Linear motor control apparatus and linear motor control system

• US 9,847,742 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Norihiro, Yamamoto, Takeshi, Tomoda, Koji, Deguchi, Satoru, Narahara, Hidetada
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail, Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Islam, Muhammad S
• Application Number:
  US14/682,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20150303841A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 318 38
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/06 comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 54/02 electrostatic, electric, or magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 25/06 Linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/006 Controlling linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/16 Circuit arrangements for detecting position
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 6/28 Arrangements for controlling current H02P6/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A linear motor control apparatus includes a plurality of coil units which are continuously arranged, a plurality of position detecting units configured to detect positions of a first truck and a second truck which move over the plurality of coil units, and a first deviation calculating unit configured to arithmetically operate deviation information as differences between values of the plurality of position detecting units and a target position. In addition, a first position control unit arithmetically operates current control signals on the basis of the deviation information, a first current control unit supplies driving currents to the plurality of coil units on the basis of the current control signals, and a switching unit outputs the values of the plurality of position detecting units for the first truck to the first position control unit and outputs the values of the plurality of position detecting units for the second truck to a second position control unit.

Claims

1. A linear motor control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of coil units which are continuously arranged;

a plurality of position detecting units configured to detect a position of a first truck which moves over the plurality of coil units;

a first deviation calculating unit configured to arithmetically operate deviation information as differences between a value of a position of the first truck detected by at least one of the plurality of position detecting units, and a value of a target position of the first truck;

a plurality of position control units configured to arithmetically operate current control signals on the basis of the deviation information which is arithmetically operated by the first deviation calculating unit;

a plurality of current control units configured to supply driving currents to the coil units on the basis of the current control signals which are arithmetically operated by the position control units; and

a switching unit configured to select one or two adjacent of the current control units on the basis of an output of the first deviation calculating unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein for a period of time during which the first truck moves over the plurality of coil units, on the basis of the deviation information which was arithmetically operated by the first deviation calculating unit, the selected one or two adjacent current control units controls the driving current which is supplied to the coil unit in which the first truck is located.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an allocating unit configured to allocate a second deviation calculating unit for a second truck as it enters the plurality of coil units.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a selecting unit configured to transmit positions of the first truck detected by the position detecting units to the first deviation calculating unit.

5. A linear motor control system comprising:

a plurality of coil units which are continuously arranged;

a plurality of position detecting units configured to detect a position of a first truck which moves over the plurality of coil units;

a first deviation calculating unit configured to arithmetically operate deviation information as differences between a value of a position of the first truck detected by at least one of the position detecting units, and a value of a target position of the first truck;

a plurality of position control units configured to arithmetically operate current control signals on the basis of the deviation information which is arithmetically operated by the first deviation calculating unit;

a plurality of current control units configured to supply driving currents to the coil units on the basis of the current control signals which are arithmetically operated by the position control units;

a running control unit configured to control a running of the first truck by transmitting the target position which is used by the first deviation calculating unit; and

a switching unit configured to select one or two adjacent of the current control units on the basis of an output of the first deviation calculating unit.

6. A linear motor control method comprising:

detecting a position of a first truck which moves over a plurality of coil units;

arithmetically operating deviation information as differences between a value of a position of the first truck detected by at least one of a plurality of position detecting units, and a value of a target position of the first truck by a first deviation calculating unit;

arithmetically operating current control signals by one or two adjacent of a plurality of position control units on the basis of the deviation information which is arithmetically operated by the first deviation calculating unit; and

supplying driving currents from one or two adjacent of a plurality of current control units to the plurality of coil units on the basis of the current control signals which are arithmetically operated by one of the position control units.

7. The manufacturing method of articles using the first truck which is controlled by the linear motor control method according to claim 6, comprising:

executing predetermined processes to articles mounted in the first truck, thereby manufacturing the articles.

8. A linear motor control apparatus comprising:

a plurality of coil units which are continuously arranged;

a plurality of position detecting unis configured to detect a position of a first truck which moves over the plurality of coil units;

a first motor controller configured to obtain deviation information on the basis of a value of a position of the first truck detected by at least one of the position detecting units and a value of a target position of the first truck, and to obtain current control signals on the basis of the deviation information;

a plurality of current control units configured to supply driving currents to the plurality of coil units on the basis of the current control signals; and

a switching unit configured to select one or two adjacent of the current control units on the basis of the current control signals output by the first motor controller,

wherein the selected one or two adjacent of the current control units provides the driving currents for the coil units on the basis of the output of the first motor controller.

9. The linear motor control apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a second motor controller configured to obtain the deviation information on the basis of a value of a position of a second truck detected by one of the position detecting units, and a value of a target position of the second truck,

wherein the switching unit selects two adjacent of the current control units for supplying a driving current to each of the coil units on the basis of an output of the second motor controller.

10. The linear motor control apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a running controller configured to transmit a start signal to the first motor controller and the second motor controller.

11. The linear motor control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the running controller transmits a running command including the target position of the first truck and a target position of the second truck to the first motor controller and the second motor controller.