Specific Processing Of Feedback Signal Or Circuit Therefore (i.e., A-d Conversion, Compression, Or Modification) Patents (Class 318/400.04)
  • Patent number: 8853980
    Abstract: A soft switching control circuit for a DC motor is provided. The soft switching control circuit has an absolute value generating circuit, a threshold voltage generating circuit, and a comparing circuit. The absolute value generating circuit outputs an absolute value signal according to a pair of Hall signals from the DC motor. The threshold voltage generating circuit receives a detected state signal and at least an end voltage of a coil of the DC motor for determining a current on the coil at an actual state change time defined by the detected state signal. According to the determination, the threshold voltage generating circuit outputs a threshold voltage with an adjusted voltage level. The comparing circuit compares the absolute value signal and the threshold voltage so as to generate a state change adjusting signal for modifying the actual state change time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Niko Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chia-Jung Chang, Wei-Line Chang
  • Patent number: 8853985
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with back-EMF detection for motor control are described. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a drive circuit configured to apply excitation signals to respective inputs of a motor, a signal inhibit circuit configured to convey a signal to inhibit application of the excitation signals during an interval, and a measuring circuit configured to measure a back-electromotive force (EMF) signal crossing a reference signal during the interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Ravishanker Krishnamoorthy, Foo Leng Leong, Edy Susanto
  • Patent number: 8847529
    Abstract: A control system for an electric motor comprises processing means arranged to perform a control process which includes monitoring electrical voltages applied to the motor and electrical currents in the motor, and determining from them the rotational position of the motor. The system is further arranged to monitor at least one parameter of the control process thereby to detect a stall condition of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: TRW Limited
    Inventors: Christopher David Dixon, Christopher Digby Roberts
  • Patent number: 8836254
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electrical machine that includes selecting an edge of a rotor-position signal as a reference edge and commutating a phase winding of the electrical machine at times relative to the reference edge. The rotor-position signal has at least four edges per mechanical cycle, each of the edges being associated with a respective zero-crossing in back EMF or minimum in inductance of the phase winding. The angular position of at least one of the edges relative to its respective zero-crossing or minimum is different to that of the other edges. The reference edge is then selected from the edges such that the angular position of the reference edge relative to its respective zero-crossing or minimum is the same with each power on of the electrical machine. Additionally, a controller and control system that implement the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Hanping Dai, Yu Chen, Tuncay Celik, Libo Zheng, Yongji Zhou
  • Patent number: 8829833
    Abstract: A motor control device has a motor driving circuit for driving a motor, a current detection circuit for detecting a motor current flowing through the motor driving circuit, and a controller for calculating a detected value of the motor current based on an output of the current detection circuit, comparing the detected value with a target value of the motor current, and generating a command value for allowing a motor current of the target value to flow through the motor based on a deviation therebetween, to output the command value to a motor driving circuit. The current detection circuit is configured of a first current detection circuit having a positive first gain and a second current detection circuit having a negative second gain obtained by inverting the first gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Murata, Masamitsu Hamasaki
  • Patent number: 8829834
    Abstract: There are provided a motor driving control apparatus and method, and a motor using the same. The motor driving control apparatus includes: an inverter unit applying a driving current to a motor apparatus according to a driving control signal; a back-electromotive force detecting unit detecting back-electromotive force generated by driving of the motor apparatus; a driving current change unit reflecting a level of the back-electromotive force to determine a resistance value and reflecting the resistance value in the driving current; and a controlling unit performing a control operation to change the driving control signal using the driving current in which the resistance value is reflected and the back-electromotive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joo Yul Ko
  • Publication number: 20140246997
    Abstract: A control unit of a rotary electric machine control apparatus includes a rotation position calculation section, which calculates a sensor angle by correcting a detection signal of a rotation position sensor based on correction value information specific to each sensor, and a correction value abnormality check section, which checks whether the correction value information is normal. When the correction value information is abnormal, the rotation angle calculation section corrects the detection signal of the rotation position sensor by using default value information in place of the correction value information. Each default value is limited to be different from the correction value within a predetermined range. A current command value calculation section sets a d-axis current command value to zero and fixes a current command phase to 90[°]. The current command phase is changed to be most remote from 0[°] and 180[°] thereby ensuring a tolerable range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi SUZUKI
