The present invention relates to a technology to diagnose whether a diagnostic unit is normally operated, the diagnostic unit diagnosing a resolver/digital converter (RD converter) that calculates a detection angle of a resolver using output signals of the resolver.
A resolver is a device mounted on a rotating body, such as a motor, and which detects a rotating angle of the rotating body. Typically, the resolver expresses a detection angle thereof by periodic output signals having mutually different phases, such as a sin wave and a cos wave. An RD converter receives the output signals from the resolver, calculates a rotating angle and an angle speed of the resolver using the output signals, and outputs a calculation result to a microcomputer that performs motor control.
The RD converter typically includes following abnormality detection functions (diagnostic functions) in its inside or outside. When a diagnostic unit has detected any abnormality, the RD converter outputs an error signal according to each abnormality state to the microcomputer.
(Diagnostic Function 1) Detection and diagnosis of abnormality of an angle/angle speed calculation unit inside an RD converter
(Diagnostic Function 2) Detection and diagnosis of abnormality of input signals (output signals from a revolver) to an RD converter
The diagnostic function 1 determines that, when an error between a resolver detection angle calculated by an angle/angle speed calculation unit inside an RD converter based output signals of a resolver and a detection angle predicted by the diagnostic function 1 itself exceeds a predetermined threshold, the angle/angle speed calculation unit has abnormality.
The diagnostic function 2 detects whether output signals output from the resolver is normal. For example, when a maximum amplitude value of the output signals exceeds a predetermined threshold, or when the maximum amplitude of the output signals is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the diagnostic function 2 determines that the input signals (the output signals from the resolver) to the RD converter has abnormality.
In a system that performs motor control, such as a hybrid vehicle or an electric power steering system, when the microcomputer has detected an error signal from an abnormality detection function (diagnostic function) of the system, the microcomputer stops the motor control by immediately stopping a PWM output, or the like.
However, the above-described diagnostic function can be used only when the RD converter itself is normally operated. When abnormality occurs inside the RD converter, there is a possibility that soundness of the diagnostic function is impaired, and a diagnosis result thereof is not credible.
In PTL 1 below, an RD converter itself has a self-diagnostic function. To be specific, the paragraph 0024 of PTL 1 describes, when a self-diagnosis instruction is input to the RD converter from an outside, the RD converter itself inputs a simulation signal in an abnormal state to a diagnostic unit in its inside, and diagnoses soundness of whether the diagnostic unit correctly detects an error.
In PTL 2 below, a technique is described, in which an input signal to an RD converter is also input to a microcomputer, and abnormality of a signal status is detected based on an amplitude or a locus of the input signal at the microcomputer side. By use of the technology, a redundant system function can be included, which compares whether the RD converter has similarly detected the abnormality when the microcomputer has detected the signal status is abnormal. Accordingly, whether the diagnostic function inside the RD converter is normally operated can be determined.
PTL 1: Publication of U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,701
PTL 2: Publication of U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,465
In the technology described in PTL 1 above, when a simulation signal generation unit inside the RD converter or the RD converter itself has abnormality, the soundness of the self-diagnostic function may be impaired. That is, the RD converter merely performs self-diagnosis. Therefore, there is a possibility that, if the RD converter itself has abnormality, the self-diagnostic function may also not be normally operated.
In the technology described in PTL 2 above, it is necessary to redundantly implement a diagnostic logic similar to the diagnostic function inside the RD converter on software of the microcomputer. Thus, complexity of the software is caused and throughput is increased. Further, whether the diagnostic function inside the RD converter is normally operated is first determined when an error state has actually occurred.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an objective is to diagnose whether a diagnostic function inside an RD converter is normally operated with a simple configuration even if abnormality occurs in the RD converter itself.
A diagnostic device of an RD converter diagnostic unit according to the present invention generates and inputs a resolver output that is in an error state to an RD converter, and determines that the diagnostic unit is normally operated if a diagnosis result of the RD converter indicates an abnormal state.
