Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses an encoder apparatus including a position detection system which in turn includes a detecting unit that detects position information of a moving unit, an electric signal generating unit that generates an electric signal in response to the movement of the moving unit, and a battery that supplies at least a part of power consumed by the position detection system in accordance with the electric signal generated by the electric signal generating unit. The battery is accommodated in a battery housing, and held on a circuit board via electrodes and wirings. <CIT> relates to detecting angle and number of turns of an axis. The angle within a turn and the number of turns (multi-turn) are both detected with different optical sensors. When the external power is shut off, the detector shuts down the optical detector that detects the angle within a turn. In a sleep mode, both sensors are shot off and the multi-turn sensor is started in response to a signal generated by magnetic induction when the axis stars rotating again. <CIT> relates to a micro-usb connectable secondary battery. A Battery cell and control electronics is comprised inside a cylindrical structure to which a micro usb cable can be connected to charge the battery cell or draw form the cell.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an encoder includes: an angular position information detector configured to detect angular position information indicating an angular position of a rotating disk within one rotation thereof; a multi-rotation information detector configured to detect multi-rotation information indicating a number of rotations of the disk; a battery configured to supply a power to the multi-rotation information detector when an external power is not supplied to the encoder; and a connector configured to connect a connection terminal of the battery to a substrate to which at least one of the angular position information detector and the multi-rotation information detector is connected, via a solder in contact with the connection terminal.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an encoder includes: an angular position information detector configured to detect angular position information of a rotating disk within one rotation thereof; a multi-rotation information detector configured to detect multi-rotation information indicating a number of rotations of the disk; and a battery configured to supply a power to the multi-rotation information detector when an external power is not supplied to the encoder, and having a solid electrolyte.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a servo motor includes: a motor in which a rotor rotates around a stator; and the above-described encoder configured to detect at least one of a position, speed, and acceleration of the rotator.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a servo system includes: a motor in which a rotor rotates around a stator; the above-described encoder configured to detect at least one of a position, speed, and acceleration of the rotator; and a control device configured to control the motor based on a detection result of the encoder.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an encoder control method controls an encoder including a multi-rotation information detector configured to detect multi-rotation information indicating a number of rotations of a disk, and a battery configured to supply a power to the multi-rotation information detector when an external power is not supplied. The encoder control method includes: causing a processing module to enter a sleep mode by the power from the battery when a supply of the external power is stopped; stopping the supply of the power of the battery to the multi-rotation information detector when the processing module enters the sleep mode; receiving an electric signal generated in response to a rotation of the disk, thereby causing the processing module to restore from the sleep mode; and starting the supply of the power to the multi-rotation information detector when the processing module restores from the sleep mode.

In the conventional technology described above, since the encoder apparatus may have a problem in a case where an impact or vibration occurs in the apparatus, a higher durability is required.

The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the problem, and an object thereof is to provide an encoder, a servo motor, a servo system, and an encoder control method which are capable of improving the durability.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of an overall configuration of a servo system according to an embodiment will be described. <FIG> is a view illustrating an example of the overall configuration of the servo system.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a servo system <NUM> includes a servo motor <NUM> and a control device <NUM>. The servo motor <NUM> includes an encoder <NUM> and a motor <NUM>.

The motor <NUM> is, for example, a rotary motor in which a rotor (not illustrated) rotates around a stator (not illustrated). The motor <NUM> rotates a shaft <NUM> fixed to the rotor around a rotation axis Ax. While the motor <NUM> alone may be called a servo motor, the configuration including the motor <NUM> and the encoder <NUM> will be referred to as a servo motor <NUM> in the embodiment.

The encoder <NUM> is connected to, for example, the counter load side of the motor <NUM> (the right side in <FIG>) opposite to the load side of the motor <NUM> (the side that outputs a rotational force; the left side in <FIG>). However, the encoder <NUM> may well be connected to the load side of the motor <NUM>. The encoder <NUM> detects at least one of angular position information indicating an angular position of the shaft <NUM> (rotor) of the motor <NUM> within one rotation thereof, and multi-rotation information indicating the number of rotations of the shaft <NUM>, and outputs position data based on the information. The encoder <NUM> may detect at least one of the rotation speed and the rotational acceleration of the shaft <NUM>, in addition to or instead of the angular position of the shaft <NUM>.

The control device <NUM> controls, for example, a current or voltage applied to the motor <NUM> based on the position data output from the encoder <NUM>, so as to control the rotation of the motor <NUM>. The control device <NUM> controls the motor <NUM> to implement, for example, a position, speed, or torque indicated in an upper level control signal output from an upper level control device.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of an apparatus configuration of the encoder <NUM> will be described. <FIG> is a partial cross-sectional side view illustrating an example of the apparatus configuration of the encoder <NUM>. <FIG> is a top view illustrating the example of the apparatus configuration of the encoder <NUM> when viewed from a substrate.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the servo motor <NUM> includes the encoder <NUM> and the motor <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the encoder <NUM> includes a substrate <NUM>, a substrate support member <NUM>, an optical module <NUM>, a disk <NUM>, a magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, a magnet <NUM>, a trigger signal generator <NUM>, a plurality of magnets <NUM>, a battery <NUM>, and a processing module <NUM>. Although not illustrated in <FIG>, the encoder <NUM> further includes connectors that connect the substrate <NUM> and the battery <NUM> to each other. Details of the connectors will be described later with reference to <FIG>. In the embodiment illustrated in <FIG>, both the optical module <NUM> and the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> are connected to the substrate <NUM>. However, any one of the optical module <NUM> and the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be connected to the substrate <NUM>.

The substrate <NUM> may be a printed circuit board obtained by mounting printed wirings (not illustrated) or a plurality of circuit components on a board made of an insulator. The substrate <NUM> has a substantially disc shape. The substrate <NUM> is disposed opposite to the motor <NUM> with respect to the disk <NUM> in the axial direction along the rotation axis Ax. The substrate <NUM> is supported substantially in parallel to the disk <NUM> by the substrate support member <NUM>. The substrate <NUM> is not limited to a single substrate, and may be configured with a plurality of substrates.

The substrate support member <NUM> is, for example, a cylindrical member, and fixes the substrate <NUM> to the end 9a of the housing of the motor <NUM> on the counter load side of the motor <NUM>. The substrate support member <NUM> may be, for example, a plurality of columnar members.