  • Patent number: 8823306
    Abstract: A PWM signal generation unit generates a PWM signal to drive a motor, based on a current value of the motor sampled by a current value sampling unit, a position or speed of the motor sampled by a motor sampling unit, and a position or speed of a driven object sampled by a driven object sampling unit. An operation stop unit stops the operation of any one of the motor sampling unit and the driven object sampling unit depending on the power stored in the DC link part and power to which the control power source can supply when the alternating-current power source fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Masuda, Kiichi Inaba
  • Patent number: 8816619
    Abstract: A motor control system for a hoist drive having an electric motor operationally connected to a hoisting member for hoisting a load, the motor control system being adapted to generate a final angular frequency reference (?*s) for control of the electric motor, the motor control system comprising a power limiter means adapted to generate a correction term (?s,cor) for angular frequency reference. The power limiter means comprises an integrating controller means, the power limiter means being adapted to generate the correction term (?s,cor) for angular frequency reference using output signal IP of the integrating controller means, initial data of the integrating controller means including information relating to actual value of the power of the electric motor and a power related limit value of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Konecranes PLC
    Inventors: Janne Salomäki, Mikko Porma
  • Patent number: 8816626
    Abstract: Motor Drive Control Device configured to properly start up various types of motors under operating conditions where motor operations are performed in a wide range of temperature and power supply voltage, includes output drive controllers that supply PWM drive output signals to an output pre-driver in such a manner as to minimize the error between a current instruction signal and a current detection digital signal. In response to a detected induced voltage generated from a voltage detector upon startup of a motor, an initial acceleration controller supplies initial acceleration output signals specifying a conducting phase for initial acceleration of the motor to the output drive controllers. The initial acceleration controller, the output drive controllers, and an output driver make a conducting phase change and perform a PWM drive to provide the initial acceleration of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Minoru Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8810170
    Abstract: A method for monitoring input power to an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The method includes determining, with a processing device, an average input current to the motor, the average input current based on a voltage drop across a shunt resistor in series with the motor, measuring an average input voltage applied to the motor utilizing the processing device, multiplying the average input current by the average voltage to determine an approximate input power, and communicating the average input power to an external interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Brattoli, Guy Bonner, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8810169
    Abstract: Position samples are stored from an encoder coupled to a permanent magnet electric machine. A data processor determines first changes in position between successive position samples and second changes between successive first changes in position. A data processor determines whether each first change in position is generally increasing, decreasing or constant. A corrective motion factor is applied to each stored position sample based on whether the first change in position is generally increasing or decreasing. The data processor estimates a final rotor angle of the electric machine based on a particular one of the position samples and a corresponding first change in position associated with the particular one of the position samples corresponding to a respective time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Lav Thyagarajan
  • Patent number: 8796983
    Abstract: A data storage device stores previous position readings of the rotor for a previous cycle of a pulse width modulation signal applied to the motor. A current raw position reading for the current cycle is received. A predicted position reading for a current cycle is determined based on at least one of the stored previous position readings of the previous cycle. A data processor determines whether a difference between the current raw position reading and the predicted position reading for a first mode and a second mode is within one or more preset thresholds. The data processor selects the current raw position reading as a verified reliable final position reading if a first difference for the first mode is equal to or less than a primary preset threshold or if a second difference for the second mode is equal to or less than a secondary preset threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Long Wu, Robert Shaw
  • Patent number: 8796963
    Abstract: A multi-phase rotary machine control apparatus executes calculation processing of an angle error caused by position error in attaching a rotation angle sensor to a motor. The control apparatus sets d-axis and q-axis current command values to zero. A rotary shaft of the rotary machine is rotated externally. The control apparatus detects phase currents caused by a counter-electromotive force, converts phases and outputs voltage command values so that the current detection values become zero. The control apparatus calculates an angle error based on the voltage command values, and stores the angle error as an angle correction value. The control apparatus corrects a detection value of a rotation angle sensor by the stored angle correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takafumi Satou, Takashi Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140210390
