Method and apparatus for calibrating and initializing an electronically commutated motor

• US 6,826,499 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust), Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Nexteer Automotive Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Collier-Hallman, Steven J., Tallant, James Charles II, McCann, Roy, Weilhammer, Phillip, Colosky, Mark P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Application Number:
  US10/232,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20030076060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 702/85, 702/33, 324/207, 318/254, 318/561, 318/601, 318/207, 318/569, 318/609, 341/13, 82/1, 82/11.1, 451/9, 745/53, 416/61, 701/25, 396/89, 396/144, 700/71
• US Class Current: 702/85
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2209/07 Trapezoidal waveform
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/182 using back-emf in windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/20 Arrangements for starting H02P6/08 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and system for initializing a rotating device such as an electronically commutated electric machine. The system comprises: an electric machine; a position sensor subsystem operatively connected to the electric machine configured to measure a position and transmit a position signal to a controller. The controller executes a method initializing position for the electric machine, the method comprising: establishing a sensor subsystem datum indicative of a measurement reference point for a sensor subsystem; obtaining a calibration value corresponding to a distance to a selected magnetic reference position for the electric machine, relative to the sensor subsystem datum; and measuring a position and calculating a position delta relative to an initial reference. The method also includes: estimating an offset from the sensor subsystem datum to an initial reference; determining an absolute position estimate of the electric machine relative to the magnetic reference position. The absolute position estimate is responsive to the calibration value, the position delta, and the offset from the sensor subsystem datum to the initial reference.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating and initializing position for a rotating device, the method comprising:

establishing a sensor subsystem datum indicative of a measurement reference point for a sensor subsystem;

obtaining a calibration value corresponding to a distance to a selected magnetic reference position for said rotating device, relative to said sensor subsystem datum;

measuring a position and calculating a position delta relative to an initial reference;

estimating an offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference;

determining an absolute position estimate of said rotating device relative to said magnetic reference position; and

wherein said absolute position estimate is responsive to said calibration value, said position delta, and said offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing comprises selecting a reference position relative to which, any measurement in said sensor subsystem may be accomplished.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing comprises determining a selected point on a high-resolution position signal.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said selected point corresponds with a high-resolution state of a plurality of high-resolution states responsive to said high-resolution position signal.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said high-resolution position signal comprises a binary signal.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said high-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of high resolution position signals comprising binary signals and wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is responsive to said plurality of high resolution position signals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said plurality of high-resolution position signals exhibit a deterministic phase shifted relation from which direction may be determined.

8. The method of claim 7 where wherein said plurality of high-resolution position signals are in quadrature.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said establishing comprises determining a slot set comprising consecutive, unique, high-resolution states of said plurality of high-resolution states.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said slot set comprises the largest set of consecutive, unique, high-resolution states.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said slot set is selected such that a reference edge occurs within said slot set.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said slot set includes a zero slot as a first slot of said slot set.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said zero slot includes a zero edge and determining a position thereof corresponding to a leading edge of said zero slot.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is resultant from a high-resolution position signal, and another high-resolution position signal of said plurality of high resolution position signals combined to form a binary word indicative of said plurality of high-resolution states.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said plurality of high resolution states comprises four states, and said binary word is a two bit binary word.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said high-resolution position signal, and another high-resolution position signal, are in quadrature.

17. The method of claim 4 wherein said sensor subsystem datum comprises a selected state of said plurality of high-resolution states.

18. The method of claim 4 wherein said sensor subsystem datum comprises a selected transition to a selected state of said plurality of high-resolution states.

