Patent ID: 7166975

Claim:
A motor driving apparatus driving a multiphase motor comprising: a motor driver which includes a parallel circuit in which a plurality of series circuits are connected in parallel, each of the plurality of series circuits having a high side switching device and a low side switching device connected in series; a voltage detector which detects a voltage at a neutral point of the multiphase motor during a first period and outputs the detected voltage as a first detection signal, the first period being identical to or a part of a period for which all of the high side switching devices or/and all of the low side switching devices are in an on state in the parallel circuit; a first timing detector which detects a timing at which a voltage of the first detection signal equals to a first reference voltage, and outputs the detected timing as a second detection signal; a periodic signal generator which generates a periodic signal whose phase is controlled based on the second detection signal; and a driving signal generator which generates, by using the periodic signal, a plurality of driving signals with each of which one of the high side and low side switching devices in the parallel circuit is driven.