Phase Shifted As Function Of Speed Or Position Patents (Class 318/400.14)
  • Patent number: 11936309
    Abstract: A permanent-magnet-synchronous electric motor control device includes: a reference voltage value calculation unit for calculating a reference voltage value; an output voltage value calculation unit for calculating an output voltage value on the basis of a voltage command; a current weakening command calculation unit for calculating a current weakening command on the basis of the reference voltage value and the output voltage value; a voltage command calculation unit for calculating the voltage command on the basis of the current weakening command; and a power converter for supplying power to a permanent-magnet-synchronous electric motor on the basis of the voltage command. The current weakening command calculation unit calculates the current weakening command in which a high-frequency component is amplified on the basis of the difference between the reference voltage value and the output voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuya Tsuchimoto, Tatsuya Mori, Akira Furukawa, Isao Kezobo, Genki Fujii
  • Patent number: 11884339
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a steering system of a motor vehicle. A voltage reserve is determined as a function of a compensation trajectory for a second actuating voltage and as a function of a modulation limit. A first actuating voltage with a fundamental frequency is determined as a function of the voltage reserve. A compensation voltage with a sixth-order harmonic with respect to the fundamental frequency of the first actuating voltage is determined. The second actuating voltage is determined for an inverter as a function of the first actuating voltage and as a function of the compensation voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Eugen Sworowski, Andreas Schramm
  • Patent number: 11824478
    Abstract: A sensor device includes a first sensor element that generates a first sensor signal based on a varying magnetic field; a second sensor element that generates a second sensor signal based on the varying magnetic field; a signal processing circuit configured to generate a first pulsed signal based on the first sensor signal and generate a second pulsed signal based on the second sensor signal; a fault detector that detects a fault and generates an error signal indicating the fault; and an output generator that receives the error signal based on a first condition that the fault detector detects the fault, and simultaneously outputs a first output signal and a second output signal. In response to the first condition being satisfied, the output generator maintains the first output signal in a steady state and outputs the second pulsed signal as the second output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stephan Leisenheimer, Konrad Kapser, Rainer Kling, Sebastian Maerz, Romain Peron
  • Patent number: 11824422
    Abstract: A drive motor includes an inverter housing mounted therein, which couples an inverter housing to the top or side of a drive motor frame, wherein the inverter coupling bracket includes an inverter housing surface-contacting frame in which support gaps of first and second floor frames, surface-contacting the circumferential surface of a flange coupled to one end of the drive motor frame and the circumferential surface of a bracket coupled to the other end of the drive motor frame in the longitudinal direction, are integrally formed, and an arc-shaped drive motor frame circumferential surface-contacting portion is formed on the lower surface of the inverter housing surface-contacting frame, fixing pieces inclined inward are formed at the left and right ends of the first and second floor frames, respectively, and a fixing protruding piece is formed at each of the front and rear ends of the inverter housing surface-contacting frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NEW MOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Cheol Jang, Ji Min Lee, Min Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 11705840
    Abstract: A commutation error compensation method for an electric motor includes: when a rotor, that has not been corrected, in an electric motor rotates in a set direction, collecting a position signal and a three-phase current signal of the rotor, wherein the position signal of the rotor represents the rotation angle of the rotor; filtering processing on the three-phase current signal to obtain a fundamental component of the three-phase current signal, and determining a position error compensation signal of the electric motor on the basis of the fundamental component of the three-phase current signal; determining an ideal phase interval of the rotor according to the position error compensation signal and the position signal of the rotor; and determining an adjustment method for the rotor of the electric motor according to the ideal phase interval of the rotor, and commutating the rotor of the electric motor according to the adjustment method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: GUANGDONG MIDEA WHITE HOME APPLIANCE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION CENTER CO., LTD., MIDEA GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lu Wang, Ziqiang Zhu, Hong Bin
  • Patent number: 11682997
    Abstract: In some examples, a rotary electric machine includes a stator having a plurality of stator coils arranged in a circular pattern around a central opening configured for receiving a rotor. The rotary electric machine further includes a respective dedicated inverter circuit associated with each respective stator coil. For instance, each respective inverter circuit may be configured to convert direct current power to alternating current power to provide to the respective stator coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO AMERICAS, INC.
