Patents Examined by Cortez Cook
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Patent number: 10090786Abstract: While motors or generators stacked in series may allow for higher operating voltages, such motors or generators may also exhibit instability. To minimize instability, the motors or generators may be controlled to have an approximately equal current. An example motor system may include motor stacks connected in series, each motor stack exhibiting a respective stack voltage and a respective differential power (based on a difference in power between motors in the motor stack). A control system may average the stack voltages to generate an average stack voltage and generate a nominal stack power corresponding to each stack voltage. The control system may receive the differential powers, combine each differential power and nominal stack power for the respective motor stack to generate first and a second motor powers, and control each motor stack using the first and second motor powers.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: X Development LLCInventors: Andrew David Goessling, Leo Francis Casey
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Patent number: 10090738Abstract: A motor assembly broadly includes a motor, a motor controller, and an interface controller having an integrated power supply. The integrated power supply includes an AC to DC power conversion and voltage reduction component. The motor controller and the interface controller receive line voltage electrical power without the need for an external transformer.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2016Date of Patent: October 2, 2018Assignee: Nidec Motor CorporationInventors: Christopher D. Schock, Randy L. Bomkamp
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Patent number: 10060982Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system and method for determining faults in motors and drives. The system includes a motor drive that has a DC-link coupled to a power source. A controller system is configured to measure power applied to the DC-link, integrate the power over time to yield energy consumed, and to determine energy that accumulates in operation over time. The controller is further configured to detect a fault condition when the energy that accumulates in operation is less than expected based on the energy consumed.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2014Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATIONInventor: Gary L. Miles
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Patent number: 10050574Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling regeneration for a motor. An instantaneous voltage provided by a power supply to the motor is identified using a voltage signal received from a voltage sensor. A new average voltage is computed for the motor using the instantaneous voltage, a previously computed average voltage, and a weight factor for the instantaneous voltage. A difference between the new average voltage and the instantaneous voltage is compared to a selected threshold to determine whether a regeneration condition exists. Operation of the motor is controlled such that a duty cycle of the motor does not decrease in response to a determination that the regeneration condition exists.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Kevin T. Colangelo, Douglas Conrad Cameron
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Patent number: 10044303Abstract: A circuit includes a processor that analyzes a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal feedback from a brushless DC motor to determine a transition between a mutual inductance zero crossing condition and a Back Electro Motive Force (BEMF) zero crossing condition of the brushless DC motor. A mutual inductance controller is executed by the processor to commutate the brushless DC motor at startup of the motor when the mutual inductance zero crossing condition is detected by the processor. A BEMF controller is executed by the processor to commutate the brushless DC motor after startup of the motor when the BEMF zero crossing condition is detected by the processor.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Yisong Lu, Ruochen Zhang, Wei Zuo
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Patent number: 10044316Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating an electric machine (4), in particular of a motor vehicle (1), having a stator (10) with at least one stator coil. The stator coil is energized in order to set a required torque of the electric machine (4), and a temperature of the stator (10) of the electric machine (4) is detected by means of a temperature sensor (12). The current flowing through the stator coil is monitored in order to plausibility-check the detected temperature. In order to plausibility-check the temperature, the current in the stator coil is increased while maintaining the same torque, and the temperature is monitored for a temperature increase.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Lanouar Chouk, Gunther Goetting, Raimundo Varas Manso
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Patent number: 10020767Abstract: A linear motor device includes a linear motor and a controller that applies pressure to a pressurizing target by moving a needle provided with the linear motor. The controller includes: a speed-change position-setting unit that calculates a deceleration start position, which is a position where a movement speed of the needle starts to be reduced from a first speed to a second speed when the pressurizing target start to be pressurized, based on a distance required to reduce the movement speed of the needle from the first speed to the second speed which is lower than the first speed and at which pressure applied to the pressurizing target when the needle comes into contact with the pressurizing target is equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure; and a position determination unit that drives the needle of the linear motor at the first speed and at the second speed.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 2012Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: THK CO., LTD.Inventors: Shuhei Yamanaka, Yuki Nomura
