Vehicle driveline component having a sensor-less electromagnetic actuator system

A method of controlling a vehicle driveline component having an armature disposed along a translation axis, a coil assembly including a coil, a coil driver electrically coupled to the coil, and an oscillator circuit, the method comprising:

• providing, by way of the coil driver, a modulating power signal to the coil of the coil assembly to generate an electromagnetic field that causes relative motion between the coil assembly and the armature along the translation axis;
• selectively applying a measurement voltage to the oscillator circuit connected to the coil of the coil assembly, wherein the oscillator circuit includes a resonant circuit and is electrically coupled to the coil of the coil assembly such that the coil defines a portion of the resonant circuit;
• measuring a frequency of an oscillating signal generated by the oscillator circuit during a measurement interval, wherein the frequency of the oscillating signal is related to an inductance of the coil and varies based on a spacing between the armature and the coil assembly along the translation axis;
• determining a system response characteristic related to the spacing between the armature and the coil assembly based on the oscillating signal;
• determining whether a coupling in a vehicle driveline is locked based on the system response characteristic;
• and
• controlling power to the coil assembly based on the system response characteristic.

A vehicle driveline component comprising:

• an armature disposed along a translation axis, wherein the armature is moveable along the translation axis;
• a coil assembly having a coil;
• a coil driver electrically coupled to the coil, wherein the coil driver is operable to provide a modulating power signal to the coil to generate an electromagnetic field that causes relative motion between the coil assembly and the armature along the translation axis;
• an oscillator circuit having a resonant circuit, the oscillator circuit being electrically coupled to the coil of the coil assembly such that the coil defines a portion of the resonant circuit, wherein the oscillator circuit is configured to generate an oscillating signal having a frequency that varies based on a spacing between the armature and the coil assembly along the translation axis;
• and
• a controller coupled to the oscillator circuit and the coil driver, wherein the controller is configured to apply a drive signal to the coil driver to provide the modulating power signal to the coil assembly and to determine a position or state of a torque-transmitting coupling based on a detected rate of change of inductance of the coil.