Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
189 words
A method for establishing current control values for an electric motor, said method comprising the steps of: providing a table of motor current control values as a function of motor operating angle; providing a torque request signal indicative of the desired amount of torque to be supplied by said motor; providing a torque command signal having a value functionally related to said torque request signal and a feed-forward torque signal; monitoring motor operating angle; energizing said motor using current control values from said table in response to said torque command signal; measuring the amount of torque ripple experienced by said motor when said motor is energized; filtering said measured torque ripple using a time domain filter and providing a time domain filtered torque ripple signal; averaging said time domain filtered torque ripple signal; filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal using a spatial domain filter and providing said feed-forward torque signal in response thereto; and storing current control values output to said motor as a function of motor operating angle for the provided torque request value when said torque ripple value is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
189 words
A method for establishing current control values for an electric motor, said method comprising the steps of: providing a table of motor current control values as a function of motor operating angle; providing a torque request signal indicative of the desired amount of torque to be supplied by said motor; providing a torque command signal having a value functionally related to said torque request signal and a feed-forward torque signal; monitoring motor operating angle; energizing said motor using current control values from said table in response to said torque command signal; measuring the amount of torque ripple experienced by said motor when said motor is energized; filtering said measured torque ripple using a time domain filter and providing a time domain filtered torque ripple signal; averaging said time domain filtered torque ripple signal; filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal using a spatial domain filter and providing said feed-forward torque signal in response thereto; and storing current control values output to said motor as a function of motor operating angle for the provided torque request value when said torque ripple value is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of monitoring the motor operating angle includes the step of monitoring the electrical angle of said motor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said step of filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal includes the step of anticausally filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of repeating of said steps for each 10% increment of a maximum possible torque request value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of repeating all of said steps for each motor phase.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 further including the step of repeating all of said steps for each quadrant of motor operation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 further including the steps of: gain balancing said current control values to correct for motor quadrant operation; and storing gain balance values.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for providing a torque request signal indicative of the desired amount of torque to be supplied by an electric motor, said method comprising the steps of: providing a torque command signal having a value functionally related to a torque request signal and a feed-forward torque signal; monitoring motor operating angle; energizing said motor in response to said torque command signal; measuring the amount of torque ripple experienced by said motor when said motor is energized; filtering said measured torque ripple using a time domain filter and providing a time domain filtered torque ripple signal; averaging said time domain filtered torque ripple signal; filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal using a spatial domain filter and providing said feed-forward torque signal in response thereto; and storing feed-forward torque signals for later use to achieve a low torque ripple motor.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for providing a torque request signal indicative of the desired amount of torque to be supplied by an electric motor, said method comprising the steps of: providing a torque command signal having a value functionally related to a torque request signal and a feed-forward torque signal; monitoring motor operating angle; energizing said motor in response to said torque command signal; measuring the amount of torque ripple experienced by said motor when said motor is energized; filtering said measured torque ripple using a time domain filter and providing a time domain filtered torque ripple signal; averaging said time domain filtered torque ripple signal; filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal using a spatial domain filter and providing said feed-forward torque signal in response thereto; and storing feed-forward torque signals for later use to achieve a low torque ripple motor.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
219 words
An apparatus for establishing current control values for an electric motor, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing a table of motor current control values as a function of motor operating angle; input means for providing a torque request signal indicative of the desired amount of torque to be supplied by said motor; means for providing a torque command signal having a value functionally related to said torque request signal and a feed-forward torque signal; means for monitoring motor operating angle; control means for energizing said motor using current control values from said table stored in said memory means in response to said torque command signal; means for measuring the amount of torque ripple experienced by said motor when said motor is energized; time domain filter means for filtering said measured torque ripple signal in the time domain and providing a time domain filtered torque ripple signal; means for averaging said time domain filtered torque ripple signal; spatial filter means for filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal in the spatial domain and providing said feed-forward torque signal in response thereto; and memory means for storing current control values output to said motor as a function of motor operating angle for the provided torque request value when said torque ripple value is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
219 words
An apparatus for establishing current control values for an electric motor, said apparatus comprising: memory means for storing a table of motor current control values as a function of motor operating angle; input means for providing a torque request signal indicative of the desired amount of torque to be supplied by said motor; means for providing a torque command signal having a value functionally related to said torque request signal and a feed-forward torque signal; means for monitoring motor operating angle; control means for energizing said motor using current control values from said table stored in said memory means in response to said torque command signal; means for measuring the amount of torque ripple experienced by said motor when said motor is energized; time domain filter means for filtering said measured torque ripple signal in the time domain and providing a time domain filtered torque ripple signal; means for averaging said time domain filtered torque ripple signal; spatial filter means for filtering said averaged time domain filtered torque ripple signal in the spatial domain and providing said feed-forward torque signal in response thereto; and memory means for storing current control values output to said motor as a function of motor operating angle for the provided torque request value when said torque ripple value is less than a predetermined value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means for monitoring the motor operating angle includes the means for monitoring the electrical angle of said motor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said spatial filter means includes an anticausal filter.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 9 further including: gain balancing means for gain balancing said current control values to correct for motor quadrant operation; and memory means for storing said gain balance values.