    Abstract: An angle detecting module for a motor rotor is provided. The angle detecting module includes a permanent-magnet synchronous motor, three linear hail components and a processing device. The permanent-magnet synchronous motor includes a stator and a rotor. The three linear hall components are disposed on the stator; and the linear hall components are spaced by electrical 120 degrees. Each of the linear hall components outputs an analog signal after measuring a magnetic field, position of the rotor, and each of the analog signals has magnetically saturated third harmonic component. The processing device is electrically connected to the linear hall components, and the processing device optimizes each of the analog signals and generates an average rotor angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 1, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: RHYMEBUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ming-Shi HUANG, Hung-Hsing CHIANG, Ming-Chang CHOU, Cheng-Ching CHANG
  • Publication number: 20140200767
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a plurality of voltage detecting sections configured to each detect a terminal voltage of one of phases of a brushless motor, and a control section configured to control driving of the motor. The control section takes in, via separate signal lines, detection signals of the voltage detecting sections. When the condition that any two of terminal voltage detection values of respective phases obtained from the detection signals of the voltage detecting sections are continuously equal to each other is satisfied, the control section determines that a short circuit has occurred between any of the signal lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2013
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru MIKAMO, Koji FUJIMOTO
  • Patent number: 8766562
    Abstract: An adjustment device for adjusting a relative rotational angle position of two shafts (particularly a cam shaft and a crank shaft of an internal combustion engine) that has an adjusting gear which is designed as triple shaft gear and has a drive part connected to a first shaft (crank shaft), a driven part connected to a second shaft (cam shaft), and an adjustment shaft connected to a servomotor shaft of an electric servomotor in a rotationally fixed manner. In order to implement a wide temperature range for the operation of the adjustment device, a temperature sensor is arranged in the servomotor. In a method for operating an adjustment device or an actuator, the current of the servomotor or the actuator is controlled depending on the temperature that was determined earlier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jens Schaefer, Martin Steigerwald
  • Publication number: 20140167662
    Abstract: An inverter device that controls a motor using a signal from a position sensor for detecting a rotor rotational position of the motor includes an initial adjustment unit that outputs a phase of current for designating a motor rotational position by rotating the motor in a clockwise direction of the motor and a phase of current for designating the motor rotational position by rotating the motor in a counter-clockwise direction of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ajima, Hiroyuki Yamada, Hiroshi Tamura, Kimihisa Furukawa
  • Patent number: 8754599
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a power conversion unit which supplies drive power to a motor, a current detection unit which detects the value of a current flowing from the power conversion unit to the motor, a delta-sigma modulation AD converter to which the current value detected by the current detection unit is input as analog data, and which includes a modulator and a plurality of digital low-pass filters and outputs digital data in accordance with the filter characteristics of the respective digital low-pass filters, and a command generating unit which is connected to the digital low-pass filter to be used for motor drive control among the plurality of digital low-pass filters, and which generates a drive command to the power conversion unit by using the digital data output from the motor drive controlling digital low-pass filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Taku Sasaki, Yasusuke Iwashita
  • Patent number: 8736207
    Abstract: A method and system for a commutation control circuit are provided. The system includes an integrating voltage counter electrically coupled to an electrical power bus, wherein the integrating voltage counter is configured to integrate over time a voltage signal received from the power bus and to generate a trigger signal when the integrated voltage signal equals a predetermined count. The system also includes a plurality of transistor pairs configured to receive a trigger signal generated by the integrating voltage counter and electrically coupled to respective windings of a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Allen Michael Ritter, Robert Allen Seymour, Rajib Datta, John Douglas D'Atre
  • Publication number: 20140139157
    Abstract: A unit for recording operating information of an electronically commutated motor (ECM) is described. The unit includes a system controller communicatively coupled to an ECM. The system controller includes a processing device configured to control the unit. The unit also includes a memory device communicatively coupled to the system controller. The memory device is configured to receive and store ECM operating information provided by the processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian L. Beifus, Paul N. Selking, Vijay D. Gurudasani, Michael R. Koller
  • Patent number: 8729846