According to a diagnostic device of an RD converter diagnostic unit of the present invention, even when the RD converter itself is in an abnormal state, whether the self-diagnostic function of the RD converter is normally operated can be diagnosed without being influenced by the abnormal state. Further, it is not necessary to perform the same diagnosis as the self-diagnostic function of the RD converter. Therefore, the above effects can be exerted with a simple configuration.
The resolver 30 is mounted on the rotating body (for example, a motor) that is an object from which a rotating angle is detected. An excitation input signal 211 is input from an excitation signal generation unit 21 in the RD converter 20 to the resolver 30 through an excitation signal line 212. The excitation signal line 212 is typically configured from a twin wire type of a reference voltage line and an excitation signal line. The excitation input signal 211 is a sine wave of 10 to 20 kHz, for example.
The resolver 30 expresses a detection result of a rotating angle by a sin output signal 31 and a cos output signal 32, and outputs the output signals to the RD converter 20. The sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32 are input to the RD converter 20 through a sin output signal line 311 and a cos output signal line 321, respectively, and through a fault injection unit 12.
The sin output signal line 311 is configured from twin wire connected to a sin winding output terminal of the resolver 30, and the cos output signal line 321 is configured from twin wire connected to a cos winding output terminal of the resolver 30. The sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32 are voltages evoked in the resolver 30 based on the excitation input signal 211. Waveforms of the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32 are a sin wave and a cos wave in which an amplitude is constant during stop of the motor, and are envelope waveforms of a sin wave and a cos wave during rotation of the motor, as illustrated in
The RD converter 20 is a device that calculates a detection angle of the resolver 30 using an output of the resolver 30, and includes the excitation signal generation unit 21, a noise removal filter 22, an input signal diagnostic unit 23, an angle/angle speed calculation unit 24, and a calculation function diagnostic unit 25.
The noise removal filter 22 is a low-pass filter that removes a high-frequency noise from a signal input through the fault injection unit 12. The input signal diagnostic unit 23 diagnoses whether a signal from which a noise has been removed by the noise removal filter 22 is normal, and outputs a diagnosis result 231 thereof to the diagnostic device 10. An example of a diagnosis performed by the input signal diagnostic unit 23 will be described below.
The angle/angle speed calculation unit 24 receives the output signals of the resolver 30 through the input signal diagnostic unit 23, and calculates a rotating angle and an angle speed detected by the resolver 30 using the output signals. A calculation result 241 is output to the diagnostic device 10.
The calculation function diagnostic unit 25 estimates a calculation result 241 of the angle/angle speed calculation unit 24 separately from an operation of the angle/angle speed calculation unit 24 by a technique of adding up angle speeds calculated by the angle/angle speed calculation unit 24, or the like. The calculation function diagnostic unit 25 diagnoses whether the angle/angle speed calculation unit 24 is normally operated by determining whether the prediction result is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, and is separated from the calculation result 241. The calculation function diagnostic unit 25 outputs a diagnosis result 251 to the diagnostic device 10.
The diagnostic device 10 is a device that diagnoses whether the self-diagnostic function of the RD converter 20, that is, the input signal diagnostic unit 23 and the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 are normally operated. The diagnostic device 10 determines whether the diagnostic units are normally operated according to whether the diagnostic units report an abnormal state when an error state signal is input to the RD converter 20.
The diagnostic device 10 includes an error state signal generation unit 11, the fault injection unit 12, and an RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13. In
The error state signal generation unit 11 generates the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32 (an error state sin signal 111 and an error state cos signal 112), which have become in an error state, exemplarily illustrated in
The fault injection unit 12 switches whether the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32 are input to the RD converter 20 and whether the error state sin signal 111 and the error state cos signal 112 are input to the RD converter 20, according to an error injection permission signal 131 from the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13.
The RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 diagnoses whether the input signal diagnostic unit 23 and the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 are normally operated based on the diagnosis results 231 and 251. When performing these diagnoses, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 outputs the error injection permission signal 131 to the fault injection unit 12, and performs diagnostic processing described in
Function units included in the diagnostic device 10 and the RD converter 20 can be configured from hardware, such as a circuit device that realizes these functions, or can be configured from software that incorporates similar functions and a calculation unit that executes the software.
