Patents Examined by Jorge L Carrasquillo
  • Patent number: 11760210
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for modulating undesired electric-motor braking. Based upon the detection of an inverter degradation event, one of a first gate driver and a second gate driver (e.g., a high gate driver and a low gate driver, such as for one phase of an inverter) may be asserted in an alternating manner while the other of the first gate driver and a second gate driver is de-asserted, and the first gate driver and second gate driver may then be provided to a power switch circuitry. The alternating assertion of the one of the first gate driver and the second gate driver may be associated with a higher-speed state, and the de-assertion of both the first gate driver and the second gate driver may be associated with a lower-speed state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: DANA TM4 INC.
    Inventors: Charles Obry, Maalainine El Yacoubi
  • Patent number: 11757390
    Abstract: A motor inductance measurement device comprises an energization control circuitry to perform energization control of the motor such that an AC voltage is applied to at least one axis on two-axis orthogonal rotation coordinates of the motor to cause the AC current to flow, and an inductance calculation circuitry to generate the characteristic regarding the instantaneous value of the AC magnetic flux corresponding to the instantaneous value of the AC current as the inductance information by calculating the instantaneous value of the AC magnetic flux by integrating a residual voltage which is obtained by subtracting a resistance voltage from the AC voltage, the resistance voltage being obtained from the AC current based on a detection current detected from the motor, and from resistances of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinichi Furutani, Shoji Adachi
  • Patent number: 11750142
    Abstract: A system includes one or more electric motors, this system comprising a set of at least one load and an inverter comprising transistors, the inverter being intended to convert a DC voltage into an AC voltage that is intended to electrically power the set of at least one load, the inverter being able to be in a set of states comprising a nominal regime and a transitory regime wherein the set of at least one load draws, from the inverter, a power higher than a maximum power drawn from the inverter when the inverter is in nominal regime, the electrical-energy-converting system comprising means for cooling the transistors comprising a holder that is joined to at least one of the transistors of the inverter, the holder comprising a phase-change material that is able to melt, the system comprising one or more electric motors being configured so that, at a preset ambient temperature, the phase-change material melts when the inverter is in the transitory regime and so that, at this ambient temperature, the phase-chan
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: THALES
    Inventors: Taoufik Bensalah, Joël Lallier, Maxime Migneau, Damien Peyrat
  • Patent number: 11742727
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining a rotor temperature value TRot for an electric machine, such as an electric motor. In one example, the method includes calculating a support value Pcu2_Trot using a rotor temperature value Trot that is determined with a temperature model and a motor current value Isdq. An auxiliary value Pcu2_Ref can be determined using a motor torque Trq and a motor slip value ?slip. The support value Pcu2_Trot can be linked with the auxiliary value Pcu2_Ref in order to obtain a corrected rotor temperature value DeltaTrot. Furthermore, the temperature model can be modified using the corrected rotor temperature value DeltaTrot in order to obtain a corrected temperature model. Finally, the rotor temperature value TRot can be determined using the corrected temperature model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Franz Prenner, Oussama Jabloun
  • Patent number: 11712967
    Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include illustrative controllers, dual power inverter modules, and electric vehicles. In an illustrative embodiment, a controller includes one or more processors associated with a first and second power inverter for the drive unit. Computer-readable media for the one or more processors are each configured to store computer-executable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to apply a same fault action to the first power inverter and the second power inverter responsive to a fault associated with an inverter chosen from the first power inverter and the second power inverter, wherein the same fault action includes applying equalized torque to each axle operatively coupled to the drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Richard M. Breese, Brian N. Harries, Silva Hiti, Daniel L. Kowalewski, Steven E. Schulz, David Tang
  • Patent number: 11716040
    Abstract: Controllers for controlling hybrid motor drive circuits configured to drive a motor are provided herein. A controller is configured to drive the motor using an inverter when a motor commanded frequency is not within a predetermined range of line input power frequencies, and couple line input power to an output of the inverter using a first switch device when the motor commanded frequency is within the predetermined range of line input power frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Ludovic Andre Chretien, Roger Carlos Becerra, Kamron Mark Wright, Lester Benjamin Manz
  • Patent number: 11715998
