Patent ID: 8030861

Claim:
A method for controlling a deceleration process of a DC motor, wherein the DC motor is driven by a bridge driver coupled to a power supply intended to provide a supply voltage VDD at a power supply output, the method comprising the following steps: applying a deceleration PWM signal to the bridge driver for decelerating the DC motor; controlling the bridge driver such that a motor-induced back current is reduced, if the voltage at the power supply output exceeds a voltage threshold which is higher than VDD; the method being characterized in that the step of controlling the bridge driver ( 18 ) such that a motor-induced back current is reduced, if the voltage at the power supply output ( 14 ) exceeds a voltage threshold which is higher than VDD comprises: if the voltage at the power supply output exceeds the voltage threshold, changing stepwise the pulse width of the deceleration PWM signal in a first direction until the voltage at the power supply output reaches or falls below the voltage threshold, and then, if the voltage at the power supply output has fallen below the voltage threshold, changing stepwise the pulse width of the deceleration PWM signal in a second direction opposite to the first direction until the voltage at the power supply output ( 14 ) again reaches or exceeds the voltage threshold.