A configuration of the rotating angle detection system 100 has been described above. Next, a technique of diagnosing a self-diagnostic function of an RD converter by the diagnostic device 10 will be described.
The input signal diagnostic unit 23 diagnoses the states of the respective envelope signals of the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32. Main diagnoses are following two examples.
When an amplitude value of the envelope signal (a maximum amplitude value of the output signal of the resolver 30) is smaller than a minimum threshold value set in the RD converter 20 in advance, the input signal diagnostic unit 23 determines that the output signal is abnormal, and outputs the diagnosis result 231 indicating the fact of the abnormality to the diagnostic device 10. The input signal diagnostic unit 23 may separately notify the diagnosis results 231 regarding the respective envelope signals of the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32, or may determine that the output signals of the resolver 30 as a whole are abnormal if at least one of the envelope signals has abnormality. The same applies to a diagnosis, part 2 below.
When an amplitude value of the envelope signal (a maximum amplitude value of the output signal of the resolver 30) is larger than a maximum threshold set in the RD converter 20 in advance, the input signal diagnostic unit 23 determines that the output signal is abnormal, and outputs the diagnosis result 231 indicating the fact of the abnormality to the diagnostic device 10.
An increase/decrease of the amplitude of the envelope signal is caused by an increase/decrease of a resistance of a signal path from the resolver 30 to the RD converter 20. At the timing before the angle/angle speed calculation unit 24 calculates an angle speed, and the like, existence of abnormality cannot be diagnosed, and therefore, a main object to be diagnosed is the amplitude of the envelope signal.
Therefore, when whether the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 is normally operated is diagnosed, the error state signal generation unit 11 shifts the phases of the output signals of the resolver 30, and thus at least one of the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32 generates an error state that changes in a step manner in place of a periodic change. Accordingly, inconsistency of phases is caused between the sin output signal 31 and the cos output signal 32, and the error state sin signal 111 and the error state cos signal 112, and thus, if the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 is normally operated, the diagnosis result 251 indicating the angle/angle speed calculation unit 24 is abnormal is supposed to be output.
When whether the input signal diagnostic unit 23 is normally operated is diagnosed, the error state signal generation unit 11 makes the amplitude of at least one of the envelope signals of the error state sin signal 111 and the error state cos signal 112 smaller than the minimum threshold value, with which the input signal diagnostic unit 23 detects abnormality.
When whether the input signal diagnostic unit 23 is normally operated is diagnosed, the error state signal generation unit 11 makes the amplitude of at least one of the envelope signals of the error state sin signal 111 and the error state cos signal 112 larger than the maximum threshold, with which the input signal diagnostic unit 23 detects abnormality.
The error state signals illustrated in
The error state signals like
To diagnoses the self-diagnostic function of the RD converter 20 by the diagnostic device 10, it is necessary to inject an error state signal. Therefore, it is necessary that the motor is completely stopped, and the motor control is not being controlled. For example, the-above conditions are satisfied in an initializing state of startup of the system, when the system is in a shutdown sequence status, in an idling-stop status in a case of a driving system motor of a hybrid vehicle, and the like. The diagnostic device 10 determines whether an object system including the motor is in a state of capable to diagnosing the self-diagnostic function of the RD converter 20 in the present step. When a diagnosis can be performed, the procedure proceeds to step S603, and when a diagnosis cannot be performed, the procedure proceeds to step S602.
The RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 sets the error injection permission signal 131 to OFF, and returns to immediately preceding processing without performing a diagnosis.
The RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 sets the error injection permission signal 131 to ON, and starts subsequent diagnostic processing.
The fault injection unit 12 inputs the error state signal illustrated in
If the diagnosis result 251 indicates “abnormality”, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 determines that the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 is “normal (sound)” (S606), and if the diagnosis result 251 does not indicate “abnormality”, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 determines that the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 is “abnormal (not sound)” (S607).
In step S604, the fault injection unit 12 has input the error state signal to the RD converter 20, and thus if the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 is normally operated, the diagnosis result 251 is supposed to indicate “abnormality”. In this step, whether the calculation function diagnostic unit 25 is normally operated is diagnosed based on this approach. Following steps are also based on similar approach.