    Abstract: A geared motor is provided, including an electric motor, a transmission, a drive shaft and a switching device arranged on the drive shaft. The switching device includes a single housing that is distinct and separate from an electric motor housing and a transmission housing. The switching device also includes a contactless, absolute position-measuring device and an evaluation unit, each provided within the single housing, a gear wheel coupled to the drive shaft, and an output unit. The switching device is coupled to the position-measuring device by a pinion, which rotates about the same rotational axis as the drive shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Lock Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Lock, Patrick Niederer, Tobias Fluhr
  • Patent number: 11697220
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and processes control an electric motor to drive a hoop onto a wooden barrel, among other purposes. A controller may be connected to the electric motor and configured to receive user input data and generate one or more control signals for the electric motor that correspond to a torque generation of the electric motor and/or a rotation speed of the electric motor. A barrel hoop driver may comprise the controller and electric motor, where the electric motor drives a press member for driving hoops onto wooden barrels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Inventors: Ericus Andreas Van Kleef, James C. Alley, Robert Scott Feldmeier
  • Patent number: 11699967
    Abstract: An electric machine disposed within a housing includes a stator, a rotor, and one or more point field detectors. The stator receives current from an inverter. The rotor is connected to and rotating a shaft based on a magnetic field generated by the stator. The one or more point field detectors are configured to detect leakage flux within the housing. The stator, the rotor and the one or more point field detectors are disposed within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Muhammad H. Alvi, Alireza Fatemi, Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Chandra S. Namuduri
  • Patent number: 11699969
    Abstract: A compressor and a control method thereof are provided. The compressor includes a motor with a rotor of a permanent magnet. According to embodiments, the method of controlling the compressor includes: applying a detection current to the motor in response to a command of starting the compressor; detecting whether there is demagnetization of the permanent magnet of the rotor according to a response of the motor to the applied detection current; resetting an operating parameter of the compressor if there is the demagnetization; and starting the compressor according to the reset operating parameters. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, when the compressor is to be started, demagnetization is detected first, and the operating parameter are set accordingly, so as to suppress or avoid performance degeneration due to the demagnetization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Danfoss (Tianjin) Ltd.
    Inventors: Shizhong Ji, Li Yao, Wanzhen Liu
  • Patent number: 11695365
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the external monitoring of a converter (10), the converter (10) being controlled by means of a first electronic control system (12) and the method being implemented by means of a second electronic control system (14) which is independent from the first electronic control system (12). Said method comprises detection (S1) of a current (I) received by the converter (10) and a voltage (U) received by the converter (10) by means of a current/voltage sensor device (16) which is independent from the first electronic control system (12). The invention also relates to a device for monitoring a converter (10), to a computer program product, to a machine-readable storage medium, to a drive train of a motor vehicle, and to a corresponding motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Schild
  • Patent number: 11695356
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling the operation of a motor actuator for positioning a moveable element. Operational characteristics of the movable element over its operational range are determined. A first PWM signal to control the actuator over a first portion of the operational range of the movable element is generated. A second PWM signal to control the actuator over a second portion of the operational range of the movable element is generated. The first PWM signal is based on a linear transfer function having a first gain level and the second PWM signal is based on a linear transfer function having a second gain level. An output position of the moveable element is executed based the first PWM signal or the second PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Mike Robert Garrard
  • Patent number: 11689125
    Abstract: A DC electric motor having a stator mounted to a substrate, the stator having a coil assembly having a magnetic core, a rotor mounted to the stator with permanent magnets distributed radially about the rotor, the permanent magnets extending beyond the magnetic core, and sensors mounted to the substrate adjacent the permanent magnets. During operation of the motor passage of the permanent magnets over the sensors produces a substantially sinusoidal signal of varying voltage substantially without noise and/or saturation, allowing an angular position of the rotor relative the substrate to be determined from linear portions of the sinusoidal signal without requiring use of an encoder or position sensors and without requiring noise-reduction or filtering of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Cepheid
    Inventors: Tien Phan, Doug Dority
  • Patent number: 11682988
    Abstract: A method is described for controlling an electric motor having a rotor. The method is carried out after a shutdown of the motor has been initiated. The method includes starting a timer in a motor controller, performing regenerative braking to recapture kinetic energy from the rotor as electrical energy, and using the recaptured electrical energy from the regenerative braking to power the motor controller. If the timer in the motor controller exceeds a predetermined timer value, a flag is set in memory in the motor controller to indicate that the motor has stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Libo Zheng, Min Zhang
