With an object of allowing steering wheel operation to be carried out easily at a normal time and when an abnormality occurs, the invention includes a motor having two windings and a control unit having two control systems that supply control signals to each winding of the motor and when an abnormality occurs in one winding of the motor or in one system inside the control unit, a supply of current to the winding in which the abnormality has occurred is cut to zero, and the motor is driven by a predetermined current necessary at a normal time being supplied to the other winding, while at a time of a normal drive when no abnormality has occurred, the current supply is shared between the two windings, whereby the motor is driven.

With an object of allowing steering wheel operation to be carried out easily at a normal time and when an abnormality occurs, the invention includes a motor having two windings and a control unit having two control systems that supply control signals to each winding of the motor and when an abnormality occurs in one winding of the motor or in one system inside the control unit, a supply of current to the winding in which the abnormality has occurred is cut to zero, and the motor is driven by a predetermined current necessary at a normal time being supplied to the other winding, while at a time of a normal drive when no abnormality has occurred, the current supply is shared between the two windings, whereby the motor is driven.

Technical solutions are described for mitigating braking torque in a motor of a steering system caused by a FET short. For example, an example mitigation system includes a mitigation module that adjusts a motor torque in response to a FET short. The mitigation system further includes a mitigation-enable module that selectively enables and disables the mitigation module based on a handwheel torque signal. Further, the mitigation system includes a damping module that reduces the motor torque based on a motor velocity signal for the motor.

Technical solutions are described for mitigating braking torque in a motor of a steering system caused by a FET short. For example, an example mitigation system includes a mitigation module that adjusts a motor torque in response to a FET short. The mitigation system further includes a mitigation-enable module that selectively enables and disables the mitigation module based on a handwheel torque signal. Further, the mitigation system includes a damping module that reduces the motor torque based on a motor velocity signal for the motor.

A smart motor having a permanent magnet synchronous machine and an electronic control unit, the synchronous machine including one or two permanent magnet rotor(s) and at least one six-phase stator per rotor endowed with at least two three-phase assemblies each formed of three windings electrically coupled in a star, the electronic control unit including one control inverter per stator equipped with six independent arms each configured to control one phase of a six-phase stator. The three-phase assemblies are magnetically and electrically decoupled with respect to one another.

A smart motor having a permanent magnet synchronous machine and an electronic control unit, the synchronous machine including one or two permanent magnet rotor(s) and at least one six-phase stator per rotor endowed with at least two three-phase assemblies each formed of three windings electrically coupled in a star, the electronic control unit including one control inverter per stator equipped with six independent arms each configured to control one phase of a six-phase stator. The three-phase assemblies are magnetically and electrically decoupled with respect to one another.

A semiconductor device for controlling a three-phase motor with double windings, includes a first inverter that drives a first winding of the three-phase motor, a second inverter that drives a second winding of the three-phase motor and a communication line between the first and second inverters. The first and second inverters, through the communication line, notify a respective operation state each other.

A semiconductor device for controlling a three-phase motor with double windings, includes a first inverter that drives a first winding of the three-phase motor, a second inverter that drives a second winding of the three-phase motor and a communication line between the first and second inverters. The first and second inverters, through the communication line, notify a respective operation state each other.

A motor controller includes: a main motor drive circuit configured to control driving of a multi-phase electric motor; a backup motor drive circuit configured to control driving of the multi-phase electric motor, when an abnormality occurs at the main motor drive circuit; and an abnormality diagnosis unit configured to diagnose the abnormality of the main and backup motor drive circuits. In a normal drive state, only the main motor drive circuit is configured to drive the multi-phase electric motor, and in a backup drive state, when the abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses that the abnormality occurs at the main motor drive circuit as a diagnoses result, a motor current of a phase output unit where the abnormality occurs is cut off, and the phase output unit that has been cut off is replaced with another phase output unit of a same phase in the backup motor drive circuit.

A motor controller includes: a main motor drive circuit configured to control driving of a multi-phase electric motor; a backup motor drive circuit configured to control driving of the multi-phase electric motor, when an abnormality occurs at the main motor drive circuit; and an abnormality diagnosis unit configured to diagnose the abnormality of the main and backup motor drive circuits. In a normal drive state, only the main motor drive circuit is configured to drive the multi-phase electric motor, and in a backup drive state, when the abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses that the abnormality occurs at the main motor drive circuit as a diagnoses result, a motor current of a phase output unit where the abnormality occurs is cut off, and the phase output unit that has been cut off is replaced with another phase output unit of a same phase in the backup motor drive circuit.