Patents Examined by Erick Glass
  • Patent number: 9998056
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a main battery, an auxiliary battery, an inverter circuit, a high-voltage wiring, a smoothing capacitor, a main wiring, a subsidiary wiring, a DC-DC converter and a controller. The DC-DC converter is connected to a high-potential wire of the main wiring, a low-potential wire of the main wiring, a high-potential wire of the subsidiary wiring, a low-potential wire of the subsidiary wiring, the high-potential wire of the high-voltage wiring and the low-potential wire of the high-voltage wiring. The controller is connected to the auxiliary battery and the DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter is configured to supply a power stored in the smoothing capacitor to the controller through the DC-DC converter such that the controller drives the inverter circuit and that the power stored in the smoothing capacitor is supplied to the motor through the inverter circuit, when a collision of the vehicle is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 9985558
    Abstract: An electrical serially-connected control system for driving motors in series includes a control device, at least one processing device, and a transmission medium connected between the two devices for mutual communication. The control device includes a power rectifier transforming an external power, a signal converter converting each external command signal, and an integration unit connected to the rectifier and the converter for integrating the transformed power with each converted command signal to create commands. The processing device includes a voltage regulator connected to the transmission medium for stabilizing the power come from the command, a power storage module connected to the voltage regulator and each motor, a signal filter connected to the transmission medium for processing the command signal come from the command, a controller connected with the voltage regulator, the power storage module and the signal filter, and a signal generator connected to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: National Chin-Yi University of Technology
    Inventor: Wen-Cheng Pu
  • Patent number: 9979323
    Abstract: A variable speed drive for an electrostatic motor provides feedback control by conversion of measured current phases provided to the motor into a vector in a rotating rotor framework. This vector is used for evaluating corrective voltages and then reconverted to a non-rotating framework for application to the motor electrodes. Current-source drive circuits provide current stabilized outputs making such sophisticated control tractable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Aditya N. Ghule, Baoyun Ge, Daniel Colin Ludois
  • Patent number: 9979340
    Abstract: A control apparatus for driving a three-phase rotary electric machine that generates torque including magnet torque and reluctance torque is provided. AC current supplied to two winding groups of the rotary electric machine have the same amplitude and the mutually different phases defined as 30±60×n[deg]. The control unit calculates d-axis current and q-axis current of 6 (2k+1)th order component superposed on a fundamental wave component on dq coordinate, to reduce a peak of the first order component in the phase current, thereby controlling the three-phase rotary electric machine. The control unit calculates current such that an amplitude of the q-axis current of the 6 (2k+1)th order component is larger than an amplitude of the d-axis current of the 6 (2k+1)th order component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9975448
    Abstract: Electromechanical systems using magnetic fields to induce eddy currents and generate lift are described. Magnet configurations which can be employed in the systems are illustrated. The magnet configuration can be used to generate lift and/or thrust. Arrangements of hover engines, which can employ the magnet configurations, are described. Methods of controlling translating hover engines to operate at a zero drag condition are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Arx Pax Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: David P. Olynick, D. Gregory Henderson
  • Patent number: 9973114
    Abstract: A method and system for reducing rollback in a counterbalancing system as a holding brake is released is disclosed. A limited amount of movement of a drive shaft is present in the holding brake. A motor drive provides current to the motor with the holding brake set such that a torque is applied at the drive shaft. The current is controlled to generate torque in both directions. The limited amount of movement in the brake may be used to determine a direction and magnitude of torque required to support a mechanical load being applied to the motor. The motor drive then provides a current to generate the necessary torque required to support the load prior to releasing the holding brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Magnetek, Inc.
