Force feel using a brushless DC motor

• US 10,074,245 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Woodward Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Woodward Incorporated
• Inventors: Jayaraman, Ganga P., Lyles, Michael L., Szulyk, Zenon P., Haack, Bryan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US15/402,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20180197385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0421 control sticks for primary flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/0427 for actuating trim
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/46 with artificial feel
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 2009/04766 providing feel, e.g. indexing means, means to create counterforce
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/03 Means for enhancing the operator's awareness of arrival of the controlling member at a command or datum position; Providing feel, e.g. means for creating a counterforce arrangements for indicating the position of the controlling member G05G1/015
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/047 the controlling member being movable by hand about orthogonal axes, e.g. joysticks for switches H01H25/04
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 6/00 Tactile signalling systems, e.g. personal calling systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 21/06 Rotor flux based control involving the use of rotor position or rotor speed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/0004 Control strategies in general, e.g. linear type, e.g. P, PI, PID, using robust control
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/085 in a bridge configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/14 Electronic commutators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/17 and for generating speed information

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a motion control apparatus that includes a brushless DC motor to actuate a mechanical output based on a collection of phase power signals, a collection of first Hall effect sensors configured to provide a collection of first feedback signals in response to a sensed motor position and a sensed motor speed, a controller configured to determine a speed and position of the motor based on the feedback signals, and determine an electrical current level based on a collection of operational parameters and feedback signals including a position of the mechanical output, the motor speed, and the motor position, a current controller configured to provide electrical phase sequence output signals based on the electrical current level, and a motor driver configured to provide the collection of phase power signals based on the electrical phase sequence output signals.

Claims

1. A motion control apparatus comprising:

a brushless DC motor configured to actuate a mechanical device based on a plurality of phase power signals;

a plurality of first Hall effect sensors configured to provide a plurality of first feedback signals in response to a sensed motor position;

a plurality of second Hall effect sensors configured to provide a plurality of second feedback signals in response to a sensed motor speed;

a controller configured to (A) determine a motor speed and a motor position of the brushless DC motor based on the plurality of feedback signals, and (B) determine an electrical current level based on a collection of operational parameters and feedback signals comprising a position of the mechanical device, the motor speed, and the motor position;

a current controller configured to provide a plurality of electrical phase sequence output signals based on the electrical current level; and

a motor driver configured to provide the plurality of phase power signals based on the plurality of electrical phase sequence output signals.

2. The motion control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control input signal is a position feedback signal based on the position of the mechanical device.

3. The motion control apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a clutch configured to controllably disconnect the mechanical device from the brushless DC motor.

5. The motion control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the electrical current level based on a cue control mode in which the electrical current level is controlled to provide haptic feedback at a mechanical control input that emulates one or more of a mechanical detent, a mechanical breakout, a spring bias, and a soft stop.

7. The motion control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is a trapezoidal drive current controller comprising:

a block commutation logic module configured to determine a collection of motor phases of the motor to be excited based on the first feedback signals; and

a proportional integral (PI) controller configured to regulate the amount of electrical current provided to the collection of motor phases.

8. The motion control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is a vector drive current controller comprising:

a motor position module configured to determine a position of the motor based on the sensed position and the sensed motor speed and the sensed motor position;

a first coordinate transformation module that transforms electrical phase sequence output signals from a stationary frame of reference to a rotor frame of reference based on the first feedback signals;

a proportional integral (PI) controller configured to determine a plurality of motor phase voltages based on a plurality of determined closed loop errors in motor currents in the rotor frame of reference; and

a second coordinate transformation module configured to transfer the motor phase voltages to the three phase quantities in the stationary frame of reference based on the first feedback signals.

4. The motion control apparatus of clam 1, further comprising a bias member configured to bias the mechanical device toward a predetermined position.

6. The motion control apparatus of clam 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the electrical current level based on a trim control in which the electrical current level is controlled to move the control input member and actuate the motor.

