With Torque Or Load Determination (e.g., By Calculation, Detection, Or Estimation, Etc.) Patents (Class 318/400.15)
  • Patent number: 11870374
    Abstract: A method for adapting the control parameters of an electric traction machine being a permanent magnetic synchronous motor, PMSM, the method comprising providing the flux linkage of the permanent magnets, PM flux, in the PMSM; performing a stand still characterisation of the PMSM to estimate linked magnetic flux as a function of current; adding the PM flux to the estimated linked magnetic flux to provide a flux characteristic of the PMSM; adapting the control parameters of the PMSM based on the flux characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: VOLVO TRUCK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sebastian Hall
  • Patent number: 11791752
    Abstract: A motor circuit for driving a motor having two independent sets of windings forming 3 or more phases, wherein each phase of a first set is paired with a respective phase of a second set. A first bridge driver circuit has a top side switch and a bottom side switch driving each phase of the first set, and a second bridge driver circuit has a top side switch and a bottom side switch driving each phase of the second set. First and second current determining means determine current flowing in each respective sets of windings independent of the current flowing in the other set of phase windings. A third current determining means is configured to determine the sum of the current flowing in each pair of the N pairs of phases of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ZF Automotive UK Limited
    Inventors: Nathanael Rice, Maciej Kudanowski
  • Patent number: 11750131
    Abstract: A motor drive method is a method of driving a motor by a motor drive apparatus. The motor drive apparatus includes an inverter that regulates supplied power to the motor that is a position sensorless synchronous machine, and includes a controller that outputs a control signal to control the inverter. The method includes reducing output torque of the motor to be less than maximum output torque, in a speed range that is lower than a first speed at which the motor rotates. The maximum torque that is output from the motor is the maximum output torque in a case the motor drive apparatus drives the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Takahiro Yokoyama, Takayuki Miyajima
  • Patent number: 11677341
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit provides a drive signal to an electronically commutated motor. A control circuit the motor drive circuit based on calibration data. The calibration data indicate a relationship between an actual angular position of a rotor of the motor in response to the drive signal and an expected angular position of a rotor of an ideal motor in response to the drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Thomas Hafner, Leo Aichriedler, Gerald Wriessnegger
  • Patent number: 11658596
    Abstract: A motor control device of an embodiment includes a power supply unit that supplies AC power to a motor; a current detection unit that detects a current flowing through a winding of the motor; a speed and electric angle estimation unit that estimates a rotation speed and an electric angle of the motor based on a voltage outputted by the power supply unit and the current; a coordinate conversion unit that obtains an excitation current and a torque current based on the current and the electric angle; a torque current command determination unit that substitutes a predicted torque calculated based on a mechanical motion equation into a torque component current command value calculated based on a torque expression of a vector control coordinate, to generate a torque component current command value for bringing a difference between an inputted speed command and an estimated speed closer to zero; and a model prediction control unit that applies, to a plurality of predicted currents including a current change ratio de
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi Shibayama, Mariko Kuboi, Toshimitsu Aizawa, Naohito Kamiya, Yoshitaka Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 11594990
    Abstract: A motor control actuator that drives a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with sensorless Field Oriented Control includes a sampling circuit that generates a measurement signal by measuring a back electro motive force (BEMF) of the PMSM, while the PMSM rotates; a PLL that receives the measurement signal and extracts an amplitude and an angle of the BEMF from the measurement signal; and a motor controller that generates a first set of two phase alternating current (AC) voltage components based on an estimated rotor angle, generates a second set of two phase AC voltage components based on the amplitude and the angle, and generates control signals for driving the PMSM based on the first set of two phase AC voltage components. The motor controller performs a catch spin sequence for restarting the PMSM while rotating, the catch spin sequence includes a synchronizing period followed by a closed loop control period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Long Fei Jian, Nagappan Rethinam
  • Patent number: 11466917
    Abstract: In an ice making device, a frame supporting an ice tray and a drive unit has a first wall at a side of an ice detection member. Supported on the first wall is a regulation member rotatable between a first rotation position not to regulate coming down of the ice detection member and a second rotation position to regulate coming down of the ice detection member. By moving the regulation member to the second rotation position, later ice making is stopped even if ice accumulating below is not much. The regulation member includes a regulator in a circular arc form and is supported rotatably around a shaft. The regulation member as a rotary member is less liable to unexpectedly move from either of the first rotation position and the second rotation position, so that movement of the regulation member to a position not intended is suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akio Ishimizu
  • Patent number: 11414125
    Abstract: A steering controller includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to execute an operation process for calculating a torque command value corresponding to a sum of an amount by which the steering-side operation amount is converted into the torque required for the electric motor and an amount by which the steerable wheel-side operation amount is converted into the torque required for the electric motor and operate a drive circuit of the electric motor to adjust the torque of the electric motor to the torque command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignees: JTEKT CORPORATION, JTEKT EUROPE S.A.S.