    Inventors: Zhiyi Su, Zifu Wang, Subrata Kumar Kundu
  • Patent number: 11616396
    Abstract: A system for transferring electric power is provided. A power supply conductor conducts a power supply current that generates a first resultant magnetic field. An electric motor has a power input terminal connected to the power supply conductor and a movable output component. A generator has a movable input component connected to the movable output component such that the movable output component causes movement of the movable input component. The generator converts the movement of the movable input component into a power output current to the power output terminal that generates a second resultant magnetic field. A plurality of field line guides are positioned for field lines of the second resultant magnetic field to couple to the plurality of field line guides and are formed to guide the field lines into a helical shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Inventor: Young B. Kim
  • Patent number: 11511795
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for attenuating dither noise in a steering system. An example method includes computing a torque command based on an input torque, and generating a current command corresponding to the torque command. Further, the method includes determining an adjustment parameter based on a plurality of steering system signals. Further, the method includes reducing dither noise of the steering system by dynamically modifying a controller parameter value using the adjustment parameter. Further, the method includes generating a voltage command using the current command and the modified controller parameter value, the voltage command used to generate torque by a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Eickholt, Prerit Pramod
  • Patent number: 11496078
    Abstract: A method for determining a rotor position of a BLDC motor with a magnetic rotor and stator having at least one exciter coil to which an exciter voltage is applied in accordance with a commutation process, comprises: interrupting the exciter voltage applied to the exciter coil, wherein the exciter voltage has a profile with at least one first section in which the profile of the exciter voltage has a non-vanishing finite gradient, wherein the exciter voltage in the first section is interrupted, and wherein at the time of interruption the exciter voltage has a value different from zero; capturing a voltage induced in the exciter coil by the magnetic rotor; restoring the exciter voltage to a value different from zero; and determining a rotor position of the rotor with respect to the exciter coil on the basis of the captured induced voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Beckhoff Automation GmbH
    Inventor: Patrick Jebramcik
  • Patent number: 11489437
    Abstract: Current imbalances between parallel switching devices in a power converter half leg are reduced. A gate driver generates a nominal PWM gate drive signal for a respective half leg. A first feedback loop couples the nominal PWM gate drive signal to a gate terminal of a respective first switching device. The first feedback loop has a first mutual inductance with a current path of a first parallel switching device and has a second mutual inductance with a current path of a second parallel switching device. The first and second mutual inductances are arranged to generate opposing voltages in the first feedback loop, so that when all the parallel switching devices carry equal current then the voltages cancel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Zhuxian Xu, Chingchi Chen
  • Patent number: 11486443
    Abstract: An axial-flux generator for fluid turbines has a continuously variable generator that is constructed of a pair of rotors that move radially across a stator resulting in varying torque and varying power output. In one embodiment the rotors are normally held proximal to the center of a stator by spring tension. The stator is larger than the normally held position of the rotors. As the angular velocity of the rotors increases, the rotors move radially toward the perimeter of the stator, thus encountering a greater stator surface area providing increased torque, increased power generation and a higher-rated output speed when used with a fluid turbine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Inventor: Robert Lothar Monteith
  • Patent number: 11456690
    Abstract: A pulse-controlled inverter with a variably controlled switching frequency for generating a sinusoidal alternating current for a motor. A control device is provided to control the switching frequency fswitch of the pulse-controlled inverter as a function of the speed n of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Marco Weckert
  • Patent number: 11437946
    Abstract: A motor output stabilizing circuit and a method are provided. A sensor senses a positive voltage and a negative voltage that are generated with a change in magnetic field strength of a motor of which a rotor is rotating. A comparator compares the positive voltage with the negative voltage to output a Hall signal. An average counter records a first time during which the positive voltage is higher than the negative voltage and a second time during which the negative voltage is higher than the positive voltage, according to the Hall signal. The average counter then averages the first time and the second time to output an averaged time signal. A motor controller circuit controls a motor driver circuit to drive the motor according to the averaged time signal, such that the motor outputs a constant current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Li-Wei Chen, Shih-Hai Chien