    Inventors: Garry Anderson, Mark Kobiske, John Backman, Edward G. Butte
  • Patent number: 9973119
    Abstract: A single phase motor drive circuit for driving a single phase motor, comprising: a timer unit for receiving a sensor signal indicative of an angular position of a rotor, and for providing a timing signal in phase with the sensor signal; a waveform generator for generating a waveform for energizing the motor, the waveform generator being adapted for receiving the timing signal and a configurable setting, and for generating the waveform based thereon; a configuration unit for receiving an input signal indicative of a desired motor speed, the configuration unit being adapted for generating the configurable setting as a function of the input signal, and for providing the setting to the waveform generator to dynamically configure the waveform generator. A method, an assembly and a cooling system includes the single phase motor driver circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES NV
    Inventors: Dirk Leman, Huowen Zhang, Xing Zuo
  • Patent number: 9973134
    Abstract: An electrical system includes a direct current (DC) voltage bus, a power supply providing a supply voltage to the DC voltage bus, an electric machine connected to the power supply, a reverse current protection (RCP) circuit positioned between the power supply and the electric machine, the RCP circuit including an energy dissipating element, and a controller. As part of an associated method, the controller detects a reverse current condition in which a current flows from the electric machine toward the power supply when an induced voltage of the electric machine exceeds a voltage level of the voltage bus. The controller transmits a control signal to the RCP circuit to direct the electrical current through the energy dissipating element for a duration of the reverse current condition or for a predetermined duration equal to or greater than that of the reverse current condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chandra S. Namuduri, Rajeev Vyas, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Mark J. Rychlinski, Markus Demmerle, Varsha K. Sadekar
  • Patent number: 9960721
    Abstract: A power failure detection unit in an AC-DC converter device detects power failure of a 3-phase AC power supply at the time of driving a motor, and generates a power failure detection signal in accordance with detection of power failure. A transmitter unit in the AC-DC converter device transmits the power failure detection signal using a cable, radio, or an optical fiber. A receiver unit in a DC-AC converter device receives the power failure detection signal transmitted from the transmitter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koujirou Sakai
  • Patent number: 9960703
    Abstract: To provide a DC power-supply device that can suppress voltage unbalance of a plurality of capacitors serially connected between both terminals of a load, achieve stable drive of the load and long life of the capacitors, and contribute to high reliability, in a configuration in which an alternating current is converted into a direct current and is supplied to a load, and a refrigeration-cycle application device including the DC power-supply device. The DC power-supply device includes a rectifier circuit, a reactor connected to an input or an output side of the rectifier circuit, a first capacitor and a second capacitor serially connected between output terminals to a load, a charging unit that selectively charges one or both of the first capacitor and the second capacitor, and further includes a control unit that controls the charging unit so that voltage unbalance between the first capacitor and the second capacitor is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Hatakeyama, Shota Kamiya, Yosuke Shinomoto
  • Patent number: 9956694
    Abstract: A motor according to the present invention includes an output axis, a brake for holding the output axis, a sensor for detecting an external torque applied to the output axis from outside, and a controller for decreasing or increasing the torque of the brake during operation of the brake in accordance with an increase or decrease in the external torque detected by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Funakubo, Tougo Nagahata
  • Patent number: 9960719
    Abstract: A variable speed drive for an electrostatic motor provides feedback control by conversion of measured current phases provided to the motor into a vector in a rotating rotor framework. This vector is used for evaluating corrective voltages and then reconverted to a non-rotating framework for application to the motor electrodes. Current-source drive circuits provide current stabilized outputs making such sophisticated control tractable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Aditya N. Ghule, Baoyun Ge, Daniel Colin Ludois
  • Patent number: 9957747
    Abstract: A method for operating an electromotive adjusting device of a motor vehicle, in particular a window opener. The electric motor is hereby regulated to a setpoint rotational speed, the setpoint rotational speed being set as a function of an external parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Bamberg
    Inventor: Sebastian Bars
  • Patent number: 9951780