The optical module <NUM> (an example of an angular position information detecting unit) detects angular position information indicating an angular position of the rotating disk <NUM> within one rotation thereof. The optical module <NUM> is provided on the surface of the substrate <NUM> that faces the disk <NUM>. When an external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the power is also supplied to the optical module <NUM>, and when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the power supply to the optical module <NUM> is also stopped. The configuration of the optical module <NUM> is not particularly limited as long as the angular position information is optically detectable. For example, as illustrated in <FIG> to be described later, the optical module <NUM> may include a light source <NUM> and light receiving arrays PA and PI on the surface thereof facing the disk <NUM>. The light receiving array PA receives light reflected by a slit array SA of the disk <NUM>, and outputs an absolute signal (an example of the angular position information). The light receiving array PI receives light reflected by a slit array SI of the disk <NUM>, and outputs an incremental signal (an example of the angular position information). The optical module <NUM> is a so-called reflection type optical module in which the light source <NUM> and the light receiving arrays PA and PI are arranged on the same side that faces the disk <NUM>.

The disk <NUM> is, for example, a disc-shaped member. The disk <NUM> is connected to the shaft <NUM> of the motor <NUM>, and rotates together with the shaft <NUM>. The disk <NUM> includes the two slit arrays SA and SI on the surface thereof facing the optical module <NUM>. Each of the slit arrays SA and SI includes a plurality of slits (not illustrated) arranged in a ring shape circumferentially around the center of the disk on the rotation axis Ax. The slits are formed in the surface of the disk <NUM>, and are regions that perform, for example, an action of reflecting light emitted from the light source <NUM>. The number of slit arrays formed in the disk <NUM> may be one or three or more as long as the absolute position of the disk <NUM> is detectable.

The magnetic detecting unit <NUM> (an example of a multi-rotation information detecting unit) detects multi-rotation information indicating the number of rotations of the disk <NUM>. The magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is provided, for example, on the surface of the substrate <NUM> that faces the disk <NUM>. The magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is disposed, for example, at the position facing the magnet <NUM>. When an external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the power is also supplied to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, and when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is controlled by the processing module <NUM>. The configuration of the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is not particularly limited as long as the multi-rotation information of the disk <NUM> is magnetically detectable. As for the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, a magnetic resistive element such as, for example, an MR element, a GMR element, or a TMR element may be used.

The magnet <NUM> is disposed, for example, on the surface of the disk <NUM> that faces the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. The magnet <NUM> is positioned, for example, on the rotation axis Ax. The configuration of the magnet <NUM> is not particularly limited as long as the direction of magnetic flux detected by the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is reversed every time the disk <NUM> rotates by about <NUM>°. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the magnet <NUM> may be magnetized such that the N and S poles are formed in the diameter direction of the disk <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates the N pole of the magnet <NUM> as 23N and the S pole of the magnet <NUM> as <NUM>. The magnet <NUM> may have, for example, a disc shape or a ring shape. The magnetic detecting unit <NUM> detects the direction of magnetic flux of the magnet <NUM>, and outputs a signal that changes by one cycle when the disk <NUM> rotates once, as two A-phase and B-phase signals having <NUM>° different phases from each other (an example of the multi-rotation information).

The trigger signal generator <NUM> (an example of an electric signal generating unit) generates a trigger signal (an example of an electric signal) in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM>. The trigger signal generator <NUM> is provided, for example, on the surface of the substrate <NUM> opposite to the disk <NUM>. The configuration of the trigger signal generator <NUM> is not particularly limited as long as the trigger signal may be periodically generated in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM>. For example, the trigger signal generator <NUM> may be configured to include a magnetic element (not illustrated) and a coil (not illustrated) that produce a large Barkhausen effect. In this case, the trigger signal generator <NUM> outputs the trigger signal which is, for example, a pulse signal, from the coil as a result of the large Barkhausen effect in which the magnetization direction of the magnetic element is rapidly reversed by an external magnetic field. The trigger signal generator <NUM> is positioned on the rotation locus of the magnets <NUM> when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation axis Ax.

The magnets <NUM> are disposed, for example, on the surface of the disk <NUM> opposite to the substrate <NUM>. The configuration of the magnets <NUM> is not particularly limited as long as the magnetic field applied to the magnetic element of the trigger signal generator <NUM> is periodically reversed in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM>. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, the four magnets <NUM> may be arranged circumferentially at intervals of about <NUM>° such that the magnetic poles thereof close to the substrate <NUM> are alternately different. <FIG> illustrates the magnets <NUM> of which magnetic poles close to the substrate <NUM> are N and S poles, as 27N and <NUM>, respectively. The trigger signal generator <NUM> generates the trigger signal four times for each rotation of the disk <NUM>, by the four magnets <NUM>.

The battery <NUM> supplies a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>. The battery <NUM> does not directly supply the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, but supplies the power via the processing module <NUM>. That is, the battery <NUM> is a supply source for supplying a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>. The battery <NUM> may be a secondary battery which is usable repeatedly by being charged. The battery <NUM> may be, for example, an all-solid-state battery having a solid electrolyte. The embodiment describes a case where the battery <NUM> is the all-solid-state battery. The all-solid-state battery <NUM> is provided on the surface of the substrate <NUM> opposite to the disk <NUM>. The all-solid-state battery <NUM> is electrically connected and mechanically fixed to the substrate <NUM> by solders.

The processing module <NUM> generates position data of the disk <NUM> based on the angular position information and the multi-rotation information, when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>. When the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> controls the switching between the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, and the stop of the power supply. The processing module <NUM> is provided on the surface of the substrate <NUM> opposite to the disk <NUM>. The configuration of the processing module <NUM> is not particularly limited, but the processing module <NUM> may be configured as a processor having a plurality of circuit elements such as a CPU and a memory.

With reference to <FIG>, descriptions will be made on an example of the configuration of connectors that connect the all-solid-state battery <NUM> and the substrate <NUM> to each other. <FIG> is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of the configuration of the connectors that connect the all-solid-state battery <NUM> and the substrate <NUM> to each other. <FIG> omits the illustration of the internal structure of the all-solid-state battery <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> includes connection terminals <NUM> and 34R at both ends thereof in the direction parallel to the substrate <NUM>. Lands <NUM> and 35R are formed on the surface of the substrate <NUM> on which the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is provided, to correspond to the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R, respectively. The lands <NUM> and 35R are terminals made of, for example, copper foil. A connector <NUM> connects the connection terminal <NUM> of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the land <NUM> via a solder in contact with the connection terminal <NUM>. A connector 36R connects the connection terminal 34R of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the land 35R via a solder in contact with the connection terminal 34R. The meaning of the terms "via a solder" includes a configuration where the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R and the substrate <NUM> are connected to each other by solders interposed therebetween. Thus, the description also includes, for example, a case where the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R are fixed to, for example, a child board by a solder, and the child board is connected to the substrate <NUM> by specific means (e.g., connectors). <FIG> illustrates a configuration where the connectors <NUM> and 36R directly connect the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the substrate <NUM> by the solders, as an example. By the connectors <NUM> and 36R, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is electrically connected to the wiring of the substrate <NUM>, and mechanically fixed to the substrate <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of a functional configuration of the processing module <NUM> will be described. <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the processing module <NUM>.