The fault injection unit 12 inputs the error state signal illustrated in
If the diagnosis result 231 indicates “abnormality”, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 determines that the minimum amplitude diagnostic function of the input signal diagnostic unit 23 is “normal (sound)” (S610), and if the diagnosis result 231 does not indicate “abnormality”, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 determines that the function of the input signal diagnostic unit 23 is “abnormal (not sound)” (S611).
The fault injection unit 12 inputs the error state signal illustrated in
If the diagnosis result 231 indicates “abnormality”, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 determines that the maximum amplitude diagnostic function of the input signal diagnostic unit 23 is “normal (sound)” (S614), and if the diagnosis result 231 does not indicates “abnormality”, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 determines that the function of the input signal diagnostic unit 23 is “abnormal (not sound)” (S615).
When having determined that at least one of the self-diagnostic functions of the RD converter 20 (the input signal diagnostic unit 23 and the calculation function diagnostic unit 25) is abnormal (not sound), the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 reports the fact of the abnormality to a higher-rank system. Upon receiving the report, the higher-rank system provides for safety of the entire system by executing a failsafe function (a function to forcibly transfer to a safety action, such as stopping of the motor control), for example.
As described above, the diagnostic device 10 according to the first embodiment inputs the error state signal to the RD converter 20, and diagnoses whether the self-diagnostic unit is normally operated according to whether the self-diagnostic unit of the RD converter 20 detects an error state. Accordingly, the diagnostic device 10 can diagnose the operation of the self-diagnostic unit without being influenced by whether the RD converter 20 itself is normally operated.
Further, according to the diagnostic device 10 of the first embodiment, the self-diagnostic function of the RD converter 20 can be objectively diagnosed. Accordingly, the safety and the reliability of the system that performs the motor control, such as a hybrid vehicle and an electric power steering system, can be improved.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, other diagnoses that can be performed on the assumption of the configuration described in the first embodiment will be described.
A noise removal filter 22 removes a high-frequency noise component included in a sin output signal 31 and a cos output signal 32. Therefore, when a self-diagnostic function of an RD converter 20 is diagnosed, it is necessary to make the length of an error state signal input to the RD converter 20 longer than a time width of a noise removed by the noise removal filter 22. Therefore, the error state signal generation unit 11 generates an error state signal longer than the time width, and a fault injection unit 12 inputs the error state signal longer than the time width to the RD converter 20.
Meanwhile, when applying the above principle, an RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 can diagnose whether the noise removal filter 22 is normally operated. To be specific, the error state signal generation unit 11 and the fault injection unit 12 input an error state signal shorter than a time width of a noise removed by the noise removal filter 22 to the RD converter 20. If diagnosis results 231 and 251 are both normal, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 can determine that the noise removal filter 22 is normally operated, and if either the diagnosis result 231 or 251 is abnormal, the RD converter diagnostic function diagnostic unit 13 can determine that the noise removal filter 22 is abnormally operated.
While in
The power steering system 200 is a system that controls a traveling direction of the electric vehicle 1000. When a manipulator operates a steering device 220, a motor 210 assists the operation. The power train system 300 is a system that provides wheels of the electric vehicle 1000 with progress power by a motor 310.
The rotating angle detection system 100 detects rotating angles of the motors 210 and 310, and notifies a control device (not illustrated) of the rotating angles. The control device controls the operation of the electric vehicle 1000 according to the rotating angles.
The electric vehicle 1000 according to the third embodiment detects rotating angles by the rotating angle detection system 100 with high reliability, and can improve safety and reliability of the entire system based on the detected rotating angles.
The invention made by the inventors has been specifically described based on the embodiments. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.
Further, all or a part of the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, and the like can be realized as hardware by designing them with an integrated circuit, for example, or can be realized as software by executing the functions by a processor. Information, such as programs and tables that realize the functions, can be stored in a storage device, such as a memory or a hard disk, or in a storage medium, such as an IC card or a DVD.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2012-000105 | Jan 2012 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP2012/080662 | 11/28/2012 | WO | 00 | 7/3/2014 |