DE102017107010A1 - SYSTEMS AND METHOD FOR CALCULATING ENGINE POSITION, ENDURANCE AND RESTING POSITION IN CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR SENSORLESS BRUSHED DC MOTORS - Google Patents

Abstract

A system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a motor driver module and a motor position determination module. The motor driver module is configured to measure a current supplied to a motor. The engine position determination module is configured to set a first position of the engine at a first instant at which power to the engine is being interrupted based on ripples in the current supplied to the engine during a first time period prior to the first time. to determine. The engine position determination module is configured to increase a second position of the engine at a second timing at which the engine stops rotating after the power supply to the engine is cut off based on the first position of the engine and a rotational speed of the engine at the first timing determine.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 62 / 317,048, filed April 1, 2016. The entire disclosure content of the aforementioned applications is incorporated herein by reference.

TERRITORY

The present disclosure relates to engine control systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for calculating engine position, inertia, and rest position in control systems for sensorless brush DC motors.

BACKGROUND

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of a general illustration of the context of the disclosure. The work of the present inventors, as described in this Background section, as well as aspects of the description, which are not otherwise cited as prior art at the time of filing, are neither explicitly nor implicitly accepted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Brush DC motors have been used to adjust a position of seats, mirrors or other components in automotive, aerospace or other applications. For example, seat motors are used to move a seat assembly forward, back, up and down. Seat motors are also used to adjust an angular position or inclination of a seatback portion relative to a seat portion of the seat assembly.

Some seat positioning systems store seating positions for the driver and / or passengers of the vehicle. Each of the stored seating positions may be associated with a recall button located on the seat assembly, a door or elsewhere. Alternatively, a seating position may be associated with a key fob. When one of the call buttons is pressed or the key fob is in the vicinity of the vehicle, the seat assembly automatically moves to the corresponding stored seating position. In order to reposition the seat assembly to the correct position, the seat positioning system requires knowledge of a current position and a target position of each of the motors connected to the seat assembly.

In some applications, Hall effect sensors are used to detect the positions of the motors. However, each of the motors requires a corresponding Hall effect sensor and corresponding wiring. Some seating arrangements can have up to 14 motors. Therefore, the Hall effect sensors and wiring may be a relatively expensive component of the seat assembly.

SUMMARY

A first system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a motor driver module and a motor position determination module. The motor driver module is configured to measure a current supplied to a motor. The engine position determination module is configured to detect a first position of the engine at a first instant at which power to the engine is being interrupted based on ripples in the current provided to the engine during a first time period prior to the first time was to be determined. The engine position determination module is configured to determine a second position of the engine at a second time at which the engine stops rotating after the power to the engine has been cut, based on the first position of the engine and a rotational speed of the engine toward the first one Time.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the second position of the engine based on the first position of the engine and a distance that the engine rotates during a second time period between the first and second times.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational distance of the engine during the second time period based on a rotational speed of the engine during the second time period and a duration of the second time period.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational speed of the engine during the second time period based on the rotational speed of the engine at the first time and a decay factor.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the decay factor based on a first voltage applied to the engine at the first time.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the decay factor based on a difference between a frequency of the ripples in the current supplied to the motor and during the first time period of the first voltage applied to the motor at the first time and to determine a reference ripple frequency of the motor corresponding to the first voltage.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to predict the second position of the engine at a third time based on the first position of the engine and the rotational speed of the engine at the first time power is being interrupted to the engine. The third time is before the second time the motor stops rotating.

In one aspect, the third time is the same as the first time.

In one aspect, the first system further includes an engine stop target position module configured to determine when power is to be cut off to the engine based on the second position and a target position.

In one aspect, the first system further includes a motor control module configured to interrupt a power supply to the motor when the second position is either equal to the target position or within a predetermined range around the target position.

A second system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a motor driver module and a motor position determination module. The motor driver module is configured to measure a current that is supplied to a motor and to measure a current induced by the motor after a power supply to the motor has been interrupted. The engine position determination module is configured to determine, when power is supplied to the engine, a position of the engine based on ripples in the current supplied to the engine. The engine position determination module is configured to determine the position of the engine after the power supply to the engine has been interrupted based on ripples in the current induced by the engine.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine a first position of the engine at a first instant at which power to the engine is being interrupted based on the ripples in the current provided to the engine during a first time period prior to the first time was to be determined.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to read a second position of the engine at a second time after the power to the engine has been interrupted based on the ripples in the current flowing through the engine during a second time period between the first and second Time was induced to determine.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the second position of the engine at the second time based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the ripple in the current induced by the engine during the second time period ,

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine a distance that the engine rotates during the second time period and the second position of the engine at the second time based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the turning distance of the motor during the second period.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational distance of the engine during the second time period based on a rotational speed of the engine during the second time period and a duration of the second time period.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational speed of the engine during the second time period based on a frequency of the ripples in the current induced by the engine during the second time period.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the position of the engine after the power supply to the engine has been interrupted based on a number of ripples in the current induced by the engine.

In one aspect, the second system further includes a motor control module configured to rotate the motor in a first direction of rotation by closing a first switch to allow current to flow through the motor in a first flow direction to rotate the motor in a second direction of rotation by closing a second switch to allow the current to flow through the motor in a second direction of flow.

In one aspect, the second system further includes a first motor driver module configured to control a first amount of current flowing in the first flow direction and a second motor driver module configured to control a second amount of current entering the second Flow direction flows. The engine control module is configured to control the first and second switches to circulate the current through both the first and second motor driver modules as the motor continues to rotate in either the first or second rotational direction after the power supply is interrupted to the engine. The first and / or second motor driver module is configured to measure the current induced by the motor.

A third system in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure includes an engine control module, an engine position determination module, and an engine stop target position module. The engine control module is configured to provide power to an engine of a seat assembly to rotate the engine from a current position to a target position. The engine position determination module is configured to determine a rotational speed of the engine based on ripples in a current supplied to the engine and to determine inertia of the seat assembly based on the rotational speed of the engine and a mass of the seat assembly. The engine stop target position module is configured to determine when power is to be cut off to the engine based on the target position of the engine and the inertia of the seat assembly.

In one aspect, the engine stop target position module is configured to determine when power is to be cut off to the engine based on a direction in which the engine is currently rotating.

In one aspect, the engine stop target position module is configured to determine an in-position range about the target position based on the inertia of the seat assembly and the direction in which the engine is currently rotating, and the engine control module is configured to provide the power either to interrupt the engine at a first time before the current position of the engine is within the in-position range, or at a time when the current position of the engine is at the beginning of the in-position range.

In one aspect, the engine stop target position module is configured to determine the in-position range at fixed intervals, and wherein a first time interval between the intervals is greater than a second time period between successive ripples in the current supplied to the engine.

In one aspect, the engine stop target position module is configured to determine a width of the in-position range based on the inertia of the seat assembly to determine a range offset based on the direction in which the engine is currently rotating and an engine stop Target position based on the width of the in-position range and the range offset. The engine control module is configured to cut off power to the engine when the current position of the engine reaches the engine stop target position.

In one aspect, the engine control module is configured to provide power to the engine for a first time period that is greater than or equal to a minimum engine on time.

In one aspect, the engine control module is configured to determine the minimum engine on time based on an amplitude of the current supplied to the motor and / or a number of ripples in the current supplied to the motor.