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, a pump motor controller for determining the speeds and run times of a pump motor for use in a pool is provided. The controller is adapted to receive data in the form of at least one of pool parameters, pump parameter and user preferences. The controller is further adapted to determine the speeds and run times of a pump motor for use in a pool based at least in part on data in the form of one of pool parameters, pump parameter and user preferences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Christopher McKinzie, Mitchell T. Kiser, Stephen Douglas O'Brien
  • Patent number: 9948230
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlling an alternator of the type that controls a DC voltage (B+A) generated by the alternator (11) according to a predetermined set voltage (U0) by monitoring the intensity of an energizing current (IEXC) flowing through an energizing circuit of the alternator. According to the invention, the device includes a voltage-control loop (7) and a temperature-control loop (17) which comprises a temperature sensor supplying a current temperature (T) of components of the alternator, a subtracter (19) supplying a temperature error (?t) between the current temperature (T) and a maximum acceptable temperature (Tmax) and a control module (20) supplying a maximum admissible energizing percentage (rmax) in accordance with the temperature error according to a predetermined control law.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Valeo Equipments Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Pierre Chassard, Pierre Tisserand, Jean-Francois Gautru, Nathalie Canitrot, Jean-Marc Dubus, Thomas Vera, Pierre Faverolle, Gregory Godefroy
  • Patent number: 9941824
    Abstract: An electric working machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a brushless motor, a rotational position sensor, a detector, and a calculator. The calculator detects, when the brushless motor is inertially rotated, a difference between a detection result obtained by the rotational position sensor and a detection result obtained by the detector and calculates a correction value, based on the difference, for correcting the detection result obtained by the rotational position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hitoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9923496
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant control method for a position sensor of a switched reluctance motor, if the position sensor of the switched reluctance motor runs without a fault, detecting, in real time, four equal-interval or equal-angle continuous edge pulses of an output signal of the position sensor, the fourth edge pulse being the current edge pulse, and detecting time intervals (T1, T2, T3) between each two adjacent edge pulses sequentially, thereby calculating a time interval (T4) between the current edge pulse and a next edge pulse following the current edge pulse. If the position sensor of the switched reluctance motor fails, and the next edge pulse following the current edge pulse is lost, reconstructing the next edge pulse after the interval time (T4) of the current edge pulse of the output signal of the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: China University of Mining and Technology
    Inventors: Hao Chen, Guoqiang Han, He Cheng, Qianlong Wang, Qing Wang, Xing Wang
  • Patent number: 9919608
    Abstract: A power-module assembly includes a plurality of power modules that each have a power stage with opposing major sides and minor sides surrounded by a frame. The frame extends past the major sides and cooperates with the major sides to define pockets on each side of the power module. The modules are arranged in a stack such that pockets adjacent to each other cooperate to form coolant chambers interleaved with the modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Tienli Wang, Guangyin Lei, Edward Chan-Jiun Jih, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 9923506
    Abstract: A high-efficiency motor control system and method is presented for controlling an electric motor. The system can feature a multi-phase inverter having a logic control device and associated control circuity, a plurality of floating charge pumps and pump circuitry, a multi-phase bridge having a plurality of power switching devices and a bootstrap capacitor circuit having a floating ground. The floating charge pumps feature grounds electrically coupled to motor phase leads. The bootstrap circuit can feature a floating ground, with a floating voltage being carried across the bootstrap circuit and delivered to the switching devices to produce an indefinite on-time for the switching devices for switching the high-side of a power supply to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: METROPOLITAN INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: John Kochan, Jr., James Andrew Nimmer, John Brian Dempster
  • Patent number: 9912261
    Abstract: Various embodiments include a variable frequency drive motor control apparatus. The apparatus includes a main controller having a first interface. A motor controller is coupled to and controls an electric motor, the motor controller further coupled to the main controller. A network switch is coupled to the main controller, the motor controller, and a remote controller over respective digital connections. The remote controller has a second interface. The network switches data between the first interface, the second interface, and the motor controller. A network coupler is coupled between a variable frequency drive controller and the motor controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Warren Neil Rattan, Charles Edward Neal, III, James Douglas Funkhouser, Derek Williams, Gary Lee Cline, Derek James Abel, Troy Dale Bachman