19. The method of claim 4 wherein said sensor subsystem datum corresponds to a best fit linear approximation of said high-resolution states for a revolution of said rotating device, configured to address bi-directional operation of said rotating device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said best fit linear approximation ideally intersects a zero midpoint.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said zero midpoint corresponds to a midpoint of a zero slot and said zero slot is a first slot of a slot set.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said zero slot includes a zero edge corresponding to a leading edge of said zero slot.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said zero edge comprises a transition between a first high-resolution state and a second high-resolution state.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said distance to a selected reference position is an angular displacement.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected reference position is arbitrary.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein said selected reference position is a magnetic reference position corresponding to a positive going zero crossing of a back-emf for a selected line-to-line voltage in an electric machine.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said selected line-to-line voltage is from phase A to phase B applied to said electric machine.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein said calibration value comprises a back-emf calibration a measured distance from said sensor subsystem reference to a positive going zero crossing of a back-emf for a selected line-to-line voltage of an electric machine.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein said measuring includes counting transitions through a plurality of high resolution states responsive to a high-resolution position signal wherein said counting yields a value corresponding to a position of said rotating device relative to said initial reference.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is responsive to a high-resolution position signal.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said high-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of high-resolution position signals combined to form a binary word indicative of said plurality of high resolution states.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said plurality of high-resolution states comprises four states, said plurality of high-resolution position signals comprises two high-resolution position signals, and said binary word is a two bit binary word.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein said counting includes setting a position counter responsive to said high-resolution position signal.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein said high-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of high-resolution position signals comprising high-resolution position signals in quadrature.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein said initial reference corresponds to an initial value of a position counter responsive to at least one high-resolution position signal at an arbitrary initial position of said rotating device.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said initial value of a position counter is arbitrary.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein said initial reference is arbitrary.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein said estimating an offset includes ascertaining a position value corresponding to an estimated distance from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said position value is responsive to a selected location within a low-resolution state.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein said selected location is a midpoint of said low-resolution state.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said midpoint comprises an average distance between a first transition to a first low-resolution state and a second transition to a second low-resolution state.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein said a first low-resolution state and said second low-resolution state are each one of a plurality of low-resolution states.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said plurality of low-resolution states is generated in response to a binary combination of a plurality low-resolution position signals, said combination forming a binary word indicative of said plurality of low-resolution states.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein said low-resolution position signal is a binary signal.

45. The method of claim 43 wherein said low-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of low-resolution position signals transmitted from a plurality of low-resolution position sensors.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein said plurality low-resolution position signals comprises three low-resolution position signals, which are binary signals transmitted from three low-resolution position sensors configured to generate said three binary signals, each about 120 electrical degrees apart, respectively and said binary word comprises 3 bits.

47. The method of claim 43 wherein said a binary word and said plurality of low-resolution states is indicative of a position of said sensor subsystem.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said binary word represents six low-resolution states corresponding to a selected range of absolute positions of said sensor subsystem.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein a reference edge corresponds to any transition between low-resolution state one of said plurality of low resolution states and low resolution state five of said plurality of low resolution states.

50. The method of claim 42 further including a first calibration value corresponding to said first transition indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to said first transition.

51. The method of claim 50 further including a second calibration value corresponding to said second transition indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to said second transition.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein said first calibration value and said second calibration value are each one of a plurality of calibration values.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein each calibration value of said plurality of calibration values is indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a selected transition between two respective low resolution states of said plurality of low resolution states.

54. The method of claim 38 wherein said position value is responsive to a first transition between a first low-resolution state and a second low-resolution state.

55. The method of claim 54 wherein said a first low-resolution state and said second low-resolution state are each one of a plurality of low-resolution states.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein said plurality of low-resolution states is generated in response to a binary combination of a plurality low-resolution position signals, said combination forming a binary word indicative of said plurality of low-resolution states.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein said low-resolution position signal is a binary signal.

58. The method of claim 56 wherein said low-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of low-resolution position signals transmitted from a plurality of low-resolution position sensors.

59. The method of claim 56 wherein said plurality low-resolution position signals comprises three low-resolution position signals, which are binary signals transmitted from three low-resolution position sensors configured to generate said three binary signals, each about 120 electrical degrees apart, respectively and said binary word comprises 3 bits.

60. The method of claim 56 wherein said a binary word and said plurality of low-resolution states is indicative of a position of said sensor subsystem.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein said binary word represents six low-resolution states corresponding to a selected range of absolute positions of said sensor subsystem.

62. The method of claim 61 wherein a reference edge corresponds to any transition between low-resolution state one of said plurality of low resolution states and low resolution state five of said plurality of low resolution states.

63. The method of claim 55 further including a first calibration value corresponding to said first transition indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to said first transition.

64. The method of claim 63 wherein said first calibration value is one of a plurality of calibration values.

65. The method of claim 64 wherein each calibration value of said plurality of calibration values is indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a selected transition between two respective low resolution states of said plurality of low resolution states.