In one aspect, the engine control module is configured to interrupt power to the engine at a first time the engine is in a first position. The engine position determination module is configured to provide a second position of the engine at a second time the engine stops rotating after power to the engine is cut, based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the inertia of the seat assembly to determine at the first time.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to predict the second position of the engine at a third time based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the inertia of the seat assembly at the first time. The third time is prior to the second time the motor stops rotating.

In one aspect, the engine position determination module is configured to determine the inertia of the seat assembly at the first time based on a difference between a frequency of the ripples in the current supplied to the motor and a first voltage before a first time, a first voltage which is supplied to the engine at the first time and a reference ripple frequency of the motor corresponding to the first voltage.

In one aspect, the third system further includes a motor stall detection module configured to be based on the rotational speed of the motor and / or a position of the motor and / or a voltage applied to the motor and / or a number of ripples in the motor Current supplied to the motor to determine if the engine is stationary. The engine control module is configured to cut power to the engine when the engine is stopped.

A fourth system in accordance with the present disclosure includes an engine control module and an occupant weight classification module. The engine control module is configured to supply power to a motor to move a seat in a first direction from a first position to a second position when the seat is unoccupied and to provide power to the motor to move the seat in a second direction to move from a third position to a fourth position when an occupant is seated. The occupant weight classification module is configured to measure a first frequency of ripples in a current supplied to the motor while moving the seat from the first position to the second position to measure a second frequency of ripples in the current is supplied to the engine while the seat is moved from the third position to the fourth position, and to determine a weight of the occupant based on the first and second frequencies.

In one aspect, a first distance between the first and second positions is equal to a second distance between the third and fourth positions.

In one aspect, the second direction is the same as the first direction.

In one aspect, the third position is equal to the first position and the fourth position is equal to the second position.

In one aspect, the third position equals the second position and the fourth position equals the first position.

In one aspect, the occupant weight classification module is configured to determine whether the seat is occupied based on input from a seat belt latch sensor and / or a door latch sensor and (or a camera operable to generate an image of the seat.

A fifth system in accordance with the present disclosure includes an engine control module and an occupant weight classification module. The engine control module is configured to supply power to an engine to move a seat in a first direction for a first time period when the seat is unloaded and to supply power to an engine to seat in a second direction for a second time period move when an occupant is seated. The occupant weight classification module is configured to measure a first number of ripples in a current supplied to the engine during the first time period to measure a second number of ripples in the current supplied to the engine during the second time period, and to determine a weight of the occupant based on the first number of ripples and the second number of ripples.

In one aspect, the second time period is equal to the first time period.

In one aspect, the second direction is the same as the first direction.

In one aspect, the occupant weight classification module is configured to determine whether the seat is occupied based on input from a seat belt latch sensor and / or a door latch sensor and / or a camera that is operable to generate an image of the seat.

A first method in accordance with the present disclosure includes measuring a current supplied to a motor and a first position of the motor at a first time at which power supply to the motor is being interrupted based on Ripple in the current that was supplied to the engine during a first period of time before the first time is determined. The method further comprises that a second position of the engine at a second time at which the engine stops rotating after the power supply to the engine is cut off based on the first position of the engine and a rotational speed of the engine at the first time is determined.

In one aspect, the method further comprises determining the second position of the engine based on the first position of the engine and a distance that the engine rotates during a second time period between the first time and the second time.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises that the rotational distance of the motor during the second period of time, based on a rotational speed of the engine during the second time period and a duration of the second time period.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises determining the rotational speed of the motor during the second time period based on the rotational speed of the motor at the first time and a decay factor.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises determining the decay factor based on a first voltage applied to the motor at the first time.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises, based on a difference between a frequency of the ripples in the current supplied to the motor and measured during the first time period, the decay factor being the first voltage supplied to the motor at the first time and a reference ripple frequency of the motor corresponding to the first voltage is determined.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises predicting the second position of the engine at a third time based on the first position of the engine and the rotational speed of the engine at the first time power is being interrupted to the motor. The third time is prior to the second time the motor stops rotating.

In one aspect, the third time is the same as the first time.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises determining, based on the second position and a target position, when to stop powering the motor.

In one aspect, the first method further comprises interrupting the power supply to the motor when the second position is either equal to the target position or within a predetermined range around the target position.

A second method in accordance with the present disclosure includes measuring a current supplied to a motor, a position of the motor when power is supplied to the motor, based on ripples in the current supplied to the motor , it is determined that a current induced by the motor is induced after the power supply to the motor is interrupted, and that the position of the motor after the power supply to the motor is interrupted based on the ripples in the current , which are induced by the motor is determined.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises that a first position of the engine at a first instant at which power to the engine is being interrupted based on the ripples in the power supplied to the engine during a first time period preceding the first Time is determined is determined.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises determining a second position of the engine at a second time after the power supply to the engine is interrupted based on the ripples in the current flowing through the motor during a second time period between the first and second times first and second time is induced.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises determining the second position of the engine at the second time based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the ripple in the current induced by the motor during the second time becomes.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises determining a distance that the engine rotates during the second time period and the second position of the engine at the second time based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the rotational distance of the motor during the second period of time is determined.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises determining the rotational distance of the engine during the second time period based on a rotational speed of the engine during the second time period and a duration of the second time period.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises determining the rotational speed of the motor during the second time period based on a frequency of the ripples in the current induced by the motor during the second time period.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises, after the power supply to the motor is interrupted, determining the position of the motor based on a number of ripples in the current induced by the motor.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises rotating the motor in a first direction of rotation by closing a first switch to allow current to flow through the motor in a first direction of flow, and the motor in a second direction of rotation is rotated by closing a second switch to allow current to flow through the motor in a second flow direction.

In one aspect, the second method further comprises controlling a first amount of current flowing in the first flow direction using a first motor driver module, and controlling a second amount of current flowing in the second flow direction using a second motor driver module, that the first and second switches are controlled to circulate current through both the first and second motor driver modules as the motor continues to rotate in either the first or second rotational direction after the power supply to the motor is interrupted, and that the current induced by the motor is measured using the first and / or the second motor driver module.

A third method in accordance with the present disclosure includes providing power to an engine of a seat assembly to rotate the engine from a current position to a target position such that a rotational speed of the engine is based on ripples in the power supplied to the engine determining that an inertia of the seat assembly is determined based on the rotational speed of the engine and a mass of the seat assembly, and determining when the power supply to the engine is interrupted based on the target position of the engine and the inertia of the seat assembly should.

