Plural Sensing Means For Determining Plural Positions Or Plural Limits-of Travel Patents (Class 318/467)
  • Patent number: 11949361
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a variable speed drive for driving an electric motor and providing a safe torque off (STO) function. The drive includes two parallel signal buffers connected to a safety controller and at least one IGBT gate driver circuit, wherein the signal buffers share the same IGBT gate control signals as inputs and feed them to the same IGBT gate driver circuits and wherein each signal buffer has an own STO control signal for activation and deactivation of outputs. The invention is also directed at a method for diagnosing a corresponding drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Vacon OY
    Inventor: Antti Samuli Keskinarkaus
  • Patent number: 11891849
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a control unit. The control unit is configured to determine a window point for an automatic change of state of a window pane of a vehicle. The control unit is also configured to determine event data for a plurality of window events in which an occupant of a vehicle has caused a change in the state of a window pane of the vehicle. The event data for a window event indicate a location at which the change of state of a window pane was effected. The control unit is also configured to determine at least one window point with a location at which a similar change of state of window panes was effected. The control unit is also configured to provide one or more vehicles with point data in relation to the determined window point, wherein the point data indicate the location of the window point and the change of state of a window pane automatically effected at the window point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: David Matzek
  • Patent number: 11772523
    Abstract: An alighting assistance device D of the present disclosure may be a device moving a driver seat rearward in a case where a determination is made that an occupant seated on the driver seat of a vehicle alights. The device may include a reclining mechanism as one example of an angle changer which changes an angle of a seat back of the driver seat with respect to a horizontal plane, a sitting height acquirer which acquires a sitting height of the occupant, and a seat controller as one example of an angle controller which controls the angle changer such that the angle of the seat back becomes closer to be perpendicular as the sitting height acquired by the sitting height acquirer is higher in the case where a determination is made that the occupant alights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshito Hirata, Tomonori Ohtsubo, Hiroki Uemura, Kengo Iwata, Masato Maeda, Hiroaki Matsuda, Masahito Kashihara, Chieko Nakagami
  • Patent number: 11745983
    Abstract: Disclosed is an elevator system having an elevator entryway, the elevator entryway including: a first door, which is an elevator door, a first controller operationally connected to the first door for opening and closing the first door to provide access to an elevator, wherein when the first door is closing: the first controller monitors for first instructions over a frequency applicable to light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and/or a radio detection and ranging (RADAR), and upon receiving the first instructions, the first controller executes the first instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Walter Thomas Schmidt, Joseph V. Mantese, Goran Djuknic, Paul R. Braunwart, Enrico Manes, Ziyou Xiong
  • Patent number: 11732519
    Abstract: A safety device (200) is provided for a movable barrier system ((100). The safety device comprises a position sensor (210) mountable, in use, to or adjacent a barrier (110). A target (220) is mountable to the other of the barrier, such that movement of the barrier causes relative movement between the position sensor and the target. A controller (240) can communicate with the position sensor. The position sensor can detect movement of the target relative to the position sensor and output a signal to the controller. The controller can receive the output signal from the position sensor, determine one or more signal characteristics from the output signal, and compare the one or more determined signal characteristics with one or more predetermined signal characteristics to determine if the relative movement between the target and the position sensor is within a predefined range. A movement detection method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: ANSA Door Systems LTD
    Inventor: Steven Pincher
  • Patent number: 11499369
    Abstract: The preset invention relates to a gate with a crash-down prevention mechanism, comprising a gate panel which can be opened and closed by the rotation of a gate panel drive, a motor which is coupled to the gate panel drive, and a braking assembly with which opening and/or closing the gate panel can be decelerated, and a first measuring device for determining at least one movement parameter of the gate panel. In order to improve such a gate to the extent that a crash down of the gate can be reliably detected, and a braking assembly which brakes the gate quickly and avoids damage to the gate is triggered just as reliably, it is proposed to provide a second measuring device for determining at least one movement parameter of the motor, and a comparator which compares the measured movement parameters of the gate panel and the motor and triggers the braking assembly when the measured movement parameters of the gate panel and the motor fall outside of a defined relationship to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Inventor: Gabrijel Rejc
  • Patent number: 11447043
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a seat operation range setting system. The seat operation range setting system includes a lower rail disposed on a frame mounted to a floor panel of a chassis, an upper rail installed so as to be slidable along the lower rail, a contactless sensor connected to the upper rail, the contactless sensor being configured to sense a bracket disposed at one side of the lower rail, and a controller configured to receive an ON/OFF signal of the contactless sensor and to set a virtual limit of a seat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: HYUNDAI TRANSYS INC.