66. The method of claim 38 wherein said position value corresponds to a selected high-resolution position responsive to a high-resolution position signal.

67. The method of claim 66 wherein said selected high resolution position corresponds with a selected position in a high-resolution state of a plurality of high-resolution states responsive to said high-resolution position signal.

68. The method of claim 67 wherein said high-resolution position signal comprises a binary signal.

69. The method of claim 66 wherein said high-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of high resolution position signals comprising binary signals and wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is responsive to said plurality of high resolution position signals.

70. The method of claim 69 wherein said plurality of high-resolution position signals exhibit a deterministic phase shifted relation from which direction may be determined.

71. The method of claim 70 where wherein said plurality of high-resolution position signals are in quadrature.

72. The method of claim 67 wherein said estimating comprises establishing a slot set comprising consecutive, unique, high-resolution states of said plurality of high-resolution states.

73. The method of claim 72 wherein said slot set comprises the largest set of consecutive, unique, high-resolution states.

74. The method of claim 72 wherein said slot set is selected such that a reference edge occurs within said slot set.

75. The method of claim 74 wherein said reference edge corresponds to any transition between a low-resolution state one and a low resolution state five.

76. The method of claim 72 wherein said slot set includes a zero slot as a first slot of said slot set.

77. The method of claim 76 wherein said zero slot includes a zero edge and determining a position thereof corresponding to a leading edge of said zero slot.

78. The method of claim 69 wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is resultant from said high-resolution position signal and another high-resolution position signal of said plurality of high resolution position signals combined to form a binary word indicative of said plurality of high-resolution states.

79. The method of claim 78 wherein said plurality of high resolution states comprises four states, and said binary word is a two bit binary word.

80. The method of claim 67 wherein said selected position corresponds to a best fit linear approximation through a zero slot, configured to address bi-directional operation of said rotating device.

81. The method of claim 80 wherein said selected position is ideally a zero midpoint.

82. The method of claim 81 wherein said zero midpoint corresponds to a midpoint of a zero slot of a selected slot set.

83. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining comprises a combination including said calibration value said delta position and said offset resultant from said estimating.

84. The method of claim 83 wherein said combination comprises a subtraction of said calibration value and said position delta from said offset.

85. The method of claim 83 wherein said calibration value corresponds to a back-emf calibration and a measured distance from said sensor subsystem reference to a positive going zero crossing of a back-emf for a selected line-to-line voltage of an electric machine.

86. The method of claim 83 wherein said delta position corresponds with a difference between a current value of a position counter and an initial value of said position counter.

87. The method of claim 86 wherein said delta position corresponds to a measured distance said electric machine has moved relative to said initial reference.

88. The method of claim 83 wherein said offset is the distance for said sensor subsystem datum to a midpoint of a low-resolution state.

89. The method of claim 88 wherein said midpoint of a low-resolution state is a calibration value.

90. The method of claim 88 wherein said midpoint is computed as an average mean between a plurality of low-resolution transitions.

91. The method of claim 90 wherein said plurality of low-resolution transitions correspond with a plurality of calibration values.

92. The method of claim 83 wherein said offset is the distance for said sensor subsystem reference to a selected transition between two low-resolution states.

93. The method of claim 92 wherein said selected transition is a calibration value.

94. The method of claim 92 wherein said selected transition is computed from selected low-resolution states of a plurality of low-resolution states.

95. The method of claim 94 wherein said plurality of low-resolution states correspond with a plurality of calibration values.

96. The method of claim 83 wherein said offset is a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a best fit linear approximation of a plurality of high-resolution states over an entire revolution of said rotating device.

97. The method of claim 96 wherein said offset is a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a midpoint of a selected high-resolution state denoted as a zero midpoint.

98. The method of claim 96 wherein said offset includes at least one of a zero offset and a hysteresis offset.

99. The method of claim 98 wherein said a zero offset comprises at least one of:

a slot offset, a slot set calibration value, a hysteresis offset.

100. The method of claim 1 further including said determining an absolute position estimate further including an iterative walk function for transitioning said estimating from an existing value to a calculated value.

101. The method of claim 100 wherein said transitioning is adapted to avoid objectionable excursions between values of said estimating.

