Patents Examined by Erick Glass
  • Patent number: 9628015
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for saving energy for an electric motor having periodic load variations by reducing the supply voltage to the motor during an open loop mode. The motor and system will speed up, allowing the natural kinetic energy of the cyclic motion to perform part of the pumping action. A closed loop controller computes information from the observed phase angle between the voltage and current supplied to the motor. By reducing the supply voltage to the motor, the observed phase angle may be reduced to a target phase angle value. By allowing some current flow, primarily of a reactive nature, an observable feedback parameter may be used in the closed loop control system as an indication of the load condition, to which the closed loop motor controller may react, supplying power when needed, such as in the energy consumption mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: The PowerWise Group, Inc.
    Inventors: John L. Lumsden, Paul H. Kelley, Vasan Venkataraman
  • Patent number: 9628001
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling force of a magnetic lead screw actuator includes a magnetic lead screw actuator, an external control module and at least one sensor device integrated within the magnetic lead screw actuator. The magnetic lead screw actuator includes an electric machine, a rotor, and a translator. The rotor includes a rotor magnet assembly forming first helical magnetic threads along the rotor and the translator includes a translator magnet assembly forming second helical magnetic threads along the translator. Rotation of the rotor by the electric machine effects linear translation of the translator by interaction of the first and second helical magnetic threads. The external control module is electrically operatively coupled to an electric machine controller of the magnetic lead screw actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignees: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, AALBORG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Klaus Trangbaek, Vladimir Suplin, Rasmus Koldborg Holm, Nick Ilso Berg, Peter Omand Rasmussen
  • Patent number: 9625898
    Abstract: A feedback control system includes at least one servo unit controlling operation of a motor, wherein the at least one servo unit is configured to acquire operational data with respect to controlling the operation of the motor. The feedback control system also includes a programmable logic controller communicatively coupled to the at least one servo unit, wherein the programmable logic controller is configured to receive the operational data from the at least one servo unit and output real-time data corresponding to the operational data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hugo Beltran, James Foley
  • Patent number: 9611690
    Abstract: A motorized roller shade is provided. The motorized roller shade includes a shade tube in which a motor unit, a controller unit and a power supply unit are disposed. The controller unit includes a controller to control the motor. The power supply unit includes at least one bearing rotatably coupled to a support shaft. The motor unit includes at least one bearing, rotatably coupled to another support shaft, a DC gear motor and a counterbalancing device. The output shaft of the DC gear motor is coupled to the support shaft such that the output shaft and the support shaft do not rotate when the support shaft is attached to a mounting bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: The Watt Stopper, Inc.
    Inventors: Willis Jay Mullet, Richard Scott Hand, Darrin W. Brunk
  • Patent number: 9595903
    Abstract: A controller is provided which can interface with a variable frequency drive and a motor, the controller having (a) one or more voltage and current sensors which can interface with a power line linking the variable frequency drive and the motor; and (b) a signal interface module which can receive electrical signals associated with an operating condition of the motor from the one or more voltage and current sensors. The signal interface module can correlate the received electrical signals with a rotor position of the motor, and transmit signals corresponding to rotor position, to the variable frequency drive. The data provided by the controller if conveyed as a rotor position, may cause the variable frequency drive to change one or more of its operating parameters to maintain proper synchronization of the rotor and its associated stator currents. Alternatively, the controller may directly control variable frequency drive operating parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Nathaniel Benedict Hawes, David Allan Torrey
  • Patent number: 9579982
    Abstract: A resonant motor system having a resonant circuit that includes magnetic coils and of capacitors, for generating an electric power when the resonant lot is rotated by an engine, a regenerating portion for the resonant motor, a motor driving portion, a motor control portion, and a capacitor portion for storing therein the electric power generated by the resonant motor when the resonant motor is regenerated, the resonant rotor being driven by the electric power stored in the capacitor portion when the engine is assisted by the resonant motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: TBK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yukihiro Kato, Akihiro Miyoshi, Mitsuyoshi Oba
  • Patent number: 9577556
    Abstract: A motor controller coupled to a motor is provided. The motor controller is configured to transmit a first instruction to the motor to perform a first start attempt utilizing at least one parameter in a first set of parameters. The motor controller is additionally configured to receive feedback associated with the first start attempt from the motor, and transmit, in response to the feedback, a second instruction to the motor to perform a second start attempt utilizing at least one parameter in a second set of parameters, wherein the second set of parameters differ from the first set of parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory P. Sullivan, Bryan J. Stout, Brian L. Beifus, Aldo Sebastian Bertoncini, Michael R. Koller
