Abstract:
A dual resolver device that includes a first resolver having a first rotary shaft, and a second resolver having a second rotary shaft, wherein the absolute value of a difference between a shaft angle multiple of the first resolver and a shaft angle multiple of the second resolver is 1. In one embodiment, the dual resolver device further includes a torsion bar connecting the first and second rotary shafts. In another embodiment, the first and second rotary shafts constitute different portions of the same rotary shaft. In either embodiment, the first resolver preferably produces an output indicative of a rotation angle of the first rotary shaft, and the second resolver preferably produces an output indicative of a rotation angle of the second rotary shaft. The dual resolver device preferably further includes a processor that determines an absolute shaft rotation angle in response to the first and second outputs, and the shaft angle multiples of the first and second resolvers. Most preferably, the processor has the capability of determining both the absolute and relative shaft rotation angles in response to the first and second outputs, and the shaft angle multiples of the first and second resolvers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    In general, road vehicles such as automobiles are steered by means of an operator (driver) rotating a steering wheel (handwheel), which, in turn, causes rotation of wheels (roadwheels) that are in contact with a road surface. The roadwheels are operatively coupled to the handwheel via a steering shaft. Due to frictional forces between the roadwheels and the road surface, the roadwheels generally do not rotate to the same extent as the steering wheel rotates. Consequently, more than one turn (i.e., complete revolution) of the handwheel is generally needed in order to move the roadwheels from lock to lock. The difference in the rotation angles of the handwheel and roadwheels results in the generation of torque. Torque sensors have been developed to measure the difference in rotation angles between the handwheel and the roadwheels. Electric power assisted steering systems that incorporate torque sensors have been developed to provide servo control of the steering system in order to minimize the difference in rotation angles between the handwheel and roadwheels, and thereby optimize steering accuracy.  
           [0002]    [0002]FIG. 6 illustrates a torque sensor of a previously-developed electric power assisted vehicle steering system. As shown in FIG. 6, the system includes, at one end, an input shaft  72  operatively connected to a steering wheel or handwheel  71 , and, at the other end, an output shaft  74  operatively connected to at least one roadwheel (not shown). The input shaft  72  and the output shaft  74  are linked by a torsion bar  73  that twists when the handwheel  71  is turned, during steering, by an amount that depends upon the amount of torque generated by the turning action. A first detection ring  66  is installed around the outer surface of the input shaft  72  and rotates by approximately the same angle as the handwheel  71 . A second detection ring  67  is installed around the outer surface of the torsion bar  73 . A third detection ring  68  is installed around the outer surface of the output shaft  74  and rotates by approximately the same angle as the roadwheels. The detection rings  66 - 68  are composed of magnetic material.  
           [0003]    Toothed portions comprised of spaced-apart teeth are formed on mutually opposing surfaces of the first and second detection rings  66 ,  67 , and similar toothed portions are formed on mutually opposing surfaces of the second and third detection rings  67 ,  68 . A first coil  61  is wound around the outer surface of the first detection ring  66  and the second detection ring  67 . The first coil  61  extends across a gap between the first and second detection rings  66 ,  67 . A second coil  70  is wound around the outer surface of the third detection ring  68  and the second detection ring  67 . The second coil  70  extends across a gap between the third and second detection rings  68 ,  67 . The first and second coils  61 ,  70  are each operatively connected to a processor  69 .  
           [0004]    In operation, the above-described torque sensor of the previously-developed electric power assisted vehicle steering system works as follows. In general, when the operator rotates the steering wheel  71 , the input shaft  72 , output shaft  74  and torsion bar  73  also rotate. At this time, one end portion of the torsion bar  73 , which is joined to the input shaft  72  (i.e., steering wheel side), is twisted to a larger extent than the other end portion of the torsion bar  73 , which is joined to the output shaft  74  (i.e., the roadwheel side). Specifically, when the steering wheel  71  is rotated, the rotation angles of the first, second, and third detection rings have the following relationship: rotation angle of first detection ring  66 &gt;rotation angle of second detection ring  67 &gt;rotation angle of third detection ring  68 .  