    Inventor: Jin Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 11401746
    Abstract: A sensor unit manufacturing method includes: a core metal insertion process of inserting a core metal member having a length dimension smaller than a length dimension of a core metal accommodation portion into a predetermined location (a section of a curving portion) extending along a longitudinal direction of the core metal accommodation portion; and a bending process of bending the section (the section of the curving portion) of a fixation base portion, into which the core metal member is inserted, following a curved shape of a sensor bracket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: MITSUBA Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Ikeda, Tsuyoshi Maruyama, Akihiro Iino, Yasuhiro Tsukahara, Yohei Inagaki, Takao Fueki
  • Patent number: 11248410
    Abstract: A control arrangement for an entrance system, having one or more movable door members and an automatic door operator for causing movements of the one or more movable door members between closed and open positions, includes a controller and one or more sensor units. Each sensor unit is connected to the controller and arranged to monitor a respective zone at the entrance system for presence or activity of a person or object. At least one sensor is an image-based sensor unit having an image sensor arranged for capturing an image of an external object, a memory arranged for storing a plurality of settings for the image-based sensor unit, and a processing device. The processing device is arranged for processing the image captured by the image sensor to identify a machine-readable optical code therein, deriving a configuration instruction encoded by the optical code, and executing the configuration instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Assa Abloy Entrance Systems AB
    Inventors: Roger Dreyer, Sven-Gunnar Soderqvist, Philipp Triet
  • Patent number: 10959533
    Abstract: The disclosure generally relates to an adjustable foundation or bed, in particular having a dual-tilt adjustable foundation. Upper and lower segments of the adjustable foundation subframe are rotatable relative to each other, thus allowing the upper portion of the subframe to tilt and assume an inclined, flat/horizontal, or declined position relative to the lower portion of the subframe. An articulating mattress support surface above the subframe can move independently from the tilting subframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: ASCION, LLC
    Inventors: Qianyu Liang, Martin B. Rawls-Meehan
  • Patent number: 10605888
    Abstract: A device, method, and computer-readable medium are provided for determining an optimal orientation for a directional antenna in a wireless communications system. Instructions are provided to position a directional antenna in each of a plurality of potential orientations. At each of the potential orientations, a serving node signal power level and a non-serving node signal power level is ascertained, and compared to predefined thresholds. An optimal orientation is selected based on the performed comparisons, among other things. In essence, the optimal orientation is determined based on received signal characteristics ascertained at each potential orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Sprint Communications Company L.P.
    Inventor: Khaled Azem
  • Patent number: 10104274
    Abstract: Disclosed is a dome camera, including a spherical surface part (A) positioned in the center and an edge part (B) connected thereto, wherein an internal surface (3) and an external surface (4) of the edge part (B) are revolving surfaces, and a revolution axis thereof is parallel to that of the spherical surface part (A); the internal surface (3) is in a direction away from the spherical surface part (A) from a joint with the spherical surface part (A), with a monotonically increasing revolution radius; and focal power in both a meridian direction and a sagittal direction of the edge part (B) is the same as that of the spherical surface part (A).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Pinjiang He, Wei Wang, Chao Liu, Chenyi Shen
  • Patent number: 9925892
    Abstract: A vehicle seat includes a seat bottom and a seat back coupled to the seat bottom to extend upwardly away from the seat bottom. The vehicle seat further includes a seat-bottom foundation arranged to interconnect the seat bottom and seat back to translate back and forth relative to a vehicle floor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC
    Inventors: Dale J Frye, Jeffery T Bonk, Christopher L Hogg, Adam M Deck
  • Patent number: 9682478
    Abstract: A safety monitoring device monitoring a robot includes a workpiece parameter switching unit switching a workpiece parameter, an external force estimation unit estimating, as an external force estimation value, a force acting on the robot from an external environment by using the workpiece parameter, an external force monitoring unit stopping the robot when the external force estimation value satisfies an external force determination condition, an operation monitoring unit stopping the robot, based on conditions such as a position of the robot being included within a predetermined region, an operation monitoring state switching unit switching between a disabling command and an enabling command for the operation monitoring unit, and an external force determination condition setting unit switching the external force determination condition to an operation monitoring disabling time external force determination condition at the disabling command and to an operation monitoring enabling time external force determina
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Naitou, Soichi Arita, Hiromitsu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9030144