  • Patent number: 11218100
    Abstract: A rotary machine control device for controlling a rotary machine whose inductance has an inductance variable component that changes with a rotor position includes a current detector detecting rotary machine current flowing through the rotary machine; and a speed estimator computing estimated rotational speed that is an estimated value of rotational speed of a rotor, based on motional electromotive force that is induced voltage generated due to change in the inductance with a rotor position. The rotary machine control device includes a position computing unit computing an estimated position that is an estimated value of the rotor position, using the estimated rotational speed; and a controller outputting a rotary machine voltage instruction to drive the rotary machine, based on the rotary machine current and the estimated position. The rotary machine control device includes a voltage applicator applying voltage to the rotary machine based on the rotary machine voltage instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tetsuya Kojima
  • Patent number: 11128243
    Abstract: A drive apparatus of an electric motor which does not include a position detection sensor, the drive apparatus includes drive portion configured to drive the electric motor on the basis of a command value inputted from outside, a number-of-rotations detection portion configured to detect a number of rotations of the electric motor driven by the drive portion, an out-of-phase judgement portion judging that the electric motor is out of phase in a case where the number of rotations detected by the number-of-rotations detection portion is less than a predetermined threshold value, and the predetermined threshold value being configured to be changed on the basis of the command value inputted from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyamoto, Koichi Aizawa
  • Patent number: 11070150
    Abstract: The invention provides a noise filtering method for a motor. The motor rotates according to an operating voltage. The noise filtering method includes: setting an inspection period and a minimum threshold. The noise filtering method further includes: generating a pulse signal according to the operating voltage, determining whether a time corresponding to each sub-pulse signal in the pulse signal meets the inspection period, and determining whether a pulse width corresponding to each sub-pulse signal is equal to or greater than the minimum threshold. A recording medium storing a program code corresponding to the method, and a motor control circuit for executing the program code are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignees: Lite-On Singapore Pte Ltd, Lite-On Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Kok Liang Goh, Jian Song, Lukman Arif Kurniawan, Biswas Partha, Ying Lin, Lee Kia Ching, Cheng-Wen Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11031899
    Abstract: A method for operating an electronically commutated synchronous machine with several phases, wherein an actuation circuit operates the synchronous machine, the actuation circuit having at least two switches for each phase and a degree of actuation for each phase being periodically ascertained by the actuation circuit, wherein the switch-on period, during which a supply voltage is applied to the respective phase by way of the associated switch, is determined for ascertaining the degree of actuation, wherein the following steps are carried out: measuring current by a single measurement resistor in at least two measurement windows and shifting one or more of the switch-on periods of the different phases relative to one another as soon as the difference between switch-on instants of at least two phases falls below a minimum period or the difference between the switch-on periods of at least two phases falls below twice the minimum period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Inventor: Alexandru Turcanu
  • Patent number: 10720870
    Abstract: A speed control system of a universal motor is electrically connected with a universal motor and includes a speed detecting unit and a controller. The controller is provided with a slow start unit, a speed control unit and a stopping-protecting unit. The slow start unit enables the rotating speed of the universal motor to increase smoothly, and the speed control unit controls and compensates the rotating speed of the universal motor in a way of closed loop, able to achieve effect of stepless speed adjustment and, when used at low speed, having cutting ability similar to that when operated at high speed. The stopping-protecting unit is able to automatically cut off power and carry out protection when machine table is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Inventor: Bor-Yann Chuang
  • Patent number: 10630078
    Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatus and methods for using a switch to couple an inductor to an energy harvester for a time interval to allow charging of the inductor during the time interval, and using a circuit to generate control information for power management. A value of the control information is based on a value of the time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Sally Safwat Amin, Vaibhav Vaidya, Harish K. Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 10608535