           [0005]    The reason that the rotation angles are increasingly greater towards the steering wheel and away from the roadwheels is that the frictional forces between the roadwheels and the road surface prevent the output shaft  74  from rotating as much as the input shaft  72 . Accordingly, the area between the toothed portion of the first detection ring  66  and the toothed portion of the second detection ring  67  varies insignificantly, whereas the area between the toothed portion of the second detection ring  67  and the toothed portion of the third detection ring  68  varies significantly. Consequently, the external magnetic flux between the second detection ring  67  and the third detection ring  68  that is sensed by the second coil  61  varies. The inductance values of the first coil  61  and the second coil  70  are set to be the same, so that when the steering wheel  71  is rotated, the magnetic flux sensed by the first coil  61  is constant, whereas the magnetic flux sensed by the second coil  70  varies. By measuring the change in the induced electromotive force of the second coil  70  with respect to the induced electromotive force of the first coil  61 , it is possible to measure the relative rotation angle between the input shaft  72  (steering wheel side) and the output shaft  74  (roadwheel side).  
           [0006]    [0006]FIG. 7 illustrates a resolver of a previously-developed electric power assisted vehicle steering system. The resolver depicted in FIG. 7 operates on the principle of a rotary transformer. Specifically, this resolver includes a rotary shaft  50 , a rotor  54  mounted to the rotary shaft  50 , a resolver excitation winding  58  wound around the rotor  54 , an inner core  56 , and a rotary transformer output winding  60  wound around the inner core  56 . The rotor  54  and its associated components are mounted for rotational movement along with rotary shaft  50 , within a case  52 , by means of bearings  51 A and  51 B. The system further includes a stator  53 , a resolver output winding  57  wound around the stator  53 , an outer core  55 , and a rotary transformer excitation winding  59  wound around the outer core  55 . The stator  53  and its associated components are fixedly mounted to the case  52 , so as to remain stationary during rotational movement of the rotary shaft  50 .  
           [0007]    An excitation voltage applied to the rotary transformer excitation winding  59  induces a voltage in the rotary transformer output winding  60  through the action of the rotary transformer formed by the outer core  55  and the inner core  56 . The voltage induced in the rotary transformer output winding  60  is applied to the resolver excitation winding  58 . The X-axis (X) and Y-axis (Y) components of the rotation angle of the rotary shaft  50  can be determined from the output of the resolver output winding  57 .  
           [0008]    However, both of the above-described previously-developed systems suffer from the common limitation that they are capable of measuring only the rotation deviation angle (relative rotation angle) of the rotary shaft, and are not capable of measuring the absolute rotation angle of the rotary shaft, and thus, are not capable of ascertaining the absolute position of the roadwheels.  
           [0009]    Based on the above, it can be appreciated that there presently exists a need in the art for a method and apparatus that overcomes the limitations of the existing technology. The present invention fulfills this need in the art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The present invention encompasses, among other things, a dual resolver device that includes a first resolver having a first rotary shaft, and a second resolver having a second rotary shaft, wherein the absolute value of a difference between a shaft angle multiple of the first resolver and a shaft angle multiple of the second resolver is 1. In one embodiment, the dual resolver device further includes a torsion bar connecting the first and second rotary shafts. In another embodiment, the first and second rotary shafts constitute different portions of the same rotary shaft. In either embodiment, the first resolver preferably produces an output indicative of a rotation angle of the first rotary shaft, and the second resolver preferably produces an output indicative of a rotation angle of the second rotary shaft. Further, the dual resolver device preferably further includes a processor that determines an absolute shaft rotation angle in response to the first and second outputs, and the shaft angle multiples of the first and second resolvers. Most preferably, the processor has the capability of determining both the absolute and relative shaft rotation angles in response to the first and second outputs, and the shaft angle multiples of the first and second resolvers. The sum of the shaft angle multiples is preferably ≧3, and, in an illustrative embodiment, is ≧11.  
           [0011]    Many other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a dual resolver of a shaft angle measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a dual resolver of a shaft angle measurement device according to another embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is a graphical representation of equation (14) including a set of graphs corresponding to different parametric conditions;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a table depicting the value of Δθ for different values of P and Q with respect to equation (14);  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a shaft angle measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a perspective, partial cross-section view of a torque sensor of a previously-developed electric power assisted vehicle steering system; and,  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective, partial cross-section view of a resolver of a previously-developed electric power assisted vehicle steering system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 2, first and second embodiments of a dual or twin resolver  1 , respectively, are depicted diagrammatically. In overview, it can be seen that with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the dual resolver  1  includes resolvers  2  and  4  that share a common rotary shaft  3 . By contrast, with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the dual resolver  1  includes separate rotary shafts  3  and  5  for the resolvers  2  and  4 , respectively, wherein the rotary shafts  3  and  5  of the resolvers  2  and  4  are connected by a torsion bar  7 .  
