Signal processing circuit for rotation detector

• US 8,392,146 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2010
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kurumado, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): BHAT, ADITYA S
• Application Number:
  US12/947,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 702147-148, 702/190, 324/207.13, 324/207.25
• US Class Current: 702/147
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/045 with speed indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/488 delivered by variable reluctance detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/489 Digital circuits therefor

Abstract

A signal processing circuit for a rotation detector includes a normal-rotation pulse request holding portion, a reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion, a resetting portion, and a waiting time switching portion. When an output of one of a normal-rotation pulse and a reverse-rotation pulse is finished and a waiting time elapses, the resetting portion resets an output request signal of the one of the normal-rotation pulse and the reverse-rotation pulse held by one of the pulse request holding portions. The waiting time switching portion sets the waiting time to a first waiting time when one of the pulse request holding portions holds the output request signal, and the waiting time switching portion sets the waiting time to a second waiting time longer than the first waiting time when both the pulse request holding portions hold the output request signals.

Claims

1. A signal processing circuit of a rotation detector that outputs a detection signal for detecting a rotational position of a rotating object based on first and second sensor signals having different phases and rectangular shapes and output from a plurality of magnetic sensors arranged opposite the rotating object having gear teeth in accordance with movement of top lands and bottom lands of the gear teeth when the rotating object rotates in a normal direction or a reverse direction, the signal processing circuit comprising:

a rotational-direction determining portion configured to determine whether a rotational direction of the rotating object is the normal direction or the reverse direction based on a phase relationship between the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal;

an effective edge determining portion configured to determine whether a change in the first sensor signal is caused by an effective edge, the effective edge determining portion determining that the change in the first sensor signal is caused by the effective edge when the change is caused by one of front edges of the top lands while the rotating object is rotating in one of the normal direction and the reverse direction or when the change is caused by one of rear edges of the top lands while the rotating object is rotating in the other one of the normal direction and the reverse direction;

a normal-rotation pulse request holding portion configured to hold an output request signal of a normal-rotation pulse when the rotational-direction determining portion determines that the rotational direction is the normal direction and the effective edge determining portion determines that the change in the first sensor signal is caused by the effective edge, the normal-rotation pulse indicating that the rotating object is rotating in the normal direction;

a reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion configured to hold an output request signal of a reverse-rotation pulse when the rotational-direction determining portion determines that the rotational direction is the reverse direction and the effective edge determining portion determines that the change in the first sensor signal is caused by the effective edge, the reverse-rotation pulse indicating that the rotating object is rotating in the reverse direction;

an output request signal outputting portion configured so that when one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion holds the output request signal, the output request signal outputting portion permits an output of the output request signal held by the one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion, and when the other one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion holds the output request signal in a state where the one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion holds the output request signal, the output request signal outputting portion waits an output of the output request signal held by the other one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion until the output request signal held by the one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion is reset;

a pulse outputting portion configured to output one of the normal-rotation pulse and the reverse-rotation pulse as the detection signal based on the output request signal from the output request signal outputting portion;

a first resetting potion configured so that after the pulse outputting portion ends an output of one of the normal-rotation pulse and the reverse-rotation pulse and a waiting time elapses, the first resetting portion resets the output request signal of the one of the normal-rotation pulse and the reverse-rotation pulse, the output of which ends, held by the one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion;

a second resetting portion configured so that when the other one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion holds the output request signal and then a condition for holding the output request signal that is already held by the one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion is satisfied in a state where the one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion holds the output request signal, the second resetting portion resets the output request signal held by the other one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion; and

a waiting time switching portion configured to set the waiting time to a first waiting time when one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion holds the output request signal, and set the waiting time to a second waiting time that is longer than the first waiting time when both the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion hold the output request signals.

2. The signal processing circuit of the rotation detector according to claim 1,

wherein when the second resetting portion resets the output request signal held by the other one of the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion and the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion after the first waiting time elapses and before the second waiting time elapses, the waiting time switching portion controls the first resetting portion to output the first resetting signal in response to the reset of the output request signal by the second resetting portion even before the second waiting time elapses.

3. The signal processing circuit of the rotation detector according to claim 1,

wherein the first waiting time is set in such a manner that a sum of a pulse width of the normal-rotation pulse or the reverse-rotation pulse and the first waiting time is shorter than an interval of a generation of the output request signal of the normal-rotation pulse or the reverse-rotation pulse when the rotating object rotates in the normal direction or the reverse direction at a maximum speed.

4. The signal processing circuit of the rotation detector according to claim 1,

wherein a maximum speed of the rotating object when the rotating object rotates in the normal direction is higher than a maximum speed of the rotating object when the rotating object rotates in the reverse direction,

wherein a pulse width of the normal pulse signal output from the pulse outputting portion is shorter than a pulse width of the reverse pulse signal, and

wherein the first waiting time and the second waiting time associated with the normal-rotation pulse are respectively shorter than the first waiting time and the second waiting time associated with the reverse-rotation pulse.

5. The signal processing circuit of the rotation detector according to claim 4,

wherein the waiting time switching portion includes

a first waiting time switching portion configured to switch the waiting time associated with the normal-rotation pulse based on that the output request signal outputting portion outputs the output request signal of the normal-rotation pulse and that the output request signal of the reverse-rotation pulse is held by the reverse-rotation pulse request holding portion, and

a second waiting time switching portion configured to switch the waiting time associated with the reverse-rotation pulse based on that the output request signal outputting portion outputs the output request signal of the reverse-rotation pulse and that the output request signal of the normal-rotation pulse is held by the normal-rotation pulse request holding portion.