    Abstract: A control device for a step-up converter which controls the step-up converter connected between a load and a DC power source, the control device includes a voltage control unit, a current command generation unit, a duty estimator, and a pole zero cancellation control unit. The voltage control unit performs a control arithmetic operation on the basis of a calculated value, obtained by performing a proportional arithmetic operation and an integration arithmetic operation on a difference between a voltage value on the load side and a voltage command value, and a value generated by the pole zero cancellation control unit. The current command generation unit generates a reactor current command value on the basis of an arithmetic result of the voltage control unit and a reciprocal of a duty estimation value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: KEIHIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takami Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10279802
    Abstract: As a control of an inverter, a first pulse width modulation control switches a plurality of switching elements by generating a first pulse width modulation signal of the switching elements, and a second pulse width modulation control switches the switching elements by generating a second pulse width modulation signal of the switching elements based on a voltage modulation rate, a voltage phase, and the number of pulses per unit cycle of an electrical angle of the motor based on the torque command and has a smaller number of switchings of the switching elements than the first pulse width modulation control. The first pulse width modulation control and the second pulse width modulation control are executed in a switched manner. Execution of the second pulse width modulation control as the control of the inverter is restricted when the quietness is needed, compared with when the quietness is not needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Matsubara, Kenji Yamada, Toshihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10066538
    Abstract: In an aspect, an electromechanical apparatus is provided, comprising an electromagnet, a magnetically permeable rotor, a drive, a current source, a current sensor and processing logic. The electromagnet includes a magnetically permeable housing and a wire coil disposed therein. The rotor spins and is disposed in the path of a magnetic circuit generated by the electromagnet. The drive rotates the rotor relative to the electromagnet housing. The rotor and electromagnet housing vary the reluctance therebetween as the rotor rotates. The current source applies a current to the electromagnet coil, wherein, during rotation of the rotor, fluctuations in the current result in the electromagnet coil due to the aforementioned varying reluctance are superimposed on the applied current. The current sensor senses fluctuations in current in the electromagnet coil. The processing logic reads the sensed current and determines the frequency of the fluctuations, which are correlated to rotor speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Litens Automotive Partnership
    Inventors: Yongguang Zhu, Zbyslaw Staniewicz, Noel Abreu, Bashar Yazigi, Roman Tracz
  • Patent number: 10027264
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating control signals for managing the operation of a synchronous motor with one or more permanent magnets (1) comprising a stator (2), the stator comprising a number P of phases (3, 4, 5), a rotor, the rotor comprising said permanent magnet or magnets, a switching module (6) provided with a plurality of switches (K1-K6), a number N of Hall-effect sensors sensitive to a rotating electromagnetic field induced by said permanent magnet or magnets, N being no lower than 2 and strictly lower than P, the method comprising a step of acquiring status information transmitted by the sensors (9, 10) and a step of estimating at least one piece of complementary information on the basis of status information transmitted by the sensors (9, 10), the complementary information characterizing the status variation of at least one virtual sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: SOMFY SAS
    Inventors: David Mugnier, Florian Germain
  • Patent number: 9995994
    Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a main mirror holder rotating between a mirror down position in an image pickup optical path and a mirror up position outside the image pickup optical path in accordance with drive of a mirror driving unit, which drives in accordance with rotation of a motor, a sub mirror holder being supported by the main mirror holder to abut against the main mirror holder positioned at the mirror up position, and a driving pin rotating in accordance with the drive of the mirror driving unit and rotating the main and sub mirror holders. The driving pin includes an abutting part that abuts against the mirror driving unit while the mirror driving unit drives. The abutting part is provided with a reduction structure to reduce a bound of the sub mirror holder when the main mirror holder reaches the mirror up position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuhisa Kojima
  • Patent number: 9985453
