# US 11,027,772 B2 · Motor controller

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,027,772 B2
- Document ID: US11027772B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/720,248
- Filed: 2019-12-19
- Published: 2020-06-25
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-21
- Assignees: Jtekt Corporation
- Applicants: Jtekt Corporation
- Inventors: Hiroshi Kawamura; Yuji Fujita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027772B2

## CPC

- B62D 5/0403: {characterised by constructional features, e.g. common housing for motor and gear box}
- B62D 5/0463: {calculating assisting torque from the motor based on driver input}
- B62D 5/046: {Controlling the motor}
- B62D 5/0484: {for reaction to failures, e.g. limp home}
- B62D 5/0487: {detecting motor faults (B62D5/0496 takes precedence)}
- B62D 5/0493: {detecting processor errors, e.g. plausibility of steering direction}
- H02P 6/08: Arrangements for controlling the speed or torque of a single motor (H02P6/10, H02P6/28 take precedence)
- H02P 25/22: Multiple windings; Windings for more than three phases
- H02P 29/028: the motor continuing operation despite the fault condition, e.g. eliminating, compensating for or remedying the fault
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS

## Abstract

A motor controller is configured to control a motor including a plurality of winding groups. The motor controller includes a plurality of processors. Each of the processors is configured to independently control supply of driving electric power to each of the winding groups. When an abnormality occurs in which a torque to be generated in one of the winding groups is smaller than an individual rated torque and when a target overall torque is larger than a total of the individual rated torque for the winding group in which the abnormality does not occur, the processor, controlling supply of driving electric power to the winding group in which the abnormality does not occur, out of the plurality of processors controls supply of the driving electric power such that the winding group generate a torque larger than the individual rated torque.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A motor controller configured to control a motor including a plurality of winding groups, the motor being provided with a plurality of energization systems, each of the winding groups being included in a corresponding one of the energization systems, the motor controller comprising a plurality of processors, each of the processors configured to independently control supply of driving electric power to each of the winding groups in the corresponding one of the energization systems,
each of the processors being configured to calculate respective control signals based on target individual torques which is split for each of the winding groups in the corresponding one of the energization systems from a target overall torque to be generated in the motor,
each of the processors including drive circuits configured to supply the driving electric power to each of the winding groups in the corresponding one of the energization systems based on the control signals,
each of the processors being configured to calculate the target individual torques such that each of the target individual torques is equal to or smaller than an individual rated torque set to be smaller than an individual limit torque determined depending on a structure of the motor as a limit of a torque to be output in each of the winding groups in the corresponding one of the energization systems,
each of the processors being configured such that, when an abnormality occurs in which a torque to be generated in one of the winding groups in the corresponding one of the energization systems is smaller than the individual rated torque and when the target overall torque is larger than a total of the individual rated torque for the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems in which the abnormality does not occur, the processor, controlling supply of driving electric power to the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems in which the abnormality does not occur, out of the plurality of processors controls supply of the driving electric power such that the winding group generates a torque larger than the individual rated torque.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein:
each of the processors is configured to detect a current abnormality including at least one of a wire disconnection and a short circuit in the energization system; and
the processors are configured such that, when the current abnormality is detected and the target overall torque is larger than the total of the individual rated torque for the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems in which the current abnormality does not occur, the processor, controlling supply of driving electric power to the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems in which the current abnormality does not occur, out of the plurality of processors controls supply of the driving electric power such that the winding group generates a torque larger than the individual rated torque.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein:
each of the processors is configured to detect an operation abnormality of the processor configured to controls supply of driving electric power to the winding group in the corresponding one of the other energization system; and
the processors are configured such that, when the operation abnormality is detected and when the target overall torque is larger than the total of the individual rated torque for the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems in which the operation abnormality does not occur, the processor, controlling supply of driving electric power to the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems in which the operation abnormality does not occur, out of the plurality of processors controls supply of the driving electric power such that the winding group generates a torque larger than the individual rated torque.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein:
each of the processors are connected to individual external power supplies;
the processors are configured to calculate individual restriction torques for restricting the target individual torques to the individual rated torques or smaller based on power supply voltages of the external power supplies; and
the processors are configured such that, when one of the winding groups in the corresponding one of the energization systems is in a restricted state in which the individual restriction torque is smaller than the individual rated torque and when the target overall torque is larger than a total of the individual rated torque of the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems that is not in the restricted state and the individual restriction torque of the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization system that is in the restricted state, the processor, controlling supply of driving electric power to the winding group in the corresponding one of the energization systems that is not in the restricted state, out of the plurality of processors controls supply of the driving electric power such that the winding group generates a torque larger than the individual rated torque.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The motor controller according to claim 1, wherein the motor is configured to generate a torque to be applied to a steering mechanism.