    Inventors: Terutaka Tamaizumi, Tahar Slama, Pascal Moulaire, Pierre Larminy
  • Patent number: 11398785
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a controller that controls a motor including multiple motor windings. To determine motor position, the controller is operative to supply current through the multiple windings of the motor. The multiple windings are coupled to a rotor of the motor. While supplying the current to the motor windings, the controller monitors a magnitude of the current supplied through the windings of the motor. Based on measured inductance associated with the motor as determined from the monitored current through the windings, the controller determines a (rotational) position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Tao Zhao
  • Patent number: 11356044
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting motor initial phase and phase sequence and a system for controlling a permanent-magnet synchronous motor. The method is applied to the system and comprises sequentially acquiring, through an encoder, first displacement data which register the encoder's reading when a rotor spins to a Q-axis, second displacement data which register the encoder's reading when the rotor spins from the Q-axis to a D-axis, third displacement data which register the encoder's reading when the rotor spins from the D-axis to a negative Q-axis and fourth displacement data which register the encoder's reading when the rotor spins from the negative Q-axis to the D-axis; obtaining an initial phase of the motor to be detected according to the second displacement data, the fourth displacement data and the encoder's CPR; and determining the phase sequence of the motor based on the first displacement data, the second displacement data and the encoder's CPR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: QKM TECHNOLOGY (DONG GUAN) CO., LTD
    Inventors: Bin Wang, Chi Sha, Lihui Chen, Rongkui Zheng, Hui Du, Yu Lei, Jiang Liu
  • Patent number: 11146196
    Abstract: An electric machine control method includes: calculating a voltage command value based on a torque command value to an electric machine; calculating a modulation rate based on a power-supply voltage and the voltage command value; calculating a compensation gain in accordance with the modulation rate, the compensation gain being used to linearize a relationship between a magnitude of the voltage command value and a magnitude of a fundamental wave component of an output voltage to the electric machine; calculating a compensated voltage command value based on the voltage command value and the compensation gain; controlling the output voltage to the electric machine based on the compensated voltage command value; and limiting the compensation gain to be equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Mizuguchi, Mitsuhiro Shouji, Kengo Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11056995
    Abstract: The present disclosure is constructed on the prior art inverter architecture, a pulse code width modulation (PCWM). This is an open loop motor control system without sensing its rotor position. The present disclosure employs a closed loop method to track the optimum efficiency motor operating point directly. A bench load test is conducted to gather information for an AI type control, which includes both load angle vs. voltage command charts and power factor vs. voltage command charts, with load levels as parameters for certain frequency command ranges. This way, the optimum efficiency motor operating points are generated a priori. The AI type control is mechanized to track the optimum efficiency motor operating points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: SYSTEM HOMES COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hozo Yoshino
  • Patent number: 11005396
    Abstract: Implementations of the present application relate to a starting method and apparatus for a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a power system, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The method includes: obtaining a current motor rotational speed and motor position information of the permanent magnet synchronous motor; determining whether the current motor rotational speed is less than a preset minimum rotational speed, and if the current motor rotational speed is less than the preset minimum rotational speed, using the preset minimum rotational speed as a feedback rotational speed; otherwise, using the current motor rotational speed as a feedback rotational speed; and performing closed-loop control on the permanent magnet synchronous motor according to the feedback rotational speed and the motor position information. In this way, the starting method is simplified and simpler. Potential failure risks in various states in the prior art are avoided, thereby effectively improving reliability of a starting process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: AUTEL ROBOTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yidong Chen
  • Patent number: 10564620
    Abstract: A servo motor control apparatus for controlling a servo motor includes a storage unit configured to store a torque constant predefined for the servo motor, a torque constant correction unit configured to correct the torque constant stored in the storage unit when magnetic saturation occurs in a winding of the servo motor, and an output calculation unit configured to calculate an output of the servo motor on the basis of the torque constant stored in the storage unit or the torque constant after correction calculated by the torque constant correction unit, a value associated with a current of the servo motor, and a value associated with a speed of the servo motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Ikai, Tomoyuki Aizawa
  • Patent number: 10536101