9. A method for providing haptic feedback, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of feedback signals from a brushless DC motor and a control input signal based on a position of a control input member;

determining a motor speed and a motor position of the brushless DC motor;

determining an electrical current level based on the control input signal, the motor speed, and the motor position;

determining a plurality of electrical phase sequence output signals based on the determined electrical current level;

determining a plurality of phase power signals based on the plurality of electrical phase sequence output signals; and

controlling the speed and position of a mechanical device driven by a mechanical output of the brushless DC motor based on the plurality of phase power signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the control input signal is a position feedback signal based on the position of the mechanical device driven by the mechanical output.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the electrical current level based on a cue control mode in which the electrical current level is controlled to provide haptic feedback at a mechanical control input that emulates one or more of a mechanical detent, a mechanical breakout, a spring bias, and a soft stop.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining the electrical current level based on a trim control in which the electrical current level is controlled to move the control input member and actuate the motor.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining, by a block commutation logic module, a collection of motor phases of the motor to be excited based on the plurality of feedback signals; and

regulating, by a proportional integral (PI) controller, the amount of electrical current provided to the collection of motor phases.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining, by a motor position module, a position of the motor based on a sensed position of the mechanical output, the sensed motor speed, and the sensed motor position;

transforming, by a first coordinate transformation module, electrical phase sequence output signals from a stationary frame of reference to a rotor frame of reference based on the plurality of feedback signals;

determining, by a proportional integral (PI) controller, a plurality of motor phase voltages based on a plurality of determined closed loop errors in motor currents in the rotor frame of reference; and

transferring, by a second coordinate transformation module, the motor phase voltages to the three phase quantities in the stationary frame of reference based on the plurality of feedback signals.

15. A motion controller comprising:

a data processing apparatus;

a plurality of electrical inputs configured to receive a control input signal and a plurality of Hall effect sensor feedback signals;

an electrical output configured to provide an electrical current level; and

a non-transitory memory device storing instructions that when executed, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving a plurality of feedback signals from a brushless DC motor and a control input signal based on a position of a control input member, and a feedback signal based on a position of a mechanical device driven by a mechanical output of the brushless DC motor;

determining a motor speed and a motor position of the brushless DC motor;

determining an electrical current level based on the control input signal, the motor speed, and the motor position;

determining a plurality of electrical phase sequence output signals based on the determined electrical current level;

determining a plurality of phase power signals based on the plurality of electrical phase sequence output signals;

controlling the speed and position of the mechanical output of the brushless DC motor based on the plurality of phase power signals.

16. The motion controller of claim 15, wherein the control input signal is a position feedback signal based on the position of the mechanical device driven by the mechanical output.

17. The motion controller of claim 15, further comprising a clutch configured to controllably disconnect the mechanical device from the brushless DC motor.

19. The motion controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the electrical current level based on a cue control mode in which the electrical current level is controlled to provide haptic feedback at a mechanical control input that emulates one or more of a mechanical detent, a mechanical breakout, a spring bias, and a soft stop.

21. The motion controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is a trapezoidal drive current controller comprising:

a block commutation logic module configured to determine a collection of motor phases of the motor to be excited based on the first feedback signals; and

a proportional integral (PI) controller configured to regulate the amount of electrical current provided to the collection of motor phases.

22. The motion controller of claim 15, wherein the controller is a vector drive current controller comprising:

a motor position module configured to determine a position of the motor based on the sensed position and the sensed motor speed and the sensed motor position;

a first coordinate transformation module that transforms electrical phase sequence output signals from a stationary frame of reference to a rotor frame of reference based on the first feedback signals;

a proportional integral (PI) controller configured to determine a plurality of motor phase voltages based on a plurality of determined closed loop errors in motor currents in the rotor frame of reference; and

a second coordinate transformation module configured to transfer the motor phase voltages to the three phase quantities in the stationary frame of reference based on the first feedback signals.

18. The motion controller of clam 15, further comprising a bias member configured to bias the mechanical device toward a predetermined position.

20. The motion controller of clam 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the electrical current level based on a trim control in which the electrical current level is controlled to move the control input member and actuate the motor.