In one aspect, the third method further includes determining, on the basis of a direction in which the engine is currently rotating, when to shut off power to the engine.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises determining, based on the inertia of the seat assembly and the direction in which the engine is currently rotating, an in-position range around the target position, and supplying power to the engine at either one first time before the current position of the engine is within the in-position range or at a second time when the current position of the engine begins to be within the in-position range is interrupted.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises determining the in-position range at fixed intervals. A first time interval between the intervals is greater than a second time period between successive ripples in the current supplied to the motor.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises determining a width of an in-position region based on the inertia of the seat assembly such that a range offset is determined based on the direction in which the engine is currently rotating, such that an engine stop is determined. Target position is determined on the basis of the width of the in-position range and the range offset, and that the power supply to the motor is interrupted when the current position of the engine reaches the engine stop target position.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises providing power to the engine for a first time period that is greater than or equal to a minimum on-time of the engine.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises determining the minimum on-time of the motor based on an amplitude of the current supplied to the motor and / or a number of ripples in the current supplied to the motor.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises interrupting power supply to the engine at a first time the engine is in a first position and a second position of the engine at a second time at which the engine is timing the engine Turning stops after the power supply to the engine is cut off, determined based on the first position of the engine at the first time, and the inertia of the seat assembly at the first time.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises predicting the second position of the engine at a third time based on the first position of the engine at the first time and the inertia of the seat assembly at the first time. The third time is prior to the second time the motor stops rotating.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises, at the first time, the inertia of the seat assembly being based on a difference between a frequency of the ripples in the current supplied to the motor and measured during a first time period prior to the first time Voltage supplied to the motor at the first time and one Reference ripple frequency of the motor, which corresponds to the first voltage is determined.

In one aspect, the third method further comprises, based on the rotational speed of the motor and / or a position of the motor and / or a voltage supplied to the motor, and / or a number of ripples in the current that is the motor is determined, whether the engine is stopped, and the power supply to the engine is interrupted when the engine is stopped.

A fourth method in accordance with the present disclosure includes providing power to a motor to move a seat in a first direction from a first position to a second position when the seat is unoccupied, and a first frequency of ripples in a current supplied to the motor is measured while the seat is moved from the first position to the second position. The fourth method further comprises providing power to the engine to move the seat in a second direction from a third position to a fourth position when an occupant is seated and a second frequency of ripples in the stream , which is supplied to the motor, is measured while the seat is moved from the third position to the fourth position. The fourth method further comprises determining a weight of the occupant based on the first and second frequencies.

In one aspect, a first distance between the first and second positions is equal to a second distance between the third and fourth positions.

In one aspect, the second direction is the same as the first direction.

In one aspect, the third position is equal to the first position and the fourth position is equal to the second position.

In one aspect, the third position equals the second position and the fourth position equals the first position.

In one aspect, the fourth method further comprises determining whether the seat is occupied based on input from a seat belt latch sensor and / or a door latch sensor and / or a camera operable to create an image of the seat ,

A fifth method in accordance with the present disclosure includes providing power to a motor to move a seat in a first direction for a first time when the seat is unloaded, and a first number of ripples in a stream is supplied to the engine during the first period is measured. The fifth method further comprises providing power to a motor to move a seat in a second direction for a second time period when an occupant is seated and measuring a second number of ripples in the flow is supplied to the engine during the second period. The fifth method further comprises determining a weight of the occupant based on the first number of ripples and the second number of ripples.

In one aspect, the second time period is equal to the first time period.

In one aspect, the second direction is the same as the first direction.

In one aspect, the fifth method further comprises determining whether the seat is occupied based on input from a seat belt latch sensor and / or a door latch sensor and / or a camera operable to create an image of the seat ,

Further fields of application of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, the claims and the drawing. The detailed description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 Figure 4 is a side view of an example of a seat assembly in accordance with the present disclosure;

2 Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an example seat positioning system in accordance with the present disclosure;

3A and 3B Functional block diagrams of an example of a seat control module or engine position determination module in accordance with the present disclosure;

4 5 is a functional block diagram and an electrical schematic of an example of a motor, motor driver modules and motor switch in accordance with the present disclosure;

5A - 5C a current flow during a movement in first and second directions and during a stop phase in accordance with the present disclosure;

5D an example of control signals for switching the motor switch illustrated;

6A Figure 4 is a graph illustrating an example of motor current as a function of time during start and run phases of the motor;

6B Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of identification of ripples in the motor current;

6C Fig. 4 is a graph illustrating an example of motor current as a function of time during run and stop phases of the motor;

6D FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating an example of a reference ripple-frequency curve over a voltage operating range of the motor in accordance with the present disclosure; FIG.

7 FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method of measuring inertia in accordance with the present disclosure; FIG.

8th FIG. 10 is a flowchart that determines an example of a method for determining an engine rest position based on coasting of the engine due to inertia in accordance with the present disclosure; FIG.

9A illustrates an example of an in-position region in accordance with the present disclosure;

9B FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of an example engine stop target position module in accordance with the present disclosure; FIG.

10 FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining an engine stop target position in accordance with the present disclosure; FIG.

11A - 11C Functional block diagrams of various examples of standstill detection modules in accordance with the present disclosure are;

12 - 13 Flowcharts illustrating an example of a stall detection method in accordance with the present disclosure are illustrated;

14A . 14B and 15 Are flowcharts illustrating a switch debounce process in accordance with the present disclosure;

16 Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of an example of an occupant weight classification module in accordance with the present disclosure; and

17 FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for determining occupant weight classification in accordance with the present disclosure.

In the drawings, reference numerals may be reused to designate similar and / or identical elements.

PRECISE DESCRIPTION

Hall effect sensors can be used to detect an absolute position of a motor during operation. In sensorless systems, the position of the motor can be tracked by detecting and counting ripples in the motor current corresponding to commutation of the motor. However, the ripple current generally can not be monitored when the motor is off and continues to move due to inertia. In addition, errors can occur when the motor switch is triggered for very short time intervals.

To have an accurate system, the sensorless system must estimate the engine position during all conditions. Otherwise the sensed position of the motor will be incorrect and seat reset functions will not work properly. In other words, the actual engine position may differ from the estimated engine position.

Systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure estimate using a position of an engine between endstop positions during operation of the engine without sensors, such as Hall effect sensors. The systems and methods estimate inertia of the motor based on an operating voltage and current when power to the motor is interrupted and / or during a period of time before power to the motor is interrupted. The systems and methods in accordance with the present disclosure estimate a rest position of the engine based on the rotational position of the engine when the power is interrupted and the estimated inertia. By determining the rest position in the above manner, the systems and methods described herein estimate additional rotation of the engine (or caster) after power is interrupted has been. Using this approach provides a more accurate determination of the actual rest position of the engine. The estimated caster is also used to determine when to stop performance for a target stop position, such as a stored seating position.

While the above disclosure describes systems and methods for controlling motors in seat applications, it should be understood that the disclosure also pertains to control of brushless DC motors used in other applications.

With reference now to 1 includes a seating arrangement 10 a seat section 12 which is arranged in a generally horizontal position. A backrest section 14 is disposed in a generally vertical position and becomes relative to the seat portion 12 pivoted. One or more buttons 16 or other input devices may be provided to control seat motors which determine the relative position of the seat assembly 10 , of the sitting section 12 and / or the backrest portion 14 to adjust. For example, the buttons 16 used to control movements up and down, forward and backward and tilting of the seat assembly. The buttons 16 Also, functions for storing in and retrieving memory may be performed to save seating positions and automatically move the seat assembly to the stored seating positions. Positions of the motors are estimated in a sensorless manner without using physical position sensors, such as Hall effect sensors and associated wiring.

With reference now to 2 includes a seat positioning system 50 one or more switch inputs 54 , which are actuated by an occupant of the vehicle to the seat assembly 10 , the sitting section 12 and / or the backrest portion 14 adjust. The seat positioning system 50 also includes an engine control module 58 which generates motor switch control signals and detection control signals. The engine control module 58 receives feedback signals, such as a DC voltage and a stream of motor driver modules and switches 62 , The motor driver modules and switches 62 are used to one or more engines 66-1 . 66-2 , ..., and 66-N (together engines 66 ), where N is an integer greater than zero. In some examples, the engines are 66 Brush DC motors.