  • Patent number: 9577564
    Abstract: A drive system with energy store and method for operating a drive system, an inverter powering an electric motor, the inverter being supplied from a unipolar DC-link voltage, an energy store being connected in parallel to the inverter, in particular, a film capacitor being connected in parallel to the inverter, the DC-link voltage being generated by a DC/DC converter which is supplied from an AC/DC converter, especially a rectifier, in particular, an electric current being able to be supplied to the DC link by the DC/DC converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SEW-EURODRIVE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Sebastian Schiffmann, Josef Schmidt, Matthias Hauck, Christian Lampert, Daniel Tritschler, Thomas Zöller
  • Patent number: 9577570
    Abstract: Disclosed are drive systems for a vehicle trailer maneuvering drives, some embodiments having a motor unit and a voltage source for supplying the motor unit, wherein the motor unit comprises a brushed electric motor with motor shaft and a motor controller that may include a speed detection unit for detecting the speed of the motor shaft and a control and regulating unit for the motor, for its voltage supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Truma Geraetetechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Stefan Thiel
  • Patent number: 9562385
    Abstract: A door operator system capable of detecting a current-time position of a movable barrier comprises a current-time position detecting device comprising a first gear, a first angular position sensing unit, a revolution counting unit and an arithmetic unit. The first gear is coupled to an output shaft of a motor or a winding shaft. The first angular position sensing unit is provided for detecting a first angular position of the first gear. The revolution counting unit counts the number of revolutions of the first gear. The arithmetic unit calculates a number of total circumferential intervals of the output shaft of the motor or the winding shaft based on D=(La*X)+A/(360/X), where D is the number of the total circumferential intervals, La is the number of revolutions of the first gear, A is the first angular position, X is a number of circumferential intervals per revolution of the first gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Inventor: Chung-Hsien Hsieh
  • Patent number: 9564850
    Abstract: A door opening/closing control device includes: a controller controlling driving of an actuator opening or closing a door; a position detector detecting an opening/closing position of the door; a speed calculator calculating an opening/closing speed of the door based on a temporal change in the opening/closing position detected by the position detector; and a target assisting force calculator calculating target assisting force based on the opening/closing position and the opening/closing speed of the door. The controller controls the driving of the actuator to assist an operation of opening or closing the door based on the target assisting force calculated by the target assisting force calculator. Further, the controller controls the driving of the actuator such that the door is fully closed upon judgment that the opening/closing position of the door is in the vicinity of the fully closed position based on the opening/closing position detected by the position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: OMRON AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Keigo Fujimoto, Yoshiki Yamagishi, Yasutaka Shirota
  • Patent number: 9564841
    Abstract: Provided is a power conversion device, including a fault determination unit (11) for determining, based on phase voltages of a polyphase dynamo-electric machine (4) detected by phase voltage detection units (10), a power, earth, or open fault of armature windings of the polyphase dynamo-electric machine (4). The fault determination unit (11) determines, in a state that all power semiconductor switching elements (2) are in an off state and no induction voltage is generated in the armature windings of the polyphase dynamo-electric machine (4), the power fault when all the phase voltages are substantially equal to an anode potential of a DC power supply (3), the earth fault when all the phase voltages are substantially equal to a cathode potential of the DC power supply (3), and the open fault when all the phase voltages are not substantially the same potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Fujie, Katsuya Tsujimoto, Takamasa Asai
  • Patent number: 9553538
    Abstract: A system and method for reliable control of a high rotor pole switched reluctance machine (HRSRM) utilizing a sensorless reliable control system. The method comprising: energizing at least one of the plurality of stator phases; measuring a first current value and time taken by the first current value to reach a first peak value or preset threshold value of current; determining a self-inductance value; storing the self-inductance value and the first current value for each of the stator phases; measuring a second current value and time taken by an adjacent un-energized stator phase to reach a second peak value of current; determining a mutual inductance value; storing the mutual inductance value and the second current value for each of the stator phases; estimating a rotor position utilizing the self-inductance and mutual inductance values; and controlling the HRSRM based on the estimated rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Software Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Mahesh Krishnamurthy, Trevor Creary
  • Patent number: 9548687
