Patent ID: 8744603

Claim:
Method for executing mechanical overload protection to prevent commanding a control signal to a linear actuator that may mechanically overload the linear actuator when an overload condition of the linear actuator is detected, the linear actuator utilized for controlling a movable element associated with the linear actuator responsive to the control signal, comprising: monitoring an overload condition based on position change of the movable element associated with the linear actuator during an integration period and excess energy during the integration period, comprising: monitoring position change of the movable element associated with the linear actuator during the integration period comprising monitoring a present feedback signal of the movable element indicating a present position of the movable element, monitoring a command signal of the movable element indicating a preferred position of the movable element, comparing the present feedback signal and the command signal and determining a position change based a difference between the present feedback signal and the command signal; comparing the position change to a position change threshold; and detecting an overload condition does not exist when the position change is less than the position change threshold; de-energizing the linear actuator when existence of the overload condition has been detected; monitoring an overload retry counter based on the number of cycles existence of the overload condition is detected; comparing the overload retry counter to an overload retry threshold; and reenergizing the linear actuator when the overload retry counter is less than the overload retry threshold and maintaining de-energizing of the linear actuator when the overload retry counter is at least the overload retry threshold.