Patents Examined by Eduardo Colon
  • Patent number: 10797622
    Abstract: It is enabled to facilitate fine adjustment of power as well as reduction of the amount of movement required to maximize the power. An actuator 13 is moved by operation of a user. A pressure sensitive sensor 15 detects applied pressing force. A pressing member 14 presses the pressure sensitive sensor 15. When the amount of movement of the actuator 13 is smaller than a predetermined amount, the pressing member 14 presses the pressure sensitive sensor 15 to apply force corresponding to the amount of movement of the actuator 13. When the amount of movement of the actuator 13 is not smaller than the predetermined amount, the pressing member 14 presses the pressure sensitive sensor 15 to apply force corresponding to pressing force applied to the actuator 13 by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: SATORI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sei Hikawa
  • Patent number: 10787065
    Abstract: A vehicular opening/closing body control device includes a braking control unit configured to apply a braking force to an opening/closing body by supplying driving power having a locked conduction phase to a motor, which is a drive source of the opening/closing body, wherein, when an execution time of phase-locked conduction control for locking the conduction phase and supplying the driving power reaches or exceeds a predetermined time, the braking control unit switches a conduction phase used for the phase-locked conduction control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Takenaka, Kohei Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10784799
    Abstract: An electric motor capacity selection device includes: a multi-axis system model holding unit that holds a plurality of types of multi-axis system models each representing a configuration of a multi-axis system constructed by combination of a plurality of machine elements and a plurality of electric motors; a capacity selection unit that selects, based on a selected multi-axis system model that is one multi-axis system model selected from among the plurality of types of multi-axis system models held by the multi-axis system model holding unit, capacities of the electric motors constituting the multi-axis system model represented by the selected multi-axis system model; and a selection result notification unit that makes notification of a selection result by the capacity selection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shota Nemoto
  • Patent number: 10778130
    Abstract: In a control apparatus, an error correction outputting unit has correction information indicative of a relationship between values of an estimation error correction and corresponding values of at least one parameter correlating with an operating condition of a rotary electric machine. The error correction outputting unit outputs, in response to an input of a value of the at least one parameter, a value of the estimation error correction from the correction information. The value of the estimation error correction corresponds to the input value of the at least one parameter. A magnetic flux estimation corrector corrects, based on the value of the estimation error correction, an estimate of magnetic flux calculated by a magnetic flux estimator to thereby output a corrected magnetic flux estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoto Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 10770987
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling a three-phase drive connected to a three phase power source. The method includes connecting a converter to transfer power from the power source to a first direct current (DC) bus, where the converter and the first DC bus each have a neutral common point (NCP). Connecting a second DC bus to the first DC bus and configuring an inverter connected to the second DC bus to draw power from the second DC bus to provide a plurality of motor signals, the inverter having an inverter NCP. The method also includes connecting a neutral point selection device to the first DC bus NCP and selectively connecting to the converter NCP or the inverter NCP, the bus selection device configured to disconnect the converter NCP or the inverter NCP from the first DC bus NCP under selected conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dhananjay Kumar, Vaibhav Kumar Somani
  • Patent number: 10770966
    Abstract: A PFC circuit is provided. A first bridge rectifier receives an AC voltage. A power converter includes a switch and receives an output of the first bridge rectifier, converts the output to a first DC voltage, and supplies the first DC voltage to a DC bus to power a compressor. A second bridge rectifier receives the AC voltage and bypasses at least one of the first bridge rectifier, a choke and a diode of the PFC circuit to provide a rectified AC voltage out of the second bridge rectifier to the DC bus to power the compressor. A control module controls operation of a driver to transition the switch between open and closed states to adjust a second DC voltage on the DC bus, where the second DC voltage, depending on the AC and second DC voltages, is based on the first DC voltage or the rectified AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph G. Marcinkiewicz, Kraig Bockhorst, Charles E. Green
  • Patent number: 10763774
    Abstract: The method for controlling a rotating electric machine according to the invention comprises a step of controlling the phase currents of the machine by means of a full-wave control (C). According to the invention, the full-wave control (C) is generated via a pulse width modulated signal of which the signal frequency is greater than an electric frequency of the machine. According to another feature, ascending or descending fronts (24, 25) of the pulse width modulated signal are synchronised with first and second crossings of first and second angular switching thresholds (S1, S2) by an electric position (?) of the machine and a duty ratio (?) of the pulse width modulated signal is periodically refreshed to the signal frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Francois-Xavier Bernard, Luc Kobylanski