    Abstract: Disclosed is an improved system and method for sensing both hard and soft obstructions for a movable panel such as a sunroof. A dual detection scheme is employing that includes an optical sensing as the primary means and electronic sensing of motor current as a secondary means. The secondary means utilizes system empirical precharacterization, fast processing algorithms, motor parameter monitoring including both current sensing and sensorless electronic motor current commutation pulse sensing, and controller memory, to adaptively modify electronic obstacle detection thresholds in real time without the use of templates and cycle averaging techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: UUSI, LLC
    Inventors: Mario Boisvert, Randall Perrin, John Washeleski
  • Publication number: 20150115855
    Abstract: A motor controller includes a single-rotation signal detector detecting a single-rotation signal that indicates a single rotation of a main spindle, a rotation angle detector detecting a rotation angle of a motor every predetermined time, and a counter adding up the rotation angle. A value of the counter is reset when the single-rotation signal detector detects the single-rotation signal of the main spindle. The motor controller further includes a judgment unit judging that a power transmission unit has abnormality when a value of the rotation angle of the motor added up in the counter deviates from a predetermined range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2014
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventor: Genzou Naitou
  • Patent number: 9008914
    Abstract: In the present invention, when a solid object is recognized in the direction of movement of an own vehicle, in a system which carries out driving support of a vehicle, turning control of the vehicle is carried out in order to avoid a collision with the solid object. However, the execution of the turning control is permitted, in cases where a distance between the position of the own vehicle under turning control and the position of the solid object in an entire range of a turning control zone continuous between a predetermined control starting point at which the turning control of the own vehicle is started and a predetermined control ending point at which the turning control ends becomes equal to or less than a predetermined avoidance distance at which it is determined to avoid the collision with the solid object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomonori Akiyama
  • Patent number: 8922140
    Abstract: An actuator having two or more potentiometers for setting an address for use with a communications bus or the like. An adjustment or setting of the potentiometers may be accessible at two or more sides outside of a housing enclosing the actuator. One potentiometer may be set to a direction of control and a range of addresses. Another potentiometer may be set to one of several addresses within a range of addresses and direction of control selected on the first potentiometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Torrey William McNallan, Daniel Waseen, Paul Wacker
  • Patent number: 8890452
    Abstract: A control device for an electrically driven door is provided that can enhance the sensitivity of detection of a door pinch state and that can prevent a passenger from being pressed when the door pinch state occurs. The control device includes a driving force instruction value producing unit that outputs a driving force instruction value of the electrically driven door, a state observing unit that estimates a mechanical resistant force to a door driving system, a reference model that determines a dynamic characteristic of the electrically driven door to the mechanical resistant force estimated by the state observing unit, a gain compensator that computes a control compensation value that makes an output of the reference model coincide with an actual speed of the electrically driven door; and an adder that adds the control compensation value computed by the gain compensator to the driving force instruction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8786234
    Abstract: An actuator (1) comprises an electrical motor (10) for driving a damper (3) from a rest position to a stalled position. The damper (3) is biased toward the rest position with at least one spring. A control module (2) is configured to supply, upon activation of the actuator (1), a drive current to the electrical motor (10) for driving the damper (3) from the rest position to the stalled position against a bias force produced by the spring. The control module (2) is further configured to reduce the drive current to a lower level for maintaining the damper (3) in the stalled position when a defined duration of time has elapsed since activation of the actuator (1). Damages to the electrical motor (10) and/or gear trains can be avoided without having to provide any circuitry or sensory equipment for measuring the drive current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: BELIMO Holding AG
    Inventors: Beat Kuster, Roy Bearth
  • Patent number: 8779713
    Abstract: A door closer with dynamically adjustable latch region parameters is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention include a door closer with a control unit to intelligently control a valve to vary the operating characteristics of the door closer as needed. The control unit can repeatedly determine whether a door has reached jamb upon closing. A setting or settings for the latch region of the door can be adjusted when the door does not reach jamb. These adjustments are such that the likelihood of the door reaching jamb upon closing is increased. Jamb successes can also be monitored, so that once there have been enough successful closes, settings can be adjusted to decrease the force on the door so that the latch region parameters are constantly adjusted for changing conditions to achieve closing success with the minimum closing force necessary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Yale Security Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Burris, Robert L. Tadlock, Jr., John White, Jason Scott Gurley, Steven Michael Faes, Joseph McGinty, Wade Patterson
  • Patent number: 8779714