The processing module <NUM> generates the position data of the disk <NUM> based on both the angular position information and the multi-rotation information when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>, and generates a multi-rotation amount of the disk <NUM> based on the multi-rotation information detected by the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> using the power supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>. An example of the functional configuration of the processing module <NUM> for implementing the above-described function will be described.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the processing module <NUM> includes an angular position signal generating unit <NUM>, an A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, a B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, a counter <NUM>, and a position data generating unit <NUM>, and a recording unit <NUM>.

The angular position signal generating unit <NUM> specifies an absolute position of the disk <NUM> within one rotation thereof based on the output of the light receiving array PA. The method of specifying the absolute position is not particularly limited. For example, a plurality of light receiving elements provided in the light receiving array PA may treat each reception of light and each non-reception of light as bits based on the presence/absence of the detection of the slit array SA having an absolute pattern, to output an absolute signal having multiple bits. In this case, the angular position signal generating unit <NUM> specifies the absolute position by decoding the absolute position encrypted (encoded) into a serial bit pattern based on the absolute signal.

The angular position signal generating unit <NUM> specifies a relative position of the disk <NUM> within one rotation thereof based on the output of the light receiving array PI. For example, a plurality of light receiving elements provided in the light receiving array PI may output an incremental signal based on the result of the detection of the slit array SI having an incremental pattern. In this case, the angular position signal generating unit <NUM> specifies a position within one pitch of the incremental pattern based on the incremental signal.

The angular position signal generating unit <NUM> superimposes the position within one pitch specified based on the incremental signal on the absolute position specified based on the absolute signal, thereby generating an angular position signal Ap indicating a highly accurate angular position of the disk <NUM> within one rotation thereof (see, e.g., <FIG> to be described later).

The A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM> converts an A-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> into a signal in a rectangular wave shape, to generate an A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma (see, e.g., <FIG> to be described later). As described above, since the direction of the magnetic flux of the magnet <NUM> is reversed every rotation angle range of about <NUM>°, the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has a duty ratio of <NUM> %, and becomes a signal of one pulse for each rotation of the disk <NUM>.

The B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM> converts a B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> into a signal in a rectangular wave shape, to generate a B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb (see, e.g., <FIG> to be described later). Similarly to the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma, the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb has a duty ratio of <NUM> %, and becomes a signal of one pulse for each rotation of the disk <NUM>. The phase of the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb is <NUM>° different from that of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma.

The counter <NUM> executes a count arithmetic process (an example of a predetermined arithmetic process) for counting the multi-rotation amount representing the number of rotations of the disk <NUM> based on the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb, so as to generate a multi-rotation signal Rn. A specific method for the counting by the counter <NUM> will be described later (see <FIG> and <FIG> to be described later). The counter <NUM> outputs the multi-rotation signal Rn which is the result of the count arithmetic process, to the position data generating unit <NUM>.

The processing module <NUM> enters an active mode when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>. In the active mode by the external power, the processing module <NUM> supplies the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. The position data generating unit <NUM> synthesizes the angular position signal Ap and the multi-rotation signal Rn with each other to generate position data (an example of first position data), and outputs the position data to the control device <NUM>. The processing module <NUM> switches to a sleep mode when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>. In the sleep mode, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. In the sleep mode, the processing module <NUM> suspends various arithmetic processes including the generation of position data, while maintaining its started state by the power supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> without entering a completely stopped state.

As described above, the trigger signal generator <NUM> generates a trigger signal in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM>. When the trigger signal is received from the trigger signal generator <NUM> in the sleep mode, the processing module <NUM> returns to the active mode from the sleep mode by the power supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM>. In the active mode by the all-solid-state battery <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> supplies the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, and acquires the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. The counter <NUM> receives the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma from the A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM> and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb from the B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, and executes the count arithmetic process. The counter <NUM> records the multi-rotation signal Rn (an example of second position data) which is the result of the count arithmetic process, in the recording unit <NUM>. After acquiring the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. For example, the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be stopped before the start of the count arithmetic process.

The recording unit <NUM> (an example of a nonvolatile memory) records the multi-rotation signal Rn from the counter <NUM>. The recording unit <NUM> is not particularly limited as long as the recording unit <NUM> is a nonvolatile memory capable of reading and writing data and maintaining recorded contents even when power is OFF. As for the recording unit <NUM>, for example, a FRAM (registered trademark) (ferroelectric memory) may be used. The recording unit <NUM> is equipped in the processing module <NUM>. However, the recording unit <NUM> may be provided outside the processing module <NUM> (see, e.g., <FIG> to be described later).

When the state where the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM> is restored to the state where the external power is supplied, the position data generating unit <NUM> reads the multi-rotation signal Rn recorded in the recording unit <NUM>, and synthesizes the read multi-rotation signal Rn with the angular position signal Ap output from the angular position signal generating unit <NUM>, so as to generate an initial value of the position data. Then, the processing module <NUM> executes the normal position data generating process performed when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>.

The distribution of the above-described processes in, for example, the angular position signal generating unit <NUM>, the A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, the B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, the counter <NUM>, the position data generating unit <NUM>, and the recording unit <NUM> is not limited to the example described above. For example, the processes may be performed by a smaller number of processing units (e.g., one processing unit) or further sub-divided processing units. In the processing module <NUM>, only the portion that supplies the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be implemented by an actual device, and the functions of the other processing units may be implemented by programs executed by a CPU <NUM> to be described later (see, e.g., <FIG>). A portion or all of the functions of the respective processing units may be implemented by actual devices such as, for example, an ASIC, an FPGA or other electric circuits.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of a circuit configuration of the substrate <NUM> will be described. <FIG> is a block diagram illustrating an example of the circuit configuration of the substrate <NUM>. In <FIG>, the solid arrow indicates the power supply line by the external power or the all-solid-state battery <NUM>, and the dashed line arrow indicates the signal line of the trigger signal.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the encoder <NUM> includes a DC/DC converter <NUM>, a charging module <NUM>, the all-solid-state battery <NUM>, a regulator <NUM>, the trigger signal generator <NUM>, a rectifier <NUM>, the processing module <NUM>, the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, and a plurality of rectifying elements <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, as the circuit configuration implemented on the substrate <NUM>. <FIG> omits the illustration of the circuit configuration of the optical detection system including the optical module <NUM>.

