Methods for hybrid velocity control of at least partially resonant actuator systems and systems thereof

• US 8,299,733 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Scale Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Austriamicrosystems AG (Ams-Osram AG), New Scale Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Sattler, Stefan, Guidarelli, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Masih, Karen
• Application Number:
  US12/608,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20110101895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 318/118, 318/116, 318/66, 310/316.01, 363/21.02
• US Class Current: 318/118
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/0095 producing combined linear and rotary motion, e.g. multi-direction positioners
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/02 producing linear motion, e.g. actuators; Linear positioners ; Linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/067 generating drive pulses

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium, and system for controlling velocity of an at least partially resonant actuator system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention includes determining with an actuator controller computing device a sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs to control an output velocity of an at least partially resonant actuator device. The actuator controller computing device controls a driver system to output a driving signal based on the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs. The driver system provides the driving signal to the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling velocity of an at least partially resonant actuator system, the method comprising:

determining with an actuator controller computing device a sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs to substantially control an output velocity of an at least one at least partially resonant actuator device;

controlling with the actuator controller computing device a driver system to output a driving signal based on the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs; and

providing with the driver system the driving signal to the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the driver system is a full bridge driver device.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the full bridge driver device is configured to perform:

switching by the full bridge driver device between a first and a second switching state for providing the full bridge output; and

replacing by the full bridge driver device one of the first and the second state by a third switching state for providing the half bridge output based upon the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the determining further comprises:

determining with the actuator controller computing device a duty cycle value for the full bridge driver device based upon a measurement of the output velocity;

incrementing with the actuator controller computing device an accumulator by adding the determined duty cycle value to a value of the accumulator;

outputting by the actuator controller computing device a half bridge cycle when the incremented value is less than a predetermined value of the accumulator; and

outputting by the actuator controller computing device a full bridge cycle when the incremented value is more than the predetermined value of the accumulator,

wherein successively outputting the half bridge cycle and outputting the full bridge cycle forms the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the providing further comprises providing with the driver system the half bridge output at an end of at least one of a low to high transition point of the full bridge output and at a high to low transition point of the full bridge output.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

controlling with the actuator controller computing device the output velocity of the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device in proportion to an amount of power consumed by the at least partially resonant actuator system, wherein the amount of power consumed depends upon the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

7. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein the switching by the full bridge driver device between a first and a second switching state is at a fixed frequency that is substantially equal to a mechanical resonant frequency of the at least one of one or more at least partially resonant actuator devices.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for controlling velocity of an at least partially resonant actuator system comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

determining a sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs to substantially control an output velocity of an at least one at least partially resonant actuator device;

controlling a driver system to output a driving signal based on the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs; and

providing the driving signal to the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device.

9. The medium as set forth in claim 8 wherein the driver system is a full bridge driver device.

10. The medium as set forth in claim 9 wherein the full bridge driver device is configured to perform:

switching between a first and a second switching state for providing the full bridge output; and

replacing one of the first and the second state by a third switching state for providing the half bridge output based upon the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

11. The medium as set forth in claim 9 wherein the determining further comprises:

determining a duty cycle value for the full bridge driver device based upon a measurement of the output velocity;

incrementing an accumulator by adding the determined duty cycle value to a value of the accumulator;

outputting a half bridge cycle when the incremented value is less than a predetermined value of the accumulator; and

outputting a full bridge cycle when the incremented value is more than the predetermined value of the accumulator,

wherein successively outputting the half bridge cycle and outputting the full bridge cycle forms the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

12. The medium as set forth in claim 8 wherein the providing further comprises providing the half bridge output at an end of at least one of a low to high transition point of the full bridge output and at a high to low transition point of the full bridge output.

13. The medium as set forth in claim 8 wherein the instructions comprising machine executable code which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the processor to further perform controlling the output velocity of the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device in proportion to an amount of power consumed by the at least partially resonant actuator system, wherein the amount of power consumed depends upon the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

14. The medium as set forth in claim 10 wherein the switching is at a fixed frequency that is substantially equal to a mechanical resonant frequency of the at least one of one or more at least partially resonant actuator devices.

15. An at least partially resonant actuator system comprising:

an actuator controller computing device configured to determine a sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs to substantially control an output velocity of an at least one at least partially resonant actuator device; and

a driver system controlled by the actuator controller computing device configured to receive the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs and output a driving signal based on the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs, wherein the driver system provides the driving signal to the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device.

16. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the driver system is a full bridge driver device.

17. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 16 wherein the full bridge driver device is configured to:

switch between a first and a second switching state for providing the full bridge output; and

replace one of the first and the second state by a third switching state for providing the half bridge output based upon the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

18. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 16 wherein the actuator controller computing device configured to is further configured to:

determine a duty cycle value for the full bridge driver device based upon a measurement of the output velocity;

increment an accumulator by adding the determined duty cycle value to a value of the accumulator;

output a half bridge cycle when the incremented value is less than a predetermined value of the accumulator; and

output a full bridge cycle when the incremented value is more than the predetermined value of the accumulator,

wherein successively outputting the half bridge cycle and the full bridge cycle forms the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

19. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the half bridge output is provided at an end of at least one of a low to high transition point of the full bridge output and at a high to low transition point of the full bridge output.

20. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the actuator controlling device is further configured to control the output velocity of the at least one at least partially resonant actuator device in proportion to an amount of power consumed by the at least partially resonant actuator system, wherein the amount of power consumed depends upon the determined sequence of full bridge and half bridge outputs.

21. The system as set forth in claim 17 wherein the switch between a first and a second switching state is at a fixed frequency that is substantially equal to a mechanical resonant frequency of the at least one of one or more at least partially resonant actuator devices.