    Abstract: A method of estimating a rotational position of a motor having saliency, the method including the steps of a) superimposing, on a drive voltage for the motor, a measuring voltage having a predetermined frequency higher than a frequency of the drive voltage to generate three-phase voltages, and supplying the three-phase voltages to a stationary portion of the motor; b) in parallel with step a), extracting components of the predetermined frequency in three-phase currents flowing in the stationary portion as first, second, and third extracted currents; c) multiplying the first and second extracted currents together to acquire a first composite signal, multiplying the second and third extracted currents together to acquire a second composite signal, and multiplying the first and third extracted currents together to acquire a third composite signal; d) subjecting the first, second, and third composite signals to low-pass filtering to acquire first, second, and third filtered signals, respectively, the low-pass fil
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignees: NIDEC SINGAPORE PTE., LTD., NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ju Feng
  • Patent number: 9543883
    Abstract: An electric drive system includes an induction machine and a power converter electrically coupled to the induction machine to drive the induction machine. The power converter comprising a plurality of silicon carbide (SiC) switching devices. The electric drive system further includes a controller that is electrically coupled to the power converter and that is programmed to transmit switching signals to the plurality of SiC switching devices at a given switching frequency such that a peak-to-peak current ripple is less than approximately five percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Ayman Mohamed Fawzi El-Refaie, Robert Dean King
  • Patent number: 9543871
    Abstract: A motor-driven appliance of one aspect of the present disclosure includes a motor and a controller. The controller includes a physical quantity detector, a variation deriving portion, a loaded condition detector, and driving output portion. The physical quantity detector detects a physical quantity related to an operating state of the motor. The variation deriving portion derives a variation in the physical quantity based upon the physical quantity detected by the physical quantity detector. The loaded condition detector detects that the motor is under a loaded condition in which the motor is applied with a load based upon the variation derived by the variation deriving portion. The driving output portion generates the driving output corresponding to whether the loaded condition is detected by the loaded condition detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Itsuku Kato
  • Patent number: 9543878
    Abstract: A drive unit includes: an inverter; an electric motor that has a first winding connected to an output part of the inverter and a second winding connected to the first winding; a first semiconductor switch that has a first end connected to the first winding and a second end connected to the second winding; a second semiconductor switch that has a first end and a second end connected to the first winding and the first semiconductor switch; and a snubber circuit that is provided between the second end of the first semiconductor switch and the first end of the second semiconductor switch and has a capacitor and a diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Tomohiko Sanada, Koji Higashikawa, Tasuku Isobe, Aiko Higuchi, Fumiaki Ikeda, Kenji Yamada
  • Patent number: 9543881
    Abstract: A rotary electric machine driving device that drives and controls an alternating-current rotary electric machine, the rotary electric machine driving device including: an inverter that is electrically interposed between a direct-current power supply and the rotary electric machine, and converts electric power between a direct current and an alternating current; a smoothing capacitor that is electrically interposed between the direct-current power supply and the inverter, and is connected between a positive pole and a negative pole on a direct-current side of the inverter; and an inverter control unit that controls switching of a switching element of the inverter according to a predefined switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Yasuhiko Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9543885
    Abstract: A rotary electric machine driving device that drives and controls an alternating-current rotary electric machine, the rotary electric machine driving device including: an inverter that is electrically interposed between a direct-current power supply and the rotary electric machine, and converts electric power between a direct current and an alternating current; a smoothing capacitor that is electrically interposed between the direct-current power supply and the inverter, and is connected between a positive pole and a negative pole on a direct-current side of the inverter; and an inverter control unit that controls switching of a switching element of the inverter according to a predefined switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Arinori Shimada
  • Patent number: 9535443
    Abstract: A middle phase power-fetching type phase front/phase tail synchronized modulation circuit, comprising: a power supply unit, that is used to fetch power from the middle phase of an ordinary AC voltage waveform, and supplies it to a phase front/phase tail modulation unit as a normal operating voltage after rectification; and a phase front/phase tail modulation unit, it includes an MCU microcomputer, to control a driving circuit to turn-on, and control synchronously at least two bi-directional electronic power element, to generate a phase front/phase tail turn-on modulation signal. As such, while performing synchronous modulation from phase middle, phase front/phase tail can be retracted inward or expanded outward at the same time, so that phase front/phase tail turn-on output voltage average values complement each other, hereby achieving stable and modulated power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: Loong Yee Industrial Corp., Ltd.
    Inventor: Chi-Jen Wang