Method of and apparatus for controlling motor

• US 5,808,429 A
• Filed: 04/06/1993
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Araki, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US08/044,076
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: 318/271-270, 318/66, 318/68, 318/268, 318/798-812, 388/803, 388/807-811, 388/817, 388/818, 388/822, 388/844-847, 388/904, 388/924, 388/929, 388/932, 188/3 R, 188/112 R, 188/112 A, 187/29 R
• US Class Current: 318/271
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 23/16 Controlling the angular speed of one shaft H02P23/18 takes precedence

Abstract

A method of controlling operation of a DC motor including the steps of detecting the level of acceleration caused by the rotation of the output shaft of the DC motor; determining the square root of the detected level of acceleration; and supplying the DC motor with a driving voltage which is determined in accordance with the difference between the square root of the acceleration and a voltage command. This method is carried out by an apparatus which includes a power supply for supplying an electric power to the DC motor; a rotary member rotatable in accordance with the rotation of the output shaft of the DC motor; an acceleration sensor provided on the rotary member for detecting the acceleration of acting on the rotary member; a square root circuit for computing the square root of the output from the acceleration sensor; and a differential amplifier circuit for supplying the DC motor with a voltage which is determined in accordance with the difference between the voltage of the power supply and the output voltage of the square root circuit.

Claims

1. A method of controlling operation of a DC motor comprising the steps of:

supplying the DC motor with a first driving voltage;

measuring the level of acceleration of an output shaft of the DC motor;

determining the square root of the detected level of acceleration; and

supplying the DC motor with a second driving voltage which is equal to the difference between the square root of the measured level of acceleration and the first driving voltage.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said acceleration level is measured by an acceleration measuring device using the piezoelectric resistance effect produced by a semiconductor.

3. An apparatus for controlling the operation of a DC motor comprising:

a differential amplifier which supplies a control voltage to the DC motor;

means for supplying a first voltage to said differential amplifier;

a rotary member rotatable in accordance with the rotation of an output shaft of the DC motor;

an acceleration sensor provided on said rotary member for measuring acceleration of said rotary member;

an acceleration amplifier connected to said acceleration sensor;

a square root circuit for computing the square root of the output from said acceleration amplifier, said square root circuit being connected to said differential amplifier so that the control voltage output from said differential amplifier is equal to the difference between the first voltage supplied by said voltage supply means and the square root of the output from said acceleration amplifier.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said rotary member is a disk attached to said output shaft of said DC motor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said acceleration sensor includes:

a post having first and second ends, the first end being fixed to said rotary member;

a bracket attached to said post proximate to the second end;

an arm member comprising a semiconductor material attached to said brackets;

a weight attached to an end of said arm member;

a plurality of strain gauges formed on said arm member; and

a measuring circuit connected to said strain gauges which measures the resistance values of said strain gauges.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said acceleration sensor is attached to said rotary member such that the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of said rotary member which acts on said weight causes a strain of said arm member in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said arm member.