Conti Temic Microelectronic Gmbh

Temic Telefunken Microelectronic Gmbh

Continental Automotive Gmbh

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.

Erwin Kessler

Wolfgang Schulter

Dieter Driendl

Kurt Kleiner

Sanghun Lee

Satoshi Kikuchi

Klaus Spreng

Junya Kurata

Georg Kaeufl

Erich Liepold

Ulrich Joos

Beat Bauer

Gebhard Hopfmueller

Bjoern Schmitz

Frank Faha

Werner Pollersbeck

Reinhold Roedel

Stephan Kimpfler

Method for operating a DC motor, where the DC motor is supplied with a variable DC voltage via a bridge circuit from a supply voltage and formed by a first, a second, a third and a fourth controllable switch, wherein the DC voltage is varied by pulse width modulation of the control signals driving the controllable switches of the bridge circuit. A control arrangement drives the bridge circuit by pulse width modulation, after the first switch connecting the DC motor to the supply voltage has been switched off, switches on the second switch connected to a ground terminal, or vice versa. The control arrangement automatically inserts a drive pause between the first or second switch being switched off and the second or first switch being switched on, whereby a bridge circuit voltage present at the DC motor is limited by a resultant maximum settable duty cycle to a maximum value.

Method for operating a DC motor

Disclosed are apparatus and method for measuring electric current flowing through an inductive load energized by a half-bridge circuit with at least two semiconductor switches. The semiconductor switches are switched on and off in a complementary manner according to PWM. The apparatus comprises: a monitoring device determining the switched-on states and switched-off states of at least one of the at least two semiconductor switches; a synchronous measurement amplifier controlled by the monitoring device measuring voltage drop at the semiconductor switch during the switched-on state of the semiconductor switch and multiplying it to form multiplied voltage; and a synchronous voltage follower controlled by the monitoring device generating a voltage signal characteristic of the current in the inductive load, which in the switched-on state of the semiconductor switch follows the multiplied voltage and in the switched-off state of the semiconductor switch remains substantially constant or decreases according to a predefined profile.

Apparatus and method for measuring a current flowing through a PWM-controlled inductive load

A trunk cover for a vehicle includes an upper panel covering one portion of a loading space part formed in a vehicle, a lower panel disposed continuously with the upper panel and covering the other portion of the loading space part; a main body connection part connecting the upper panel to a main body of the vehicle, and a panel connection part connecting the upper panel and the lower panel so that a length formed by the upper panel and the lower panel is variable when opening the loading space part.

Trunk cover for vehicle and opening method thereof

A method for charging a starter battery of a vehicle is disclosed, wherein the vehicle has at least one movable opening element and a motor unit, which is coupled to the opening element and is operable in a motor-powered drive mode to drive the opening element and in a generator mode to generate an electrical voltage, said method comprising: detecting the generator mode of the motor unit using the electrical voltage generated by the motor unit, comparing the generated electrical voltage with a specified voltage value, and establishing an electrical connection from the motor unit to the starter battery to charge the starter battery, if the generated electrical voltage is greater than the voltage value.

Method for charging a starter battery and charging device for charging a starter battery

Provided is a decelerator-equipped motor unit which can achieve cost reductions in the control board and improvement of both mechanical and electrical reliability through a particular arrangement of elements on the board, thereby achieving a smaller size by realizing an appropriate board shape without increasing the size of the unit.

Decelerator-equipped motor unit

A method for identifying correct operation of an electrical switching unit, having a full bridge circuit and inductive load operated by the full bridge circuit. The full bridge circuit includes a first semiconductor switching element supplying the inductive load with a first supply voltage potential and a second semiconductor switching element supplying the inductive load with a second supply voltage potential, having a smaller value than the first supply voltage potential. The first and second semiconductor switching element each have a diode. The method determines that the first semiconductor switching element changes from an activated state into a deactivated state, measures a voltage applied to the second semiconductor switching element, compares the measured voltage with a first threshold and detecting that, if the measured voltage on the second semiconductor switching element falls below the second supply voltage potential by the predefined first threshold, the electrical switching unit is operating correctly.

Method for identifying a correct operation of an electrical switching unit, computer program product for executing such a method, and full bridge circuit with a control device for executing such a method

The invention relates to an arrangement for identifying an electrical line interruption during operation of a drive system (), which comprises two parallel-connected DC motors (), which are mechanically coupled to one another by means of a part that is to be driven, a driver for driving the two parallel-connected DC motors () and a measuring device for detecting different electrical variables of the drive system (). The measuring device comprises a rotational speed determination apparatus () for determining the rotational speed of the two DC motors () and for supplying a piece of rotational speed information representing the rotational speed. The measuring device further comprises a current measuring apparatus () for determining a summation current flowing in the two DC motors () and for supplying a piece of current information representing the summation current and a voltage determination apparatus () for determining the terminal voltage of the two DC motors () and for supplying a piece of voltage information representing the terminal voltage. A computation unit () is designed to ascertain a motor parameter (k) for the drive system () from the voltage information, the current information and the rotational speed information and to compare said motor parameter with a setpoint value (k) of the motor parameter (k), wherein the presence of a line interruption to one of the two DC motors () can be inferred from the result of the comparison.