    Abstract: In a MG control device, a standard voltage calculation part calculates a d-axis standard voltage Vd_std and a q-axis standard voltage Vq_std to be supplied to a MG. A first magnetic flux change amount estimation value calculation part calculates a first magnetic flux change amount estimation value ??1 based on a deviation of a specific value from the q axis standard voltage Vq_std, where the specific value is obtained by multiplying a ratio (Vd_std/Vd_real) with a q-axis real voltage Vq_real, where Vd_real represents a d-axis real voltage. A second magnetic flux change amount estimation value calculation part calculates a second magnetic flux change amount estimation value ??2 based on a deviation of the q-axis real voltage Vq_real from the q-axis standard voltage Vq_std. The calculation switching part selects one of ??1 and ??2 based on an operation state of the MG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takashi Ogawa, Masaki Nishiyama, Mitsuharu Matsuno
  • Patent number: 10224860
    Abstract: The control device for a rotary electrical machine which is connected between a DC power source and a rotary electrical machine and which controls driving of the rotary electrical machine by converting DC power from the DC power source into AC power, includes a power conversion circuit which is configured from a plurality of switching elements, a phase current detection unit which detects phase currents in the rotary electrical machine, a phase current ratio derivation unit which derives a ratio in which the phase currents detected by the phase current detection unit are equal to or greater than a reference value, or equal to or lower than the reference value, and an element fault determination unit which determines a fault status of each of the switching elements when the ratio derived by the phase current ratio derivation unit is equal to or greater than a previously established ratio threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Kawamoto, Noriyuki Wada, Taisuke Iwakiri, Takuya Miyanaga
  • Patent number: 10088506
    Abstract: A method for identifying a fault condition in an electrical machine in which at least a stator or a rotor has parallel winding branches is disclosed. A measurement is carried out for obtaining a set of circulating current values between two parallel winding branches of which each winding branch includes a single coil. A frequency analysis is applied on the set of circulating current values to obtain at least one frequency component. A fault condition of the electrical machine is determined on the basis of the at least one frequency component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd.
    Inventors: Pedro Rodriguez, Cajetan Pinto, Maciej Orman, Michal Orkisz, Ulf Ahrend, Rolf Disselnkötter, Pawel Rzeszucinski, James Ottewill
  • Patent number: 9742320
    Abstract: A method for controlling a switched reluctance motor, the method comprising: receiving a reference torque Te ref; receiving an indication of a present rotor position ? for the switched reluctance motor; determining at least one of: a reference current ie_ref(k?1) for a (k?1)th phase, a reference current ie_ref(k) for a (k)th phase, and a reference current ie_ref(k+1) for a (k+1)th phase; and outputting the determined at least one reference current to a current controller operatively coupled to the switched reluctance motor, wherein the determined at least one reference current is based on an objective function comprising the squares of phase current and derivatives of current reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Jin Ye, Ali Emadi
  • Patent number: 9705445
    Abstract: In an apparatus, a combination unit selects one of three-phase currents flowing in a three-phase alternating-current rotary electric machine. The combination unit shifts the captured values of at least one of the remaining two phase currents other than the reference phase current by 120 electrical degrees. The combination unit combines the shifted captured values of the at least one of the remaining two phase currents to the captured values of the reference phase current to obtain combined values of the reference phase current. A coefficient calculator integrates, for each of the calculation angles, function values based on the combined values of the reference phase current over the at least one period of the electrical angle of the three-phase rotary electric machine to calculate a Fourier coefficient for the reference phase current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuya Fujishima
  • Patent number: 9673742
    Abstract: A method of compensating for magnetic flux resulting from variance from a first electric machine to a second electric machine. A magnetic flux change for the first machine is calculated as a function of a flux difference between the first machine and the second machine. Operation of the first machine is controlled using the magnetic flux change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Kyle M. Hanson, Edward W. Haran
  • Patent number: 9608554
    Abstract: A D-Q or rotating reference frame control system for a switched reluctance motor (SRM) provides a negativity removal module and a non-linear model module. As such, the control system utilizes control inputs fq and fd, which are converted into the ABC domain as electrical current functions f?ix with negative values. The negativity removal module is configured to share the torque portion of the negative values of the electrical current functions f?ix for each of the three phases of the SRM motor to remove the negative values. The non-linear module corrects the non-linearity of the SRM to smooth the torque that is output. The control system also utilizes a phase advancing module, which outputs fd for achieving a wide range of operating speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventors: Yilmaz Sozer, Tausif Husain, Ali Elrayyah
  • Patent number: 9379658
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an induction machine is disclosed, wherein a magnitude of a current outputted to the induction machine to an inverter is determined by the apparatus to determine a voltage amount that compensates the command voltage in response to the magnitude of the current, and a voltage compensation amount is added to a command voltage determined from a voltage-frequency relationship according to a relevant voltage compensation amount to output a final command voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Anno Yoo
