Apparatus and method for position sensing of integrated brushless starter
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsLei Hao, Chandra S. Namuduri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system includes a position sensor configured to detect positions of a rotor of a starter motor relative to the position sensor and to output signals indicating the detected positions and a controller configured to rotate the rotor to a plurality of predetermined positions relative to a stator of the starter motor, determine sensed positions of the rotor based on the signals output by the position sensor, and calculate an initial detected position of the rotor based on relationships between the determined sensed positions of the rotor and an expected angular distance between adjacent ones of the predetermined positions.
Claims16
A system comprising:
- a position sensor configured to detect positions of a rotor of a starter motor relative to the position sensor and to output signals indicating the detected positions;
- and
- a controller configured to
- rotate the rotor to a plurality of predetermined positions relative to a stator of the starter motor, wherein the predetermined positions include a first position and a second position corresponding to respective axes of the stator and rotating the rotor includes rotating the rotor to the first position and the second position,
- determine sensed positions of the rotor based on the signals output by the position sensor by determining a first sensed position at the first position and determining a second sensed position at the second position, and
- calculate an initial detected position of the rotor based on a comparison between (i) a difference between the first sensed position and the second sensed position and (ii) an expected angular distance between adjacent axes of the stator.
A method, comprising:
- detecting positions of a rotor of a starter motor relative to a position sensor;
- outputting signals indicating the detected positions;
- rotating the rotor to a plurality of predetermined positions relative to a stator of the starter motor, wherein the predetermined positions include a first position and a second position corresponding to respective axes of the stator and rotating the rotor includes rotating the rotor to the first position and the second position;
- determining sensed positions of the rotor based on the signals output by the position sensor, wherein determining the sensed positions includes determining a first sensed position at the first position and determining a second sensed position at the second position;
- calculating an initial detected position of the rotor based on a comparison between (i) a difference between the first sensed position and the second sensed position and (ii) an expected angular distance between adjacent axes of the stator;
- and
- controlling the rotor based on the calculated initial detected position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.