Arrangement and method for detecting an electrical line interruption during operation of a drive system

The invention relates to a simple, economical and reliable method for providing anti-jamming protection. According to said method, the excess force&#x2014;the difference between the driving force and the friction force&#x2014;is compared with a trigger threshold. To this end, the curve of the friction force of the current actuation process, which is dependent on the actuation path of the electrical drive unit, is compared to the curve of the friction force of at least one previous actuation process and the trigger threshold value is modified according to how the friction force curves correspond. The invention also relates to a method for providing anti-jamming protection for an electrical drive unit for window lifting drives.

Method for operating an electrical drive unit

An electric motor for driving a component, such as a vehicle window lifter or a machine tool, functions as a generator, when the motor drive voltage is switched off and the motor is short circuited. The motor keeps running due to inertia or other influences. During this period after switch-off a generator voltage and respective generator current are produced. The generator current is measured for various purposes, preferably in combination with a measured r.p.m. signal. The generator current signal alone, or in combination with the r.p.m. signal, is evaluated to provide information regarding the motion of the driven component including information regarding the motion direction and position of the component.

Method and circuit arrangement for detecting motion, direction and position of a part driven by an electric motor

A method is presented for detecting the position and the direction of motion of a movably mounted part on an electric motor that makes provision not only for a single-channel sensor but also a measuring arrangement for the motor current and the rectified motor current by means of which the motor current is activated after operating switching devices to reverse the polarity of the voltage applied to the motor to cause a reversal of the direction of motion. The measuring arrangement establishes from the variation of the motor current over time the point of time of the motor current maximum and transmits this to the evaluation logic. The point of time of the actual reversal of the direction of motion is derived from the point of time of the motor current. Preferably, the current is measured as a reference current value even before falling through the zero crossing. By means of a calculating unit that simulates a motor state model, the measured values of motor current, motor voltage and motor speed can also be used to ascertain by calculation the time of reversal of the direction of motion and the current threshold value.

Method for detecting the position and direction of motion of a moving part mounted on an electric motor

The method for determining the rotational speed and/or the angle of rotation of mechanically commutated d.c. motors from the variation with respect to time of the ripple of the motor current occurring during commutation is supplemented and checked by a motor state model that functions in parallel to it and is based on the electromechanical motor equations. A probable value of the actual speed is extrapolated from the motor current and the motor voltage and a permissible reference time range is determined for the next commutation. If no commutation time can be established in the reference time range, the extrapolated value is used. Otherwise, the current speed is determined precisely from the commutation time measured in the reference time range. The load-dependent motor constant for the motor state model can be preset as a fixed value or it can be adjusted to the actual speed after commutation processes have been detected. Faults in the measurement and evaluation of the motor current ripple that occurs during commutation can be avoided and the interference-free forwarding of the actual values needed for determining and controlling positions of electrically operated parts can be safeguarded.

Method for establishing the rotational speed of mechanically commutated

A tunable digital filter arrangement realizes the difference equation

Tunable digital filter arrangement

A process for controlling the closing movement of closing mechanisms with at least one electromotive part includes the following features to guarantee squeeze protection: the measured values of at least one motor performance characteristic which characterizes the load on the electric motor, are continuously recorded and evaluated, a continuously adapted tripping threshold defining a squeezing incident is specified for each motor performance characteristic, the measured values of each motor performance characteristic are compared with each tripping threshold and, if the tripping threshold is exceeded by at least one measured value, a defined reaction is initiated from the closing mechanisms. Immediately after the start of the closing movement, the starting behavior of the closing mechanism in the starting phase of the electric motor is defined with regard to equalization of drive play and sluggishness of the closing mechanism with reference to measured values of at least one motor performance characteristic relevant to the closing distance. This means that squeeze protection can be activated in the starting phase, relevant to the response relevant to the closing distance of at least one motor performance characteristic, when an activation value relevant to the closing distance is reached. Once squeeze protection has been activated in the starting phase, this additional response of at least one motor performance characteristic relevant to the closing distance is specified up to achieving uniform motion of the electromotive part, taking into consideration the measured values of at least one motor performance characteristic(s) of the previous and current closing movement and the tripping threshold of at least one motor performance characteristic is defined relevant to the given additional response of each motor performance characteristic relevant to the closing distance.

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Bad Saulgau, Germany

Erwin Kessler