US 10,101,736 B1Granted

Systems and methods for open-loop control of a brushless motor

AssigneeHorizon Hobby, LLC

InventorPaul Beard

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Abstract

An example method includes receiving data representing a target rotational position of an output shaft of a brushless motor configured to control a rotational position of the output shaft with continuous resolution, determining a plurality of control signals via an algorithm configured for open-loop control of the rotational position of the output shaft, and providing the plurality of control signals to respective input terminals of the brushless motor to cause the brushless motor to rotate the output shaft to the target rotational position. An example system includes a brushless motor comprising an output shaft, and a control module configured to provide a plurality of control signals to respective input terminals of the brushless motor via an algorithm configured for open-loop control of a rotational position of the output shaft. The system is configured to control the rotational position of the output shaft with continuous resolution.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

receiving data representing a target rotational position of an output shaft of a brushless motor configured to control a rotational position of the output shaft with continuous resolution;
determining a plurality of control signals corresponding to the target rotational position of the output shaft, wherein determining the plurality of control signals comprises:
determining a magnitude and a polarity of a control signal of the plurality of control signals based on an equation K[sin(θ+φ)]=V, wherein K represents a constant, θ represents a rotational position of the output shaft with respect to a reference rotational position of the output shaft, φ represents a phase constant, and V represents the magnitude and the polarity of the control signal;
and
determining a pulse width of a control signal of the plurality of control signals and a state of a bridge circuit, wherein the pulse width of the control signal determines a magnitude of a voltage across a winding of the brushless motor and the state of the bridge circuit determines a polarity of the voltage across the winding of the brushless motor;
rotating the output shaft of the brushless motor to the target rotational position by applying the plurality of control signals to the brushless motor without using a feedback signal from a sensor indicating an actual rotational position of the output shaft;
and
holding the output shaft at the target rotational position by applying a second set of control signals.

5 more elements

A system comprising:

a brushless motor comprising an output shaft;
and
a control module configured to (i) determine a plurality of control signals corresponding to a target rotational position of the output shaft, wherein the control module is configured to determine (a) a magnitude and a polarity of a control signal of the plurality of control signals based on an equation K[sin(θ+φ)]=V, wherein K represents a constant, θ represents a rotational position of the output shaft with respect to a reference rotational position of the output shaft, φ represents a phase constant, and V represents the magnitude and the polarity of the control signal and (b) a pulse width of a control signal of the plurality of control signals and a state of a bridge circuit, wherein the pulse width of the control signal determines a magnitude of a voltage across a winding of the brushless motor and the state of the bridge circuit determines a polarity of the voltage across the winding of the brushless motor, (ii) rotate the output shaft to the target rotational position by applying the plurality of control signals to the brushless motor without using a feedback signal from a sensor indicating an actual rotational position of the output shaft, and (iii) hold the output shaft at the target rotational position by applying a second set of control signals.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.