Patents Examined by Devon A Joseph
  • Patent number: 11349424
    Abstract: A motor control system of a motor is provided. The system includes a state estimation observer that computes an estimated velocity based on an inertia-damping response to the dynamics of the motor shaft, a torque command signal, and the compensated command signal. This compensated signal comes from a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller that determines a difference between a sensed position and an estimated position. The estimated position is determined by the estimated velocity and an integrator. The control system may also include a motor-velocity based lowpass filter which applies a filter to the estimated velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventor: Kun Li
  • Patent number: 11336209
    Abstract: A control apparatus is capable of improving responsiveness in a minute movement of a vibration-type actuator that has a vibration body (a piezoelectric device and an elastic body) and a driven body that pressure contacts with the vibration body. A driving unit moves the driven body by causing a thrust-up vibration in a pressurizing direction and a conveyance vibration in a perpendicular direction in the vibration body by applying alternating voltages to the piezoelectric device. A control unit feedback-controls a position of the driven body by using a first operational parameter that defines an amplitude ratio of the conveyance vibration to the thrust-up vibration and a second operational parameter that defines amplitudes of the conveyance vibration and the thrust-up vibration. A correction unit corrects a control amount of the first or second operational parameter so as to increase as the amplitude ratio decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Jun Sumioka
  • Patent number: 11329585
    Abstract: Systems and methods of controlling a length of an air gap in an electric machine using an air gap controller may include: determining an air gap length value for an electric machine at least in part using an air gap controller, comparing the determined air gap length value to an air gap target value using the air gap controller, and outputting a control command from the air gap controller to a controllable device associated with an air gap control system when the determined air gap length value differs from the air gap target value by a predefined threshold. A control command may be configured to impart a change to an operating parameter associated with the air gap control system to adjust a length of an air gap between an outer surface of a rotor core and an inner surface of a stator core of the electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Pablo Gabriel Piazza Galarza, Fabian Isaza
  • Patent number: 11329581
    Abstract: The present invention provides a shunt series wound direct-current (DC) motor driving device and electric equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF SHANGHAI FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Shaolong Li, Aijuan Jin
  • Patent number: 11329589
    Abstract: A mining machine including a motor, an adjustable speed drive providing a voltage to the motor, the voltage having an excitation component comprising a magnitude and a frequency for operating the motor at a desired speed and including an additional voltage component for use in detecting a ground fault condition, and a ground fault relay for detecting a ground fault current when the ground fault current exceeds a predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Joy Global Underground Mining LLC
    Inventors: Peter M. Dalton, Michael Jordan
  • Patent number: 11323050
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, the controller configured to, when an operation of the boosting circuit is in the boosting mode, and if an instantaneous value Ia of a current flowing through the reactor lowers to a value smaller than or equal to a set value Ias, switch the operation of the boosting circuit from the boosting mode to the non-boosting mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaki Kanamori, Keiichi Ishida, Yohei Kubota, Kenta Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11316451
    Abstract: A method for determining current-dependent and/or rotational angle position-dependent characteristic variables of an electrical machine by setting a rotational angle position of blocking a rotor, forming a series current desired value using a series current desired value alternating signal which changes periodically and/or forming a parallel current desired value using a parallel current desired value alternating signal which changes periodically, regulating a series current using the series current desired value and/or a parallel current using the parallel current desired value, measuring phase currents of the electrical machine and determining an established series current and/or an established parallel current, producing series setting voltage coefficients and series current coefficients and/or parallel setting voltage coefficients and parallel current coefficients using a discrete Fourier transform algorithm, and calculating characteristic variables on the basis of series setting voltage coefficients and
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Lenze Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Stichweh, Gennadi Boehm
  • Patent number: 11316466
    Abstract: A rotation angle estimation unit calculates a rotation angle of a rotor from a d-axis current and a q-axis current that flow into a motor of an onboard fluid machine and from a d-axis voltage command value and a q-axis voltage command value. A correction unit of an inverter device applies a pulse voltage to the motor when the motor is in a stopped state. Further, the correction unit corrects a parameter for control of the motor in accordance with a comparison result of the d-axis current and the q-axis current, which flow into the motor when the pulse voltage is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Masashi Kubota, Takashi Kawashima, Kazuki Najima
  • Patent number: 11313458
    Abstract: A shift range control apparatus acquires a motor rotation angle signal corresponding to a rotation position of a motor, calculates a motor angle based on a motor rotation angle signal, acquires an output shaft signal corresponding to the rotation position of an output shaft, sets a target rotation angle based on a target shift range and the output shaft signal, drives the motor to cause the motor angle to reach the target rotation angle, determines the shift range based on the output shaft signal, monitors a fault in the output shaft signal, and learns a P-side reference position corresponding to the motor angle in a situation where the engagement member abuts against a first wall portion of the shift range switching mechanism, in a condition that the fault occurs in the output shaft signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11299923
    Abstract: Various embodiments relate to a drive arrangement for a closure element of a motor vehicle which has an electrical motor vehicle on-board power system, wherein an electric drive for motorized adjustment of the closure element is provided, wherein the drive is assigned a coupling arrangement by which the drive can be actuated electrically. It is proposed that at least one cableless transmission path, in particular to an on-board-power-system-side coupling arrangement, via which the drive can be actuated, can be generated by the drive-side coupling arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH SE & Co. Kommanditgesselschaft, Bamberg
    Inventors: Matthias Seidl, Sebastian Schenk
  • Patent number: 11303234
    Abstract: Provided is a motor control device having a function for determining a rotor position of a synchronous motor, without use of a sensor, the device prevents obtaining an erroneous rotor position, to enable stable control of the synchronous motor based on the rotor position in both the normal-control region and the flux-weakening-control region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SANDEN AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masafumi Hotta, Daisuke Hirono