    Abstract: A power inverter including a multi-phase inverter circuit is electrically connected to a high-voltage DC power source, and includes a capacitor electrically connected between positive and negative conductors of a high-voltage bus. A normally-ON discharge switch is electrically connected in series with a discharge resistor between the positive and negative conductors of the high-voltage bus. The discharge switch includes a control gate, wherein the control gate of the discharge switch is in communication with an ignition switch. The discharge switch is controllable to an open state between the positive and negative conductors of the high-voltage bus when the ignition switch is in an ON state. The discharge switch achieves a closed state to provide a low-impedance electric current flow path through the discharge resistor between the positive and negative conductors of the high-voltage bus when the ignition switch is in an OFF state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Andrew J. Namou, Mohammad N. Anwar, Ahmad Albanna, Syed M. Kadry
  • Patent number: 9923488
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium facilitate a soft switching technique for operating an inverter. In a full bridge inverter, a one of first set of transistors in the inverter may be rapidly activated and deactivated in pulses while one of a second set of transistor may be activated during a switching time period where the inverter matches the voltage and frequency of an AC grid. During a blanking time period between switching time periods, one of the second set of transistors may be primed before the other is activated during the next switching time period to prevent generating noise in the AC output of the inverter due to a hard switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SunPower Corporation
    Inventor: Fernando Rodriguez
  • Patent number: 9893007
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first contact receiving a first voltage, a second contact receiving a second voltage, one or more comparing elements comparing the first and second voltages, and one or more setting elements setting one or more parameters of the device in response to a comparison of the first and second voltages. When the first voltage is greater than the second voltage the setting element selects the first voltage as a high voltage, the second voltage as a low voltage, and sets a mode signal to a first value. When the second voltage is greater than the first voltage the setting element selects the first voltage as the low voltage, the second voltage as the high voltage, and sets the mode signal to a second value. The first and second values alter a condition of an electronic component coupled with the device between a first and second state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Kentaro Iyoshi
  • Patent number: 9831805
    Abstract: A method for acquiring a constant torque of an ECM, the method including: A) acquiring a target torque value T0 input from external; B) when the motor is in a non-use state, operating the motor and acquiring an initial rotational speed rpm by the microprocessor; and when the motor is in an operating state, acquiring a current rotational speed rpm by the microprocessor; C) calculating a corresponding target bus current value Itad by the microprocessor using the function of a DC bus current Itad=F(T, rpm) according to the target torque T0 and acquired rotational speed rpm, in which T represents a torque value output by the motor; and D) comparing the target bus current Itad with a real-time bus current Ibus by the microprocessor in a closed-loop control according to the detected real-time bus current Ibus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN BROAD-OCEAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wenqing Bian
  • Patent number: 9774282
    Abstract: A method for controlling a three-phase brushless DC motor including a single hall sensor, the method including: A) measuring a deviation angle ? of a mounting position of the single hall sensor and storing; B) starting the motor: outputting six-path PWM signals by the microprocessor to control the operation of the inverter and allowing the single hall sensor to continuously and stably measure a position signal; C) obtaining a rotating angular velocity ?=360°/T in the last 360° electric angle cycle by the microprocessor; D) calculating a real-time position angle ?=?t+? of a present 360° electric angle cycle by the microprocessor; and E) outputting the six-path PWM signals by the microprocessor to control the operation of the inverter so as to simultaneously energize the three-phase winding (U, V, and W); and switching a current direction of each winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN BROAD-OCEAN MOTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Wenqing Bian
  • Patent number: 9735721
    Abstract: A rotary drive system having a voltage source and an electric motor. The motor has a stator with independent phases and a rotor, an inverter designed to connect each phase to the voltage source in order to generate phase currents, and a device for controlling the inverter. The control device includes a unit for determining whether the fundamental frequency of the phase currents is lower than a frequency threshold equal to, at the most, 100 Hz, and a unit for generating a command, configured such that, when the fundamental frequency is determine as being lower than the frequency threshold, the command causes the appearance of a homopolar component in the phase currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Valeo Systemes de Controle Moteur
    Inventor: Luis De Sousa
  • Patent number: 9647605