The DC/DC converter <NUM> converts, for example, the voltage of the external power which is a DC power source, into a predetermined voltage, and outputs the converted voltage to the charging module <NUM> and the regulator <NUM>.

The charging module <NUM> controls the charging of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> which is a secondary battery. The charging module <NUM> charges the all-solid-state battery <NUM> when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>, and stops the charging of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>. The method of charging the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is not particularly limited. The charging module <NUM> is connected to a power supply line EL1 of the external power to be electrically parallel with the processing module <NUM>.

The rectifying element <NUM> is electrically connected to a power supply line EL2 between the charging module <NUM> and the all-solid-state battery <NUM>. The rectifying element <NUM> regulates the current direction to the direction from the charging module <NUM> toward the all-solid-state battery <NUM>. The rectifying element <NUM> is electrically connected to a power supply line EL3 between the DC/DC converter <NUM> and the regulator <NUM>. The rectifying element <NUM> regulates the current direction to the direction from the DC/DC converter <NUM> toward the regulator <NUM>. The rectifying element <NUM> is electrically connected to a power supply line EL4 between the all-solid-state battery <NUM> and the regulator <NUM>. The rectifying element <NUM> regulates the current direction to the direction from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> toward the regulator <NUM>. The rectifying elements <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> are not particularly limited as long as the current direction may be regulated. As for the rectifying elements <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>, for example, transistors or diodes may be used.

When the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> outputs a power to the regulator <NUM> through the power supply line EL4.

The regulator <NUM> controls the voltage and current of the power output from the DC/DC converter <NUM> or the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to be kept constant, and outputs the power to the processing module <NUM>.

The processing module <NUM> controls the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. When the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> supplies the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. When the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. In this case, as described above, the processing module <NUM> switches to the sleep mode by the power supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM>.

The trigger signal generator <NUM> generates the trigger signal in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM>. The rectifier <NUM> rectifies the current of the trigger signal, and restricts the current and voltage of the trigger signal to be equal to or less than a predetermined value. The rectifier <NUM> outputs the rectified and restricted trigger signal to the processing module <NUM>.

As described above, when the trigger signal is received in the sleep mode, the processing module <NUM> supplies the power from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> which serves as a power supply source, to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. After acquiring the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. The processing module <NUM> executes the count arithmetic process based on the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal, and switches to the sleep mode after the arithmetic process is completed. The processing module <NUM> repeats the same process each time the trigger signal is received in the sleep mode.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of the trigger signal, each process executed by the processing module, and a timing of turn-ON of the magnetic detecting unit will be described. <FIG> is a timing chart illustrating an example of the trigger signal, each process executed by the processing module, and the timing of turn-ON of the magnetic detecting unit.

As illustrated in <FIG>, when the trigger signal generator <NUM> generates the trigger signal, the processing module <NUM> switches from the sleep mode to the active mode. A time Td required from the generation of the trigger signal until the switching to the active mode is relatively short, as compared with a case where the processing module <NUM> is stopped instead of entering the sleep mode (see, e.g., <FIG> to be described later), because the process of starting the processing module <NUM> becomes unnecessary. The processing module <NUM> starts the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> substantially at the same time as the switching to the active mode, so as to turn ON the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

When the processing module <NUM> switches to the active mode by the trigger signal, the processing module <NUM> executes a plurality of processes. For example, the processing module <NUM> executes a process of acquiring a clock signal during the time <NUM>, and executes a process of confirming a port for communicating with, for example, the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> during the time t2. The magnetic detecting unit <NUM> stabilizes the output of the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal during the time ts which is substantially the same as the sum of the times t1 and t2. During the time t3 after the signals are stabilized by the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> executes a process of acquiring the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. After the elapse of the time t3, that is, after the acquisition of the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is completed, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> to turn OFF the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

After stopping the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> executes predetermined arithmetic processes. For example, during the time t4, the processing module <NUM> executes a process of reading the multi-rotation amount (the multi-rotation signal Rn) of the disk <NUM> recorded in the recording unit <NUM>. During the time t5, the processing module <NUM> executes the count arithmetic process for counting the multi-rotation amount of the disk <NUM> based on the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal acquired from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. During the time <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> executes a process of updating the multi-rotation amount read from the recording unit <NUM> based on the result of the count arithmetic process. These processes are examples of the predetermined arithmetic processes. When the predetermined arithmetic processes are completed, the processing module <NUM> switches from the active mode to the sleep mode.

In the example illustrated in <FIG>, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> between the times t3 and t4, that is, after the acquisition of the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> and before the start of the predetermined arithmetic processes. However, the timing for stopping the power supply is not limited thereto. For example, the processing module <NUM> may stop the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> during the execution of the predetermined arithmetic processes, for example, between the times t4 and t5, between the times t5 and t6, or during any one of the times t4, t5, and t6. For example, the processing module <NUM> may stop the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> substantially at the same time as the switching from the active mode to the sleep mode.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of the process procedure executed by the processing module <NUM> will be described. <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process procedure executed by the processing module <NUM> when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>. <FIG> is a view illustrating an example of waveforms of the angular position signal Ap, the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma, and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb. <FIG> is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process procedure executed by the processing module <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>.

The processing module <NUM> executes the process procedure illustrated in the flowchart of <FIG> when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, in step S5, the processing module <NUM> generates the position data by the position data generating unit <NUM>, based on the angular position signal Ap output from the angular position signal generating unit <NUM> and the multi-rotation signal Rn output from the counter <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, when the disk <NUM> rotates in the forward rotation direction, the angular position signal Ap increases proportionally from the minimum value Min as the rotation angle approaches <NUM>° from <NUM>°, and when the rotation angle reaches <NUM>° (<NUM>°), the angular position signal Ap is reset from the maximum value Max to the minimum value Min. When the disk <NUM> rotates in the reverse rotation direction, the angular position signal Ap decreases proportionally from the maximum value Max as the rotation angle approaches <NUM>° from <NUM>°, and when the rotation angle reaches <NUM>° (<NUM>°), the angular position signal Ap is reset from the minimum value Min to the maximum value Max. As described above, the multi-rotation signal Rn indicates the multi-rotation amount of the disk <NUM> counted based on the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb.

