate a program module to perform the operation of the disclosed embodiments. The recording medium may be implemented as a computer-readable recording medium.
[0125] Computer-readable recording media include all types of recording media that store instructions that can be decoded by a computer. Examples include ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), magnetic tape, magnetic disk, flash memory, optical data storage devices, etc.
[0126] A device-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and this term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently and cases where it is stored temporarily. For example, a 'non-transitory storage medium' may include a buffer in which data is stored temporarily.
[0127] The disclosed embodiments have been described above with reference to the attached drawings. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be practiced in forms different from the disclosed embodiments without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the invention. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative and should not be interpreted restrictively. Explanation of the symbols
[0128] 1: Angle sensing device 10: Steering wheel 20: Steering column 21: Input shaft 23: Output shaft 25: Torsion bar 27: Sub shaft 31: 1st gear 33: 2nd gear 40: Rotor 50: Substrate 60: Rack bar assembly 70: Steering motor 100: Angle sensing device 110: Angle sensor 111: First angle element 113: Second angle element 130: Proximity sensor 150: Controller
Claims
Claim 1 An angle sensing device comprising: a steering column that supports a steering wheel of a vehicle and rotates according to the rotation of the steering wheel; one or more angle sensors that output a signal corresponding to the rotation of the steering column; a rotor connected to the steering column and rotating according to the rotation of the steering column; a proximity sensor disposed to face one surface of the rotor and detecting a part of the rotor based on the rotation of the rotor; and a controller electrically connected to the one or more angle sensors and the proximity sensor, wherein the controller determines the rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the output signal of the one or more angle sensors, and determines the final rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor. Claim 2 An angle sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the rotor extends from the main body in a form in which a first wing of a first length and a second wing of a second length shorter than the first length intersect each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body, and a part of the rotor detected by the proximity sensor is the first wing. Claim 3 An angle sensing device according to paragraph 2, further comprising a coil generating an electromagnetic field as part of the first angle element, the second angle element and the proximity sensor disposed thereon and a substrate disposed opposite to the bottom surface of the rotor, wherein the proximity sensor is disposed on the substrate such that the second blade is not detected based on the rotation of the rotor. Claim 4 An angle sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more angle sensors include a first angle element having a first maximum measurement angle and a second angle element having a second maximum measurement angle greater than the first maximum measurement angle, and the controller determines the rotation angle through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element and the output signal of the second angle element. Claim 5 An angle sensing device according to claim 4, wherein the controller obtains a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measured angle, obtains a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2, and determines the final rotation angle based on a value obtained through an exclusive OR operation between a value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor and the obtained remainder. Claim 6 In claim 5, the angle sensing device wherein the controller determines the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1. Claim 7 An angle sensing device according to claim 6, wherein the controller determines the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation as the final rotation angle by summing the third maximum measured angle based on the first angle element and the second angle element and the determined rotation angle. Claim 8 An angle sensing device according to claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor comprises a magnetic proximity sensor, a photoelectric proximity sensor, an inductive proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, or an ultrasonic proximity sensor. Claim 9 An angle sensing device comprising: a steering column that supports a steering wheel of a vehicle and rotates according to the rotation of the steering wheel; one or more angle sensors that output a signal corresponding to the rotation of the steering column; a rotor that is connected to the steering column and rotates according to the rotation of the steering column, and extends from the main body in a form in which a first wing of a first length and a second wing of a second length shorter than the first length intersect each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body; a substrate disposed below the rotor and having a proximity sensor disposed thereon that detects the first wing based on the rotation of the rotor; and a controller electrically connected to the one or more angle sensors and the proximity sensor, wherein the controller determines the rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the output signal of the one or more angle sensors, and determines the final rotation angle of the steering wheel based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor. Claim 10 An angle sensing device according to claim 9, wherein the one or more angle sensors include a first angle element having a first maximum measurement angle and a second angle element having a second maximum measurement angle greater than the first maximum measurement angle, and the controller determines the rotation angle through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element and the output signal of the second angle element. Claim 11 An angle sensing device according to claim 10, wherein the controller obtains a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measured angle, obtains a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2, and determines the final rotation angle based on a value obtained through an exclusive OR operation between a value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor and the obtained remainder. Claim 12 In claim 11, the angle sensing device, wherein the controller determines the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1. Claim 13 An angle sensing device according to claim 12, wherein the controller determines the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation as the final rotation angle by summing the third maximum measured angle based on the first angle element and the second angle element and the determined rotation angle. Claim 14 A control method for an angle sensing device, wherein the rotation angle of a steering wheel is determined based on the output signal of one or more angle sensors that output a signal corresponding to the rotation of a steering wheel of a vehicle, the output signal of a proximity sensor that detects a part of a rotor based on the rotation of a rotor connected to a steering column to rotate according to the rotation of the steering wheel, and the final rotation angle of the steering wheel is determined based on the determined rotation angle and the output signal of the proximity sensor. Claim 15 A method for controlling an angle sensing device according to claim 14, wherein the rotor is extended in a form in which a first wing of a first length and a second wing of a second length shorter than the first length intersect each other at designated intervals along the outer surface of the main body, and a part of the rotor detected by the proximity sensor is the first wing. Claim 16 A method for controlling an angle sensing device according to claim 15, wherein the proximity sensor is positioned opposite the lower surface of the rotor, such that the second blade is not detected based on the rotation of the rotor. Claim 17 A control method for an angle sensing device according to claim 14, wherein the one or more angle sensors include a first angle element having a first maximum measurement angle and a second angle element having a second maximum measurement angle greater than the first maximum measurement angle, and determining the rotation angle includes determining the rotation angle through a vernier algorithm based on the output signal of the first angle element and the output signal of the second angle element. Claim 18 A control method for an angle sensing device according to claim 17, wherein determining the final rotation angle comprises obtaining a quotient from an operation of dividing the determined rotation angle by the first maximum measured angle, obtaining a remainder from an operation of dividing the obtained quotient by 2, and determining the final rotation angle based on a value obtained through an exclusive OR operation between a value based on the output signal of the proximity sensor and the obtained remainder. Claim 19 In claim 18, determining the final rotation angle comprises determining the determined rotation angle as the final rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 1, in a control method for an angle sensing device. Claim 20 A control method for an angle sensing device according to claim 19, wherein determining the final rotation angle comprises determining the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation as the final rotation angle by summing the third maximum measured angle based on the first angle element and the second angle element and the determined rotation angle when the value obtained through the exclusive OR operation is 0.