  • Patent number: 9369078
    Abstract: A motor control system for determining a reference d-axis current is provided, and includes a motor, a DC power source and DC input lines, and a current command controller. The DC power source generates a bridge voltage across the DC input lines. The current command controller is in communication with the motor and the DC input lines. The current command controller is configured to monitor the bridge voltage and a torque reference command. The current command controller is configured to determine a peak current based on the torque reference command. The current command controller is configured to determine a current angle based on the peak current. The current command controller is configured to determine the reference d-axis current based on the current angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Abraham G. Gebregergis, Ramakrishnan RajaVenkitasubramony, Tomy Sebastian, Siddharth Ballal
  • Patent number: 9323254
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a torque-limit output unit configured to output a torque limit with which power consumption of a motor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined motor power limit value and voltage amplitude required for driving the motor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined voltage limit, a position-command generating unit configured to generate a position command to a reference position according to the torque limit value, and a power/voltage limiting unit configured to perform processing for correcting a motor torque current on the basis of an excess of the motor power consumption with respect to a motor power consumption limit value and processing for correcting a motor excitation current on the basis of an excess of a motor torque divided voltage with respect to a motor torque divided voltage limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinichi Furutani, Kazuaki Ando, Akira Tanabe
  • Patent number: 9276513
    Abstract: A motor control system for determining a reference d-axis current is provided, and includes a motor, a DC power source and DC input lines, and a current command controller. The DC power source generates a bridge voltage across the DC input lines. The current command controller is in communication with the motor and the DC input lines. The current command controller is configured to monitor the bridge voltage and a torque reference command. The current command controller is configured to determine a peak current based on the torque reference command. The current command controller is configured to determine a current angle based on the peak current. The current command controller is configured to determine the reference d-axis current based on the current angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Abraham G. Gebregergis, Ramakrishnan RajaVenkitasubramony, Tomy Sebastian, Siddharth Ballal
  • Publication number: 20150145447
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a motor device, a speed command section, and a load detecting section. The motor control device includes: a motor configured to drive a rotating body and output a speed notification signal having an oscillation frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of the rotating body; and a driver IC configured to control a rotational speed of the motor. The speed command section is provided outside the motor device and configured to output a speed command signal designating a rotational speed of the motor to the driver IC. The load detecting section is provided outside the motor device and configured to derive a phase difference between the speed command signal and the speed notification signal and detect a load on the motor based on the phase difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Naohiro Anan
  • Publication number: 20150149005
    Abstract: A method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, controlling a vehicle using an estimated torque of an electric machine, the estimated torque based on one or more parameters associated with the electric machine that are independent from measured current feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Richard Luedtke, Fazal Urrahman Syed, Siwei Cheng
  • Patent number: 9041331
    Abstract: A motor controlling apparatus includes a first target torque value calculator, a frequency detector, a second target torque value calculator, a torque command value calculator, a torque limiter, and a controller. The first target torque value calculator calculates a first target torque value, which is a target value of an output torque of a motor. The frequency detector detects a motor rotational frequency. The second target torque value calculator calculates a second target torque value based on the rotational frequency. The torque command value calculator mathematically combines (e.g., adds) the first and target torque values to calculate a torque command value. The torque limiter sets the signs of the first target torque value and the torque command value to be equal to limit the torque command value according to the first target torque value. The controller controls the motor based on the limited torque command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kengo Fujiwara, Ken Ito
  • Publication number: 20150137720