With reference now to 3A and 3B is the engine control module 58 shown in more detail. The engine control module 58 includes a motor position determination module 80 and a motor switch controller 94 , The engine position determination module 80 determines positions of the motors 66 based on feedback signals, such as motor current and DC voltage.

The engine position determination module 80 contains a position calculator 82 receiving the response signals from a HS drive of the motors. The position calculator 82 calculates positions of the motors 66 based on previously stored positions and a rotation of the motor (determined based on the feedback signals, such as current ripples). A motor speed calculator 83 receives position data from the position calculator 82 and calculates speeds of the engines 66 based on position differences as a function of time or based on the frequency of the ripples. A mass estimator 84 receives the feedback signals from the motors 66 and calculates a mass of the seat assembly and / or an occupant based on DC voltage, current, position and / or speed.

An inertia estimator 86 receives speed parameters from the speed calculator 81 and the mass of the mass estimator 84 , The inertia estimator 86 estimates system inertia based on speed and mass data. The engine position determination module 80 also includes a tracking estimator 88 That estimates an engine wake after the power is cut, based on inertia and mass. The engine position determination module 80 also includes a motor resting position calculator 90 and an engine stop target position calculator 92 as further described below.

The engine position determination module 80 generates position data sent to the motor switch controller 94 be issued, which is the supply of electricity to the motors 66 controlled by using motor switches. An engine stall detection module 96 detects a stoppage of the engine, which may occur due to the engine unexpectedly reaching an end stop position due to engine position errors. An occupant weight classification module 100 receives the feedback signals from the motors and estimates weight of the occupant based thereon. The occupant weight classification module 100 selectively inputs the occupant weight and / or weight classification parameters (eg, parameters associated with different weight ranges) over the vehicle bus 102 to an airbag controller 104 out. The occupant weight classification module 100 may use height adjustment motors instead of forward / reverse motors when performing this calculation, as further described below. One Position retrieval module 104 Saves seating positions and maps these memory scan buttons. When a polling button is pressed, the position polling module returns 104 a target position of the seat, which corresponds to the operated memory call button.

A switch state monitoring module 106 monitors states of the switch inputs 54 and provides filtered switch states to other components of the engine control module 58 , The switch state monitoring module 106 can be a switch debounce module 108 which performs a switch debouncing process as further described below. Switch bounce occurs when a switch changes states quickly before stationary switch conditions occur, which can lead to position errors and other problems.

With reference now to 4 are the motor driver modules and the switches 62 shown in more detail that they are motor driver modules 110-1 and 110-2 , Switches S _H1 and S _H2 on the high side (HS) (high-side switch) and switches S _L1 , S _L2 and S _L3 on the low side (LS) (low-side switch) included. The switch S _H1 or S _H2 on the high side is a battery voltage with the motor driver modules 110-1 respectively. 110-2 selectively connected. The motor driver modules 110 control a power output to the motor 66 and capture a current that goes to the motor 66 flows, as further described below. The motor driver module 110-1 is intended for a first direction of rotation of the motor (about forward) and the motor driver module 110-2 is intended for a second or opposite direction of rotation of the motor (such as backwards).

With reference now to 5A - 5D For example, an example of a current flow and a motor switch operation is shown at running phases in the first and second directions and at a stop phase. In 5A Current flows through the switch S _H1 on the high side, through the motor driver module 110-1 , by the engine 66 in a first direction and through the switches S _L2 and S _L3 on the low side to ground or other reference potential. In 5B current flows through the switch S _H2 on the high side, through the motor driver module 110-2 , by the engine 66 in a second direction and through the switches S _L1 and S _L3 on the low side to ground or other reference potential.

In 5C the power supply is terminated and the high-side and low-side switches are configured to measure a current from the motor 66 during the wake is induced. The motor current is circulated through the high-side switches (for example, both high-side switches are closed) and it is powered by one of the motor driver modules 110 measured. In 5D For example, after the run phase, a switch delay period may be provided (prior to configuring the high-side switches to measure current during the stop phase) to prevent short circuits.

With reference now to 6A - 6C Examples of current waveforms at start-up phases, running phases and stop phases are shown. In 6A As soon as power is delivered, the current rises quickly (also known as inrush current) and the motor begins to spin. In the current, ripples occur during commutation of poles of the motor. The engine position determination module 80 has stored a position of the engine when the engine was stopped during the last operation. Then the position of the motor is used as the starting point during the subsequent start and run phases. The position calculator 84 monitors the current to detect current ripple, and adjusts the motor position based on the motor commutations (corresponding to the detected current ripple) and parameters of a gear train of the motor.

When the engine is started, the engine driver modules can 110 supplying power to the engine for a period greater than or equal to a minimum engine on time. The minimum engine on time may be equal to the inrush current period described below with reference to FIGS 14 is discussed, and it may be determined based on an amplitude of the motor current. Additionally or alternatively, the minimum engine turn-on time may be determined based on a number of ripples in the motor current. For example, the minimum engine on time may be set to ensure that the engine continues to operate until at least a minimum number (eg, 3) of ripples have occurred. The minimum engine on time may be predetermined based on engine tests and characteristic measurements and stored in memory for retrieval during operation in operation.

In some examples, the ripple current is detected by tracking changes in a slope of the motor current. In the example of 6B The slope of the current changes from negative to zero to positive to zero (at the top) and back to negative when the ripples occur. In other examples, changes in amplitude, average amplitude, peak-to-peak amplitude, etc., may be monitored to detect current ripples. In yet other examples, other mathematical functions are used to detect ripples. In 6C The motor continues to rotate due to inertia during a stop phase when power is interrupted after a running phase. The additional rotation (or caster) must be measured to know the correct stop position for future operation of the engine.

The inertia of the motor is based on an operating voltage and an operating current at a time when the power to the motor is interrupted (and / or during a period immediately before the time at which the power to the motor is interrupted), and estimated based on the system mass. A rest position of the engine is estimated based on the rotational position at the time when power is cut off and the estimated inertia. By determining the rest position in the foregoing manner, the engine position determination module takes into account 80 an additional rotation of the motor after power is interrupted, thereby providing a more accurate determination of the rest position.

The rest position is a function of engine speed at a time when power is interrupted and deceleration forces acting on the engine. The deceleration of the engine when power is interrupted is a function of frictional forces generated by the seat motion mechanism that includes the engine and gear train (linear decay component) of rotational forces generated by magnetic fields in the motor generator ( exponentially decaying component) and the inertia of the seat assembly. Frictional forces and torques are a function of motor speed (or ripple frequency).

The engine position determination module 80 can the rest position of the engine 66 based on the position of the engine 66 determine at the power for the engine 66 is just interrupted, and based on the rotational path of the engine 66 After power to the engine 66 is interrupted (the engine overrun). In one example, the tracking estimator determines 88 the turning distance of the motor 66 After power to the engine 66 is interrupted using the following relationship RDn = RD (n-1) + RSn * T1 (1), where RDn is the turning distance of the motor 66 at the current iteration n, RD (n-1) is the turning distance of the motor 66 in the last iteration n-1, T1 is the time between a first time corresponding to the last iteration n-1 and a second time corresponding to the current iteration n, and RSn is the speed of rotation of the motor 66 at the second time.