102. The method of claim 100 wherein said iterative walk has corrective steps that are based on at least one of time and position.

103. A system for calibrating and initializing an electronically commutated electric machine, the system comprising:

an electric machine;

a position sensor subsystem operatively connected to said electric machine configured to measure a position and transmit a position signal to a controller;

an absolute position sensor operatively connected to said controller and transmitting a position signal indicative of an absolute position of said electric machine.

a relative position sensor operatively connected to said controller and transmitting a position signal indicative of a position of said electric machine.

wherein said controller executes a process implementing a method for calibrating and initializing position for said electric machine, the method comprising;

establishing a sensor subsystem datum indicative of a measurement reference point for a sensor subsystem;

obtaining a calibration value corresponding to a distance to a selected magnetic reference position for said rotating device, relative to said sensor subsystem datum;

measuring a position and calculating a position delta relative to an initial reference;

estimating an offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference;

determining an absolute position estimate of said electric machine relative to said magnetic reference position; and

wherein said absolute position estimate is responsive to said calibration value, said position delta, and said offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference.

104. The system of claim 103 wherein said establishing comprises determining a selected point on a high-resolution position signal.

105. The system of claim 104 wherein said selected point corresponds with a high-resolution state of a plurality of high-resolution states responsive to said high-resolution position signal.

106. The system of claim 104 wherein said high-resolution position signal is one of a plurality of high resolution position signals comprising binary signals generated in response to the passing of a sense magnet and wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is responsive to said plurality of high resolution position signals.

107. The system of claim 106 wherein said plurality of high-resolution position signals exhibit a deterministic phase shifted relation from which direction may be determined.

108. The system of claim 107 where wherein said plurality of high-resolution position signals are in quadrature.

109. The system of claim 106 wherein said plurality of high-resolution states is resultant from a high-resolution position signal and another high-resolution position signal of said plurality of high resolution position signals combined to form a binary word indicative of said plurality of high-resolution states.

110. The system of claim 109 wherein said plurality of high resolution states comprises four states, and said binary word is a two bit binary word.

111. The system of claim 105 wherein said sensor subsystem datum comprises a selected state of said plurality of high-resolution states.

112. The system of claim 105 wherein said sensor subsystem datum comprises a selected transition to a selected state of said plurality of high-resolution states.

113. The system of claim 105 wherein said sensor subsystem datum corresponds to a best fit linear approximation of said high-resolution states for a revolution of said rotating device, configured to address bi-directional operation of said rotating device.

114. The system of claim 103 wherein said distance to a selected reference position is an angular displacement.

115. The system of claim 103 wherein said selected reference position is arbitrary.

116. The system of claim 103 wherein said selected reference position is a magnetic reference position corresponding to a positive going zero crossing of a back-emf for a selected line-to-line voltage in an electric machine.

117. The system of claim 103 wherein said measuring includes counting transitions through a plurality of high resolution states responsive to a high-resolution position signal wherein said counting yields a value corresponding to a position of said rotating device relative to said initial reference.

118. The system of claim 117 wherein said plurality of high-resolution states comprises four states, said plurality of high-resolution position signals comprises two high-resolution position signals.

119. The system of claim 103 wherein said initial reference corresponds to an initial value of a position counter responsive to at least one high-resolution position signal at an arbitrary initial position of said rotating device.

120. The system of claim 103 wherein said estimating an offset includes ascertaining a position value corresponding to an estimated distance from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference.

121. The system of claim 120 wherein said position value is responsive to a selected location within a low-resolution state.

122. The system of claim 121 wherein said selected location is a midpoint of said low-resolution state.

123. The system of claim 122 wherein said midpoint comprises an average distance between a first transition to a first low-resolution state and a second transition to a second low-resolution state.

124. The system of claim 120 wherein said position value is responsive to a first transition between a first low-resolution state and a second low-resolution state.

125. The system of claim 124 wherein said a first low-resolution state and said second low-resolution state are each one of a plurality of low-resolution states.

126. The system of claim 125 wherein said plurality of low-resolution states is generated in response to a binary combination of a plurality low-resolution position signals, said combination forming a binary word indicative of said plurality of low-resolution states.

127. The system of claim 126 wherein said plurality low-resolution position signals comprises three low-resolution position signals, which are binary signals transmitted from three low-resolution position sensors configured to generate said three binary signals, each about 120 electrical degrees apart, respectively and said binary word comprises 3 bits.

