Motor Controller Redundancy for Steering Angle Continuity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor control systems for vehicle steering face discontinuity in motor control due to abnormality diagnosis of angle sensors, leading to potential critical incidents and loss of motor control continuity when one sensor is determined abnormal.
Innovation Solution
A motor controller with a redundant configuration of two detection circuits and control units, where the ECU continuously supplies power to both systems, allowing for bidirectional communication and abnormality determination based on multiple sensor values, ensuring accurate steering angle calculation and maintaining motor control continuity even if one sensor is abnormal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If individual diagnosis of angle sensor signals is performed to ensure accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but motor control continuity deteriorates when a sensor is determined abnormal
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs beforehand cushioning by continuously monitoring both angle sensor signals and preparing backup mechanisms. When one sensor is determined abnormal through individual diagnosis, the system has already prepared to switch to the other sensor or use alternative calculation methods, thus cushioning against the potential loss of motor control continuity while maintaining measurement precision through prior abnormality detection
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit acts as an intermediary that receives both angle sensor signals, performs individual diagnosis on each, and selectively uses the normal signal while excluding the abnormal one. This intermediary function allows the system to maintain both measurement precision (by validating signals) and motor control continuity (by switching to the other sensor when needed)
2Reliability
If redundant configuration with two detection circuits is implemented, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is designed with multi-functionality to handle both normal operation and abnormality conditions. It can simultaneously perform individual diagnosis of both sensors, select between them based on abnormality determination, and continue motor control without interruption. This universal design allows the redundant configuration to improve reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity by consolidating control functions
Data Source
AI summary
A motor controller for controlling a motor includes first and second angle sensors detecting motor rotation, and first and second detection circuits detecting rotation number information based on sensor output from the angle sensors. Further, the motor controller includes a steer angle information obtainer obtaining steer angle information involving steering of a vehicle from an external sensor, which is different from the angle sensors, and an abnormality determiner determining abnormality of information that has a matching degree of lower than a preset value when post-conversion information, or value measured by the same characteristics. This information is compared with each other after conversion from the rotation number information and from the steer angle information, and is used by a control amount calculator to calculate a control amount of the motor based on the information determined as having no abnormality by the abnormality determiner.