The speed calculator 83 can the rotational speed of the motor 66 at the second time using the following relationship RSn = [RSi • e ^ (- T2 / E)] - (T2 / L) (2), where RSn is the rotational speed of the motor 66 At the second time, RSi is the initial rotational speed of the motor 66 is when power to the engine 66 T2 is interrupted, the time period from the time when the power for the engine 66 is just interrupted until the second time, E is an exponential decay factor and L is a linear decay factor. When the rotational speed of the motor 66 is greater than zero, the engine position determination module may 80 n, T1 and T2 increment and the turning distance of the motor 66 and the rotational speed of the motor 66 using relationships (1) and (2) again. When the rotational speed of the motor 66 is zero or within a predetermined range around zero, the engine position determination module may 80 the rest position of the engine 66 based on the position of the engine 66 when power to the engine 66 is interrupted, and the rotational distance of the motor 66 which was last determined determine.

The exponential decay factor represents the counter-rotation forces of magnetic fields in the motor 66 and the linear decay factor represents the frictional forces generated by the seat movement mechanism of the seat assembly 10 be generated. The speed calculator 83 can calculate the exponential decay factor based on the voltage given to the motor 66 at the time the power was supplied to the engine 66 is interrupted or immediately before, for example, using a function (eg, an equation) or an assignment, which sets the voltage in relation to the exponential decay factor determine. The speed calculator 83 may determine the linear decay factor based on a difference between a measured ripple frequency of the motor 66 at a first operating voltage of the motor 66 and a reference ripple frequency of the motor 66 at the first operating voltage. In one example, the speed calculator determines 83 the linear decay factor using the following relationship L = m · Δf + b (3), where L is the linear decay factor, Δf is the difference between the measured ripple frequency and the reference ripple frequency, and m and b are predetermined constants.

The difference between the measured ripple frequency and the reference ripple frequency shows the mass of the occupant on the seating arrangement 10 or is an estimate thereof and, in combination with the ripple frequency, indicates the inertia of the seat assembly 10 , Therefore, the inertia estimator can 86 the inertia of the seating arrangement 10 on the basis of the difference between the measured ripple frequency and the reference ripple frequency, for example using a function or assignment that relates the ripple frequency difference to system inertia. The measured ripple frequency is the ripple frequency of the motor 66 , which is measured at the time at which power for the engine 66 is interrupted, or during a period immediately before this time. In one example, the measured ripple frequency is an average of the ripple frequency of the motor 66 Measured for a predetermined period just before power to the engine 66 is interrupted. The first operating voltage is the operating voltage of the motor 66 that is measured when power to the engine 66 is being interrupted.

The speed calculator 83 may use linear interpolation to obtain the reference ripple frequency based on the first operating voltage, a first reference frequency at a minimum operating voltage of the motor 66 and a second reference frequency at a maximum operating voltage. The first reference frequency, the minimum operating voltage, the second reference frequency and the maximum operating voltage may be predetermined when the motor 66 and the seating arrangement 10 are unloaded. In one example, the speed calculator determines 83 the reference ripple frequency using the following relationship fref = f1 + (V1-Vmin) · [(f2-f1) / (Vmax-Vmin)] (4), where fref is the reference ripple frequency, f1 is the first reference frequency, Vmin is the minimum operating voltage, f2 is the second reference frequency, and Vmax is the maximum operating voltage.

The engine position determination module 80 may use relations (1), (2), (3) and / or (4) to respectively determine the rotational distance of the motor 66 , the rotational speed of the motor 66 , Predict the linear decay factor and / or the reference ripple frequency before the motor 66 the turning stops after power to the motor 66 is interrupted. Consequently, the engine position determination module 80 Use relations (1), (2), (3) and / or (4) to determine the rest position of the motor 66 predict, before the engine 66 the turning stops after power to the motor 66 is interrupted. In one example, the engine position determination module may 80 Use relations (1), (2), (3) and / or (4) to determine the rest position of the motor 66 to predict at or before the point in time at which the supply of power to the engine 66 is interrupted. Consequently, the engine position determination module 80 the rest position of the engine 66 predict the engine stop target position module before power is interrupted to the engine 92 can determine on the basis of the resting position and a target position when the power supply to the motor 66 should be interrupted (eg determine the engine stop target position), and / or the motor switch controller 94 may interrupt the power supply to the motor when the home position is equal to or within a predetermined range.

With reference now to 6D Examples of the reference ripple frequency fref, the first reference frequency f1, the minimum operating voltage Vmin, the second reference frequency f2 and the maximum operating voltage Vmax are shown. 6D Figure 12 also illustrates an example of the measured ripple frequency, labeled f (measured), and the difference between the measured ripple frequency and the reference ripple frequency, labeled f (difference). The first reference frequency f1 and the minimum operating voltage Vmin correspond to a first point on a reference ripple frequency line 150 and the second reference frequency f2 and the maximum operating voltage Vmax correspond to a second point on the reference ripple frequency paths 150 , The reference frequency curves 150 can be predetermined if the engine 66 and the seating arrangement 10 are unloaded by the minimum operating voltage Vmin to the motor 66 is supplied, the maximum operating voltage Vmax to the motor 66 is delivered, and several voltages to the motor 66 are supplied, which lie between the minimum and maximum operating voltage Vmin and Vmax. In various examples, such as in the present example, the reference ripple frequency curves 150 be linear.

With reference now to 7 is a procedure 200 shown for measuring inertia. at 210 Motor parameters, such as a DC voltage, a current and / or a speed are measured. at 214 the motor current is processed. For example, the ripples in the motor current can be counted to track the motor rotation.

at 218 The system mass is determined based on the measured motor voltage, the measured motor current and / or the ripple frequency. In some examples, the system includes only the seat assembly (when not in use) or the seat and an occupant. at 222 is system inertia based on the Estimated system mass and the measured engine speed. at 226 the system inertia is saved.

With reference now to 8th is a procedure 250 for determining an engine rest position based on an engine wake-up. at 260 a motor rotation position is measured. at 264 The method determines whether engine operation (such as tilting a seat forward / backward, moving the seat assembly forwards or backwards, etc.) is interrupted. If 264 is wrong, the process starts over. If 264 is true, the engine position is fetched. The motor position may be determined at the time the previous operation is interrupted or at the last sampling time before the previous operation is interrupted.

at 272 the system inertia is fetched when the operation is interrupted. at 276 the engine overrun is determined based on system inertia. at 280 For example, an engine rest position is determined based on the measured engine position and on the engine run after the operation is suspended. at 284 the engine rest position is stored as a reference for a next engine-on cycle.

The signal of the measured motor current is processed and the processed current is used to determine the inertia of the seating system. In one example, the motor current is processed using an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter. A linear velocity of the seating system is a function of engine speed and a gear train that translates rotational motion of the engine into linear motion of the seat. The inertia of the seating system is a function of the linear velocity of the seating system. The rotational inertia of the engine and gear train are typically negligible compared to the linear inertia of a seat and seat combination due to the mass difference. The engine overrun indicates a rotational movement.