    Abstract: A motor drive system includes an inverter that supplies power to a three-phase motor, and a control unit that, when first stopping and then commencing supply of alternating current to three phases of the three-phase motor, switches from first control to third control and then to second control. The first control places switching elements in the inverter in a non-conduction state, the second control is a PWM control of the switching elements, and the third control places and keeps a switching element of each of an upper arm and a lower arm in the conduction state until commencement of the supply of current. The upper arm corresponds to a phase through which current flows in a direction entering the motor upon commencement of the supply, and the lower arm corresponds to a phase through which current flows in a direction exiting the motor upon commencement of the supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Hideki Nakata
  • Patent number: 8723462
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods, systems and apparatus for estimating angular position and/or angular velocity of a rotor of an electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jihoon Jang
  • Publication number: 20140125262
    Abstract: A circuit for monitoring the operation of an electric motor comprises means for deriving a motor signal indicative of a relatively low frequency characteristic of the motor commutation current (for example the back EMF ripple) by rejecting the high frequency components which are mainly the result of the commutation events. The circuit also includes means for producing a pulse from the low frequency characteristic which has a duration related to the motor speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: Control Techniques Limited
    Inventors: Simon David Hart, Antony John Webster, Kondala Rao Gandu
  • Publication number: 20140117889
    Abstract: A motor driving device of the present invention includes: a driver that receives supply of a power supply voltage to apply a plurality of phase voltages to a motor; a voltage-division phase voltage generation portion that divides each of the phase voltages to generate a plurality of voltage-division phase voltages; a neutral point voltage generation portion that combines and divides the phase voltages to generate a neutral point voltage; a selector that outputs any one of the voltage-division phase voltages as a selection voltage-division phase voltage; a comparator that compares the selection voltage-division phase voltage and the neutral point voltage to generate a comparison signal; and a controller that generates a selection control signal of the selector and an energization control signal of the driver according to the comparison signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Publication date: May 1, 2014
    Applicant: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi FUJIMURA, Hirofumi YUKI
  • Patent number: 8710783
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a host ECU and a motor control device. The host ECU controls a wheel driving unit. A power supply to the ECU is halted when an IG switch is turned OFF. The motor control device receives a PWM command signal from the host ECU and controls a motor of a cooling blower. The host ECU modulates a duty ratio of pulses of the PWM command signal by a target rotating speed of the motor, modulates a period of the pulses of the PWM command signal by a continuous operation time of the motor, and transmits the result to the motor control device. The motor control device reconstructs both the target rotating speed and the continuous operation time, and controls rotating speed of the motor from the received PWM command signal. Moreover, the motor control device halts rotation of the motor when a signal-unreceiving time period of the PWM command signal becomes larger than the continuous operation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Sato
  • Patent number: 8704475
    Abstract: Disclosed is a current source inverter device which controls the power factor in an arbitrarily configurable manner without a magnetic pole position detector. The device is provided with a current source inverter; a motor supplied with alternating current power from the current source inverter; and a control means which detects the terminal voltage of the motor, calculates the motor's internal induced voltage and the motor current that flows in the motor based on the detected terminal voltage, and controls the current source inverter. The control means calculates the phase difference (?c) between the terminal voltage and the motor current, the phase difference (?x) between the motor current and the internal induced voltage, and the phase difference (?v) between the terminal voltage and the internal induced voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Meidensha Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Yamaguchi, Yugo Tadano, Toru Kakebayashi
  • Patent number: 8704479
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the start position of a motor. According to an embodiment, a voltage pulse signal may be generated across a pair of windings in a motor. A current response signal will be generated and based upon the position of the motor, the response signal will be greater in one pulse signal polarity as opposed to an opposite pulse signal polarity. The response signal may be compared for s specific duration of time or until a specific integration threshold has been reached. Further, the response signal may be converted into a digital signal such that a sigma-delta circuit may smooth out glitches more easily. In this manner, the position of the motor may be determined to within 60 electrical degrees during a startup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics, Inc., STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Frederic Bonvin, Davide Betta, Agostino Mirabelli, Andrea Di Ruzza
  • Patent number: 8704470
