Motor controller system for large dynamic range of motor operation

US7081730B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• David E. Howard · Hazel Green, US
• Dean C. Alhorn · Huntsville, US
• Dennis A. Smith · Athens, US
• Kenneth R. Dutton · Athens, US
• Mitchell Scott Paulson · Huntsville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 21, 2004
• Grant date: Jul 25, 2006
• Expiry date: Jun 19, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H02P6/16
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A motor controller system uses a rotary sensor with a plurality of signal conditioning units, coupled to the rotary sensor. Each of these units, which is associated with a particular range of motor output shaft rotation rates, generate a feedback signal indicative of the position of the motor's output shaft. A controller (i) converts a selected motor output shaft rotation rate to a corresponding incremental amount of rotational movement for a selected fixed time period, (ii) selects, at periodic completions of the selected fixed time period, the feedback signal from one of the signal conditioning units for which the particular range of motor output shaft rotation rates associated therewith encompasses the selected motor output shaft rotation rate, and (iii) generates a motor drive signal based on a difference between the incremental amount of rotational movement and the feedback signal from the selected one of the signal conditioning units.