MDPS Power Control Preventing Dark Current and Relay Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In motor driven power steering (MDPS) systems, a dark current is generated before vehicle ignition is turned on, leading to battery discharge and requiring unnecessary components for power control, increasing costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle power controlling apparatus that includes a power control signal receiving block, a dark current preventing block, a relay block, a relay shortening block to rapidly increase voltage before relay activation, and a relay recognizing block to confirm relay states, preventing dark current flow and eliminating the need for a discharge circuit during power down.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a discharge circuit is added to prevent dark current, then battery discharge is prevented, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the discharge circuit from the system by redesigning the power control architecture. Instead of adding a discharge circuit to handle dark current, the invention reconfigures the power control signal flow to prevent dark current generation in the first place, thereby eliminating the need for the discharge circuit and reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by controlling the power control signal to prevent dark current from occurring in the first place. The signal is designed to ensure that the second stage power control unit is properly disabled before ignition, preventing the formation of dark current paths without requiring additional discharge circuitry
2Reliability
If relay-on time is extended to ensure stable relay activation, then reliability improves, but power loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-charging the capacitor connected to the relay control terminal before the relay is activated. This preliminary charging ensures that when the relay control signal is applied, the relay activates immediately and reliably without requiring an extended on-time, thereby reducing power loss while maintaining activation stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the pre-charged capacitor to rush through the relay activation process quickly. The stored charge in the capacitor provides an immediate voltage boost to the relay control terminal, enabling fast and reliable relay closure without the need for prolonged control signal application, thus reducing energy consumption
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents battery discharge before ignition, reduces component costs by eliminating the discharge circuit, and ensures accurate relay state recognition without unnecessary components.
Implementation Method 1
a dark current preventing block configured to prevent a power voltage Vbat from flowing before the power control signal from a next stage of the power control signal receiving block
Implementation Method 2
a relay shortening block configured to shorten the relay-on time by rapidly increasing the voltage before the relay is turned on of the relay block, between the dark current preventing block and the relay block
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle power controlling apparatus, and more particularly, to a vehicle power controlling apparatus for interrupting a dark current from an ECU power front stage of a motor driven power steering (MDPS) system.The vehicle power controlling apparatus includes: a power control signal receiving block configured to receive a power control signal (for example, a vehicle ignition signal IGN_ENA); a dark current preventing block configured to prevent a power voltage Vbat from flowing before the power control signal from a next stage of the power control signal receiving block; a relay block that is relayed on or off when the power voltage is turned on or off to supply a current to the motor from the power voltage; a relay shortening block configured to shorten the relay-on time by rapidly increasing the voltage before the relay is turned on of the relay block, between the dark current preventing block and the relay block; and a relay recognizing block configured to recognize the relay on or the relay off by reducing the voltage after a relay on signal or relay off signal which is applied to the relay block.