In step S10, the processing module <NUM> charges the all-solid-state battery <NUM> by the charging module <NUM>.

In step S15, the processing module <NUM> determines whether the edge of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has changed, by the counter <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, for example, the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma becomes high (Hi) when the rotation angle of the disk <NUM> is in the range of <NUM>° to <NUM>°, and becomes low (Hi) in the range of <NUM>° to <NUM>° (<NUM>°). For example, the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb becomes high (Hi) when the rotation angle of the disk <NUM> is in the range of <NUM>° to <NUM>°, and becomes low (Lo) in the range of <NUM>° to <NUM>°. The angular position at which the edge of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma changes is either <NUM>° (<NUM>°) or <NUM>°. When it is determined that the edge of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has not changed (step S15: NO), the process returns to step S5. When it is determined that the edge of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has changed (step S15: YES), the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the processing module <NUM> determines whether the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb is low (Lo), by the counter <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the angular position at which the edge of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma changes, and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb is low (Lo) is <NUM>° (<NUM>°). The angular position at which the edge of the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma changes, and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb is high (Hi) is <NUM>°. When it is determined that the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb is high (Hi) (step S20: NO), the process proceeds to step S40 to be described later. When it is determined that the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb is low (Lo) (step S20: YES), the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, the processing module <NUM> refers to the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma recorded in the recording unit <NUM> to determine whether the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has changed from low (Lo) to high (Hi), by the counter <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, when the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma changes from low (Lo) to high (Hi) at the angular position of <NUM>° (<NUM>°), it indicates that the disk <NUM> has rotated once in the forward rotation direction. When it is determined that the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has changed from low (Lo) to high (Hi) (step S25: YES), the process proceeds to step S30.

In step S30, the processing module <NUM> reads and counts up the multi-rotation amount recorded in the recording unit <NUM>, by the counter <NUM>.

When it is determined in step S25 that the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has not changed from low (Lo) to high (Hi), that is, when the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma has changed from high (Hi) to low (Lo) (step S25: NO), the process proceeds to step S35. As illustrated in <FIG>, when the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma changes from high (Hi) to low (Lo) at the angular position of <NUM>° (<NUM>°), it indicates that the disk <NUM> has rotated once in the reverse rotation direction.

In step S35, the processing module <NUM> reads and counts down the multi-rotation amount recorded in the recording unit <NUM>, by the counter <NUM>.

In step S40, the processing module <NUM> outputs the multi-rotation amount (the multi-rotation signal Rn) counted up or down in step S30 or S35, by the counter <NUM>, to the position data generating unit <NUM>. The counter <NUM> records whether the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma is low (Lo) or high (Hi) at the time when the counting is performed, in the recording unit <NUM>. The counter <NUM> may record the multi-rotation signal Rn in the recording unit <NUM>.

In step S45, the processing module <NUM> determines whether the external power is no longer supplied to the encoder <NUM>. When it is determined that the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM> (step S45: NO), the process returns to previous step S5 to repeat the same procedure. When it is determined that the external power is no longer supplied to the encoder <NUM> due to, for example, an occurrence of power outage (step S45: YES), the flowchart ends.

The above-described process procedure is an example, and at least a part of the procedure may be deleted or changed, or a procedure other than the above-described procedure may be added. The order of at least a part of the above-described procedure may be changed, or a plurality of procedures may be combined into a single procedure. For example, steps S5 and S10 may not be performed in the order described above, and may be performed in the reverse order or simultaneously in parallel with each other.

The processing module <NUM> executes the flowchart illustrated in <FIG> when the external power is no longer supplied to the encoder <NUM> due to, for example, a power outage. As illustrated in <FIG>, in step S101, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is performed. In step S105, the processing module <NUM> switches to the sleep mode from the active mode by the external power.

In step S <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

In step S115, the processing module <NUM> determines whether the trigger signal generated by the trigger signal generator <NUM> in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM> has been received via the rectifier <NUM>. When it is determined that the trigger signal has not been received (step S115: NO), the process proceeds to step S150 to be described later. When it is determined that the trigger signal has been received (step S115: YES), the process proceeds to step S120.

In step S120, the processing module <NUM> switches from the sleep mode to the active mode.

In step S125, the processing module <NUM> starts the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

In step S130, the processing module <NUM> acquires the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, by the A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM> and the B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>.

In step S135, the processing module <NUM> stops the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

In step S140, the processing module <NUM> generates the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb based on the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal acquired from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> in step S130, by the A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM> and the B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>. The processing module <NUM> executes the count arithmetic process by the counter <NUM> based on the A-phase multi-rotation signal Ma and the B-phase multi-rotation signal Mb, and records the multi-rotation signal Rn which is the result of the arithmetic process, in the recording unit <NUM>.

In step S145, the processing module <NUM> switches from the active mode to the sleep mode.

In step S150, the processing module <NUM> determines whether the external power is to be supplied to the encoder <NUM>. When it is determined that the external power is not to be supplied to the encoder <NUM> (step S150: NO), the process returns to previous step S115 to repeat the same procedure. When it is determined that the external power is to be supplied to the encoder <NUM> due to, for example, the recovery of power outage (step S150: YES), the flowchart ends.

The foregoing process procedure is an example, and at least a part of the procedure may be deleted or changed, or a procedure other than the above-described procedure may be added. The order of at least a part of the above-described procedure may be changed, or a plurality of procedures may be combined into a single procedure.

As described above, the encoder <NUM> of the embodiment includes the optical module <NUM> that detects the angular position information indicating the angular position of the rotating disk <NUM> within one rotation thereof, the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> that detects the multi-rotation information indicating the number of rotations of the disk <NUM>, the battery <NUM> that supplies a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, and the connectors <NUM> and 36R that connect the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R of the battery <NUM> to the substrate <NUM> to which at least one of the optical module <NUM> and the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is connected, via solders in contact with the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R.

By the solders that electrically connect the battery <NUM> to the substrate <NUM>, the battery <NUM> is not only electrically connected to the substrate <NUM>, but also firmly fixed to the substrate <NUM>. That is, the connection of the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R by the solders implements not only the electrical connection but also the fixing of the battery <NUM>. As a result, for example, even in a case where an impact or vibration occurs in the encoder <NUM>, a poor connection of the substrate <NUM> to the wiring (the lands <NUM> and 35R) or a detachment of the battery <NUM> from the substrate <NUM> may be suppressed, and the durability may be improved.