         [0020]    Resolvers  2  and  4  are suitably of a conventional type well-known in the art. As is well-known to those having ordinary skill in the pertinent art, such conventional resolvers have excitation and output windings, and produce outputs proportional to the sine and cosine of the rotation angle of a rotor. Such conventional resolvers also include an R/D (resolver/digital) converter that produces an output indicative of the respective rotation angle of the rotor of the respective resolver. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outputs of the R/D converter of the resolvers  2  and  4  are respectively designated θp and θq. Alternatively, the R/D converters can be implemented as separate components of a shaft angle measurement device incorporating the dual resolver  1 , as will become apparent hereinafter.  
         [0021]    With respect to the first embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, because the resolvers  2  and  4  share the same rotary shaft  3 , twisting between resolver  2  and resolver  4  does not occur due to the rigidity of the rotary shaft  3 . Thus, the rotation angles θp and θq, of the resolvers  2  and  4 , respectively, are always equal (i.e., θp=θq).  
         [0022]    With respect to the second embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, because the rotary shafts  3  and  5  are connected by a torsion bar  7 , twisting between resolver  2  and resolver  4  does occur due to twisting of the torsion bar  7 , thereby causing a difference (designated as Δθ between the respective rotation angles, θp, θq, of the resolvers  2  and  4 , i.e., θq−θp=Δθ, where Δθ constitutes the relative rotation angle of the rotary shafts  3  and  5  of resolvers  2  and  4 . With the first embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, Δθ=0.  
         [0023]    The term “shaft angle multiple” as used herein refers to ½ the number of poles of the resolver. The shaft angle multiples of resolver  2  and resolver  4  are referred to herein as P and Q, respectively. The rotation angles of the rotary shafts  3  and  5  of resolvers  2  and  4 , respectively, and the respective output rotation angles produced by the R/D converter of the resolvers  2  and  4 , are set to θp and θq, respectively. The operation of the second embodiment of the dual resolver  1  of the present invention depicted in FIG. 2 will be described below as follows. First, for the case where Δθ=0, the relationship between the shaft angle multiples P and Q and between the output rotation angles θp and θq will be described. Second, for the case where Δθ≠0, the relationship between the shaft angle multiples P and Q and their relationship to the difference Δθ between output rotation angles θp and θq will be described.  
         [0024]    The Case Where Δθ=0  
         [0025]    First, for the case where Δθ=0, the relationship between the shaft angle multiples P and Q is determined as follows. The rotation angle θ of the rotary shaft  3  is expressed by equation (1) when the output rotation angle of resolver  2  with shaft angle multiple P is θp.  
         θ=θ p/P+ 360 *M/P,   (1)  
         [0026]    where M is an integer between 0 to (P−1), inclusive.  
         [0027]    The rotation angle θ+Δθ of the rotary shaft  5  is expressed by equation (2) when the output rotation angle of resolver  4  with shaft angle multiple Q is θq, and a shaft rotation angle difference Δθ is produced by twisting of the torsion bar  7 .  
         θ+Δθ=θ q/Q+ 360 * N/Q,   (2)  
         [0028]    where N is an integer between 0 to (Q−1), inclusive.  
         [0029]    When there is no twisting of the rotary shaft  5 , Δθ=0, whereby equation (1)=equation (2), and the following equation (3) is obtained:  
         θ=θ p/P+ 360 *M/P=θq/Q+ 360 *N/Q.   (3)  
         [0030]    The following equations (4) and (5) can be derived from equations (1) and (3) above:  
         θ p =( P *θ)+(360* M ).  (4)  
         θ q =( Q*θ)+( 360* N ).  (5)  
         [0031]    The following equation (6) can be derived from equation (5) above:  
         ( Q−P )*θ=(θ q−θp )−(360*( M−N )),  (6)  
         [0032]    where (360* (M−N)) is repeated for each 360° and can therefore be omitted, thereby yielding the following equation (7):  
         θ=(θ q−θp )/( Q−P ).  (7)  
         [0033]    Based on equation (7), when the value of (Q−P) is set to be 1 (i.e., when Q−P=1), the value of θ can be obtained from θq−θp (i.e., θ=θq−θp, when Q−P=1).  
         [0034]    In cases where Q−P=1 is not true, 0 can only be obtained up to a range of a maximum of 360°/(Q−P). Therefore, the following equation (8) must be satisfied in order to obtain an absolute angle measurement in the 360° range.  