With reference now to 9A For example, an in-position range around an engine target position is shown. When moving from one direction to the engine target position (eg, forward), the engine inertia and engine direction cause castering. As a result, to stop the seat within the in-position range around the engine target position, the engine must be stopped before reaching the in-position range (or at that point). As can be seen, an engine overrun in the reverse direction may or may not be the same. Therefore, the engine may need to be stopped at a different engine position relative to the in-position region. This effect is called range offset.

The engine position determination module determines an in-position range, determines when the engine is sufficiently close to the in-position range, and interrupts power to the engine in a predetermined manner to cause the engine to be at a desired rest position in the engine. Position range stops.

In 9B is the engine stop target position module 92 shown in more detail that it is a direction-finding device 290 which determines a direction of the engine based on a target position and a current position of the engine. The direction determination device 290 indicates the direction to an area offset selector 294 out. The area offset selector 294 determines a range offset based on the direction of the motor. An in-position calculator 292 determines an in-position range based on the range offset and the inertia. The system ground, system inertia, motor speed, and / or in-position range can be determined at fixed intervals. The intervals may be determined by computational capacity limitations of the stop position module 92 and / or the time span for a control loop. In various implementations, the time interval between the intervals may be greater than the time between successive ripples in the motor current and the in-position range may be used to prevent motor after-runs of the desired rest position. For example, it may be more advantageous to use the in-position range when the interval between the intervals is 20 milliseconds as compared to when the interval between the intervals is 5 milliseconds. An engine stop target position calculator 296 calculates the engine stop target position based on the range offset and the in-position range.

With reference now to 10 is a procedure 300 for determining an engine stop target position. at 310 the method determines if a move request has occurred. If 310 true, catch up with the process 314 the current engine position. at 318 a motor direction is determined based on the current motor position and the target position. at 322 the motor is operated in the motor direction. at 324 the current system inertia is determined. at 328 the width of the in-position range is determined based on the current system inertia. at 332 the range offset is determined based on the motor direction. at 334 based on the range offset and the width of the in-position range, an engine stop Target position determined. at 338 the method determines whether the engine position has reached the engine stop target position. If not, join 340 Power for the engine continued. If 338 true, the procedure initiates 342 a soft stop process.

A direction of movement may affect the stop position due to mechanical tolerances and inertia. The most accurate positioning can be achieved by initiating a stop before a desired stop point (i.e., before or entering the in-position range). Caster is a function of inertia so that the in-position range changes dynamically based on the calculated inertia.

The target position may be a seated position stored in memory or another target position. A position of the in-position region relative to the target position may be asymmetric if the speed of seat motion is different for a given mass and engine power of a seat system in opposite engine directions. The gear train and other seat system design features may also introduce a different asymmetry.

With reference now to 11A - 11C various examples of standstill detection modules are shown. If the engine stops, power is interrupted. If the stalling occurs due to the engine reaching one of the end stop positions (which corresponds to a maximum travel in the first or second direction), the end stop position is updated. In 11A detects a standstill detection module 96 a stall condition based on a motor current or a motor speed. The standstill detection module 96 contains a current-based standstill detector 370 and a speed-based standstill detector 372 , The current-based standstill detector 370 monitors the voltage and current of the motor and selectively detects a standstill condition. In some examples, the stall condition is detected based on a comparison of the motor voltage and the motor current with predetermined ranges or values for the motor voltage and current.

The speed-based standstill detector 372 monitors a voltage of the motor and a speed of the motor and selectively detects a standstill condition. In some examples, the stall detection is detected based on a comparison of the voltage and the speed of the motor with predetermined ranges or values for the voltage and the speed. A stop module 374 receives the standstill signals from the current-based standstill detector 370 and the speed-based stall detector 372 , the current position and the end stop position, and generates a stop on this basis.

In 11B counts another standstill detection module 96 ' Ripple in motor current and detects standstill conditions based on a ripple count. A counter 382 Counts successive ripples during a period of time from a timer 384 is determined. A comparator 387 receives the count value after the time period and compares the count value with a predetermined threshold value 386 , If the count is less than the predetermined threshold, the comparator detects 387 a standstill condition. A stop module 389 receives the standstill signals from the comparator 387 , the current engine position and the end stop position and generates a stop based thereon.

Now referring to 11C is another standstill detection module 96 '' shown to be a motor speed calculator 390 which monitors ripple in the motor current and determines an engine speed based thereon. the engine speed calculator 390 gives the speed periodically to a comparator 394 in response to a timeout from a timer 392 is determined. The comparator 394 compares the current speed with a previous speed (that of a delay element 395 is issued). If the current speed is less than the previous speed, the comparator activates 394 a second comparator 398 , A summer 396 generates a difference between the current speed and the previous speed and gives the difference to the comparator 398 out. The comparator 398 compares the difference with a predetermined threshold 397 and identifies a stall condition when the difference is greater than the threshold. A stop module 399 receives the standstill signal from the comparator 398 , the current position and the end stop position, and identifies a stop based on this.

With reference now to 12 - 13 For example, a stall detection may be performed after an inrush delay period. In 12 is a procedure 400 shown. at 410 the procedure determines if the engine is running. When the engine is running, the procedure determines 414 whether the engine is after an inrush current period. When the motor is after the inrush current starts at 418 the standstill detection. The time period may be a fixed period of time or it may be determined by monitoring an amplitude of the motor current.

In 13 is a standstill detection method 450 shown. at 460 Motor parameters, such as DC voltage, current and speed, are measured. at 464 On the basis of the motor voltage, expected ranges for the motor current and the motor speed are determined. Expected ranges may be predetermined values that are stored in memory and retrieved therefrom or calculated based on a formula. The expected range for the motor current can be determined for a single motor current reading or for a statistical motor current, such as a moving average.

at 468 The method determines whether the motor current and motor speed are within the expected ranges. If 468 true is added 470 the engine operation continued. If 468 wrong, the process goes by 472 continues and interrupts the engine operation. at 474 the method determines the engine rest position. at 476 The method determines whether the sitting position is close to an end stop position. The end stop positions correspond to maximum track positions in the first and second directions.

If 476 true will be added 484 the engine rest position stored as a new end stop position. From 484 or 476 (if wrong) the procedure moves on 486 with the engine rest position stored as a reference for a next engine-on cycle.

With reference now to 14A . 14B and 15 A switch debounce method is shown that is performed by the switch state monitor module 106 and the switch debounce module 108 is performed. In 14A is a procedure 500 for detecting a switch bounce when the switch is turned ON. at 510 the method determines if the switch is ON. If 510 true, the process goes along 514 and starts a debounce counter at POWER ON. at 518 the method determines if the counter threshold has been reached. If at 518 the debounce counter threshold is reached at POWER ON determines the procedure at 520 whether the switch is still ON. If the switch at 520 is not still ON, the process returns 510 back. If 520 true, the procedure continues 524 the switch state to ACTIVE. This method prevents errors due to intermittent switch operation.

In 14B is a procedure 550 to detect a switch bounce when the switch is turned OFF. at 560 the method determines if the switch is OFF. If 560 true, the method adds 564 and starts a debounce counter at POWER OFF. at 568 the method determines if the counter threshold has been reached. If at 568 the debounce counter threshold is reached, the method determines 570 whether the switch is still OFF. If at 570 If the switch is not still OFF, the procedure returns 560 back. If 570 true, the method sets the switch state 564 to INACTIVE. This method prevents errors due to intermittent switch operation.

