Vehicle Motor Control Fail-Safe Using External Characteristic Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
When control processing for multiple motors is integrated into a single microcontroller, the processing load increases, leading to potential failures. Additionally, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) lack built-in memory for storing characteristic data for various vehicle types, resulting in inadequate fail-safe functionality when used on unsupported vehicle types.
Innovation Solution
A motor control device comprising a first storage unit for characteristic data related to multiple vehicle types, a second storage unit for vehicle type parameters, a processor for executing arithmetic processing based on these data, and a drive circuit that reads and corrects data to ensure appropriate motor control even when the processor fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If control processing for multiple motors is integrated into a single microcontroller, then device complexity is reduced, but processor load increases leading to potential failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the control system into two independent parts: a microcontroller for high-level control and an ASIC for critical motor control processing. This segmentation allows the ASIC to handle time-sensitive motor control independently, reducing the microcontroller's processing load and preventing system failures while maintaining overall system reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If ASIC is used without built-in memory for characteristic data, then device cost is reduced, but fail-safe function cannot be realized for unsupported vehicle types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external memory device as an intermediary between the ASIC and the characteristic data storage. This external memory stores vehicle type-specific characteristic data and makes it available to the ASIC when needed, enabling the cost-effective ASIC design to support multiple vehicle types while maintaining fail-safe functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-stores characteristic data for multiple vehicle types in external memory before the fail-safe operation is needed. When the microcontroller detects an abnormality, the ASIC can immediately access the appropriate pre-stored data for the specific vehicle type, ensuring rapid and accurate fail-safe control without requiring built-in memory in the ASIC.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ASIC executes control processing for vehicle types not supported by its built-in data, then device versatility is improved, but control accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the ASIC to adapt to different vehicle types by dynamically loading vehicle-specific parameter data (characteristic data) from external memory. This allows the same ASIC hardware to maintain high control accuracy across multiple vehicle types by adjusting its operating parameters based on the specific vehicle configuration, rather than requiring hardware changes or built-in storage for each vehicle type.
Data Source
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AI summary
A motor control device includes: a first storage unit that stores characteristic data related to drive control of a vehicle motor; a second storage unit that stores a vehicle type parameter related to a predetermined vehicle type; a processor that executes arithmetic processing related to the drive control corresponding to the predetermined vehicle type, based on the vehicle type parameter and the characteristic data; and a drive circuit that executes drive processing of a vehicle motor of the predetermined vehicle type, based on a result of the arithmetic processing, in which the drive circuit reads out the characteristic data from the first storage unit and the vehicle type parameter from the second storage unit when abnormality has occurred in the processor, and to execute the arithmetic processing related to the drive control corresponding to the predetermined vehicle type, based on the vehicle type parameter and the characteristic data.