  • Patent number: 11671036
    Abstract: A BLDC motor system is provided, which includes a motor provided with a stator forming a tubular space in which a center shaft exists and having an inner side for the center shaft, on which a plurality of coil units generating a magnetic field are formed, and a rotor located in the tubular space and having fixed magnet units arranged on an outer side for the center shaft, a skew having a predetermined slope against the center shaft being formed on a boundary between one of the fixed magnet units and the adjacent fixed magnet unit; and a driving module provided with a driving circuit supplying a power for driving the motor to the coil units, and a controller rotating the rotor by switching the driving circuit and performing switching so that the power being supplied from the driving circuit to the coil units forms a sine wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: DAS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kwang Sin Lee, In Ho Jo
  • Patent number: 11671044
    Abstract: A stator of a rotating electrical machine has a slot-less structure. The rotating electrical machine includes a controller. The controller determines a value of a q-axis command current in accordance with requirement information and an input command value for a controlled variable of the rotating electrical machine. The requirement information includes a relationship between values of the q-axis command current and corresponding command values for the controlled variable. The controller performs a task of correcting the value of the q-axis command current to thereby restrict temperature change in a magnet unit from having an influence on the relationship between the command values for the controlled variable and the corresponding values of the q-axis command current. The controller controls an inverter to thereby adjust a value of the q-axis current flowing through an armature winding member to the corrected value of the q-axis command current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 11658591
    Abstract: A motor controller is configured to stabilize the motor current. The motor controller is used for driving a motor. The motor controller comprises a switch circuit, a control unit, and a phase detecting unit. The phase detecting unit generates a phase signal to the control unit for switching phases. The phase signal sequentially generates a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth time interval. The first to sixth time intervals correspond to first to sixth phases, respectively. The motor controller further comprises a first driving time for driving the motor in the fifth phase, where the first driving time is related to the first time interval. The motor controller further comprises a second driving time for driving the motor in the sixth phase, where the second driving time is related to the second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Global Mixed-mode Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Chien-Lun Chu
  • Patent number: 11654991
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for deterring theft of a vehicle having a three-phase electric motor without a freewheel (10), comprising the steps of using the motor in a generator mode to power a motor control circuit (14) in an initial phase of rotating the motor through motion of the vehicle; and, when the power supply level of the control circuit reaches a first threshold (Vmin), connecting by the control circuit first and second phases (b, c) of the three-phase motor continuously to a first power supply line (Vss), whereby the first and second phases are short-circuited and cause an increased braking force of the motor. During this time, the third phase of the motor may be connected to continue to supply energy to the control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: EBIKELABS
    Inventors: Theophile Alary, Maël Bosson, Raphaël Marguet
  • Patent number: 11639170
    Abstract: A motor-driven vehicle includes: a motor for traveling; an inverter that drives the motor; and a controller configured to perform automatic parking control for parking the motor-driven vehicle at a target parking position without depending on a user's vehicle operation, and prohibit or stop the automatic parking control when a load limitation ratio is less than a threshold value, the load limitation ratio indicating a limitation level of a torque which is able to be output from the motor in response to a required torque for the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Suguru Kumazawa
  • Patent number: 11626819
    Abstract: A motor control system shorts motor windings of a motor by using junction gate field-effect transistors (JFETs) controlled bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), solid state relays (SSRs) controlled BJTs, and depletion mode metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) so that the motor generates braking torque when all or some electric control units of the motor are disabled or failed. The motor control system comprises: a motor comprising a plurality of motor phase terminals; a plurality of electric control units electrically connected with the motor and configured to control the motor, wherein the electric control units are configured to output control signals, respectively; and a shorting circuit connected to between the motor and the electric control units, the shorting circuit configured to short the motor phase terminals in response to receiving none of the control signals from the electric control units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shakil Hossain, Lucas Ritter, Awab Ali, Tomy Sebastian, Kade Hudson