    Abstract: A synchronous machine control means is provided with a magnet state output means (7) that estimates the magnetic flux of a permanent magnet forming the magnetic field of a synchronous machine (1); in a magnet state correction value calculation mode, the magnet state output means (7) calculates a magnet state correction value (??m1); in a magnet state estimation mode, the magnet state output means (7) is provided with a magnet stated estimation device (8) that calculates a magnetic flux estimation value (?m1?) of the permanent magnet under the given condition of a magnetic flux command (?1) and a ?-axis current command (i1) and a magnet state correction means (9) that corrects the magnetic flux estimation value (?m1?) of the permanent magnet obtained by the magnet stated estimation device (8), by use of the magnet state correction value (??m1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Kobayashi, Kiyoharu Anzai, Noriyuki Wada, Daiki Matsuura
  • Publication number: 20150137719
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus for controlling a 3-phase motor and a method for maintaining a high torque therein, which are capable of preventing excessive heat generation in a coil, through which a phase current flows, by causing an AC current to flow in a specific phase when a 3-phase motor maintains a high torque. The apparatus for controlling the 3-phase motor includes: a sensor configured to sense torques flowing through three phases of the 3-phase motor; and a controller configured to determine whether the torques of the three phases, which are detected by the sensor, maintain a high torque, and to perform control such that, when it is determined that the detected torques maintain the high torque, a DC signal is applied to a specific phase among the three phases and an AC signal is applied to the other phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Kyu Woong CHOI
  • Publication number: 20150137721
    Abstract: A power tool comprises a motor, an output torque calculation unit configured to calculate an output torque of the motor based on a current flowing through the motor, a friction torque calculation unit configured to calculate a friction torque of the motor based on a rotation speed of the motor, a load torque estimation unit configured to estimate a load torque acting on the motor, an inertia torque calculation unit configured to calculate an inertia torque based on the output torque, the friction torque and the load torque, and a motor deceleration unit configured to stop or decelerate the motor when the inertia torque is greater than an inertia torque reference value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Hirokatsu YAMAMOTO, Takaaki OSADA
  • Publication number: 20150123577
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls an AC motor by detecting current passing through one phase. The apparatus includes an upper controller which includes a torque command calculation section, and a torque monitoring section monitoring torque to determine whether the torque is within a range, and a lower controller which controls current supply to an inverter based on a torque command value to control the motor, and which acquires information on a current-supply state and a rotation state of the motor and transmits information on a control state to the upper controller. At least one of the controllers estimates a current estimate value of an estimated phase or a d-q axis current estimate value based on a current detection value of the one phase and an electrical angle, and calculates information for monitoring torque based on the current estimate value. The torque monitoring section monitors the torque based on the information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Ryuji OMATA, Takahumi OOWADA
  • Patent number: 9018877
    Abstract: A system for determining if a tire of a vehicle is improperly inflated. The system includes a radar, a wheel speed sensor, and a controller. The radar is configured to emit a signal to detect a reflection of the signal off of an object positioned perpendicular to the vehicle, and to output an indication of a speed of the vehicle. The wheel speed sensor is configured to sense a speed of a wheel of the vehicle. The controller is configured to receive the indication of the speed of the vehicle from the radar, to calculate a speed of the vehicle based on the sensed speed of the wheel, and to determine a tire of the wheel is improperly inflated when the speed of the vehicle calculated using the wheel speed sensor varies by more than a predetermined amount from the speed of the vehicle determined using the radar signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Braun, Norbert Wegner, Juergen Rapp, Michael May, Alexander Kuderer
  • Patent number: 9007004
    Abstract: A controller for an AC electric motor, includes a Feed Forward Torque Controller and a load model. The Torque controller directly derives a torque related component of applied motor voltages from a signal representing a torque command input T* and at least one motor parameter. The load model derives a motor speed value including a model of motor speed behavior of the AC electric motor to provide an output signal which represents the motor speed of the AC electric motor. This motor speed output signal is used in determining a frequency of rotation of an applied motor voltage vector. Where an input to the load model is the signal representing the torque command input T*, the load model uses the signal representing the torque command T*, at least over a part of an operating speed range of the AC motor which includes zero speed, to determine the motor speed output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: University of Technology, Sydney
    Inventor: Gregory Peter Hunter
  • Patent number: 9007014
    Abstract: A method for minimizing power losses in an alternating current (AC) machine is provided. The method includes determining a first rotor flux signal based on signals of voltage and current inputs to the AC machine, and extracting a ripple component of the rotor flux signal. The method further includes determining a power compensating value that corresponds to a stored energy value of the AC machine, determining a second rotor flux signal that serves to minimize power losses, and providing the second rotor flux signal to a power inverting unit that adjust accordingly the voltage and current input signals provided to the AC machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Ali M. Bazzi, Philip T. Krein