128. The system of claim 125 further including a first calibration value corresponding to said first transition indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to said first transition.

129. The system of claim 128 wherein said first calibration value is one of a plurality of calibration values.

130. The system of claim 129 wherein each calibration value of said plurality of calibration values is indicative of a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a selected transition between two respective low resolution states of said plurality of low resolution states.

131. The system of claim 120 wherein said position value corresponds to a selected high-resolution position responsive to a high-resolution position signal.

132. The system of claim 131 wherein said selected high resolution position corresponds with a selected position in a high-resolution state of a plurality of high-resolution states responsive to said high-resolution position signal.

133. The system of claim 132 wherein said estimating comprises establishing a slot set comprising consecutive, unique, high-resolution states of said plurality of high-resolution states.

134. The system of claim 133 wherein said slot set is selected such that a reference edge occurs within said slot set.

135. The system of claim 134 wherein said reference egde corresponds to any transition between a low-resolution state one and a low resolution state five.

136. The system of claim 132 wherein said selected position corresponds to a best fit linear approximation through a zero slot, configured to address bi-directional operation of said rotating device.

137. The system of claim 136 wherein said selected position is ideally a zero midpoint.

138. The system of claim 137 wherein said zero midpoint corresponds to a midpoint of a zero slot of a selected slot set.

139. The system of claim 103 wherein said determining comprises a combination including said calibration value said delta position and said offset resultant from said estimating.

140. The system of claim 139 wherein said combination comprises a subtraction of said calibration value and said position delta from said offset.

141. The system of claim 139 wherein said calibration value corresponds to a back-emf calibration and a measured distance from said sensor subsystem reference to a positive going zero crossing of a back-emf for a selected line-to-line voltage of an electric machine.

142. The system of claim 139 wherein said delta position corresponds with a difference between a current value of a position counter and an initial value of said position counter.

143. The system of claim 142 wherein said delta position corresponds to a measured distance said electric machine has moved relative to said initial reference.

144. The system of claim 139 wherein said offset is the distance for said sensor subsystem datum to a midpoint of a low-resolution state.

145. The system of claim 139 wherein said offset is the distance for said sensor subsystem reference to a selected transition between two low-resolution states.

146. The system of claim 139 wherein said offset is a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a best fit linear approximation of a plurality of high-resolution states over an entire revolution of said rotating device.

147. The system of claim 146 wherein said offset is a distance from said sensor subsystem datum to a midpoint of a selected high-resolution state denoted as a zero midpoint.

148. The system of claim 146 wherein said offset includes at least one of a zero offset and a hysteresis offset.

149. The system of claim 148 wherein said a zero offset comprises at least one of:

a slot offset, a slot set calibration value, a hysteresis offset.

150. The system of claim 103 further including said determining an absolute position estimate further including an iterative walk function for transitioning said estimating from an existing value to a calculated value.

151. The system of claim 150 wherein said iterative walk has corrective steps that are based on at least one of time and position.

152. A storage medium, said storage medium including instructions for causing a controller to implement a method for calibrating and initializing position for a rotating device:

establishing a sensor subsystem datum indicative of a measurement reference point for a sensor subsystem;

obtaining a calibration value corresponding to a distance to a selected magnetic reference position for said rotating device, relative to said sensor subsystem datum;

measuring a position and calculating a position delta relative to an initial reference;

estimating an offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference;

determining an absolute position estimate of said rotating device relative to said magnetic reference position; and

wherein said absolute position estimate is responsive to said calibration value, said position delta, and said offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference.

153. A computer data signal, said data signal comprising code configured to cause a controller to implement a method for determining a velocity of a rotating device, the method comprising:

establishing a sensor subsystem datum indicative of a measurement reference point for a sensor subsystem;

obtaining a calibration value corresponding to a distance to a selected magnetic reference position for said rotating device, relative to said sensor subsystem datum;

measuring a position and calculating a position delta relative to an initial reference;

estimating an offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference;

determining an absolute position estimate of said rotating device relative to said magnetic reference position; and

wherein said absolute position estimate is responsive to said calibration value, said position delta, and said offset from said sensor subsystem datum to said initial reference.