Patents by Inventor Daniel L. Kowalewski

Daniel L. Kowalewski has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20100072942
    Abstract: Systems and apparatus are provided for a control module for operating an inverter in a vehicle. A control module comprises a first circuit card assembly and a microprocessor mounted on the first circuit card assembly. The microprocessor is configured to determine a phase modulation command for a first motor phase and determine a modulation criterion for the inverter. An integrated circuit is communicatively coupled to the microprocessor. The integrated circuit is configured to generate a first modulation signal based on the phase modulation command and the modulation criterion and generate a second modulation signal based on the phase modulation command and the modulation criterion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: DANIEL L. KOWALEWSKI, TED D. PETERSON, DAVID TANG, MARK L. SELOGIE, MICHAEL R. GRIMES
  • Patent number: 7629756
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling first and second motors. A controller includes a processor supplying a control signal for driving the motors and a logic circuit coupled to the processor. The processor produces a first trigger coordinated with the rate of the first motor and a second trigger coordinated with the rate of the second motor. The logic circuit produces a third trigger from a combination of the first and second triggers. The processor includes a converter for sampling the currents of the motors in response to the third trigger. The processor further produces a modified pulse width in the first trigger if a period between the first and second triggers is less than a predetermined limit and directs the converter to consecutively sample the currents in response to the modified pulse width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Terry Murrell, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Patent number: 7615887
    Abstract: A method and system for operating a power converter having an electrical component and a switch coupled to a voltage source are provided. A signal is received that is representative of a desired current flow through the electrical component. A signal is generated that is representative of a difference between the desired current flow and an actual current flow through the electrical component. A duty cycle for the switch is calculated based on the signal representative of the difference and a voltage generated by the voltage source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Daniel L. Kowalewski, Robert T. Dawsey
  • Patent number: 7609050
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a current flowing through an electrical component are provided. A switch electrically coupled to the electrical component and two voltage sources is activated. The activation of the switch causes current to flow through the electrical component after an amount of time. The amount of time between said activating the switch and the flow of current through the electrical component is determined. The current flowing through the electrical component is measured to determine a measured current value. The measured current value is modified based at least in part on the amount of time between said activating the switch and the flow of current through the electrical component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Publication number: 20090001906
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for controlling first and second motors. A controller includes a processor supplying a control signal for driving the motors and a logic circuit coupled to the processor. The processor produces a first trigger coordinated with the rate of the first motor and a second trigger coordinated with the rate of the second motor. The logic circuit produces a third trigger from a combination of the first and second triggers. The processor includes a converter for sampling the currents of the motors in response to the third trigger. The processor further produces a modified pulse width in the first trigger if a period between the first and second triggers is less than a predetermined limit and directs the converter to consecutively sample the currents in response to the modified pulse width.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Inventors: Terry Murrell, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Publication number: 20080219032
    Abstract: A method and system for operating a power converter having an electrical component and a switch coupled to a voltage source are provided. A signal is received that is representative of a desired current flow through the electrical component. A signal is generated that is representative of a difference between the desired current flow and an actual current flow through the electrical component. A duty cycle for the switch is calculated based on the signal representative of the difference and a voltage generated by the voltage source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Daniel L. Kowalewski, Robert T. Dawsey
  • Patent number: 7421301
    Abstract: A control system and a method of using the same for an electric machine having a random number generating module generating a random number ranging from a first value to a second value, a multiplying module multiplying the random number and a sample rate to generate an random delay value; and a delay limiter module limiting the random delay value as a function of speed of the electric machine and generating a limited delay value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Steven E. Schulz, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Publication number: 20080198633
    Abstract: A method and system for operating a power converter having an electrical component and a switch coupled to a voltage source are provided. A signal is received that is representative of a desired current flow through the electrical component. A signal is generated that is representative of a difference between the desired current flow and an actual current flow through the electrical component. A duty cycle for the switch is calculated based on the signal representative of the difference and a voltage generated by the voltage source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Daniel L. Kowalewski, Robert T. Dawsey
  • Publication number: 20080196950
    Abstract: A method and system for determining a current flowing through an electrical component are provided. A switch electrically coupled to the electrical component and two voltage sources is activated. The activation of the switch causes current to flow through the electrical component after an amount of time. The amount of time between said activating the switch and the flow of current through the electrical component is determined. The current flowing through the electrical component is measured to determine a measured current value. The measured current value is modified based at least in part on the amount of time between said activating the switch and the flow of current through the electrical component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Publication date: August 21, 2008
    Inventors: Constantin C. Stancu, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Patent number: 6972534
    Abstract: A control system for an electric machine having a rotor position sensor that generates a rotor position signal, a velocity module that generates an electric angular velocity value based on the rotor position signal, a random pulse width modulation module that generates a switching period and a delay for a current cycle, and a phase angle compensation module that sums a sample rate, one half of the switching period, and the delay of a previous cycle and that outputs a delay time. The phase angle compensation module further multiplies the delay time and the electric angular velocity value and generates a compensating angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Steven E. Schulz, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Patent number: 6856303
    Abstract: A pixel-based display utilizes persistence-of-vision to sweep text and graphics in a cylindrical plane, including time and date, custom messages and animations. The display is generated from a light array with a column of modulated light emitting elements, which is mounted on a rotating display assembly. Power and data are combined on a fixed control assembly and inductively coupled to the display assembly. A control assembly processor interprets a display application language that describes display-specific tasks to generate command, mode, character and graphic data for the display assembly. The control assembly processor also reads a trigger position sensor and adds a trigger delay to generate a virtual trigger command, which provides for flexible display positioning and scrolling display effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Inventor: Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Publication number: 20020135541
    Abstract: A pixel-based display utilizes persistence-of-vision to sweep text and graphics in a cylindrical plane, including time and date, custom messages and animations. The display is generated from a light array with a column of modulated light emitting elements, which is mounted on a rotating display assembly. Power and data are combined on a fixed control assembly and inductively coupled to the display assembly. A control assembly processor interprets a display application language that describes display-specific tasks to generate command, mode, character and graphic data for the display assembly. The control assembly processor also reads a trigger position sensor and adds a trigger delay to generate a virtual trigger command, which provides for flexible display positioning and scrolling display effects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Inventor: Daniel L. Kowalewski