           Q−P= 1.  (8)  
         [0035]    The relationship between the output rotation angles θq and θp is determined as follows. When θp is obtained from equation (3), the following equation (9) is obtained:  
         θ p=P*θq/Q+ 360 *P* N/Q+ 360 * M,   (9)  
         [0036]    where 360*M is repeated for each 360° (i.e., for each revolution of the rotary shaft) and can therefore be omitted, whereby equation (9) becomes the following equation (10):  
         θ p=P*θq/Q+ 360 *P*N/Q.   (10)  
         [0037]    When equation (8) is satisfied, the following equation (11) is obtained:  
         θ p=P*θq/Q+ 360 *N/Q.   (11)  
         [0038]    When equation (8) is satisfied, θq can be obtained from equation (3) in the same way, yielding the following equation (12):  
         θ q=P*θp/P+ 360 *M/P.   (12)  
         [0039]    The Case Where Δθ≢0  
         [0040]    When θ is eliminated from equations (1) and (2), the relationship between θq and θp, and when there is a Δθ≠0 difference between the rotation angles of the rotary shafts  3  and  5  of the resolvers  2  and  4 , respectively, the following equation (13) results:  
         θ q−Q*Δθ=Q*θp/P+ 360 *M *( Q−P )/ P.   (13)  
         [0041]    When equation (8) is satisfied, the following equation (14) results:  
         θ q=Q*θp/P+Q*Δθ+ 360 *M/P.   (14)  
         [0042]    In order to uniquely establish equation (14), it is necessary that equation (14) not change according to the values of the respective variables.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 3 is a drawing that graphs equation (14) in order to facilitate an understanding thereof. In FIG. 3, θp and θq are plotted on the horizontal axis and the vertical axis, respectively, with respect to the parameters M and (Q*Δθ). The straight lines (a), (b) and (c) correspond to the values of θp and q for the case where M=0 and (Q*Δθ)&gt;0, (Q*Δθ)=0, and (Q*Δθ)&lt;0, respectively. Similarly, the straight lines (d), (e) and (f) correspond to the values of θp and θq for the case where M=1 and (Q*Δθ)&gt;0, (Q*Δθ)=0, and (Q*Δθ)&lt;0. As can be readily appreciated from FIG. 3, in order for the M=0 graphs and the M=1 graphs not to intersect, it is necessary that the conditions of the following equation (15) be satisfied:  
         360/(2* Q*P )&gt;Δθmax,  (15)  
         [0044]    where Δθmax is the maximum value of Δθ allowed (i.e., the maximum shaft angle measurement range of the dual resolver  1 ).  
         [0045]    As can be seen, equation (15) does not impose any restriction on the relative size relationship of the shaft angle multiples P and Q of the resolvers  2  and  4 . Accordingly, the shaft angle multiple of either resolver  2  or resolver  4  may be larger, and the difference between them need only satisfy equation (8), in order to uniquely establish equation (14) and facilitate determination of the absolute rotation angle θ.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 4 is a table which sets forth the Δθ accuracy or resolution of the dual resolver  1  of the present invention, as determined by equation (15), for different values of P and Q that satisfy the condition of equation (8). As is clear from FIG. 4, in order to obtain a resolver measurement range of 5 degrees (or greater), which is a practical value for Δθ, it is necessary that there be a combination of P and Q values of 6 and 5 (or less), respectively. On the other hand, resolver measurement accuracy or resolution becomes greater the larger the shaft angle multiple. Therefore, in order to achieve a resolver measurement range of 5 degrees (or greater) for Δθ, it is optimal for there to be a combination of P and Q values of 6 and 5 (or 5 and 6), respectively. Of course, the optimal values of P and Q will depend upon the parameters and/or requirements of any given application, such as the Δθ parameter of the given application. In any event, the particular values of P and Q that are chosen are not limiting to the present invention, in its broader aspects. For example, if Δθ is two degrees, then the optimal P and Q values may be 10 and 9 (or 9 and 10), respectively. In such a case, the measurement accuracy or resolution of the resolver is commensurately greater than the illustrative case discussed above in which the P and Q values are 6 and 5 (or 5 and 6), respectively, but at the expense of a narrower resolver measurement range (i.e., 2 degrees versus 6 degrees).  
         [0047]    With reference now to FIG. 5, there can be seen a functional block diagram of a shaft angle measurement device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, that incorporates the dual resolver  1  described hereinabove. As will be appreciated, the shaft angle measurement apparatus of the present invention is capable of measuring both the absolute rotation angle θ and the relative rotation angle Δθ.  
