System and method for determining the position of a moving part driven by an electric motor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for determining the position of a moving part driven by an electric motor, comprising:
- a single position sensor coupled to the electric motor and configured to detect an incremental amount of movement thereof;
a direction switching arrangement configured to control a current direction of movement of the electric motor and including first and second controlled switching elements, wherein the first controlled switching element is operable, when activated, to couple the electric motor to a power supply so that the electric motor has a first direction of movement, and wherein the second controlled switching element is operable, when activated, to couple the electric motor to the power supply so that the electric motor has a second direction of movement which is opposite to the first direction of movement; and
a control unit coupled to the single position sensor and the direction switching arrangement and configured, at each incremental amount of movement detected by the single position sensor, to determine a current position of the moving part based on a previous position thereof and the current direction of movement controlled by the direction switching arrangement, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the current direction of movement of the electric motor based on the activation of the first and/or the second controlled switching element.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for determining the position of a moving part driven by an electric motor: a single position sensor, coupled to the electric motor, incrementally detects an amount of movement thereof; a direction switching arrangement controls a direction of movement of the electric motor; and a control unit, coupled to the single position sensor and the direction switching arrangement, at each incremental amount of movement detected by the single position sensor, determines a current position of the moving part based on a previous position thereof and the current direction of movement controlled by the direction switching arrangement.
14 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A system for determining the position of a moving part driven by an electric motor, comprising:
-
a single position sensor coupled to the electric motor and configured to detect an incremental amount of movement thereof; a direction switching arrangement configured to control a current direction of movement of the electric motor and including first and second controlled switching elements, wherein the first controlled switching element is operable, when activated, to couple the electric motor to a power supply so that the electric motor has a first direction of movement, and wherein the second controlled switching element is operable, when activated, to couple the electric motor to the power supply so that the electric motor has a second direction of movement which is opposite to the first direction of movement; and a control unit coupled to the single position sensor and the direction switching arrangement and configured, at each incremental amount of movement detected by the single position sensor, to determine a current position of the moving part based on a previous position thereof and the current direction of movement controlled by the direction switching arrangement, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the current direction of movement of the electric motor based on the activation of the first and/or the second controlled switching element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for determining the position of a moving part driven by an electric motor, the method comprising:
-
incrementally detecting an amount of movement of the electric motor by a single position sensor coupled thereto, wherein the position sensor is configured to provide a sensing signal (S) including a number of pulses, each having a respective duration and corresponding to a detected incremental amount of movement; providing an indication related to a current direction of movement of the electric motor, based on an operating status of a direction switching arrangement, configured to control a direction of movement of the electric motor; at each incremental amount of movement detected by the single position sensor, determining a current position of the moving part based on a previous position thereof and the current direction of movement controlled by the direction switching arrangement, wherein determining the current position of the moving part is based on one or more of the current and a previous direction of movement controlled by the direction switching arrangement, the duration of the pulses of the sensing signal (S), and an operating status of activation or stopping of the electric motor; and at each current pulse of the sensing signal (S) during operation of the electric motor, increasing or decreasing a position count based on the current direction of movement being a first direction of movement, or, respectively, a second direction of movement, opposite to the first direction of movement, and storing the current direction of movement as a last direction of movement in a memory, the thereby increased or decreased position count being indicative of the current position of the moving part. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
Specification