Patent ID: 8080964

Claim:
A neural network for estimating the position of a motor's rotor with respect to its stator, the network comprising: a preprocessor that produces a substantially non-linear response based on a plurality of variables; and a plurality of neurons, wherein: an input layer of the neural network comprises a group of the plurality of neurons and each neuron of the input layer produces a response based on the plurality of variables and the response produced by the preprocessor, an output layer of the neural network comprises one of the plurality of neurons, which produces a response based on the responses produced by the neurons of the input layer, and information indicative of: (1) the amount of current applied to a phase winding of the motor and (2) the motor's flux-linkage are variables provided to the preprocessor for use in producing the substantially non-linear response and also provided to each of the input layer neurons for use in producing its respective response.