With reference now to 15 is a procedure 600 for controlling the engine based on the ACTIVE and INACTIVE switch states indicated by the debounce methods in FIG 14A and 14B be determined. at 610 the method determines if the switch is in the ACTIVE state. If 610 true, the procedure starts 620 the process / sequence to turn ON the engine. If the startup phase is not complete, what to do 624 is determined, the method returns 624 back. If 624 True, the procedure determines 628 whether the switch is in the INACTIVE state. If 628 is wrong, is at 630 Power continues to be supplied to the engine and the process returns 628 back. If 628 true, the procedure introduces 634 a process / sequence to softly stop / control the engine OFF. at 638 the method determines if the stop phase is completed. If 638 true, the procedure ends.

With reference now to 16 is the occupant weight classification module 96 in more detail so shown that there are calibrators 646 , an inmate status determiner 648 , a motor position adjuster 650 and a weight estimator 652 contains. The calibrator 646 calibrates a weight of the seat assembly during a non-loaded condition of the seat assembly by adjusting a position of the seat, measuring engine torque and / or a motor ripple frequency during movement, and estimating the weight based on the engine torque and / or the motor ripple frequency.

The inmate status determiner 648 determines if an occupant gets into the vehicle after the calibration has taken place. Data received from the vehicle bus, such as door lock / unlock events or door open / close events, may be used to determine occupant status. The inmate status determiner 648 may determine, based on one or more inputs, whether the seat associated with disembarking an occupant is loaded, such as an input from a seat belt latch sensor connected to a seat belt latch of the seat is, and / or a door lock sensor, which is connected to a door for an occupant of the seat, and / or a camera that can be operated to create an image of the seat. In one example, the occupant status determiner determines 648 in that the seat is unoccupied when a signal generated by the seat belt latch sensor changes from the indication that the seat belt buckle is locked to the display that the seat belt buckle is not locked. In another example, the occupant status determiner determines 648 in that the seat is not occupied when a signal generated by the door lock sensor changes from the indication that the door is locked to the display that the door is unlocked and then indicates that the door is locking again is. In another example, the occupant status determiner determines 648 in that the seat is not occupied when a signal generated by the camera indicates that an occupant of the seat is no longer present on the seat.

The engine position adjuster 650 adjusts a position of the seat and the weight estimator 652 measures an engine torque and / or a motor ripple frequency and estimates an occupant weight during a seat movement. In various examples, the weight estimator estimates 652 occupant weight based on a difference between a measured ripple frequency f (measured) and a reference ripple frequency f (difference) as discussed above. The weight estimator 652 Gives the weight or weight classification over the vehicle bus 102 to the airbag controller 104 out. The airbag controller 104 can enable or disable the airbags based on weight classification.

With reference now to 17 is a procedure 660 for determining an occupant weight classification. at 662 the procedure determines whether the occupant has left the vehicle. If 662 true, the method determines at 664 if a lock condition is detected. at 668 For example, the seat assembly is raised from an initial position by a first predetermined distance. Alternatively, the seat assembly may be raised for a first predetermined period of time. at 672 an unloaded condition of the seat assembly is calibrated to determine a weight of the seat assembly. For example, the weight estimator 652 Measure a first motor torque and / or a first Motorrippelfrequenz while the seat is moved by the first predetermined distance or the first predetermined period of time.

at 676 The seat assembly is lowered to a second predetermined distance below an original position. The second predetermined distance may be equal to or different than the first distance. When the seat assembly is fully lowered, the seat can be raised from the original position and then lowered back to its original position. at 680 the procedure determines if the occupant gets into the vehicle. If 680 true, the method adds 682 and determines if the ignition is on. If 682 true, the method raises the seat assembly to the original position or a new position (for example, when the occupant selects a recall button associated with a different seat position). Alternatively, the method may raise the seat assembly for a second predetermined period of time. The second predetermined time period may be equal to or different from the first predetermined time period. at 688 measures the weight estimator 652 a second motor torque and / or a second Motorrippelfrequenz while the seat is moved by the second predetermined distance or the second predetermined period of time. at 692 appreciates the weight estimator 652 the occupant weight. In one example, the weight estimator estimates 652 occupant weight based on a difference between the first and second motor ripple frequencies, for example, using a function or assignment that relates ripple frequency differences to occupant weight.

In some examples, the weight corresponding to the sum of the occupant weight and the seat assembly weight is estimated, and then the calibrated weight of the seat assembly is subtracted. at 696 the occupant classification and / or occupant weight is transmitted to an airbag control system. The airbag control system may calibrate the airbag system based on occupant classification and / or occupant weight and / or determine whether or not to activate the airbag system.

The engine positioning system described herein enables the reliable use of retrieving a stored seating position with high accuracy and without the use of expensive Hall effect sensors and associated wiring. Reduced wiring allows for additional feature content or a reduced footprint. The approach covers a wide range of engines and can be calibrated with any automotive brush DC motors and any engine supplier. During a recall from memory several motors can be operated simultaneously.

The above description is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be construed as to limit the disclosure, its application or uses. The broad teachings of the disclosure may be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this disclosure includes specific examples, the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent upon a study of the drawings, the specification, and the following claims. It should be understood that one or more steps in a method may be performed in a different order (or concurrently) without changing the principles of the present disclosure. Further, although each of the embodiments is described above as having certain features, one or more of these features described with respect to any embodiment of the disclosure may be implemented in any of the other embodiments and / or combined with features thereof even if this combination is not explicitly described. In other words, the described embodiments are not mutually exclusive, and permutations of one or more embodiments remain within the scope of this disclosure.

Spatial and functional relationships between elements (eg, between modules, circuit elements, semiconductor layers, etc.) are described using various terms including "connected," "engaged," "coupled," "adjacent," "adjacent," "Above", "above", "below" and "arranged". If a relationship between first and second elements is described in the above disclosure, this relationship, unless explicitly described as "direct", may be a direct relationship in which there are no other intervening elements between the first and second elements but it can also be an indirect relationship in which one or more intermediate elements exist between the first and second elements (either spatial or functional). As used herein, the term A and / or B and / or C shall be construed as meaning a logical (A or B or C) using a non-exclusive logical OR, and should not be construed as meaning "Means at least one of A, at least one of B and at least one of C".

In this application, including the following definitions, the term "module" or the term "controller" may be replaced by the term "circuit". The term "module" may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC); a digital, analog or mixed analog / digital discrete circuit; a digital, analog or mixed analog / digital integrated circuit; a combinational logic circuit; a field programmable gate array (FPGA); a processor circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) executing a code; a memory circuit (shared, dedicated, or group) storing a code executed by the processor circuit; other suitable hardware components that provide the described functionality; or a combination of any or all of the foregoing, such as in a system on-chip, be part of, or contain a part thereof.

The module may include one or more interface circuits. In some examples, the interface circuits may include wired or wireless interfaces connected to a local area network (LAN), the Internet, a wide area network (WAN), or combinations thereof. The functionality of any given module of the present disclosure may be distributed to a plurality of modules connected using interface circuits. For example, multiple modules may allow for load balancing. In another example, a server module (also known as a remote or cloud module) may perform certain functionality upon request of a client module.

