Patents Examined by Karen Masih
  • Patent number: 11454464
    Abstract: A fan brake system for controlling an industrial fan system, the fan brake system including a fan brake having a brake pad movable on the fan brake to selectively engage the fan system. An actuator including a motor can be operable to cause the fan brake to perform a braking procedure on the fan system to resist rotational movement of the fan system. A controller can be communicated with the actuator, the controller operable to selectively cause the actuator and the fan brake to perform the braking procedure, wherein the controller is operable to monitor and control power being supplied to the motor of the actuator during the braking procedure to maintain a torque output of the motor according to a predetermined torque profile during the braking procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Tex Tenn, LLC
    Inventors: Carl T. Johnson, Thomas K. Best, Brian Alexander Lesniak, Thomas Ray Hendrix, Michael Wayne Sprengel
  • Patent number: 11451173
    Abstract: A board a motor driver control circuit, a first connector, a first wire, a second wire, a third wire, a fourth wire, a fifth wire, and a sixth wire. The motor driver control circuit includes a first H-bridge and a second H-bridge. The first connector is a connector to which an output from the first H-bridge and an output from the second H-bridge are input. The first wire and the second wire input the output from the first H-bridge to the first connector. The third wire and the fourth wire input the output from the second H-bridge to the first connector. The fifth wire is connected to the first wire and outputs the first H-bridge output to another connector. The sixth wire is connected to the second wire and outputs the first H-bridge output to the other connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroki Hirata, Mitsuhiro Sugeta, Ryosuke Nanai
  • Patent number: 11442426
    Abstract: According to semiconductor device includes a domain converter for converting a digitized resolver signal from a time-domain to a frequency-domain, a spectrum analyzer for analyzing a spectrum of the resolver signal converted to a frequency-domain by the domain converter, and an error detector for detecting an error related to the resolver signal based on an output signal from the spectrum analyzer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yutaka Oshima, Hisaaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11437945
    Abstract: The motor-driven compressor includes an electric motor, a housing, a compression portion, and an inverter device. The inverter device includes an inverter circuit, a current sensor, a coordinate converter, a speed controller, a current controller, a PWM controller, and a rotation angle estimator. The speed controller generates a d-axis current command value and a q-axis current command value such that a necessary torque to drive the electric motor occurs. The inverter device includes a heat-generating current command section that increases a temperature of the electric motor by changing the d-axis current command value and the q-axis current command value. The heat-generating current command section changes the d-axis current command value and the q-axis current command value so as to shift them in a direction in which a d-axis current value increases along a constant torque curve in a d-q coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Takuya Naruse, Kazuki Najima
  • Patent number: 11431270
    Abstract: A method for estimating the current flowing through a winding of an electric motor of the type having one winding controllable by a switching device, including the following steps: measuring a voltage at the input of the winding, correcting the measured voltage to produce a corrected voltage determining a resistance of the switching device, estimating the current flowing through the winding by dividing the difference between a control voltage used to control the switching device and the corrected voltage by the resistance. The use of such an estimating method for providing a diagnosis for a current sensor, and an estimating method for controlling an electric motor in fail-soft mode are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Inventor: Michel Parette
  • Patent number: 11424705
    Abstract: An electric-vehicle propulsion control system to drive an electric vehicle includes a plurality of motors, an inverter to apply a common voltage to the plurality of motors, and at least one opening/closing unit or opening/closing unit to enable switching between electrical opening and conduction between the inverter and at least one of the motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Fujitani, Shinsuke Kadoi
  • Patent number: 11418135
    Abstract: A control apparatus includes a drive instruction value generator configured to generate a first drive instruction value that is greater than or equal to 0, which corresponds to torque in a first rotation direction, for driving a first motor that applies the torque in the first rotation direction to a shaft, and a second drive instruction value that is less than or equal to 0, which corresponds to torque in a second rotation direction, for driving a second motor, which is different from the first motor, that applies the torque in the second rotation direction, which is an opposite direction to the first rotation direction, to the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Eisuke Yamamura
  • Patent number: 11418142
