MOTOR CONTROL FOR AUTOMATED FOOTWEAR PLATFORM

• US 20170272008A1
• Filed: 03/15/2017
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Schneider, Summer L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,476,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/008 Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/165 characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/416 characterised by control of velocity, acceleration or deceleration G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35585 Motion command profile
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1166 comprising worm and worm-wheel structural association with bearings specially adapted for worm gear drives H02K7/081
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/06 Arrangements for speed regulation of a single motor wherein the motor speed is measured and compared with a given physical value so as to adjust the motor speed

Abstract

Systems, apparatus, and methods related to an automated footwear platform including motor control techniques. The motor control techniques can include operations such as segmenting a pre-defined travel distance, defining a plurality of moves, creating a plurality of motion profiles, and commanding movements. The plurality of moves can utilize the segmented travel distance for a drive mechanism associated with the footwear platform. Each motion profile of the plurality of motion profiles can include one or more moves from the plurality of moves. Commanding movement of the drive mechanism can be based on selection of one or more motion profiles from the plurality of motion profiles.

Claims

1. A motor control method for a drive mechanism within an automated footwear platform, the method comprising:

segmenting a pre-defined travel distance associated with the drive mechanism into a plurality of segments;

defining a plurality of moves for the drive mechanism;

creating a plurality of motion profiles, each motion profile of the plurality of motion profiles including one or more moves from the plurality of moves; and

commanding movement of the drive mechanism based on selection of one or more motion profiles from the plurality of motion profiles.

2. The motor control method of claim 1, wherein each move of the plurality of moves includes an acceleration parameter, a velocity parameter, a deceleration parameter, and distance parameter.

3. The motor control method of claim 2, wherein the distance parameter is provided in one of segments of the plurality of segments, degrees of rotation, and linear distance.

4. The motor control method of claim 2, wherein commanding movement further comprises:

determining a first target velocity for operating a motor within the drive mechanism when a voltage being supplied to the motor is above a threshold voltage;

determining a second target velocity for operating the motor when the voltage being supplied to the motor is below the threshold voltage;

measuring a first voltage being supplied by a battery;

upon determining that the first voltage is at or above the threshold voltage, setting the velocity parameter equal to the first target velocity; and

upon determining that the first voltage is below the threshold voltage, setting the velocity parameter equal to the second target velocity.

5. The motor control method of claim 1, wherein commanding movement further comprises:

measuring, using a processor circuit coupled to a motor within the drive mechanism, battery voltage being supplied to the motor to determine an incoming battery voltage;

comparing, using the processor circuit, the incoming battery voltage to a threshold voltage to determine if the incoming battery voltage is above or below the threshold voltage;

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage is above the threshold voltage, applying a first scaling factor to the selected one or more motion profiles; and

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage is below the threshold voltage, applying a second scaling factor to the selected one or more motion profiles.

6. The motor control method of claim 1, wherein commanding movement includes:

receiving a user input; and

selecting a motion profile of the one or more motion profiles based on the user input.

7. The motor control method of claim 6, wherein selecting the motion profile includes recognizing a current location along the pre-defined travel distance.

8. The motor control method of claim 7, wherein recognizing the current location includes recognizing a segment of the plurality of segments associated with the current location.

9. The motor control method of claim 7, wherein recognizing the current location includes analyzing data received from an encoder coupled to the drive mechanism, the encoder configured to provide output that can be correlated to a distance or location along the pre-defined travel distance.

10. A motor control method comprising:

receiving, using a processor circuit coupled to a drive system including a motor, a signal indicative of an incoming battery voltage being supplied to the motor;

comparing, using the processor circuit, the incoming battery voltage to a threshold voltage to determine if the incoming battery voltage transgresses the threshold voltage;

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage transgresses the threshold voltage, controlling, using the processor circuit, the motor within the drive system to produce a first operating characteristic corresponding to operation of the motor at a first operating voltage; and

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage does not transgress the threshold voltage, controlling the motor to produce a second operating characteristic corresponding to operation of the motor at a second operating voltage.

11. The motor control method of claim 10, wherein the first operating characteristic and the second operating characteristic are selected from a group of operating characteristics including:

velocity; and

torque.

12. The motor control method of claim 10, wherein the drive system is subject to a constant load.

13. The motor control method of claim 10, wherein the first operating voltage corresponds to a voltage above the threshold voltage.

14. The motor control method of claim 10, wherein the first operating voltage is equal to the threshold voltage.

15. The motor control method of claim 10, wherein the second operating voltage corresponds to a voltage below the threshold voltage.

16. The motor control method of claim 15, wherein the second operating voltage corresponds to a minimum effective operating voltage associated with the drive system.

17. The motor control method of claim 10, wherein if the incoming battery voltage is above the first operating voltage, operating the motor includes regulating a voltage supplied to the motor to cause the motor to operate with the first operating characteristic corresponding to operation of the motor with a constant load at the first operating voltage at a 100% duty cycle.

18. The motor control method of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating the threshold voltage by determining a voltage at which the motor can produce a selected velocity with a constant operating load while being operated at 100% duty cycle.

19. A motor control method comprising:

determining a first target velocity for operating a motor when a voltage being supplied to the motor is above a threshold voltage;

determining a second target velocity for operating a motor when the voltage being supplied to the motor is below the threshold voltage;

measuring a first voltage being supplied by a battery;

operating a motor at the first target velocity based on determining that the first voltage is at or above the threshold voltage; and

operating the motor at the second target velocity based on determining that the first voltage is below the threshold voltage.

20. A system comprising:

a battery with an operating voltage range;

a motor with a drive system; and

a processor circuit including a processor and a memory device, the memory device containing instruction that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the system to perform operations including;

receiving a signal indicative of an incoming battery voltage being supplied to the motor by the battery;

comparing the incoming battery voltage to a threshold voltage to determine if the incoming battery voltage transgresses the threshold voltage;

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage transgresses the threshold voltage, controlling the motor within the drive system to produce an first output speed corresponding to operation of the motor at a first operating voltage; and

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage does not transgress the threshold voltage, controlling the motor to produce a second output speed corresponding to operation of the motor at a second operating voltage.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a motor controller, cause the motor controller to perform operations comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of an incoming battery voltage being supplied to the motor by the battery;

comparing the incoming battery voltage to a threshold voltage to determine if the incoming battery voltage transgresses the threshold voltage;

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage transgresses the threshold voltage, controlling the motor within the drive system to produce an first output speed corresponding to operation of the motor at a first operating voltage; and

upon determining that the incoming battery voltage does not transgress the threshold voltage, controlling the motor to produce a second output speed corresponding to operation of the motor at a second operating voltage.