    Abstract: A first calculation unit subtracts third digital data which indicates the minimum value of the duty ratio from first digital data which indicates the duty ratio of the PWM driving operation. A slope calculation unit generates slope data which is dependent on the temperature based upon second digital data which indicates the temperature. A second calculation unit multiplies the slope data by the output data of the first calculation unit. A third calculation unit sums the output data of the second calculation unit and the third digital data. A selector receives the output data of the third calculation unit and the third digital data, selects one data that corresponds to the sign of the output data of the first calculation unit, and outputs the data thus selected as a duty ratio control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ishii
  • Publication number: 20140091622
    Abstract: A modular power conversion system. The modular power conversion system includes at least one first electric resource, a modular power stage, at least one second electric resource, and wherein the modular power stage comprising at last one module including power electronics for converting power between the at least one first electronic resource and the at least one second electric resource.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Deka Products Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Donald J. Lucas, Jason M. Sachs
  • Patent number: 8686671
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for compensating nonlinearity of a resolver to control a motor in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, thereby stably controlling the motor current during high-torque and high-speed operation. In preferred aspects, the present invention provides a method for compensating nonlinearity of a resolver to control a motor in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, the method including collecting resolver position data; determining whether to perform resolver position correction in the corresponding vehicle; and compensating nonlinearity of the resolver based on the collected resolver position data, if it is determined that the resolver position correction is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Woo Yong Jeon, Shin Hye Chun, Won Kyoung Choi, Bum Sik Kim, Young Kook Lee, Jin Hwan Jung, Sang Hyeon Moon, Sung Kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 8669728
    Abstract: An angle detection apparatus for a rotor of a motor includes a period counter, a step period generator, and an angle generator. The period counter receives a rotor sensing signal, and calculates a plurality of time ranges of a plurality of pulses of the rotor sensing signal. The step period generator generates a ratio value and an error signal according to an average time range value of the time ranges and a set value. The step period generator further adjusts the ratio value according to the error signal, and generates a step time according to the adjusted ratio value and the average time range value. The angle generator receives the step time and the rotor sensing signal, and obtains an angle detection result according to the rotor sensing signal and the step time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: System General Corp.
    Inventors: Yi-Min Hsu, Chung-Hui Yeh, Pei-Sheng Tsu
  • Publication number: 20140062356
    Abstract: A method for operating an inverter, wherein the inverter can be connected to a DC voltage source on the input side for the purpose of electrical energy supply, wherein the inverter has a plurality of controllable switches which are switched alternately in order to provide a polyphase electric current on a corresponding plurality of phase lines of the inverter, in particular in order to supply an electric machine with electric current in polyphase fashion, wherein at least one electrical variable of at least one of the phase lines and at least one switch-on time of at least one of the controllable switches are detected and an input current is determined on the basis of the detected variables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventors: Christian Djonga, Andrea Deflorio, Daniel Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20140062355
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, single phase motor drive circuit includes a counter unit, an energization pattern generation unit, and a drive unit. The unit counts a time of phase switching of a Hall signal based on a clock signal. The energization pattern generation unit generates an energization pattern based on the count result of the counter unit. The drive unit generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal based on a duty setting signal and the energization pattern signal to output an output signal to drive a single phase motor based on the PWM signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Shen WANG, Tadashi ASUKAI
  • Patent number: 8659247
    Abstract: A control device for controlling an electronically commutated motor. The control device includes a control input for a rotor position signal and a control output for connection to field coils of the motor, and generates a load current for displacing a rotor of the motor depending on the rotor position signal outputting said load current via the control output. The control device includes at least one semiconductor switch for switching the load current depending on a semiconductor control signal, and includes at least one pulse generator which generates the load current in the form of a pulsed control signal for displacing the rotor. The control device also includes a delta sigma converter which is at least indirectly connected to the control input on the input side and which is designed to produce the semiconductor control signal in the form of a digital bit stream depending on the rotor position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: David Fricker
  • Patent number: 8653770
