# US 12,184,208 B2 · Orientation of a rotor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,184,208 B2 - Document ID: US12184208B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/049,189 - Filed: 2022-10-24 - Published: 2023-04-27 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-10-26 - Assignees: Microchip Technology Incorporated - Applicants: Microchip Technology Incorporated - Inventors: Jason M. Sachs; Srikar Deshmukh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184208B2 ## CPC - H02P 6/183: {using an injected high frequency signal} - H02P 21/18: Estimation of position or speed - H02P 6/185: using inductance sensing, e.g. pulse excitation - H02P 21/22: Current control, e.g. using a current control loop - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS ## Abstract One or more examples relate, generally, to an orientation of a rotor. Some examples relate to an apparatus. The apparatus may include sample-accumulation logic to generate, over a time duration, a value indicative of inductance at least partially responsive to a probe signal provided to a stator of a motor. The apparatus may also include a probe-current discriminator to generate a further value indicative of an orientation of a rotor of the motor at least partially responsive to the generated value. The apparatus may also include update logic to update a process variable of a control loop at least partially responsive to a state of the further value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: sample-accumulation logic to generate, over a time duration, a value indicative of inductance at least partially responsive to a probe signal provided to a stator of a motor; a probe-current discriminator to generate a further value indicative of an orientation of a rotor of the motor at least partially responsive to the generated value; and update logic to update, at a commutation angle estimator or a phase-locked loop, an estimated electrical angle of a rotor at least partially responsive to a state of the further value indicating the orientation of the rotor to be off by 180°. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a probe-signal generator to generate the probe signal and a transform to provide the probe signal along a d-axis of the motor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a probe-signal generator to generate the probe signal, the probe signal comprising a first current during a first-current duration and a second current during a second-current duration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first current and the second current are nonzero and have opposite signs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the probe-current discriminator is to generate the further value by comparing a first value indicative of inductance during the first-current duration to a second value indicative of inductance during the second-current duration. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the probe signal comprises the first current during two or more first-current durations and the second current during one or more second-current durations. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the two or more first-current durations are interleaved with the one or more second-current durations. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the update logic is to adjust, at the commutation angle estimator or the phase-locked loop, the estimated electrical angle by 180° at least partially responsive to the state of the further value indicating the orientation of the rotor to be off by 180°. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: providing an excitation signal to a stator of a motor to induce a response signal; providing a probe signal to the stator; generating a signal indicative of inductance at least partially responsive to the induced response signal; observing, over a time duration, the generated signal at least partially responsive to the provided probe signal; generating a further signal indicative of an orientation of a rotor of the motor at least partially responsive to the observed signal; and updating, at a commutation angle estimator or a phase-locked loop, an estimated electrical angle of a rotor at least partially responsive to a state of the further signal indicating the orientation of the rotor to be off by 180°. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, comprising providing the probe signal along a d-axis of the motor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, comprising generating the probe signal comprising a first current during a first-current duration and a second current during a second-current duration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first current and the second current are nonzero and have opposite signs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein generating the further signal comprises comparing a first portion of the observed signal indicative of inductance during the first-current duration to a second portion of the observed signal indicative of inductance during the second-current duration. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein providing the probe signal to the stator comprises providing a first current during two or more first-current durations and providing a second current during one or more second-current durations. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, interleaving the two or more first-current durations with the one or more second-current durations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein updating the estimated electrical angle comprises adjusting, at the commutation angle estimator or the phase-locked loop, the estimated electrical angle by 180°. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein updating the process variable comprises updating a state of a current-loop integrator responsive to the orientation of the rotor. ### Claim 18 An apparatus comprising: one or more circuits to: provide, responsive to a controller, an oscillating signal to a stator of a motor to induce a response signal; generate a signal indicative of inductance at least partially responsive to the induced response signal; observe, over a time duration, the generated signal at least partially responsive to providing a probe signal to the stator; generate a further signal indicative of an orientation of a rotor of the motor at least partially responsive to the observed signal; and update, at a commutation angle estimator or a phase-locked loop, an estimated electrical angle of a rotor at least partially responsive to the further signal indicating the orientation of the rotor to be off by 180°, wherein the update to the estimated electrical angle adjusts the estimated electrical angle of the rotor by 180°. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more circuits generate the probe signal comprising a first current during a first-current duration and a second current during a second-current duration. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more circuits compare a first signal of the observed signal indicative of inductance during the first-current duration to a second signal of the observed signal indicative of inductance during the second-current duration. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the one or more circuits apply the probe signal to the stator comprising providing a first current during one or more first-current durations and providing a second current during one or more second-current durations.