    Abstract: A movable unit driving apparatus which drives a movable unit by a motor, the movable unit driving apparatus includes a first detection unit configured to detect that the movable unit passes a first position; a second detection unit configured to detect that the movable unit passes a second position after the first detection unit detects that the movable unit has passed the first position; a first measurement unit configured to measure time from when the first detection unit detects that the movable unit passes the first position to when the second detection unit detects that the movable unit passes the second position; and a setting unit configured to set time from when the movable unit is detected to have passed the second position to when a brake is applied to the motor based on the time measured by the first measurement unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Hyodo, Ken-ichi Ichimura
  • Patent number: 8708396
    Abstract: A system and method is provided to index the door window glass of a vehicle to disengage the glass from the window sealing interface prior to opening the door. A door latch including an unlatching lever selectively connectable to the inside and outside door handles is configured such that moving either handle to actuate the latch causes an initial change in the position of the unlatching lever prior to latch release. A sensor in the latch detects the initial change in position of the unlatching lever and signals an indexing mechanism to move the glass to the indexed position prior to latch release, such that the glass does not substantially interfere with the sealing interface when the door is moved from a closed position. The system may be configured such that the door lock mechanism must be unlocked prior to the indexing mechanism moving the window to an indexed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Konchan
  • Patent number: 8710784
    Abstract: A system comprises a vehicle seating system including a seat and at least one powered seat adjustment actuator for altering the seating position formed by the seat. Additionally, the system includes a controller for receiving at least one signal based on at least one vehicle/user event. For reducing fatigue, the controller controls slow seat movement while the vehicle is moving, and changes slow movement between first and second slow movements based on the vehicle/user event(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Innovative Biomechanical Solutions, LLC
    Inventors: Daniel C. Meyer, Paul B. Phipps, Thomas D. Epply
  • Patent number: 8686676
    Abstract: A trash can with a power operated lid can include a sensor assembly and a lifting mechanism. The sensor assembly can include at least one light emitter and at least one light receiver, the viewing area of the at least one light receiver being limited in size. The lifting mechanism can include a controller, a drive motor, and a lifting member. The trash can with power operated lid can further include at least one position sensor for detecting the position of the lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: simplehuman, LLC
    Inventors: Frank Yang, Joseph Sandor, Orlando Cardenas
  • Patent number: 8666601
    Abstract: Automatically rotating a steering wheel to provide improved locatability of an ignition if the steering wheel reduces ignition locatability and the vehicle is parked. Indications that the vehicle is parked may include when an automatic transmission is in park, a park brake is set, an autopark event concludes, or during a remote start event. Rotating the steering wheel to provide improved ignition locatability while turning the vehicle wheels less than 10 degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: John Robert Van Wiemeersch, Todd Ansbacher, Jeremy Rawlings, Jerry Bonnici
  • Publication number: 20140042946
    Abstract: A laundry appliance having a perforated rotatable drum for spin dehydrating a wet textile load, an electric motor for providing an accelerating force which in use causes the drum to rotate, load sensors for detecting any static dynamic imbalance in the rotation of the drum, and a controller which receives inputs from the load sensors and is programmed to, in a spin-up phase, energise said electric motor so as to evenly distribute the load within the drum and thereby minimise any static or dynamic imbalance when the drum rotates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited
    Inventor: David Charles Rhodes
  • Patent number: 8635809
    Abstract: The invention specifies an anti-trapping device, comprising a motor for driving a pivotable actuating element of a motor vehicle, a sensor for contactlessly identifying an obstacle in the way of the actuating element with an electrode, which has a plurality of segments for producing an external electrical field with respect to a mating electrode and a control unit. The electrode extends in a radial direction with respect to the pivotable actuating element and is split in the radial direction into the plurality of segments, which can each be evaluated separately for the purpose of generating an interference signal. The control unit is designed to drive the motor as a function of an interference signal from one of the segments. Such an anti-trapping device has particularly high flexibility when driving the pivotable actuating element if an obstacle in the way of the pivotable actuating element has been detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Holger Wuerstlein, Thomas Weingaertner, Wolf-Christian Mueller
  • Patent number: 8604736
