Apparatus and method for controlling operation of reaction force motor

An apparatus for controlling an operation of a reaction force motor having multi-phases and included in a system for providing a reaction force by using the reaction force motor and an elastic member which is deformed by a rotation of a steering wheel in a direction of a rotation axis of the steering wheel, the apparatus comprising:

• a first motor control unit connected to multi-phases of a first winding part of the reaction force motor;
• and
• a second motor control unit connected to multi-phases of a second winding part of the reaction force motor,
• wherein each of the multi-phases of the first winding part and each of the multi-phases of the second winding part are connected to each of multi-phases of the reaction force motor,
• wherein the first and second motor control units receive a steering angle and a steering torque of the steering wheel from a steering angle sensor and a steering torque sensor, and
• wherein the first and second motor control units calculate a torque for the reaction force motor based on a reaction force torque associated with the deformation of the elastic member, the steering angle of the steering wheel received by the steering angle sensor, and the steering torque of the steering wheel received from the steering torque sensor, and control turning-on or turning-off of switches included therein so that the reaction force motor generates the torque corresponding to the calculated torque,
• wherein the first and second motor control units are configured such that, when a fault occurs in one of the motor control units, another of the motor control units continues to control the reaction force motor,
• wherein when any one of the multi-phases of the first winding part is open-circuited, a first switch driver of the first motor control unit is programmed to turn off first switches included in the first motor control unit, and a second switch driver of the second motor control unit is programmed to turn on second switches included in the second motor control unit, and
• wherein when any one of the multi-phases of the first winding part is short-circuited or when a short circuit occurs between the multi-phases of the first winding part, the first switch driver is programmed to turn on the first switches, and when a magnitude of the torque generated by the reaction force motor is equal to or smaller than a preset magnitude, the second switch driver is programmed to turn on the second switches.