Patents by Inventor Jean Quirion

Jean Quirion 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).

  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SENSING BRUSHLESS DC MOTOR AVERAGE CURRENT FROM OVERCURRENT PROTECTION CIRCUITRY
    Publication number: 20070040523
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus that permit the measurement of the motor average current directly from the output of the amplifier and filter stage used for instantaneous dc-link overcurrent protection. As such, only one amplifier and filter stage is sufficient to provide both the motor average current and instantaneous dc-link overcurrent protection. The invention permits the suppression of the amplifier and filter stage that is typically used to derive the motor average current directly from the dc-link current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Inventors: Jean Quirion, Joel Kuehner
  • METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING MULTIPLE OVERCURRENT THRESHOLDS USING A SINGLE COMPARATOR DEVICE
    Publication number: 20070035271
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus that permit the detection of multiple overcurrent thresholds, providing system protection particularly but not exclusively in brushless DC motor drive systems, but using only one comparator device instead of multiple comparator devices. The disclosed embodiments predict a higher overcurrent condition based on the time it takes to detect a lower overcurrent condition. Because of the predictive nature of the invention, the higher overcurrent conditions are detected much faster than when using conventional circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventor: Jean Quirion
  • Position sensorless drive for permanent magnet synchronous motors
    Patent number: 7026772
    Abstract: A sensorless motor control algorithm that single-handedly permits operation over the entire speed range from low speed to high speed. This “fusion” algorithm seamlessly fuses the position data generated respectively by high speed and low speed sensorless algorithms. The resulting sensorless drive permits effective position sensorless operation over the entire speed range of a PM motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Jean Quirion
  • Method and apparatus for reconstructing motor current from DC bus current
    Patent number: 6984953
    Abstract: In a PWM space vector modulation inverter motor drive system, PWM cycles are modified to permit motor phase currents to be reconstructed as observable on the DC bus link. The PWM cycles are modified near sector boundaries so that measurements taken at the DC bus link correspond to actual motor phase currents. With this technique, a single DC bus current measure can be used to reconstruct all motor phase currents, while also providing fault protection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventors: Jean Quirion, Laird Bolt
  • Position sensorless drive for permanent magnet synchronous motors
    Publication number: 20050151502
    Abstract: A sensorless motor control algorithm that single-handedly permits operation over the entire speed range from low speed to high speed. This “fusion” algorithm seamlessly fuses the position data generated respectively by high speed and low speed sensorless algorithms. The resulting sensorless drive permits effective position sensorless operation over the entire speed range of a PM motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2005
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventor: Jean Quirion
  • Method and apparatus for reconstructing motor current from DC bus current
    Publication number: 20040195995
    Abstract: In a PWM space vector modulation inverter motor drive system, PWM cycles are modified to permit motor phase currents to be reconstructed as observable on the DC bus link. The PWM cycles are modified near sector boundaries so that measurements taken at the DC bus link correspond to actual motor phase currents. With this technique, a single DC bus current measure can be used to reconstruct all motor phase currents, while also providing fault protection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2004
    Publication date: October 7, 2004
    Inventors: Jean Quirion, Laird Bolt