    Abstract: A motor-driving apparatus for driving a motor having a plurality of windings respectively corresponding to a plurality of phases is provided. The motor-driving apparatus includes a first inverter having a plurality of first switching devices and connected to first ends of the plurality of windings and a second inverter having a plurality of second switching devices and connected to second ends of the plurality of windings. A third switching device is configured to selectively connect and disconnect points at which a number of turns of each of the windings is divided in a preset ratio. A controller is configured to adjust an on/off state of the first to third switching devices based on required output of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kang Ho Jeong, Jong Kyong Lim, Suk Hyun Lim, Ji Woong Jang, Beom Sik Kim, Sang Cheol Shin
  • Patent number: 11404994
    Abstract: A frequency converter module includes a frequency control management module. An input port of the frequency conversion control management module is electrically connected to an input port of a power supply module. The power accuracy monitoring module includes an initial power measuring module, a power prediction correction module, and an actual power display storage module. An output port of the initial power measuring module is electrically connected to an input port of the power prediction correction module. An output port of the power prediction correction module is electrically connected to an input port of the actual power display storage module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: CHINA UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM BLUE SKY(QINGDAO) PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Zhihao Wei, Tao Ding, Hongming Wang, Changfeng Wang, Haotian Gong, Zhongxian Gao, Zhenhua Sun, Huidong Lu, Xinran Li, Jiasheng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11404993
    Abstract: A motor drive system includes a motor, a drive control circuit controlling driving of the motor, a power supply device having a first power supply coupled to a reference potential and a second power supply series-coupled to the first power supply, and supplying a second voltage as a sum value of a first voltage as an output voltage of the first power supply and an output voltage of the second power supply to the drive control circuit, and a monitoring circuit detecting the first voltage and the second voltage and shutting off or reducing electric power supply to the drive control circuit when the detected first voltage becomes a predetermined first set value or more or the detected second voltage becomes a predetermined second set value or more, wherein electric power for driving is supplied to the monitoring circuit from between the first power supply and the second power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Kojima
  • Patent number: 11404991
    Abstract: A voltage source inverter comprises a rectifier circuit having an input for connection to a multi-phase AC power source and converting the AC power to DC power and an inverter circuit for receiving DC power and converting the DC power to AC power. A DC bus circuit is connected between the rectifier circuit and the inverter circuit to provide a relatively fixed DC voltage for the inverter circuit, the DC bus circuit comprising a DC bus including a first bus rail comprising an inductor and a second bus rail, and a soft charge circuit connected in series with a DC bus capacitor network between the first and second rails, the DC bus capacitor network comprising a first capacitor branch including a pair of capacitors with a fuse connected in series between the capacitors, a balancing resistor across each capacitor and a snubbing capacitor connected across the fuse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Yaskawa America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mahesh M. Swamy, Nathan T. Seipel
  • Patent number: 11396092
    Abstract: An electric power tool is provided with a permanent magnet synchronous motor, and a controller. The controller is configured to control an operation of the permanent magnet synchronous motor. The controller includes a limiter that limits a current contributing to torque generation by the permanent magnet synchronous motor to a predetermined maximum set value based on a predetermined tightening torque. The controller calculates the maximum set value of the current that contributes to the torque generation by changing one of a rotation speed and an angular speed of the permanent magnet synchronous motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fumiiki Yoneda
  • Patent number: 11394329
    Abstract: A damper for a power train, comprising a piezoelectric transformer and a load element connected across the output of the piezoelectric transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Grzegorz Popek, Ignacio Castro
  • Patent number: 11390179
    Abstract: A vehicle may include a motor including first, second, and third windings connected to the neutral node; an inverter including first switching elements, second switching elements, third switching elements; a battery configured to receive the boosted voltage; a first current sensor; a second current sensor; a third current sensor; and a controller may determine an average duty ratio of a pulse width modulated signal based on the charging voltage and battery voltage of the battery, and determine a duty ratio of a pulse width modulated signal, and the controller may determine the duty ratio of the pulse width modulated signal provided to the first switching elements based on the average duty ratio of the pulse width modulated signal provided to the inverter, to the second switching elements, and to the third switching elements when the first current sensor fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Seunghyeon Bin
