Automotive electrically-actuated device end-of-travel detection
AssigneeFCA Italy S.p.A.
InventorDaniele Pasinato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automotive electronic control unit configured to control an automotive electrically-actuated device which is required to move from/to one or more end-of-travel positions, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to detect reaching an end-of-travel or stall position by the automotive electrically-actuated device based on: amplitude of the electric current absorbed by the automotive electrically-actuated device, gradient of amplitude of the electric current absorbed by the automotive electrically-actuated device, and ripple frequency of amplitude of the electric current absorbed by the automotive electrically-actuated device.
Claims20
An automotive electronic control unit comprising:
- an analog-to-digital converted (ADC) data collector module configured to receive an analog electric signal indicative of an amplitude of an electric current absorbed by an automotive electrically-actuated device;
- and
- an end-of-travel detector module configured to:
- receive data indicative of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current from the ADC data collector module;
- determine a gradient of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- determine a ripple frequency of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- and
- determine, based at least in part on the data indicative of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current, the gradient, and the ripple frequency, that the automotive electrically-actuated device has reached an end-of-travel position or stall position.
A method of controlling an automotive electrically-actuated device, comprising:
- receiving, at an automotive electronic control unit, an analog electric signal indicative of an amplitude of an electric current absorbed by an automotive electrically-actuated device;
- receiving, at the automotive electronic control unit, data indicative of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- determining, by the automotive electronic control unit, a gradient of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- determining, by the automotive electronic control unit, a ripple frequency of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- and
- determining, by the automotive electronic control unit, based at least in part on the data indicative of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current, the gradient, and the ripple frequency, that the automotive electrically-actuated device has reached an end-of-travel position or stall position.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by an automotive electronic control unit, are operable to perform a method controlling an automotive electrically-actuated device, comprising:
- receiving an analog electric signal indicative of an amplitude of an electric current absorbed by an automotive electrically-actuated device;
- receiving data indicative of the amplitude absorbed electric current;
- determining a gradient of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- determining a ripple frequency of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current;
- and
- determining, based at least in part on the data indicative of the amplitude of the absorbed electric current, the gradient, and the ripple frequency, that the automotive electrically-actuated device has reached an end-of-travel position or stall position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.