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a power supply to supply current to a motor, a shunt resistor provided at one side of the motor to measure the magnitude of current supplied to the motor, a differential amplifier to receive a voltage applied to both ends of the shunt resistor as an input signal and amplify the input signal, an Analog/Digital Converter (ADC) to convert an analog signal generated from the differential amplifier into a digital signal, a switch to switch current applied to the motor by the power supply, and a microcontroller to generate a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control signal so as to control ON or OFF of the switch and generate an operation start signal of the ADC by considering the PWM control signal and a hardware delay value of the differential amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jong Owan Kim
  • Publication number: 20140042940
    Abstract: A control system for an electronically commutated motor (401) can rotate smoothly to very low speeds without using a high resolution encoder and can respond to variations in load without excessive speed fluctuations. The control system can be applied to motors operating with low resolution encoders and motors operating with sensorless rotor position feedback. The electronic control system can vary the magnitude and frequency of the stator excitation applied to one or more stator phase windings, the electronic control system comprising a frequency setting section (402) and a magnitude setting section (403) characterised by the fact that the frequency setting section (402) is constrained to operate over a limited range of frequencies, the maximum frequency being a function which is closely related to the frequency associated with rotation of the rotor at the desired speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: TECHNELEC LTD
    Inventors: Charles Pollock, Helen Pollock
  • Publication number: 20140035493
    Abstract: A motor drive device inputs two detection signals from a rotation position sensor thereby to detect a rotation position, and controls a voltage to be applied to a motor according to the detected rotation position. The motor drive device has a control unit for outputting a first voltage in a first state in which the square sum of sampling values sampled from the two detection signals is a predetermined value, and outputting a second voltage in a second state in which the square sum is not the predetermined value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2011
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Ajima, Norikazu Matsuzaki, Kentaro Ueno, Masaru Sakuma
  • Patent number: 8643319
    Abstract: A method of controlling a brushless motor that includes rectifying an alternating voltage to provide a rectified voltage, and exciting a winding of the motor with the rectified voltage. The winding is excited in advance of predetermined rotor positions by an advance period and is excited for a conduction period over each electrical half-cycle of the motor. The length the advance period and/or the conduction period is defined by a waveform that varies periodically with time. The method then includes adjusting the phase of the waveform relative to the alternating voltage in response to a change in one of motor speed and RMS value of the alternating voltage. Additionally, a control system that implements the method, and a motor system that incorporates the control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventor: Tuncay Celik
  • Patent number: 8643318
    Abstract: A phase detection system includes a low-resolution sensor and a high-resolution sensor for monitoring an alternating current (AC) voltage. A phase detector receives voltage samples from both the low-resolution sensor and the high-resolution sensor. The phase detector monitors the low-resolution sensor to detect approaching zero cross events (i.e., monitored voltage values approaching zero). In response to an approaching zero-cross event, the phase detector uses the magnitude of the high-resolution voltage samples measured on either side of the zero cross event to determine the phase of the monitored AC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Souren G. Fattal, John Duward Sagona
  • Patent number: 8638052
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric synchronous machine having a stator and a moving part includes operating the machine with a deceleration moment so that a speed of the moving part of the machine is reducing, monitoring the movement of the moving part of the machine, and, upon detection of a direction reversal or a speed of the moving part of approximately zero, transitioning to a holding mode by impressing at least one current pattern of string currents in the stator of the machine. The method also includes maintaining the current pattern until a stable equilibrium of moments between the external moment and a braking moment of the machine is established.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: L-3 Communications Magnet-Motor GmbH
    Inventors: Harry Hohn, Lars Lay, Jens Biebach
  • Patent number: 8638053
    Abstract: Motor control circuits and associated methods to control an electric motor provide an ability to synchronize a rotational speed of the electric motor with an external clock signal, resulting in reduced jitter in the rotational speed of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventor: Chee-Kiong Ng
  • Publication number: 20140021891
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotor, a sensor unit, an offset unit, a rectification unit and a modulating unit. The sensor unit outputs a first signal in accordance with a magnetic field variation of the rotor. The offset unit is coupled to the sensor unit, and outputs a second signal in accordance with the first signal. The rectification unit is coupled to the offset unit, and outputs a third signal in accordance with the second signal. The modulating unit is coupled to the rectification unit, and outputs a control signal in accordance with a result by comparing the third signal with a periodic signal. The modulating unit controls a reverse rotation of the rotor smoothly in accordance with the control signal. A control method of the motor is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Yu-Liang LIN, Kun-Fu CHUANG, Cheng-Chieh LIU