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Patent number: 10014805Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling commutation of a motor. A voltage is measured at each of a plurality of windings of a motor using an electric circuit. A controller computes an overall back electromotive force for the motor using the voltage measured at each winding in the plurality of windings. The controller generates a result having either a first value or a second value based on the overall back electromotive force. The controller adjusts the commutation phase and the commutation period of the motor using the result.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: The Boeing CompanyInventors: Douglas Conrad Cameron, Kevin T. Colangelo, Suhat Limvorapun
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Patent number: 10003284Abstract: Disclosed herein is a power apparatus including a first motor, a second motor connected with the first motor in parallel, a driver configured to supply driving currents to the first and second motors, a current detector configured to detect the driving current of the first motor and the driving current of the second motor, a speed calculator configured to calculate a rotating speed of the first motor and a rotating speed of the second motor, and a controller configured to control the driver based on the rotating speed of the first motor, wherein the controller controls the driver so that the rotating speed of the first motor and the rotating speed of the second motor are the same as each other, when the rotating speed of the first motor and the rotating speed of the second motor are different from each other.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., SNU R&DB FOUNDATIONInventors: Je Hyung Cho, Alexey Bodrov, Yongjae Lee, Jung-Ik Ha
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Patent number: 9998043Abstract: An estimation unit estimates a q-axis induced-voltage estimation value and estimation torque of a PM motor. An adder adds a torque command and a first command together. The first command is calculated at a first command generation unit based on the estimation torque. A further adder adds a q-axis voltage command and a second command together. The second command is calculated at a second command generation unit based on the q-axis induced-voltage estimation value. The first and second command generation units compensate a control delay in a current control system including a current control unit and an estimation delay in the estimation unit for the estimation torque and an estimation induced voltage of the PM motor, and thereby a lack of the q-axis voltage command in a high frequency range is compensated, reducing a torque ripple effectively over a wide range of speed up to a high speed range.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2013Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Takashi Hozuki, Hisanori Yamasaki
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Patent number: 9991837Abstract: Systems and methods to manipulate the noise and vibration of a switched reluctance machine (SRM), capable of being implemented in a controller. By use of vibration sensors and a real-time optimizer, the noise and vibration profile of an SRM and associated load can be modified in order to meet multiple control objectives, such as torque ripple mitigation (TRM), harmonic spectrum shaping, and efficiency improvement. The systems and methods can be adapted to high power, high pole count, and high speed applications, and applications where electrical or mechanical imbalance exists.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2017Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Continuous Solutions LLCInventors: Nir Vaks, Nyah Zarate, Xiaoqi Wang
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Patent number: 9973127Abstract: The rotational speed of at least one drive motor of a motor vehicle is controlled by an electronic control system, wherein the differential rotational speed between a specified target rotational speed and an actual rotational speed of the drive motor is considered as a system value for determining the control parameters that influence the rotational speed control process. As an additional system value, the magnitude and direction of the differential rotational speed gradient are considered when determining the control parameters.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2012Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: AUDI AGInventors: Harald Brunner, Andreas Göbel, Jens Kielstein
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Patent number: 9973121Abstract: The present teaching relates to a magnetic sensor residing in a housing. The magnetic sensor includes an input port and an output port, both extending from the housing, wherein the input port is to be connected to an external alternating current (AC) power supply. The magnetic sensor also includes an electric circuit which comprises an output control circuit coupled with the output port and configured to be at least responsive to a magnetic induction signal and the external AC power supply to control the magnetic sensor to operate in a state in which a load current flows through the output port. The magnetic induction signal is indicative of at least one characteristic of an external magnetic field detected by the electrical circuit and the operating frequency of the magnetic sensor is positively proportional to the frequency of the external AC power supply.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: JOHNSON ELECTRIC S.A.Inventors: Chi Ping Sun, Fei Xin, Ken Wong, Shing Hin Yeung, Hui Min Guo, Shu Zuo Lou, Xiao Ming Chen, Guang Jie Cai, Chun Fai Wong, Shu Juan Huang, Yun Long Jiang, Yue Li, Bao Ting Liu, En Hui Wang, Xiu Wen Yang, Li Sheng Liu, Yan Yun Cui
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Patent number: 9973132Abstract: A motor control circuit includes a processor configured to calculate a plurality of motor impedances from measurements of an excitation voltage on a power bus to a motor and measurements of a plurality of currents through the motor resulting from the excitation voltage, and the processor configured to calculate individual winding inductances in the motor, based on the measured motor impedances, and configured to determine whether there is an inter-turn winding fault based on the calculated individual winding inductances.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2016Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATEDInventors: Stephen John Fedigan, Sandun Shivantha Kuruppu, Paul LeRoy Brohlin