    Abstract: Method of operating an actuator (1) for maneuvering a movable element (52), comprising a motor of asynchronous type or of brushless type or comprising a motor associated with a differential brake, and comprising a partially irreversible reduction gear, which comprises a step of establishing a measurement of an operating parameter of the actuator and a step of using this measurement to determine whether the actuator is driving the movable element or whether the actuator is being driven by the movable element, and then a step of implementing first logic for determining an end of travel or an obstacle, or a step of implementing second logic for determining an end of travel or an obstacle, depending on whether the actuator drives the movable element or the actuator is driven by the movable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Bernard Grehant, Alain Tranchand, Geoffroy Dumont D'ayot
  • Patent number: 8564235
    Abstract: A self-adjusting door closer is disclosed. The door closer is self powered and includes a control unit to intelligently control a valve within the door closer to vary the operating characteristics of the door closer as needed. The controller includes a position sensor to determine a position of the door, and at least one input switch to enable user selection of at least one door closer parameter for an installed door closer. The control circuitry is operable to set the valve in response to the user selection of the door closer parameters, and the position of the door, in order to control force exerted by the door closer on the door. A generator can be provided to provide electricity to power the controller and store power to operate the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Yale Security Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Burris, Robert L. Tadlock, Jr., John White, Jason Scott Gurley, Steven Michael Faes, Joseph McGinty, Wade Patterson
  • Patent number: 8497643
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear scale for obtaining a distance from a reference point. A scale detection mechanism is adapted to output waveform signals of the same phase. Also the scale detection mechanism corresponds to a magnetic flux density generated by magnetic bodies of a scale element. The scale detection mechanism may be sensors. The sensors are arranged at even intervals corresponding to a scale length of the scale element. The sensors are adapted to output sine-wave signals having the same phase to continuously detect the scale element in a movement direction of the scale element. The scale element has opposite ends each has the same polarity and configured such that an output voltage of the single sensor detecting the end of the scale element is reduced to one-half of an output voltage of the single sensor detecting the remaining portion of the scale element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Takagi
  • Patent number: 8498747
    Abstract: A drapery assembly extends and retracts a drape with a powered carrier. The carrier receives both a power signal and a command signal from a controller via an electrically powered surface of a drapery rod. The carrier supports a portion of the drape and moves linearly along the length of the drapery rod in response to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Crestron Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: George Feldstein
  • Patent number: 8476858
    Abstract: A refrigerator and a method for controlling the same are provided. In this refrigerator and control method, a receiving box may be automatically drawn in and out together with a door based on a movement command received at an input unit, thus enhancing user convenience and satisfaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Hwan Eom, Myung Keun Yoo, Hyoun Jeong Shin, Ok Sun Yu, Young Jin Kim, Seung Do Han
  • Patent number: 8433481
    Abstract: An opening and closing control apparatus for a roof panel for a vehicle includes an opening and closing device for driving the roof panel to open and close, an operation command device for outputting an operation command for opening and closing the roof panel by means of an operation switch, a vehicle speed detecting device, and a controlling device for controlling an operation of the opening and closing device, the controlling device performing an open and close control for operating the opening and closing device to cause the roof panel to move to a predetermined position where the roof panel is opened to a predetermined degree which is specified beforehand on the basis of a vehicle speed when the operation command for opening the roof panel is output by the operation command device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akimasa Yoshida, Tomoaki Imaizumi, Tatsuo Kamakura
  • Patent number: 8390266
    Abstract: In a method and a device for determining a reference position of a locking part moved by an electric motor, the locking part is moved in the direction of the closed state thereof, until the same reaches a stop position. At that location the meter reading of a position meter describing the stop position is detected and buffered. Subsequently a movement of the locking part is carried out in the direction of the opened state thereof. The locking part is then moved again in the direction of the closed state thereof, until it again reaches a stop position. At that location a meter reading describing the stop position is detected, and compared to the buffered meter reading. If both meter readings agree, the first stop position is determined as the reference position. The method and device can be utilized, for example, for power window lifts and sunroofs of motor vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Günter Franzan, Martin Meissl
  • Patent number: 8327497
    Abstract: A method of operating a wiper system on a window of a vehicle. The method comprising: setting a park position for a wiper to one of a standard park position or a high park position, where the standard park position locates a wiper blade of the wiper closer to a bottom edge of the window; activating the wiper system to cause the wiper to be pivoted back and forth between an in-wipe position and an out-wipe position; deactivating the wiper system; if the park position is set to the standard park position when the wiper system is deactivated, stopping movement of the wiper when the wiper blade is in the standard park position; and if the park position is set to the high park position when the wiper system is deactivated, stopping movement of the wiper when the wiper blade is in the high park position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Thomas W. Cox, Mark K. Denison, Marcia R. Ganske