  • Publication number: 20150091482
    Abstract: A variable speed fan motor, including a variable speed motor body and a motor controller. The motor controller 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. Only one of the power input lines is in an energized state, and remaining power input lines are in a deenergized state. Each power input line is connected to one current sensing unit. An output end of the current sensing unit is connected to an input end of the microprocessor. The microprocessor selects operating parameters of the motor according to a detected signal of energization state of each power input line. The microprocessor is connected to the series communication unit. The microprocessor communicates with an external device via the series communication unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: Yong ZHAO, Yunsheng CHEN
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8988030
    Abstract: This disclosure is drawn to methods, systems, devices and/or apparatus related to power control in applications over long cables. Specifically, the disclosed methods, systems, devices and/or apparatus relate to power control that considers the maximum power available at the end of a long cable (or from a battery) to a load over a broad range of load conditions. Some example systems may include a power supply located at the Earth's surface and a power converter coupled to the power supply via a cable having a first end coupled to the power supply and a second end coupled to the power converter. Some example power converters may be configured to measure the power being consumed by the electrical load in the well, and adjust operating parameter(s) of the electrical load based, at least in part, on the maximum power available at the second end of the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ramon Hernandez Marti, John Parry, Dudi Rendusara
  • Publication number: 20150077027
    Abstract: A load torque estimation apparatus inputs a controlling value for controlling the electric motor and an actually measured value of a rotational speed of the electric motor to a model to estimate load torque of the electric motor; and derives a mechanical time constant of the electric motor corresponding to the load torque estimated by the estimation part. The load torque estimation apparatus updates the mechanical time constant included in the model by using the mechanical time constant corresponding to the load torque estimated at an (n?1)th control period (where n denotes an integer greater than or equal to 2) and estimates the load torque of the electric motor at an nth control period by inputting the controlling value and the actually measured value acquired at the nth control period to the model acquired through the updating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeo SEKI, Yoshihiro TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20150077028
    Abstract: A load torque estimation apparatus estimates load torque of an electric motor. The apparatus includes an estimation part configured to input a controlling value for controlling the electric motor and an actually measured value of a rotational speed of the electric motor to a model and estimating load torque of the electric motor; and a derivation part configured to derive a mechanical time constant of the electric motor corresponding to the actually measured value of the rotational speed of the electric motor. The estimation part is configured to update, according to a timing of acquiring the actually measured value of the rotational speed of the electric motor, the mechanical time constant included in the model by using the mechanical time constant corresponding to the acquired actually measured value and estimate the load torque of the electric motor by using the updated model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takeo SEKI, Yoshihiro TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 8975841
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a torque computing section which computes an output torque of an electric motor which is capable of generating magnetic torque by permanent magnets and reluctance torque, a flux weakening angle computing section which determines an angle of a flux weakening current vector that is added to a reference current vector so that a command torque value and the computed torque value correspond with each other, a voltage acquiring section which acquires a terminal voltage of the motor, a flux weakening amplitude computing section which determines an amplitude of the flux weakening current vector so that the terminal voltage of the motor is not more than a maximum voltage applicable to the motor, and a command current computing section which computes a command current vector by adding the flux weakening current vector to the reference current vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Sari Maekawa
  • Publication number: 20150061557
    Abstract: An electric motor control device includes: a motor constant generator configured to generate a motor constant by using a temperature; a current control unit configured to generate a current command value to an electric motor based on the motor constant and a torque command value and execute a current control mode; a voltage phase control unit configured to calculate a torque estimation value of the electric motor and execute a voltage phase control mode in which a feedback operation is performed for a voltage phase based on the difference between the torque estimation value and the torque command value; and a control mode switching unit configured to switch to the voltage phase control mode in a high rotation area where a flux weakening control is performed. The torque estimation value is calculated using the motor constant common to generation of the current command value in the current control mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Shouji
  • 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: 8952640