In the embodiment, the connectors <NUM> and 36R may directly connect the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R of the battery <NUM> to the substrate <NUM> by the solders. In this case, since the electrical connection and the fixing are implemented only through the connection terminals <NUM> and 34R of the battery <NUM>, for example, the housing for accommodating the battery <NUM> or lead wires become unnecessary, so that the encoder <NUM> may be downsized, and the number of parts may be reduced. Accordingly, this embodiment is further advantageous in terms of the ease of manufacture and the cost reduction.

In the embodiment, the battery <NUM> may be a secondary battery that is usable repeatedly by be charged.

In a case where a primary battery is provided as the battery <NUM>, the power supply from the battery <NUM> becomes impossible when the battery capacity is used up. Further, when the battery <NUM> is fixed to the substrate <NUM> with solders, the battery <NUM> may not be replaced, so that the encoder <NUM> needs to be replaced or discarded. In the embodiment, the secondary battery is provided so that the battery may be used repeatedly by being charged. Thus, even though the battery <NUM> is fixed to the substrate <NUM> with solders, the encoder <NUM> may be used for an extended period of time without being replaced or discarded.

In the embodiment, the battery <NUM> may be an all-solid-state battery having a solid electrolyte.

In a case where a lithium-ion battery is provided as the secondary battery, the operation of the battery may become unstable under a high temperature environment, and further, a heat generation or combustion may occur, which may require a protection circuit using a thermistor. Meanwhile, the all-solid-state battery may be used under the high temperature condition, reduces the amount of heat generation thereby lowering the risk of combustion due to its solid electrolyte, has a relatively long life due to its property of low self-discharge, and has the property of relatively slow performance deterioration. Thus, by providing the all-solid-state battery, it is possible to implement the encoder <NUM> that is usable safely even under the high temperature environment, does not require the protection circuit, reduces the power consumption, and has the relatively long life.

In the embodiment, the encoder <NUM> may include the charging module <NUM> that charges the all-solid-state battery <NUM> when the external power is supplied, and stops the charging of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> when the external power is not supplied.

In this case, since the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be charged in advance when the external power is supplied, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be performed readily at any time when the external power is not supplied due to, for example, a power outage.

In the embodiment, the encoder <NUM> may include the rectifying element <NUM> that is electrically connected between the charging module <NUM> and the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to regulate the current direction to the direction from the charging module <NUM> toward the all-solid-state battery <NUM>. In this case, when the all-solid-state battery <NUM> supplies a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> via the processing module <NUM>, the backflow of current toward the charging module <NUM> may be prevented.

In the embodiment, the encoder <NUM> may include the processing module <NUM> that generates the position data of the disk <NUM> based on at least one of the angular position information and the multi-rotation information when the external power is supplied. In that case, the charging module <NUM> and the processing module <NUM> may be connected to the power supply line EL1 of the external power, to be electrically parallel with each other.

In this case, when the external power is supplied by, for example, the recovery of power outage, the power may be promptly supplied to both the charging module <NUM> and the processing module <NUM> to immediately start the modules or immediately cause the modules to execute processes, as compared with a case where the charging module <NUM> and the processing module <NUM> are connected in series to the power supply line EL1.

In the embodiment, the encoder <NUM> may include the processing module <NUM> that controls the switching between the power supply from the all-solid-state batter <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> and the stop of the power supply.

This configuration does not indicate that the power is supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> or the power supply is stopped, simply depending on, for example, whether the external power is supplied. The processing module <NUM> may control the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. As a result, the power supply may be controlled based on, for example, the results of the predetermined arithmetic processes by the processing module <NUM>, and, for example, the power consumption may be suppressed.

In the embodiment, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may supply the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> via the processing module <NUM> when the supply of external power to the encoder <NUM> is stopped.

In this case, when the supply of external power is stopped, a power is not directly supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, but the power may be supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> via the processing module <NUM>. As a result, the processing module <NUM> may control the power supply, such as supplying the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> only during, for example, the acquisition of multi-rotation information, so that the power consumption may be further suppressed.

In the embodiment, when the supply of external power to the encoder <NUM> is stopped, the processing module <NUM> may sleep by the power from the all-solid-state battery <NUM>.

In this case, since the started state of the processing module <NUM> is maintained even when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> may immediately enter the active mode as necessary to execute the predetermined processes. As a result, the time necessary for starting the processing module <NUM> may be omitted, the time until the start of processes may be reduced, and the power consumption required for starting the processing module <NUM> may be reduced. Further, in a case where the predetermined processes (e.g., an abnormality detecting process for the all-solid-state battery <NUM>) are executed when the external power is restored, the processes may be executed quickly.

In the embodiment, the encoder <NUM> may include the trigger signal generating unit <NUM> that generates the trigger signal in response to the rotation of the disk <NUM>, and in that case, the processing module <NUM> may receive the trigger signal to be restored from the sleep mode and start the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

In this case, when the external power is not supplied, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be stopped, and the power may be supplied to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> only in a case where the disk <NUM> rotates, so as to detect the multi-rotation information. As a result, the power consumption of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be suppressed, and the life of the battery may be extended.

In the embodiment, the processing module <NUM> may execute the predetermined arithmetic processes based on the multi-rotation information detected by the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

In this case, the processing module <NUM> may not only accumulate the multi-rotation information from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, but also perform the arithmetic processes based on the multi-rotation information. Accordingly, the storage area of the processing module <NUM> may be saved, and the arithmetic operation related to the multi-rotation amount (e.g., the count arithmetic process) may be executed at the time when the multi-rotation information is detected, so that the reliability may be improved. Especially, when the battery <NUM> is an all-solid-state battery, processes such as, for example, checking the soundness of the all-solid-state battery may be executed so that the reliability of the entire encoder may be improved. Further, when the processing module <NUM> becomes active from the sleep state, the processes may be executed quickly, the power consumption of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be suppressed, and the life of the battery may be extended.

In the embodiment, the processing module <NUM> may stop the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, after the acquisition of the multi-rotation information from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> and before the start of the predetermined arithmetic processes.

In this case, when the supply of external power is stopped, the processing module <NUM> may supply a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> only in a case where the disk <NUM> rotates, so as to acquire the multi-rotation information, and may stop the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> before starting the necessary arithmetic processes based on the acquired multi-rotation information. In this way, the processing module <NUM> separately controls the arithmetic processes and the stop of the power supply, so that even when the arithmetic processes require significant time, the power supply may be stopped earlier than the start of the processes, and thus, the power consumption of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be further suppressed.

