Stepping Motor Pulse Width Control for Analog Clock Power Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
In analog electronic clock stepping motor driving apparatuses, temporary voltage drops due to high-load elements like the electro-luminescence (EL) device lead to wasteful power consumption as the system continues to output wider pulses to ensure rotor rotation, even after voltage recovery.
Innovation Solution
A stepping motor driving apparatus with a pulse supply section, rotation detection section, and switching control sections that dynamically adjust pulse widths based on rotor rotation detection, switching to narrower pulses when continuous rotation is detected and maintaining the narrowest pulse width possible to minimize power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wider pulses are output to ensure rotor rotation under worst condition, then rotor rotation reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse width is made dynamic rather than fixed. The system automatically adjusts pulse width based on actual rotor rotation status: using narrow pulses under normal conditions and switching to wide pulses only when rotation failure is detected. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need to continuously use wide pulses for reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback mechanism is implemented where the rotation detection circuit monitors rotor rotation status and feeds this information back to the pulse width control. When rotation is detected, narrow pulses continue; when rotation failure is detected, pulse width is increased. This feedback loop ensures reliability only when necessary while minimizing power consumption.
2Reliability
If wider pulses are continuously output after temporary voltage drop, then rotor rotation is ensured, but wasteful power consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts pulse width based on real-time voltage conditions and rotation status. After a temporary voltage drop, the system monitors whether rotation is achieved and whether voltage has recovered. If voltage recovers and rotation succeeds, pulse width returns to narrow mode, eliminating wasteful energy loss while maintaining rotation stability during actual problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment regarding voltage conditions. The rotation detection circuit and control logic automatically determine whether wide pulses are truly needed or whether the initial wide pulse was a response to a temporary condition that has since resolved. This self-service capability prevents unnecessary continued use of high-power wide pulses.
3Use of energy by moving object
If narrow pulses are used to minimize power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but rotor rotation may fail under voltage drop conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The pulse width transitions from static narrow to dynamic adjustable. The system starts with narrow pulses for low power consumption but automatically widens them when rotation failure is detected, ensuring reliability under voltage drop conditions while maintaining energy efficiency during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation detection circuit provides feedback that triggers pulse width adjustment. When rotation fails under narrow pulses (indicating possible voltage drop or load issues), the feedback mechanism activates wider pulses to ensure rotation, thus maintaining reliability only when necessary rather than continuously.
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 wasteful power consumption by resuming the narrowest pulse width driving as soon as the voltage recovers, reducing unnecessary high power usage during temporary voltage drops.
Implementation Method 1
a rotation detection section that detects whether or not the rotor is rotated by an induced current generated in the coil
Data Source
AI summary
A stepping motor driving apparatus of an analog electronic clock, in which, when the rotation of a rotor is not detected after a pulse is supplied to a coil of a stepping motor, a first switching control section switches the pulse supplied to the coil to a pulse having a larger effective value, and when the rotation of the rotor is detected continuously for a predetermined period or a predetermined number of times, a second switching control section switches the pulse supplied to the coil to a pulse having a smaller effective value, wherein the apparatus further includes a third switching control section that switches a driving pulse to a pulse having a smaller effective value when the rotation of the rotor is not detected for two times continuously, even after the first switching section increases the effective value of the driving pulse for two times continuously.