    Abstract: A driving circuit for a single-phase-brushless motor and a method that includes a driving-signal-generating circuit configured to generate a driving signal for supplying, to a driving coil of the single-phase brushless motor, an output circuit coupled to the driving signal generating circuit; and an induced voltage zero-cross detecting circuit having a plurality of inputs and an output, a first input coupled to the driving signal generating circuit and configured to detect a zero cross of an induced voltage in response to operation in the de-energized period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPOENENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Tsutomu Murata
  • Patent number: 9529026
    Abstract: An angle detector includes a first signal level detector to detect a sensor processed signal having a maximum signal level of a first set of sensor processed signals obtained by signal processing of multiple sensor signals, each of the multiple sensor signals having a signal level corresponding to a rotational position of a rotor of a motor having multiple coils, a signal level adjuster to adjust each signal level of the first set of the sensor processed signals to match the sensor processed signal having a maximum signal level with a first adjustment level, a signal selector to single out a selection signal from a second set of sensor processed signals adjusted by the signal level adjuster, and a phase detector to output a phase information signal in which the signal level of selection signal selected by the signal selector corresponds to a phase of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Katsuhisa Furuse
  • Patent number: 9479101
    Abstract: An apparatus for diagnosing motor performance of a vehicle and a method thereof are provided. The apparatus for diagnosing motor performance includes calculating magnetic flux of the motor under a predetermined diagnosis condition using a magnetic flux calculator. The apparatus further includes determining whether the calculated magnetic flux of the motor is included in a normal range using a validity determiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Joo Young Park, Byung Hoon Yang
  • Patent number: 9479090
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a drive circuit is provided for driving for a motor wherein the drive circuit includes a rotational state generation circuit connected to a state controller. The state controller is connected to a pulse width modulation detection circuit, a timer, and a duty control controller. In accordance with another embodiment, a method for driving the motor includes coupling a single Hall sensor to the motor and using the single Hall sensor to determine a position of a rotor of the motor. The drive circuit pulls the rotor so that one of its north pole or south pole is adjacent to the single Hall sensor. After the pole of the rotor is adjacent to the rotor, the motor starts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Takashi Ogawa
  • Patent number: 9431931
    Abstract: A controller for a brushless motor that includes a PWM module configured in half-bridge or full-bridge mode. The PWM module outputs control signals for controlling the excitation of a winding of the motor, and one of the duty cycle and the period of the PWM module defines a time at which the winding is commutated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Yongji Zhou, Libo Zheng, Hanping Dai
  • Patent number: 9369028
    Abstract: An electronically commutated motor, including: a motor body and a motor controller. The motor controller includes a control box and a circuit board disposed in the control box. The circuit board includes a microprocessor, an inverter circuit, a gear detection circuit, and a power supply. The gear detection circuit includes a plurality of current sensing units. The output end of the power supply supplies power to each circuit, and a first AC input end of the power supply is connected to a first power input line N. The gear detection circuit is connected to a plurality of gear input lines. At least one of the gear input lines is selected to be in an energized state. Each gear input line is correspondingly connected to a first input end of one of the current sensing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN BROAD-OCEAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Zhao, Yunsheng Chen, Wenqing Bian, Yonghua Wu
  • Patent number: 9083273
    Abstract: A method of operating a brushless direct current motor is provided that generates a rotor position dependent pulse width modulation waveform. The waveform can improve motor efficiency and reduce torque variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Agave Semiconductor, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Alan Brannen
  • Patent number: 9018872
    Abstract: To provide a motor control circuit that variably controls the speed of a motor, in which an appropriate advance angle value corresponding to the speed of the motor that is set can be automatically set. The motor control circuit according to the present invention includes an advance angle setting means that adds a reference advance angle value to an advance angle correction value obtained by multiplying a proportional coefficient by a correction amount and outputs an advance angle setting signal, and an advance angle setting correction means that uses a ratio of a correction reference period relative to a period of a reference signal input from the outside as a correction amount and corrects the reference advance angle value by an advance angle correction value obtained by multiplying the correction amount by a predetermined proportional coefficient of the advance angle setting means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignees: Minebea Co., Ltd., Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiro Inoue, Yuji Hamada