In the embodiment, the encoder <NUM> may include the recording unit <NUM> which is a nonvolatile memory capable of reading and writing data and maintaining the recorded contents even when power is OFF. In that case, the processing module <NUM> may record the results of the predetermined arithmetic processes in the recording unit <NUM>.

In this case, when the supply of external power is stopped, the results of the predetermined arithmetic processes based on the multi-rotation information detected by the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be maintained even after the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is stopped. Further, when the processing module <NUM> is equipped with the recording unit <NUM> therein, the high-speed writing of data is possible, so that the power consumption of the battery may be further suppressed.

In the embodiment, the processing module <NUM> may be provided on the substrate <NUM>, and may execute the generation of the position data of the disk <NUM> based on at least one of the angular position information and the multi-rotation information when the external power is supplied, and the generation of the multi-rotation signal Rn indicating the multi-rotation amount of the disk <NUM> based on the multi-rotation information detected by the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> using the power supplied from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> when the external power is not supplied.

In this case, the processing module <NUM> may be configured as a common component mounted on the substrate <NUM>. As a result, the switching of control at the time when the external power is ON/OFF may be quickly performed. For example, even when a momentary power outage occurs, the switching of control may be quickly performed so that the process for the case where the external power is OFF may be restored to the process for the case where the external power is ON. Further, in a case where the predetermined arithmetic processes are executed when the external power is restored, the processes may also be quickly executed.

The encoder <NUM> of the embodiment includes the optical module <NUM> that detects the angular position information indicating the angular position of the rotating disk <NUM> within one rotation thereof, the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> that detects the multi-rotation information indicating the number of rotations of the disk <NUM>, and the all-solid-state battery <NUM> that has a solid electrolyte and supplies a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>.

With the encoder <NUM> that includes the all-solid-state battery <NUM>, and thus, may store the multi-rotation information by the power supplied from the battery when the supply of external power is stopped, it is possible to implement the encoder <NUM> that is usable safely even under the high temperature environment, does not require the protection circuit, reduces the power consumption, and has the relatively long life.

The embodiment is not limited to that described above, and various modifications may be made within the range that does not deviate from the gist and the technical idea of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the modifications will be described.

When the state where the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM> is restored to the state where the external power is supplied, a process of detecting an abnormality of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be executed. With reference to <FIG>, an example of the process procedure executed by the processing module <NUM> in the present modification will be described.

Since steps S105 to S140 in <FIG> are the same as those in <FIG> described above, descriptions thereof will be omitted.

In step S143, the processing module <NUM> executes the process of detecting an abnormality of the all-solid-state battery <NUM>. The method of detecting an abnormality of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is not particularly limited. For example, the voltage of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be detected, such that when the voltage value falls within a predetermined range, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be determined to be normal, and when the voltage value does not fall within the predetermined range, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be determined to be abnormal. The processing module <NUM> records the result of the abnormality detecting process in the recording unit <NUM>. The processing module <NUM> may execute the process of step S143 together with, for example, the count arithmetic process during the time t5 of the time chart illustrated in <FIG> described above.

Steps S145 and S150 are the same as those in <FIG> described above. However, when it is determined in step S150 that the external power is to be supplied to the encoder <NUM> (step S150: YES), the process proceeds to step S155.

In step S155, the processing module <NUM> executes the process of detecting an abnormality of the all-solid-state battery <NUM>. For example, as in step S143, the voltage of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be detected, such that when the voltage value falls within a predetermined range, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be determined to be normal, and when the voltage value does not fall within the predetermined range, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be determined to be abnormal. For example, the processing module <NUM> may refer to the information recorded in the recording unit <NUM> in step S143 when the supply of external power is stopped, such that when there is no information indicating that an abnormality has been detected (e.g., an alarm code), the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be determined to be normal, and when there is information indicating that an abnormality has been detected, the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be determined to be abnormal. The processing module <NUM> may output the result of the abnormality detecting process to, for example, the control device <NUM>. Then, the flowchart ends.

When the normality or abnormality of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is determined by the voltage value thereof in step S155, the process of step S143 may be omitted. When the process of step S143 is executed, the determination based on only the information recorded in the recording unit <NUM> may be performed in step S155, and the process of determining the voltage value of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be omitted.

According to the modification described above, when the supply of external power is restored after being stopped, the abnormality of the all-solid-state battery <NUM> may be checked, so that the soundness of the battery may be diagnosed and confirmed.

In the embodiment, the processing module <NUM> itself supplies the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> or stops the power supply. However, the power supply to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be switched by a switch. With reference to <FIG>, an example of a circuit configuration of the substrate <NUM> in the present modification will be described. In <FIG>, the same components as those in <FIG> described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals as used in <FIG>, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the encoder <NUM> includes a switch <NUM> as a circuit configuration implemented on the substrate <NUM>, in addition to the configuration illustrated in <FIG> described above. The switch <NUM> may only have a function of switching a circuit, such as, for example, a load switch or a transistor. The switch <NUM> is electrically connected to a power supply line EL5 between the regulator <NUM> and the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. The switching operation using the switch <NUM> is controlled by the processing module <NUM>. The regulator <NUM> outputs the power output from the DC/DC converter <NUM> or the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the processing module <NUM> and the switch <NUM>.

When the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> turns ON the switch <NUM>. As a result, the power output from the regulator <NUM> is supplied to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. When the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>, the processing module <NUM> enters the sleep mode, and turns OFF the switch <NUM>. As a result, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> is stopped.

When the trigger signal is received from the trigger signal generating unit <NUM> via the rectifier <NUM> in the sleep mode, the processing module <NUM> enters the active mode, and turns ON the switch <NUM>. As a result, the power from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is supplied to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. The processing module <NUM> turns OFF the switch <NUM> after acquiring the A-phase signal and the B-phase signal from the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>. As a result, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the magnetic detecting unit21 is stopped.

The contents of each process such as, for example, the count arithmetic process executed by the processing module <NUM> are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. According to the present modification, it is possible to apply a processing module that does not have the function of supplying a voltage to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>, and the versatility of the processing module may be improved.

