A motor control device includes at least one power converter. The at least one power converter is connected between a DC power supply and a motor. The at least one power converter converts a DC electric power into a multi-phase AC electric power by operating a plurality of switching elements and supplies the multi-phase AC electric power to the motor. The motor control device calculates a command value for operating the at least one power converter to control electrical conduction to the motor. The motor control device determines an overcurrent fault when a value of a current flowing through the at least one power converter or a motor winding of the motor exceeds an overcurrent threshold value. The motor control device estimates or detects a power supply current that is a direct current flowing between the DC power supply and the at least one power converter.

A failure diagnosis method for an inverter circuit includes a first monitoring step of monitoring an inter-terminal voltage between a high-potential-side terminal and a low-potential-side terminal of each of a plurality of driving devices included in the inverter circuit, and a second monitoring step of monitoring a power supply voltage of the inverter circuit. A determination step of determining whether there is a failure in each of the driving devices from a value of the inter-terminal voltage and a value of the power supply voltage is included.

The disclosure relates to a method including the steps of: acquiring a time sequence of sets of vehicle parameter values; determining, for each set of acquired vehicle parameter values, based the set of acquired vehicle parameter values, a measure indicative of an observed strain in a steering rod, between a steering actuator and a wheel; determining, for each set of acquired vehicle parameter values, a measure indicative of a predicted strain in the rod, between the steering actuator and the wheel; and determining the functional status of the steering system based on a relation between the measures indicative of the observed strain in the rod and the measures indicative of the predicted strain in the rod.

Provided is an apparatus for operating a phase cut switch in a motor driven power steering apparatus. The apparatus for operating a phase cut switch in a motor driven power steering apparatus includes: a phase cut switch installed for an inverter for converting a voltage into 3-phase power and driving a driving motor and for each phase of input terminals of the driving motor; a gate driving unit configured to receive a driving signal from a control device and operate the phase cut switch; and a current circulation unit configured to circulate a counter electromotive force of the driving motor at an output terminal of the gate driving unit and an output terminal of the phase cut switch.

Disclosed is a method for detecting a fault in an electric motor of a power-assisted steering system of an automobile vehicle. The method notably includes a step for: determination of a residual direct sinusoidal voltage and of a residual quadrature sinusoidal voltage based on the measured direct sinusoidal current, on the estimated direct sinusoidal current, on the measured quadrature sinusoidal current and on the estimated quadrature sinusoidal current; and detection of a fault when the difference between the value of the residual direct sinusoidal voltage and its moving average is greater than a first threshold and/or when the difference between the value of the quadrature sinusoidal voltage and its moving average is greater than a second threshold.

A power conversion device includes a first inverter and a control circuit that controls on/off operations of switches in the first inverter and diagnoses disconnection failures of n-phase windings where n is an integer of three or more. The control circuit generates a control signal to turn on one low-side switch of a first specific phase among n low-side switch in the first inverter, turn off the remaining n1 low-side switches, and turn off all n high-side switches, supplies the control signal to the n low-side switches and the n high-side switches in a state where a neutral point of a motor is provided, measures n-phase voltages that change depending on patterns of disconnection failures of the n-phase windings, and diagnoses a disconnection failure based on the measured n-phase voltages by referring to a table associating the patterns of the disconnection failures with n-phase voltage levels.

A configurable diagnostic data monitor that captures diagnostic data of a motor control system is provided. Triggers, and records generated using the triggers, are configurable using, for example, different parameters or logical operators. Triggers buffer data that can be made part of a record when a trigger condition is met. Memory used by a trigger and memory usage for records is monitored and notifications generated indicating memory required for a trigger. Configuration of a trigger can involve customized priority relative to other triggers, adjustable data parameters, a persistence parameter, and configurable saved data capture for rate and duration.

When one of two winding systems fails, an ECU transitions from a first state in which a target assist torque is produced using winding groups of the two winding systems to a second state in which using the remaining normal winding system. When the failed winding system has recovered to normal during an operation in the second state, the ECU carries out initial check that is inspection of the winding system recovered to normal prior to starting the power supply as follows. The ECU omits, from items of the initial check of the winding system recovered to normal, a specific item that is set as an item susceptible to an induced voltage generated in the winding group of the winding system recovered to normal as the motor is driven using the winding group of the normal winding system and carries out only the remainder items of the initial check.

A method for controlling a power steering system of a vehicle, having a steering wheel, and an inverter powering an assist motor, when a short-circuit failure is detected between a phase of the assist motor and an electric line of the inverter, wherein it includes:a configuration step intended to determine, for a magnetic field of the assist motor, a controllable zone and a non-controllable zone, a step of compensating for a space-average brake torque in the controllable zone.

A power steering system having at least one steering wheel, steering mechanism provided with rack, and at least one servo motor, the method having, outside steering phase during which power steering system is assigned to driving of vehicle to cause vehicle to follow trajectory which is determined as function of the situation of vehicle with respect to its environment, step (a) of automatically activating the servo motor, during which step computer is used to automatically generate and apply the servo motor, without requiring any external action on steering wheel, activation instruction that follows one or more cycles referred to as pre-established exploration cycles in order to measure, during at least one exploration cycle or at the end of at least one exploration cycle, at least one indicator parameter which is specific to response by power steering system to automatic activation of servo motor and which is characteristic of desired property.