  • Patent number: 8994319
    Abstract: An electric motor includes a magnet rotor which is placed with an air gap interposed between it and a stator and has a magnetic pole portion formed from a plastic magnet which swells by hydrogen bonds, an inverter circuit, a DC-voltage conversion portion, a driving logic control portion, a supply current value control portion, a current value designation portion, a reference current value designation portion, and a correlation designation portion, wherein the correlation designation portion determines an average current value by changing the average current value linearly or non-linearly with respect to a reference current value, and the magnetic pole portion absorbs moisture to swell, thereby making the air gap smaller, at higher humidity than a reference humidity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masayuki Takada
  • Publication number: 20150082575
    Abstract: A brushless motor comprises: a stator 21 having armature coils 21a, 21b, and 21c; a rotor 22 which is rotated by a revolving magnetic field; and a switching element 30a, wherein the brushless motor has a rotation number control unit 33 which switches between low-speed and high-speed mode, wherein in the low-speed mode, the rotation number control unit 33 supplies current to the armature coils 21a, 21b, and 21c at predetermined energization timing and controls a duty ratio to control the rotation number of the rotor 22, and in the high-speed mode, the rotation number control unit 33 supplies current to the armature coils 21a, 21b, and 21c at energization timing advanced from the energization timing for the low-speed mode, thereby performing field weakening control of weakening the revolving magnetic field from that of the low-speed mode to control the rotation number of the rotor 22.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Masaaki Kimura, Hiroto Tanaka, Tamotsu Iwazaki, Tomohiko Annaka, Naoki Kojima, Junya Kitazawa
  • Patent number: 8981702
    Abstract: Input-output linearization (IOL) and extended state observer (ESO) techniques are applied to a Field Oriented Control (FOC) for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM). In one such approach, at least one gain value is determined based at least in part on a given bandwidth value. Operating parameters for the motor are determined based on the at least one gain value and information from a current sensor regarding motor current. Control signals used to the control the motor are determined based on the determined operating parameters. Accordingly, automated control can be effected through setting a bandwidth value through the implementation of IOL and ESO techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ashish S. Katariya, David P. Magee
  • Patent number: 8975843
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a control condition storage unit storing at least one of a control condition defined by an equivalent voltage supplied to a three-phase motor and a control condition defined by relationship between the equivalent voltage supplied to the three-phase motor and a frequency of PWM signal, a control condition extracting unit extracting the control condition from the control condition storage unit in response to a temperature of a viscous fluid supplied by a pump having the three-phase motor as a power source, and a PWM controlling unit controlling a switching element included in an inverter circuit based on a PWM signal related to the extracted control condition when the three-phase motor is started.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Minato
  • Patent number: 8970156
    Abstract: A path display apparatus includes a first position command acquiring unit that acquires first position command for motors, a first position feedback acquiring unit that acquires first position feedback of each of the motors, a correction data acquiring unit that acquires correction data generated for each of the motors, a second position command calculating unit that subtracts the correction data from the first position command to calculate a second position command, a second position feedback calculating unit that subtracts the correction data from the first position feedback to calculate second position feedback, a command path display unit that displays a command path of the tip point of the tool, based on the second position command; and a feedback path display unit that displays a feedback path of the tip point of the tool, based on the second position feedback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Tezuka, Hajime Ogawa
  • Patent number: 8963460
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor is provided. The method comprises obtaining electrical signals of the motor with a signal unit, the electrical signals comprising a motor torque and an angular velocity, calculating a voltage phase angle of a voltage vector with a calculating component, wherein a command torque, the motor torque, the angular velocity and a voltage amplitude of the voltage vector are inputs of the calculating component, and wherein the voltage phase angle is a variable and the voltage amplitude is a constant. The method further comprises modulating the voltage phase angle and the voltage amplitude to a switching signal for controlling an inverter; converting a direct current voltage to the voltage vector according to the switching signal, and applying the voltage vector to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Yong Li, Pengju Kang, Ronghui Zhou, Xiangming Shen, Xiao Chen, Zili Cai, Tong Zhao