         [0048]    With continuing reference to FIG. 5, the illustrative embodiment of the shaft angle measurement device of the present invention includes the dual resolver  1  producing shaft angle outputs  1   a  (Φp) and  1   b  (Φq); R/D converters  5 A and  5 B which receive and digitize the shaft angle outputs  1   a  and  1   b  of the resolver  1 , respectively, and produce digital shaft angle outputs  5   a ,  5   b  (if necessary); and, a processor  6  which receives the digital shaft angle outputs  5   a ,  5   b  of the R/D converters  5 A,  5 B, respectively, and which determines the absolute shaft rotation angle θ and the relative shaft rotation angle Δθ of the dual resolver  1 , in a manner described below. The R/D converters  5 A and  5 B and/or the processor  6  can be implemented as components of the dual resolver  1 , or, alternatively, can be implemented as separate components of the shaft angle measurement device, either contained in the same or different housings. The processor  6  can be implemented as a dedicated or programmable microprocessor, microcomputer, or microcontroller, as a dedicated or programmable ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and/or as other dedicated or programmable logic, such as FPGAs or FPLAs (Field Programmable Gate or Logic Arrays).  
         [0049]    In a presently preferred embodiment, the processor  6  includes a memory device such as a ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or the like, for storing programs for executing the processing steps necessary to implement the algorithms disclosed herein, and further including memory (e.g., a table look-up ROM) for storing a lookup table that contains pre-computed or pre-calculated values for at least some of the variables of the equations solved by the processor  6 , to thereby minimize the processing overhead of the processor  6 , and increase the processing speed thereof.  
         [0050]    In operation, the illustrative embodiment of the shaft angle measurement apparatus of the present invention depicted in FIG. 5 works as follows. To begin with, the processor  6  determines the value of θq by substituting the values of 0, 1, . . . . Q−1 for M in equation (12), with the resultant values being designated as θqm. The processor  6  also determines the values of Δθ with respect to the respective values of M according to equation (16). The processor  6  calculates the difference between the calculated value of θq obtained from equation (12) for Δθ=0 and the actually measured value of θq obtained by the dual resolver  1 , designated as Φq, and considers that calculated difference value to constitute the actual value of Δθ. In particular, from among the different values of θqm obtained for different values of M, the processor  6  selects a value of θqm, designated as θqms, that satisfies equation (15), and sets the value of Δθ corresponding thereto as the measured value of Δθ, in accordance with the following equation (16):  
         Δθ=(Φ q−θqms )/ Q.   (16)  
         [0051]    The processor  6  then determines the absolute shaft rotation angle θ according to the following equation (17):  
         θ=Φ p/P+ 360 *Mqms/P,   (17)  
         [0052]    where Φp is the actually measured value of θp obtained by the dual resolver  1 , and Mqms is the value of M when θqm=θqms.  
         [0053]    The values of θqm for the different values of M can be calculated by the processor  6  according to the following equation (18):  
         θ qm=Φp+ 72 *M  (where  M= 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 (where 4 =Q− 1, for the illustrative embodiment, in which  P= 6, and  Q= 5)).  (18)  
         [0054]    The foregoing computation can be accelerated by storing each of the possible values of (72*M) in a look-up table stored in a ROM or other suitable memory device (not shown), thereby eliminating a multiplication step for each discrete calculation of θqm.  
         [0055]    As described previously, the processor  6  determines the relative shaft rotation angle Δθ by solving equation (16) using a selected value of θqm, designated as θqms, that satisfies equation (15), i.e., Δθ=(Φq−θqms)/5 (where Q=5, for the illustrative embodiment). In addition, the processor  6  determines the absolute shaft rotation angle θ according to equation (17), i.e., θ=(Φp+360*Mqms)/5 (where Q=5, for the illustrative embodiment; and, Mqms is the value of M when θqm=θqms).  
         [0056]    The foregoing computation can be accelerated by storing each of the possible values of (360*M) in a look-up table stored in a ROM or other suitable memory device (not shown), thereby eliminating a multiplication step, and enabling the calculations of θ and Δθ to be obtained by one division each.  
         [0057]    Although various illustrative and presently preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it will be appreciated that the present invention encompasses various equivalents, variations, modifications, and alternative embodiments that may appear to those having ordinary skill in the pertinent art, with the benefit of the present disclosure.