  • Patent number: 10763771
    Abstract: A method and a system for controlling a motor for a vehicle are provided. The vehicle is capable of being continuously driven by controlling the motor based on position information of a rotor derived using a sensorless estimation algorithm in the event of a failure of a position sensor of a motor rotor while the vehicle is being driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Heon Young Kwak, Chae Duck Chon, Ho Joon Shin
  • Patent number: 10761492
    Abstract: An electric motor controller having a front face and a rear face, the front face carrying a plurality of AC output couplings and the controller carrying a converter configured to convert a received DC supply into an output AC supply for controlling an electric motor, the AC output couplings being disposed symmetrically about an axis of symmetry of the controller on the front face of the controller. Also described is an apparatus comprising: a DC series motor; and a first current supply configured to supply a first current to an armature of the DC series motor; a second current supply configured to supply a second current to a field winding of the DC series motor; and a controller configured to control the first current supply to supply the first current based on a required torque output for the motor, and to control the second current supply to supply the second current based on the first current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Sevcon Limited
    Inventor: Philip Eagleton
  • Patent number: 10756653
    Abstract: A method of controlling a brushless motor that includes sensing a temperature and using the sensed temperature to define a current limit. A lower current limit is then defined for a lower sensed temperature. A winding of the motor is sequentially energized and de-energized, with the winding being de-energized when current in the winding exceeds the defined current limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Greetham, David John Hawker
  • Patent number: 10756662
    Abstract: A load control device may control power delivered from a power source, such as an alternating-current (AC) power source, to at least two electrical loads, such as a lighting load and a motor load. The load control device may include multiple load control circuit, such as a dimmer circuit and a motor drive circuit, for controlling the power delivered to the lighting load and the motor load, respectively. The load control device may adjust the rotational speed of the motor load in a manner so as to minimize acoustic noise generated by the load control device and reduce the amount of time required to adjust the rotational speed of the motor load. The load control device may remain powered when one of the electrical loads (e.g., the lighting load) has been removed (e.g., electrically disconnected or uninstalled) and/or has failed in an open state (has “burnt out” or “blown out”).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: James P. Steiner, Dinesh Sundara Moorthy
  • Patent number: 10749455
    Abstract: An ohmic-inductive electrical load, such as an electric motor, for example, for a hard-disk drive, is driven by supplying thereto a load current via a switching power stage supplied with a source current delivered by a supply source. The driving action may include sensing the load current; estimating the source current starting from the load current sensed; generating a feedback signal that assumes different values as a function of the result of the comparison between the source current estimated and a source-current threshold value; and driving the switching power stage via the feedback signal, increasing or decreasing, respectively, as a function of the different values assumed by the feedback signal, the load current, thereby controlling the source current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Michele Boscolo Berto, Ezio Galbiati
  • Patent number: 10749344
    Abstract: A motor drive system includes: a converter connected to a DC link; an inverter for drive connected to the DC link; a power storage device configured to store a DC power from the DC link or supplies a DC power to the DC link; a torque limit value calculation unit configured to calculate a torque limit value of a servomotor for buffer in the power storage device on the basis of a rotation speed of the servomotor for buffer and a DC power amount stored or supplied by the power storage device; and a motor control unit for buffer configured to perform a torque control with respect to the servomotor for buffer while changing an upper limit value and a lower limit value of a torque command using the torque limit value so as to adjust a DC power amount stored or supplied by the power storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Shougo Shinoda, Satoshi Ikai
  • Patent number: 10734927
    Abstract: A sort buffer includes a phase sector determination circuit, a phase sector update circuit, and a phase sector completion circuit. The phase sector determination circuit is configured to determine a phase sector corresponding to a phase of a first sine and cosine sample pair received from an encoder or resolver. The phase sector update circuit is configured to determine whether a second sine and cosine sample pair corresponding to the phase sector is stored in a lookup table (LUT) and, in response to a determination that a second sine and cosine sample pair corresponding to the phase sector is not stored in the LUT, store the first sine and cosine sample pair in the LUT. The phase sector completion circuit is configured to determine whether the LUT has stored, for each of a plurality of phase sectors, a corresponding sine and cosine sample pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Martin Staebler, Ferdinand von Molo