  • Patent number: 11387750
    Abstract: A system and method for facilitating regenerative charging of a battery by a motor drive when the battery is properly physically connected to a drive circuitry and blocking current when the battery is improperly physically connected. The system includes drive circuitry, a battery and motor drive connected to the drive circuitry, an N-channel MOSFET connected to a high side of the drive circuitry, and a FET controller including a charge pump connected to a gate terminal of the N-channel MOSFET. When the battery is properly physically connected to the drive circuitry, the charge pump is switched on and the N-channel MOSFET allows reverse current to flow from the motor drive to recharge the battery. When the battery is improperly physically connected to the drive circuitry, the charge pump is switched off and the N-channel MOSFET blocks current from flowing and damaging the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Lass, Priscilla K. Dobbin
  • Patent number: 11381190
    Abstract: A torsional mode damping controller in which the controller modifies electrical power to an electrical motor to provide active damping control of torsional vibration in rotating masses. The controller receives a measurement of a rotational speed of the rotating masses ?m and an estimate or a measurement of a torque transmitted between the rotating masses Tsh; based on the received transmitted torque Tsh, generate a compensating torque to suppress vibration Tcom; based on the received rotational speed ?m and the compensating torque Tcom, generate an electromagnetic torque modification signal Tmodi; and modify the electrical power provided to the electrical motor on the basis of the electromagnetic torque modification signal Tmodi. The controller is further configured to generate compensating torque Tcom by applying a filter to the received transmitted torque Tsh, based on plural tunable parameters including a tuning gain K, a cut-off frequency ?n and a resonant damping ratio ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Jishnu K Kambrath, Xiong Liu, Youyi Wang, Aaron A Ayu
  • Patent number: 11374521
    Abstract: A system includes: a motor having a stator and a rotor; and a pulse generation circuit coupled to the stator. The system also includes a motor controller coupled to the pulse generation circuit. The motor controller is configured to: determine inductance and resistance values of the motor based on timing parameters obtained during an initial position detection (IPD) interval; determine a rotor position based on the determined inductance and resistance values; and generate control signals for the pulse generation circuit based on the determined rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Venkata Pavan Mahankali, Ganapathi Hegde
  • Patent number: 11374529
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fan speed control method for avoiding inaccurate control caused by sudden changes in a power supply output state, including the steps of: acquiring an output current value of a power supply device; and then, determining a change of the output current value in a sampling timeframe, if a slope representing the change is positive, controlling the control signal generating unit to gradually replace the fan control signal currently output to the fan with another fan control signal on the basis of a first latency, and if the slope representing the change is negative, controlling the control signal generating unit to gradually replace the fan control signal currently output to the fan with another fan control signal on the basis of a second latency. The first latency and the second latency are determined by the output current value, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SEA SONIC ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sheng-Chien Chou, Hsiu-Cheng Chang, Wei-Chen Wu
  • Patent number: 11374519
    Abstract: A power tool is provided including a housing, a brushless motor disposed within the housing, a power switch circuit that supplies power from a power source to the brushless motor, and a controller configured to receive at least one signal associated with a phase current of the motor, detect an angular position of the rotor based on the phase current of the motor, and apply a drive signal to the power switch circuit to control a commutation of the motor based on the detected angular position of the rotor. The controller detects an initial sector within which the rotor is located at start-up, apply the drive signal so as to rotate the motor to a parking angle associated with the detected initial sector, and control a commutation sequence to drive the motor beginning at the parking angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Girish Yajurvedi, Mehdi Ramezani, Michael K. Forster, John C. Vanko, Tal Gottesman, Levent Gokdere
  • Patent number: 11368110
    Abstract: A method and circuit for controlling or starting a U-shape single phase synchronous permanent magnetic motor (U-SPSPM motor) having a rotor and a stator and coupled to a single phase alternating current (AC) power source through a switch, including estimating back electromotive force (back-EMF) of the motor based on an observer model with inputs indicative of the measured signals, and triggering the switch to supply power to the motor based on the estimates of the back-EMF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin J. Fitzpatrick, Biao He, Qiang Mei, Ying Xiao