  • Patent number: 8957615
    Abstract: There is provided a motor driving apparatus capable of optimizing driving efficiency by adjusting a phase difference between current applied to a motor and voltage detected from the motor and performing the adjustment of the phase difference when a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal has a set duty. The motor driving apparatus includes: a driving unit driving a motor according to driving control; a driving controlling unit controlling the driving of the motor by the driving unit, based on an adjusted phase correction signal; and a phase correcting unit correcting a phase difference between a motor detection signal having motor rotation speed information and a current detection signal having detection information regarding current flowing in the motor when a duty of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal driving the motor satisfies a preset reference duty, and providing the phase correction signal to the driving controlling unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joo Yul Ko
  • Patent number: 8957617
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a controller and a method for improving motor driving efficiency. According to the present invention, multiple control parameters are inputted to the controller so that the controller can adjust timings of PWM driving signals for driving the motor to advance or delay the turned-ON or turned-OFF points, whereby the motor is driven efficiently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Padauk Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mao-Hsin Cheng
  • Patent number: 8941346
    Abstract: A control system (128) for controlling a switched reluctance (SR) machine (110) having a rotor (116) and a stator (118) is provided. The control system (128) may include a converter circuit (122) operatively coupled to the stator (118) and including a plurality of switches (132) in selective communication with each phase of the stator (118) and a controller (130) in communication with each of the stator (118) and the converter circuit (122). The controller (130) may be configured to determine a position of the rotor (116) relative to the stator (118), and generate a modulated switching frequency (152) based on the rotor position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Brett Nee, Joshua Williams
  • Patent number: 8941349
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit includes: an advance angle setting correcting device having a correction reference cycle according to a reference advance angle count value, in which a correction amount is calculated as a ratio of the correction reference cycle to a cycle of a detection signal indicating a detected frequency proportional to a motor rotation speed, and in which an advance angle setting signal is obtained by multiplying the correction amount by a proportionality factor; and an advance angle setting device in which the advance angle correction value is added to the reference advance angle count value thereby outputting an advance angle setting signal, wherein a drive command signal containing a rotation speed information based on a target rotation speed is externally fed, the motor rotation speed is variably controlled in response to the drive command signal, and the detection signal is fed from a rotation speed detecting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomohiro Inoue
  • Publication number: 20150023804
    Abstract: A driving device for a brushless DC motor having at least one coil ma include a voltage zero crossing detection unit to where an induced voltage becomes zero; a detection period setting unit to set at least one detection period synchronously with the voltage zero crossing point; a coil voltage detection comparator to compare a terminal voltage generated from one end of the coil with a threshold voltage, and generate a coil voltage detection signal indicating a comparison result; a current phase detection unit to generate a phase detection signal indicating a relationship between a phase of a coil current flowing through the coil and a phase of the induced voltage; a driving signal synthesis unit to generate a driving control signal based on the phase detection signal; and a driving circuit to drive the brushless DC motor based on the driving control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Kenji SUGIURA
  • Patent number: RE45388
    Abstract: A compact field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital motor controller (102), a method, and a design structure are provided. The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) includes a sensor interface (206) configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors (104) and generate conditioned sensor data. The one or more sensors (104) provide position information for a DC brushless motor (108). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a commutation control (210) configured to create switching commands to control commutation for the DC brushless motor (108). The commutation control (210) generates commutation pulses from the conditioned sensor data of the sensor interface (206). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a time inverter (208) configured to receive the commutation pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Wichowski, Harold J. Hansen, Kevin G. Hawes