  • Patent number: 10720867
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling an electric motor using a motor controller including a processor are provided. The method includes transmitting, by the processor, a no-spin signal commanding the electric motor not to spin, receiving temperature information associated with a temperature of the electric motor, comparing the temperature information to a predetermined threshold temperature to determine whether the temperature is at a sufficient level to prevent icing, and adjusting current applied to the electric motor when the temperature measurement is below the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: REGAL BELOIT AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Zachary Joseph Stauffer, Mark Lyon Klopp, David Allen Clendenen, Ronald William Blotkamp, Maung Saw Eddison, Ludovic Andre Chretien
  • Patent number: 10717597
    Abstract: A lid body is provided, and the lid body includes a main body and an opening and closing system. The opening and closing system is disposed on the main body and includes a lid member, a processing unit, an opening unit, a timing unit, a display unit and a driving unit, the lid member is movably assembled on the main body and optionally covers the opening, the timing unit is set for a preset time, when the lid member moves to the opening position and uncovers the opening, the timing unit starts to count; in the meanwhile, the display unit simultaneously shows a timing state of the timing unit; and after the timing unit counts to the preset time, the driving unit drives the lid member to move to a position where the lid member covers the opening completely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Inventor: Michael Shek
  • Patent number: 10720869
    Abstract: A motor control device controls an induction motor driving a spindle of a machine tool, and includes: a spindle control unit that controls a rotational position or rotational speed of the spindle, and a secondary magnetic flux of the induction motor in accordance with an operation command based on an operation program of the machine tool; an advance detection unit that pre-reads the operation program, and detects a change in the operation command requiring to increase the secondary magnetic flux of the induction motor in advance; and an advance change unit that causes the secondary magnetic flux of the induction motor to increase prior to a change in the operation command in the spindle control unit, in a case of a change in the operation command being detected by the advance detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shoutarou Hashimoto, Yuuki Morita
  • Patent number: 10712153
    Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling an ultrasonic motor to reduce deterioration of automatic tracking performance, and a surveying instrument for the same. The present invention provides a method for controlling an ultrasonic motor in a surveying instrument including a rotary shaft, an ultrasonic motor that drives a rotary shaft, a tracking unit that includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit and tracks a target, and a clock signal oscillation unit that outputs a clock signal, wherein at the time of low-speed rotation of the ultrasonic motor, based on the clock signal, a ratio of an acceleration period in which a drive signal is applied and a deceleration period in which the drive signal is stopped in a drive cycle of the drive signal of the ultrasonic motor is set, and the light emitting unit is made to emit light in the deceleration period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaoru Kumagai, Satoshi Yanobe, Tetsutaro Kouji
  • Patent number: 10710220
    Abstract: A power tool is provided including a brushless DC (BLDC) motor, a rectifier that receives an alternative current from a power supply and outputs a rectified signal supplied to a DC power bus, and an inverter circuit having motor switches connected electrically between the DC power bus and the motor. A control module controls a switching operation of the power switches to regulate supply power from the power supply to the motor. The control module controls the switching operation so as to, within a half cycle of the AC power supply voltage waveform, increase current draw from the power supply from a first threshold at or after a first zero-crossing of the half cycle up to a second threshold, and reduce current draw from the power supply from the second threshold up to a third threshold at or prior to a second zero-crossing of the half cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander Manasseh, Scott J. Eshleman, Robert A. Usselman, John D. Cox
  • Patent number: 10707797
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a current estimation unit configured to output a detected current value corresponding to each of the three-phase AC currents based on the measured current value and rotor rotation angle information of the motor. The current estimation unit defines a phase whose duty ratio of a driving pulse supplied to an inverter circuit, which generates the three-phase AC currents, becomes more than or equal to an operation switching threshold as an estimation target phase, calculates, for the estimation target phase, an estimated current value based on a coefficient value, which is calculated from the measured current value by the current measurement unit in a period in which the duty ratio of the driving pulse is lower than the operation switching threshold, and the rotor rotation angle information, and outputs the calculated estimated current value as the detected current value of the estimation target phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Hiroyuki Iyama, Yu Sasaki