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Patent number: 9966893Abstract: A motor controller for providing a three-phase alternating current (AC) signal to a three-phase motor. The motor controller uses current feedback from a single shunt to monitor or control the three phase AC signal. The motor controller may include a three-phase DC to AC power inverter, a single-shunt current sensor, and a processor. During individual duty cycles when two or more phase signals are too close to each other, the processor may shift one of the phase signals in time so that its leading or trailing edges are a predetermined conflict time away from each other. Then, the processor may sample current from the single-shunt current sensor to determine currents of two of the three phase signals and then calculate current of a remaining one of the three phase signals. Sample times may depend on pulse widths and shifting of the phase signals.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2016Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: Nidec Motor CorporationInventors: Christopher D. Schock, Prakash B. Shahi
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Patent number: 9966883Abstract: The present teaching relates to a method/apparatus for a magnetic sensor. The apparatus of the magnetic sensor resides in a housing and includes an input port and an output port, both extending from the housing. The apparatus also includes an electrical circuit which comprises a magnetic field detecting circuit, configured to detect an external magnetic field and output a magnetic induction signal that is indicative of information related to the external magnetic field, an output control circuit coupled between the magnetic field detecting circuit and the output port, and a state control circuit coupled with the output control circuit and configured to determine whether a predetermined condition is satisfied and signal the same to the output control circuit.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: JOHNSON ELECTRIC S.A.Inventors: Chi Ping Sun, Fei Xin, Ken Wong, Shing Hin Yeung, Hui Min Guo, Shu Zuo Lou, Xiao Ming Chen, Guang Jie Cai, Chun Fai Wong, Shu Juan Huang, Yun Long Jiang, Yue Li, Bao Ting Liu, En Hui Wang, Xiu Wen Yang, Li Sheng Liu, Yan Yun Cui
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Patent number: 9958837Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a position detector for detecting the position of a rotor of a motor, a speed detection unit for calculating a speed detection value based on a position detection value detected by the position detector, a speed command generation unit for generating a speed command which commands a rotation speed of the rotor of the motor, a correction amount calculation unit for calculating a correction amount based on the position detection value detected by the position detector, a correction processing unit for correcting the speed detection value by using the correction amount, and a torque command generation unit for generating a torque command which commands a rotational torque of the motor based on the speed command and the speed detection value corrected by the correction processing unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2015Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: FANUC CORPORATIONInventor: Ryoutarou Tsuneki
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Patent number: 9954469Abstract: The present teaching relates to a magnetic sensor that comprises a housing, an input port and an output port, both extending from the housing and the input port being connected to an external alternating current (AC) power supply, and an electrical circuit. The electrical circuit comprises an output control circuit coupled with the output port and configured to be responsive to a magnetic induction signal to control the magnetic sensor to operate in a state in which a load current flows through the output port when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and operate in another state when the predetermined condition is not satisfied. The operating frequency of the magnetic sensor is positively proportional to the frequency of the external AC power supply.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2016Date of Patent: April 24, 2018Assignee: JOHNSON ELECTRIC S.A.Inventors: Chi Ping Sun, Fei Xin, Ken Wong, Shing Hin Yeung, Hui Min Guo, Shu Zuo Lou, Xiao Ming Chen, Guang Jie Cai, Chun Fai Wong, Shu Juan Huang, Yun Long Jiang, Yue Li, Bao Ting Liu, En Hui Wang, Xiu Wen Yang, Li Sheng Liu, Yan Yun Cui
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Patent number: 9948223Abstract: Provided is drive unit of a synchronous motor capable of improving the accuracy of magnetic flux operations with a simple configuration. To this end, the drive unit has a magnetic flux operation part which, in the case where a direction of a magnetic field pole of the synchronous motor is regarded as a d-axis and a direction orthogonal to the d-axis is regarded as a q-axis, calculates a magnetic flux of the d-axis and a magnetic flux of the q-axis on the basis of a current of the d-axis, a current of the q-axis, and a field current of the synchronous motor; and a magnetic flux operation error correcting part which calculates a phase difference between an input voltage and an input current of the synchronous motor and corrects an inner-phase difference angle calculated from the magnetic flux of the d-axis and the magnetic flux of the q-axis on the basis of the phase difference.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2012Date of Patent: April 17, 2018Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATIONInventor: Takashi Ishida
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Patent number: 9923433Abstract: Systems are described for converting the angular position of a shaft or an axle of a rotary motor to an analog or a digital code indicative of the angular position. The systems may include a magnetic disk encoded with first magnetic transitions and second magnetic transitions, where the first magnetic transitions are on a first circumference of the magnetic disk, the second magnetic transitions are on a second circumference of the magnetic disk, the first magnetic transitions represent regions on the magnetic disk, and the second magnetic transitions represent locations on the magnetic disk within each of the regions. The systems may include a first sensor to detect a region based on the first magnetic transitions and a second sensor to detect a location based on the second magnetic transitions. The systems may also include a decoder to identify an absolute location on the magnetic disk based on the region detected by the first sensor and the location detected by the second sensor.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2015Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Inventors: Antonio Sangermano, II, Richard O'Day