Patent ID: 8013552

Claim:
A DC motor controller, the controller comprising: a period detector, wherein the period detector is operable to detect a period associated with a DC motor, wherein the DC motor includes a plurality of phases to which current is applied in accordance with a plurality of commutation states, and wherein the plurality of commutation states includes at least a first commutation state and a second commutation state; an initial commutation state controller, wherein the initial commutation state controller is operable to: initialize an up/down counter; induce a first current in the plurality of phases in accordance with the first commutation state; increment the up/down counter until the first current achieves a threshold in the first commutation state; induce a second current in the plurality of phases in accordance with the second commutation state; decrement the up/down counter until the second current achieves the threshold in the second commutation state; store the sign bit of the up/down counter; and determine a desired initial commutation state based at least in part on the sign bit of the up/down count.