    Abstract: Provided is an actuator control apparatus including: an observer configured to estimate a state of a load based on a state equation including at least one modeled load parameter; a controller which outputs a signal for controlling the load; a compensation unit which compensates for the signal output from the controller; and an estimator configured to estimate a change of a load parameter, to decide a gain of the compensation unit based on the estimated change of the load parameter, and to update the modeled load parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Taek Lim, Jong-Sun Ko, Jin-Woo Cho
  • Publication number: 20150037169
    Abstract: The fluid flow of a fluid displacement device (100) provided with an electric motor (120) may be set on the basis of a power and control unit (90). Thereto, a power circuit generally comprising an inverter (30), such as a frequency inverter, drives the electric motor (110), particularly with a driving voltage (D1). Voltage and current (A1, A2) in the electric motor (110) are sensed sensorless. Torque and rotation speed of the electric motor (110) are derived from said sensed voltage and current (A1, A2). A fluid flow of the fluid displacement device (110) is estimated in an estimator (15) based on said torque and rotation speed of the electric motor (120) and at least some fluid displacement device characteristics stored in a memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: André Veltman, Robert Beekmans
  • Patent number: 8947024
    Abstract: An electric motor includes an arrangement of windings provided for driving the rotor, with the windings being connected to an energy source to develop torque which drives the rotor. The electric circuits of corresponding ones of the windings each have a potential point, the voltage (UL, UG) of which is supplied to an evaluation unit via an adaptation device. The adaptation device can be operated in two switchable adaptation stages and is connected to a drive circuit that operates in dependence upon the rotational position of the rotor. The drive circuit switches the adaptation device into the first stage having a high sensitivity or into the second stage having a low sensitivity in dependence upon the rotational position of the rotor of the motor, such that the number of required analog inputs at a microprocessor in the evaluation unit can be kept low.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rene Wichert, Gernot Liebhard, Rudolf Saemann
  • Publication number: 20150028782
    Abstract: A traction motor system calculates motor flux by generating a real time effective resistance of a resistance grid calculated from motor torque and measured voltage on a DC link. Calculating effective resistance avoids solely relying on DC link voltage, which can be influenced by conditions such as wheel slip and drop out of one or more resistance grids. The effective resistance calculation is based on nominal motor values using known power levels and conditions. From these nominal values and the effective resistance, various scaling factors based on actual motor power can be generated and used to adjust a nominal flux reference to more accurately reflect actual motor flux. The scaling factors include power and torque scaling factors and a resistance scaling factor that is active during conditions such as wheel slip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: CATERPILLAR INC.
    Inventors: Alexander Cameron Crosman, III, Joshua M. Williams
  • Publication number: 20150022130
    Abstract: The motor control apparatus controlling rotation of a brushless motor includes a controller to control an angular velocity of the motor, and a load torque calculator to calculate a load torque at which the motor drives a driven member, by using a detection signal output from a rotation detector to output the detection signal in response to the rotation of the motor. When the motor drives the driven member toward a target stop position, the controller calculates a deceleration rotation amount, which is a remaining rotation amount of the motor at start of deceleration of the motor from its drive state that is one of an acceleration state and a constant velocity state, and controls the angular velocity of the motor on a basis of the deceleration rotation amount. The controller calculates the deceleration rotation amount by using the load torque calculated in the drive state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventor: Junki YOSHIMUTA
  • Patent number: 8937450
    Abstract: A motor driving system including command value output means configured to output an analog value according to a rotation speed command; a first power line having first switching means; a drive circuit, to which power is supplied via the first switching means and the first power line, driving a motor supplying rotation based on the analog value; and switching control means configured to make the first switching means nonconductive when the analog value is smaller than a first predetermined value, and independent of the command value output means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Daikin Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shin Higashiyama, Satoshi Yagi
  • Publication number: 20150015171
    Abstract: In an apparatus for controlling a variable of a rotary machine based on an AC voltage supplied to the rotary machine via a switching element of a power converter, a generator generates a drive signal including an on-off pattern of the switching element. A driver drives, based on the on-off pattern of the drive signal, the switching element. A parameter monitor monitors a parameter indicative of change of a harmonic current flowing in the rotary machine based on a harmonic voltage included in the AC voltage. A limiter limits, based on the parameter monitored by the parameter detector, generation of the drive signal by the generator to limit an increase of a level of the harmonic current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Koichi NISHIBATA