Patent ID: 8185342

Claim:
A method for estimating angular information generated by a motor, comprising the steps of: causing an inverter to operate in a symmetrical three-phase short-circuit (STPSC) mode when a position sensor enters a fault mode, wherein the position sensor is designed to generate position sensor outputs (PSout) comprising: an angular velocity of a rotor of the motor with respect to a stator as the rotor rotates about the stator at the angular velocity and an angular position of the rotor with respect to the stator as the rotor rotates about the stator; measuring three-phase stationary-reference-frame short-circuit current signals generated by the motor when the inverter is operating in the STPSC mode in response to the position sensor entering the fault mode; and generating an estimated angular velocity of the rotor and an estimated angular position of the rotor based on the three-phase stationary-reference-frame short-circuit current signals.