The term code, as used above, may include software, firmware, and / or microcode, and may refer to programs, routines, functions, classes, data structures, and / or objects. The term shared processor circuit includes a single processor circuit that executes some or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group processor circuit includes a processor circuit that, in combination with additional processor circuits, executes some or all of the code from one or more modules. References to multiple processor circuits include multiple discrete die processor circuits, multiple single die processor circuits, multiple processor core cores, multiple processor threads, or a combination of the foregoing. The term shared memory circuit includes a single memory circuit that stores part or all of the code from multiple modules. The term group memory circuit comprises a memory circuit which, in combination with additional memories, stores part or all of the code of one or more modules.

The term memory circuit is a subset of the term computer-readable medium. The term computer-readable medium includes, as well as as used herein, non-transient electrical or electromagnetic signals propagating through a medium (such as on a carrier wave); The term computer-readable medium can therefore be considered concrete and non-transitory. Non-transitory, concrete, computer-readable medium examples include nonvolatile memory circuits (such as a flash memory circuit, an erasable programmable read only memory circuit or a masked memory circuit), volatile memory circuits (such as a static random access memory circuit or a dynamic memory circuit) Random access memory), magnetic storage media (such as an analog or digital magnetic tape or hard disk drive), and optical storage media (such as a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray Disc).

The devices and methods described in this application may be implemented in part or in full by a special computer that is created by configuring a general purpose computer to perform one or more specific functions embodied in computer programs. The functional blocks, flowchart components, and other elements described above serve as software descriptions that can be translated into the computer programs through the routine work of a technician or programmer.

The computer programs include processor executable instructions stored in at least one non-transitory, concrete, computer-readable medium. The computer programs may also contain or rely on stored data. The computer programs may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that interacts with the hardware of the particular computer, device drivers that interact with specific devices of the particular computer, one or more operating systems, user applications, background services, background applications, and so on.

The computer programs may include: (i) descriptive text that can be analyzed, such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) or Extensible Markup Language (XML), (ii) assembly code, (iii) object code generated by a compiler from source code (iv) source code for execution by an interpreter, (v) source code for compilation and execution by a just-in-time compiler, etc. For example only, source code may be written using the syntax of languages containing C, C ++, C #, Objective C, Haskell, Go, SQL, R, Lisp, Java®, Fortran, Perl, Pascal, Curl, OCaml, Javascript ^®, HTML5, Ada, ASP (Active server Pages), PHP, Scala, Eiffel, Smalltalk, Erlang, Ruby, ^Flash® , Visual ^Basic® , Lua and ^Python® .

None of the elements mentioned in the claims is as a means-plus-functional element in the meaning of 35 USC §112 (f) unless an element is explicitly described using the term "means for", or in the case of a method claim using the terms "operation for" or "step for".

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited non-patent literature

• 35 USC §112 (f) [0176]

Claims (18)

System comprising: a motor driver module configured to measure a current supplied to a motor; and a motor position determination module configured to: determining a first position of the engine at a first time at which a supply of power to the engine is being interrupted based on ripples in the current supplied to the engine during a first time period prior to the first time; and a second position of the engine at a second time at which the engine stops rotating after the power supply to the engine is cut off based on the first position of the engine and a rotational speed of the engine at the first time. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational speed of the engine during a second time period between the first and second times based on the rotational speed of the engine at the first time and a decay factor. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to determine the decay factor based on a first voltage applied to the engine at the first time. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to set the decay factor based on a difference between a frequency of the ripple in the current supplied to the motor and during the first time period of the first voltage applied to the motor the first time, and a reference ripple frequency of the motor corresponding to the first voltage to determine. The system of claim 1, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to predict the second position of the engine at a third time based on the first position of the engine and the rotational speed of the engine at the first time the power supply for the engine is just is interrupted, wherein the third time is before the second time at which the engine stops rotating. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an engine stop target position module configured to determine when to stop power supply to the engine based on the second position and a target position. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a motor control module configured to cut off power to the motor when the second position is either equal to the target position or within a predetermined range around the target position. System comprising: a motor driver module configured to: to measure a current supplied to a motor; and measure a current induced by the motor after a power supply to the motor is cut off; and a motor position determination module configured to: determining a position of the engine when power is supplied to the motor based on ripples in the current supplied to the motor; and determine the position of the motor after the power supply to the motor is interrupted, based on ripples in the current induced by the motor. The system of claim 8, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to: determine a distance by which the engine is to be determined during a period of time between a first time when the power supply to the engine is being interrupted and a second time after the power supply to the engine is interrupted; and determine the position of the engine at the second time based on the position of the engine at the first time and the rotation distance of the motor during the time between the first and second times. The system of claim 8 or 9, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational distance of the engine during the time period between the first and second times based on a rotational speed of the engine during the time period and a duration of the time period. The system of any of claims 8-10, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to determine the rotational speed of the engine during the time period between the first and second times based on a frequency of the ripples in the current induced by the engine during the time period. to determine. The system of claim 8, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to determine the position of the engine after the power supply to the engine is interrupted based on a number of ripples in the current induced by the engine , The system of any one of claims 8-12, further comprising a motor control module configured to: rotating the motor in a first direction of rotation by closing a first switch to allow current to flow through the motor in a first direction of flow; rotating the motor in a second direction of rotation by closing a second switch to allow current to flow through the motor in a second direction of flow; a first motor driver module configured to control a first amount of current flowing in the first flow direction; and a second motor driver module configured to control a second amount of current flowing in the second flow direction, wherein the engine control module is configured to control the first and second switches to circulate current through both the first and second motor driver modules when the motor, after power to the motor has been interrupted, stops rotating into either of the first and second motor driver modules first or second direction of rotation continues, and wherein the first and / or the second motor driver module is configured to measure the current induced by the motor. System comprising: a motor control module configured to supply power to a motor of a seat assembly to rotate the motor from a current position to a target position; a motor position determination module configured to: determine a rotational speed of the motor based on ripples in a current supplied to the motor; and determine an inertia of the seat assembly based on the rotational speed of the engine and a mass of the seat assembly; and an engine stop target position module configured to determine when to discontinue power to the engine based on the target position of the engine and the inertia of the seat assembly. The system of claim 14, wherein the engine stop target position module is configured to determine when power to the engine is to be interrupted based on a direction in which the engine is currently rotating. The system of claim 14 or 15, wherein: the engine stop target position module is configured to determine an in-position range around the target position based on the inertia of the seat assembly and the direction in which the engine is currently rotating; and the engine control module is configured to interrupt the power supply to the engine either at a first time before the current position of the engine is within the in-position range, or at a second time when the current position of the engine begins within the engine To be located in-position range. A system according to any of claims 14-16, wherein: the engine control module is configured to interrupt the power supply to the engine at a first time when the engine is in a first position; and the engine position determination module is configured to set a second position of the engine at a second timing at which the engine stops rotating based on the first position of the engine at the first timing and the inertia of the engine after the power supply to the engine is interrupted Seat arrangement to determine the first time. The system of claim 14, wherein the engine position determination module is configured to determine the inertia of the seat assembly at the first time based on a difference between a frequency of the ripples in the current supplied to the engine during a first time period prior to the first time to determine a first voltage supplied to the motor at the first time and a reference ripple frequency of the motor corresponding to the first voltage.

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