Method of driving stepping motor
AssigneeUnisia Jecs Corporation
InventorsMakoto Kimura, Junichi Emura, Shinobu Kakizaki, Mitsuo Sasaki
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Abstract
A method of driving a stepping motor comprises dividing a drive signal for each drive step into a plurality of portions in the direction of a time axis, and controlling the drive signal in connection with the plurality of portions thereof in a way of PWM so as to obtain a pattern of a gradual change in a on-duty ratio of the drive signal.
Claims3
A method of driving a stepping motor for driving means for varying a damping-force characteristic of a shock absorber, the stepping motor having a plurality of drive steps, the method comprising the steps of:
- dividing a drive signal for each drive step of the stepping motor into a plurality of portions in a direction of a time axis;
- controlling each portion of said drive signal in a way of PWM so as to obtain a pattern of a gradual change in an on-duty ratio of said each portion of said drive signal, said pattern being dependent on a voltage supplied to the stepping motor;
- and
- supplying said each portion of said drive signal as controlled to the stepping motor.
In a motor vehicle:
- a shock absorber including means for varying a damping force characteristic;
- a stepping motor mounted to said shock absorber, said stepping motor serving to drive said damping-force characteristic varying means of said shock absorber, said stepping motor having a plurality of drive steps;
- and
- a control unit connected to said stepping motor, said control unit comprising:
- means for dividing a drive signal for each drive step of said stepping motor into a plurality of portions in a direction of a time axis;
- means for controlling each portion of said drive signal in a way of PWM so as to obtain a pattern of a gradual change in an on-duty ratio of said each portion of said drive signal, said pattern being dependent on a voltage supplied to said stepping motor;
- and
- means for supplying each portion of said drive signal as controlled to said stepping motor.
A system for driving a stepping motor for driving means for varying a damping-force characteristic of a shock absorber, the stepping motor having a plurality of drive steps, the system comprising:
- means for dividing a drive signal for each drive step of the stepping motor into a plurality of portions in a direction of a time axis;
- means for controlling each portion of said drive signal in a way of PWM so as to obtain a pattern of a gradual change in an on-duty ratio of said each portion of said drive signal, said pattern being dependent on a voltage supplied to the stepping motor;
- and
- means for supplying said each portion of said drive signal as controlled to the stepping motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.