  • Patent number: 8633667
    Abstract: A motor speed determining circuit determining a rotation speed of a motor is provided and a processing of generating motor driving waveform is switched in accordance with the rotation speed of the motor. A resolver signal outputted from a resolver 2 is converted to a digital value by an R/D converter 3, and inputted to a computing circuit of resolver value correction 5 via an R/D conversion interface 4. A current value of a motor M is converted to a digital value by an A/D convertor 8. The computing circuit of resolver value correction 5 computes a resolver correction value of the inputted digital signal and calculates positional data from a corrected resolver value. The computing circuit of motor control computes a current instruction value from a motor current value subjected to digital conversion by the A/D converter 8 and a motor current instruction value etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hisaaki Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8624532
    Abstract: A system for controlling a motor (3) includes a driver circuit (5) for generating a drive voltage (v) to generate a phase current (i) in the motor. Phase current sensing circuitry (10,21) digitizes the phase current. A first circuit (23) provides a reconstructed digital representation of a BEMF signal (vbemf) of the motor to generate an error-corrected synchronization signal (SYNC) in response to the phase current and a detected error in the motor speed, an amplitude feedback signal (15), and information (iR,iL,?iL,vL) indicative of a resistance (Rm) and an inductance (Lm) of the motor. A motor drive signal (15) having an error-corrected frequency is generated in response to the synchronization signal. A PWM circuit (16) produces a PWM signal (17) having a frequency equal to the error-corrected frequency of the synchronization signal (SYNC) and a duty cycle controlled according to the detected error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Yew Tat Chuah, Yisong Lu
  • Patent number: 8618757
    Abstract: A system and process includes continuously determining an applied armature voltage supplied to a polyphase synchronous machine for which a maximum mechanical load is characterized by a pull-out torque. The armature voltage is supplied from a power source via one of many taps of a regulating transformer. The armature voltage being supplied from the power source to the machine is changed by selecting one of the voltage levels from the taps of the regulating transformer. The tap voltage levels are selected based on the determined applied armature voltage to minimize power consumption of the machine while ensuring based on a predetermined confidence level that the pull-out torque of the machine will not be exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Utilidata, Inc.
    Inventor: David Gordon Bell
  • Patent number: 8618764
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus include, in one aspect, a method including receiving from a controller a signal for controlling a device for rotating a machine-readable medium; and increasing a bandwidth of a transfer function corresponding to the controller by at least filtering the signal to compensate for a pole of the transfer function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Edward Ying, Pantas Sutardja
  • Patent number: 8618756
    Abstract: A method for controlling a permanent magnet synchronous motor is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a feedback current from a motor; generating a digital current signal based on the feedback current, the digital current signal indicative of a value of the feedback current; generating a power signal and a first imaginary power signal based on the digital current signal and a three-phase voltage signal; receiving a speed signal indicative of an expected speed of the motor; generating a phase signal based on the speed signal and the power signal; generating a voltage signal based on the speed signal, the power signal, and the first imaginary power signal; and adjusting the three-phase voltage signal for driving the motor based on the voltage signal and the phase signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Tsai-Wang Hung, Hsin-Ming Su
  • Patent number: 8618755
    Abstract: A control device is for a motor, especially a brushless DC motor. The control device contains a bridge circuit for generating a rotating field for the motor and a sensor system for detecting a position of a rotor of the motor, a control signal for the bridge circuit being derivable from the signal representing the rotor position. The sensor system includes an absolute value transmitter which detects the absolute position of the rotor and which is configured to derive at least one incremental signal from the absolute position and to make it directly available to a control component for controlling the bridge circuit for commuting the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Maier, Christoph Schikora, Thomas Wiercioch
  • Publication number: 20130342140
    Abstract: Methods and systems of processing sensor signals to determine motion of a motor shaft are disclosed. This disclosure relates to the processing of sequences of pulses from a sensor for computing the motion of an electric motor output shaft. Furthermore, this disclosure relates to the processing of two sequences of pulses from sensor outputs, which may be separated by only a few electrical degrees, to compute the motion of an electrical motor output shaft while using a limited bandwidth controller. Motor shaft direction, displacement, speed, phase, and phase offset may be determined from processing the sensor signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: CHRYSLER GROUP LLC
    Inventors: Feisel Weslati, Behrouz Ashrafi, Chandan Lakshmanaiah