In the embodiment, the processing module <NUM> is caused to sleep when the supply of external power is stopped. However, the processing module <NUM> may be turned OFF. With reference to <FIG>, an example of a circuit configuration of the substrate <NUM> in the present modification will be described. In <FIG>, the same components as those in <FIG> described above will be denoted by the same reference numerals as used in <FIG>, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the encoder <NUM> includes a switch <NUM> as a circuit configuration implemented on the substrate <NUM>, in addition to the configuration illustrated in <FIG> described above. The switch <NUM> may only have the function of switching a circuit, such as, for example, a load switch or a transistor. The switch <NUM> is electrically connected to a power supply line EL6 between the regulator <NUM> and the processing module <NUM>. The switching operation using the switch <NUM> is performed by the trigger signal input from the trigger signal generator <NUM> via the rectifier <NUM>. The regulator <NUM> outputs the power output from the DC/DC converter <NUM> or the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the switch <NUM>.

The switch <NUM> is turned ON when the external power is supplied to the encoder <NUM>. As a result, the power output from the regulator <NUM> is supplied to the processing module <NUM>. The switch <NUM> is turned OFF when the external power is not supplied to the encoder <NUM>. As a result, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the processing module <NUM> is stopped, and the processing module <NUM> enters a stopped state.

In a case where the trigger signal is received from the trigger signal generating unit <NUM> via the rectifier <NUM> when the supply of external power is stopped, the switch <NUM> is turned ON. As a result, the power from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> is supplied to the processing module <NUM>, and the processing module <NUM> is started. The switch <NUM> is turned OFF when a predetermined time elapses after the trigger signal is received. As a result, the power supply from the all-solid-state battery <NUM> to the processing module <NUM> is stopped. For example, the predetermined time is set to be equal to or more than the sum of the time Td required from the generation of the trigger signal to the start of the processing module <NUM> and the times t1 to t6 during which the processing module <NUM> executes the respective processes. In the present modification, the time Td is longer than the time Td (see, e.g., <FIG>) in the above-described embodiment, by the time for executing the process of starting the processing module <NUM>.

The contents of each process such as, for example, the count arithmetic process executed by the process module <NUM> are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. According to the present modification, it is possible to apply a processing module that does not have the function of sleep mode, and the versatility of the processing module may be improved.

In the embodiment, the processing module <NUM> includes the recording unit <NUM> therein. However, the process module <NUM> may not include the recording unit <NUM>. As illustrated in <FIG>, the recording unit <NUM> may be provided outside the processing module <NUM>. For example, the recording unit <NUM> may be provided on the substrate <NUM>. In this case, it is possible to apply a processing module having no nonvolatile memory, and the versatility of the processing module may be improved.

In the embodiment, the optical module <NUM> is a reflection type optical module. However, the optical module <NUM> may be a transmission type optical module. In this case, for example, the light source <NUM> and the light receiving arrays PA and PI may be arranged on the opposite sides with the disk <NUM> interposed between the light source <NUM> and the light receiving arrays PA and PI, and each slit of the slit arrays SA and SI of the disk <NUM> may be formed as a transmission slit (e.g., a hole).

In the embodiment, one type of an incremental pattern is formed on the disk <NUM>. However, a plurality of types of incremental patterns having different pitches may be formed on the disk <NUM>. In this case, it is possible to generate an angular position signal having a higher resolution based on the plurality of incremental signals having different resolutions.

The problems sought to be solved by the embodiment and the effects of the embodiment are not limited to those described above. That is, the embodiment may solve a problem that is not described herein or may achieve an effect that is not described herein. Further, the embodiment may solve only a portion of the problems described herein or may achieve only a portion of the effects described herein.

With reference to <FIG>, an example of a hardware configuration of the processing module <NUM> will be described. <FIG> omits the illustration of the configuration related to the function of supplying a power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the processing module <NUM> includes, for example, a CPU <NUM>, a ROM <NUM>, a RAM <NUM>, a dedicated integrated circuit <NUM> constructed for a specific application such as an ASIC or FPGA, a recording device <NUM>, and a connection port <NUM>. These components are connected to each other to transmit signals each other via a bus <NUM> and an input/output interface <NUM>.

The program may be recorded in, for example, the ROM <NUM>, the RAM <NUM>, or the recording device <NUM> including the recording unit <NUM> described above.

The connection port <NUM> is used for transmitting/receiving signals to/from an external connection device <NUM> and for inputting/outputting a power. For example, the reception of the trigger signal from the rectifier <NUM>, the input of the power from the regulator <NUM>, and the output of the power to the magnetic detecting unit <NUM> may be performed through the connection port <NUM>.

The processes performed by, for example, the angular position signal generating unit <NUM>, the A-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, the B-phase multi-rotation signal generating unit <NUM>, the counter <NUM>, and the position data generating unit <NUM> are implemented in the manner that the CPU <NUM> executes the various processes according to programs, or implemented by, for example, the dedicated integrated circuit <NUM>. The CPU <NUM> may, for example, directly read the programs from the recording device <NUM> and execute the programs, or may execute the programs after loading the programs into the RAM <NUM>.

Then, the CPU <NUM> may transmit the results obtained from executing the above-described processes to the external connection device <NUM> through, for example, the connection port <NUM>, or may record the results in the recording device <NUM>.

In the descriptions above, for example, the terms "vertical," "parallel," and "plane" do not have a strict meaning. That is, the terms "vertical," "parallel," and "plane" allow tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing, and indicate "substantially vertical," "substantially parallel," and "substantially plane.

In the descriptions above, for example, the terms "similar," "same," "equal," and "different" in an external dimension or size, a shape, a position or the like do not have a strict meaning. That is, the terms "similar," "same," "equal," and "different" allow tolerances and errors in design and manufacturing, and indicate "substantially similar," "substantially the same," "substantially equal," "substantially different.

However, the terms "same," "equal," and "different" have a strict meaning, for a value which serves as a predetermined criterion or a value that serves as a delimiter, such as a threshold value (see, e.g., the flowcharts of <FIG> and <FIG>) or a reference value.

Claim 1:
An encoder (<NUM>) comprising:
an angular position information detector (<NUM>) configured to detect angular position information indicating an angular position of a rotating disk within one rotation thereof;
a multi-rotation information detector (<NUM>) configured to detect multi-rotation information indicating a number of rotations of the disk;
a battery (<NUM>) configured to supply a power to the multi-rotation information detector (<NUM>) when an external power is not supplied to the encoder (<NUM>); characterized by a connector configured to connect a connection terminal of the battery (<NUM>) to a substrate to which at least one of the angular position information detector (<NUM>) and the multi-rotation information detector (<NUM>) is connected, via a solder in contact with the connection terminal.