Hardware Data Interface for Coherent Motor Position Sampling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing motor control systems, particularly in EPS systems, face challenges with high-quality motor position and phase current signal requirements, leading to inefficiencies in controller throughput and signal path delays due to software-based approaches, which are insufficient for advanced steering functions.

Innovation Solution

A hardware-based data management interface is implemented to acquire motor position samples and calculate motor velocity signals, utilizing hardware acceleration for improved throughput, signal coherence, and reduced signal path delays, while maintaining independence from motor control service routines.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a software-based approach is used for motor control signal processing, then the system is easier to implement and modify, but the controller throughput is reduced and signal path delays increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of implementationVSAvoidcontroller throughput

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces software-based signal processing with a hardware-based data management interface that directly acquires motor position samples and calculates motor velocity signals. This hardware implementation substitutes the software processing chain with dedicated hardware circuits, thereby eliminating the throughput limitations and signal path delays inherent in software approaches while maintaining ease of implementation through fixed hardware architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a hardware-based data management interface as an intermediary component between the motor control system and the controller. This intermediary handles data acquisition, buffering, and velocity calculation independently in hardware, preventing the controller from being bottlenecked by software processing tasks and thus improving overall system throughput.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a software-based approach is used for motor control signal processing, then the system architecture is simpler, but signal path delays increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem architecture complexityVSAvoidsignal path delays

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If hardware acceleration is implemented for motor position and velocity calculations, then controller throughput is improved and signal path delays are reduced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontroller throughputVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the motor control system into distinct functional modules: a hardware-based data management interface for data acquisition and buffering, a separate processing unit for velocity calculation, and the main controller. This segmentation allows hardware acceleration in critical paths while keeping the overall system manageable through modular architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If hardware-based data management interface is used, then signal coherence is maintained and processing speed is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal coherenceVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250239953A1Hardware based data management interface

Publication Date: 2025.07.24 STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORP

AI summary

A method includes capturing a first sample data signal, the first sample data signal being associated with a first time domain and storing a first value associated with the first sample data signal in a first element position of a first memory buffer. The method also includes generating, in response to a completion of a sampling window and in response to a request from a data consumer, a snapshot of values stored in the first memory buffer and storing the snapshot of values in a data consumer memory. The method also includes extracting, by the data consumer in a second time domain, at least one value from the snapshot of values and calculating, by the data consumer, at least one of a motor position of a motor and a motor velocity of the motor using the at least one value from the snapshot of values.