  • Patent number: 11303242
    Abstract: A system and method for wirelessly providing power to independent movers traveling along a track includes a sliding transformer to transfer power between the track and each mover. The sliding transformer includes a primary winding extending along the track and a secondary winding mounted to each mover. Each of the primary and secondary windings may be formed of a single coil or multiple coils. The primary and secondary windings are generally aligned with each other and extend along the track and along the mover in the direction of travel with an air gap present between the windings. A power converter on the mover may regulate the power supplied to the mover to control an actuator or a sensor mounted on the mover or to activate drive coils mounted on the mover to interact with magnets mounted along the track and, thereby, control motion of each mover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Xikai Sun, Peter M. Smit, Oliver C. Haya, Mark R. Cooper, Nanwei Yao
  • Patent number: 11296644
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery, an inverter, and a controller. The inverter includes a plurality of pairs of switches. Each of the pairs includes an upper switch that is directly electrically connected with a positive terminal of the traction battery and a lower switch that is directly electrically connected with a negative terminal of the traction battery. The controller, responsive to presence of a fault condition and during each of consecutive switching periods, deactivates all of the switches for a predetermined portion of the switching period, activates only the upper switches for another predetermined portion of the switching period, deactivates all of the switches for yet another predetermined portion of the switching period, and activates only the lower switches for still yet another predetermined portion of the switching period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Xuemei Sun, Jiyao Wang, Hongjie Wu, William Reynolds, Silong Li, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 11296639
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an inverter which is capable of adjusting an output frequency of a three-phase voltage output to a motor based on a result of comparison in magnitude between the minimum operating voltage of the motor and a DC link voltage applied to a DC link. The inverter includes: a measurement part configured to measure a DC link voltage applied to a DC link; a conversion part configured to convert the DC link voltage into a three-phase voltage and output the three-phase voltage to the motor; and a control part configured to make comparison in magnitude between the DC link voltage and the minimum operating voltage of the motor and adjust an output frequency of the three-phase voltage based on a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyo-Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 11290039
    Abstract: An electric motor drive apparatus comprising a voltage converter component arranged to receive a supply voltage signal and output a bus voltage signal, and a motor driver component arranged to receive the bus voltage signal and generate at least one drive signal for an electric motor from the bus voltage signal. The motor driver component is arranged to output a bus voltage feedback signal to the voltage converter component. The voltage converter component is arranged to regulate a voltage level of the bus voltage signal based at least partly on the bus voltage feedback signal output by the motor driver component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: NXP USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Jaroslav Musil
  • Patent number: 11277081
    Abstract: A device for switching in and out a start winding of a single phase AC motor using an energizer winding to generate voltage which can be used to power a simple timing switch circuit. The AC voltage is rectified and converted to DC voltage. The DC voltage is then used to drive a normally closed solid state switch to an open state which in turn inactivates a triac connected to the start winding in the motor. The “on time” of the start winding is controlled by a RC circuit that ramps the voltage to the gate of a FET that drives current through the normally closed solid state switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Flint & Walling, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric J. Hansen, Adam J. Cohen, Josh E. Tang
  • Patent number: 11271510
    Abstract: An electric motor includes a configuration that directs at least a portion of an electric field generated by phase windings into a stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Li Niu, Dillon J. Thomasson, Kan Zhou, David F. Nelson, Rui Guan
  • Patent number: 11258384
    Abstract: A motor control circuit includes a driver having ON and OFF states, and outputs a drive signal to a coil of a motor, a lower limit detector detecting whether current flowing through the coil is less than a lower limit, an upper limit detector detecting whether current flowing through the coil is more than an upper limit, a drive controller placing the driver into the ON state based on a detection result in the lower limit detector after the driver is brought into the OFF state, and placing the driver into the OFF state when the upper limit detector detects that the current is more than the upper limit after a predetermined time elapses from the driver being placed in the ON state, and a polarity switcher switching a polarity of the drive signal when an OFF time of the driver satisfies a polarity switching condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: Takashi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 11258385
    Abstract: The motor control device is capable of driving control of the stepping motor with a pre-excitation that excites the stepping motor for a first time with a current lower than that during driving before starting or when starting driving the stepping motor, and a post-excitation that excites the stepping motor at a current lower than that during driving when stopping or after stopping the driving of the stepping motor for a second time, and is capable of continuing the post-excitation and the pre-excitation for a period of time shorter than the sum of the first time and the second time when the post-excitation at the previous stopping of driving of the stepping motor and the pre-excitation at the next starting of driving of the stepping motor are executed without passing through the non-excited state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: FUJI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mikine Ito, Tsutomu Kunihiro
  • Patent number: 11251721
    Abstract: A power supply device is provided with an output unit, an input unit, a rectifier circuit, a switching circuit, and a controller. The input unit inputs an AC input. The rectifier circuit has a smoothing capacitor and converts the AC input into a rectified output. The switching circuit switches between an ON-state in which input impedance is low and an OFF-state in which input impedance is higher than that in the ON-state. The controller sets a modulation ratio such that, when controlling the switching circuit to switch between the ON-state and the OFF-state, at least a portion of a period, in which the modulation width of the modulation duty ratio becomes maximum, is included in a period from a time when an input current inputted to the smoothing capacitor is generated to a time when the voltage of the smoothing capacitor reaches a maximum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Kataoka, Hiroshi Iwata, Takamitsu Suzuki