  • Patent number: 8288981
    Abstract: A load control system provides for automatically controlling a position of a motorized window treatment to control the amount of sunlight entering a space of a building through a window located in a façade of the building in order to control a sunlight penetration distance within the space and minimize occupant distractions. The load control system automatically generates a timeclock schedule having a number of timeclock events for controlling the position of the motorized window treatment during the present day. A user is able to select a desired maximum sunlight penetration distance for the space and a minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive timeclock events. In addition, a maximum number of movements that may occur during the timeclock schedule may also be entered. The load control system uses these inputs to determine event times and corresponding positions of the motorized window treatment for each timeclock event of the timeclock schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Walter S. Zaharchuk, Brian Michael Courtney, William Bryce Fricke, William H. Howe, Timothy S. Majewski, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 8232754
    Abstract: A control device for an electrically driven door is provided that can enhance the sensitivity of detection of a door pinch state and that can prevent a passenger from being pressed when the door pinch state occurs. The control device includes a driving force instruction value producing unit that outputs a driving force instruction value of the electrically driven door, a state observing unit that estimates a mechanical resistant force to a door driving system, a reference model that determines a dynamic characteristic of the electrically driven door to the mechanical resistant force estimated by the state observing unit, a gain compensator that computes a control compensation value that makes an output of the reference model coincide with an actual speed of the electrically driven door; and an adder that adds the control compensation value computed by the gain compensator to the driving force instruction value outputted by the driving force instruction value producing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Ozaki
  • Patent number: 8203298
    Abstract: A system and method for a motor management system includes a computer readable storage medium and a processing unit. The processing unit configured to determine a voltage value of a voltage input to an alternating current (AC) motor, determine a frequency value of at least one of a voltage input and a current input to the AC motor, determine a load value from the AC motor, and access a set of motor nameplate data, where the set of motor nameplate data includes a rated power, a rated speed, a rated frequency, and a rated voltage of the AC motor. The processing unit is also configured to estimate a motor speed based on the voltage value, the frequency value, the load value, and the set of nameplate data and also store the motor speed on the computer readable storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Bin Lu, Ting Yan, Charles John Luebke, Santosh Kumar Sharma
  • Patent number: 8198849
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for protection against jamming in a motor-driven locking system and a device for the execution of the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Hubert Lamm
  • Patent number: 8193751
    Abstract: A window covering driving device includes a motor and a control circuit, the control circuit is provided with a microprocessor, a control wire, a control signal input terminal, and a switching circuit and the motor is connected to a drive power supply via the switching circuit. The switching circuit is connected to the microprocessor and the control signal input terminal is connected to the microprocessor via the control wire. A safety position limiting wire is also included with one end of the safety position limiting wire being connected to the microprocessor and the other end is connected to a safety position limiting signal control terminal. The safety position limiting wire and safety position limiting signal control terminal are attached so that, when the safety position limiting signal control terminal is at the position limiting state, as the motor runs to the position limiting position, it will automatically stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Shenzhen Bofu Mechanic & Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin You Wang
  • Publication number: 20120047672
    Abstract: A method of operating a wiper system on a window of a vehicle. The method comprising: setting a park position for a wiper to one of a standard park position or a high park position, where the standard park position locates a wiper blade of the wiper closer to a bottom edge of the window; activating the wiper system to cause the wiper to be pivoted back and forth between an in-wipe position and an out-wipe position; deactivating the wiper system; if the park position is set to the standard park position when the wiper system is deactivated, stopping movement of the wiper when the wiper blade is in the standard park position; and if the park position is set to the high park position when the wiper system is deactivated, stopping movement of the wiper when the wiper blade is in the high park position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas W. Cox, Mark K. Denison, Marcia R. Ganske
  • Patent number: 8113263
    Abstract: A motorized operator for moving a barrier, such as a garage door, between open and closed positions, includes a magnetic sensor for determining position and/or velocity of the barrier. The operator motor is drivingly connected to a speed change transmission which is connected to the barrier. The magnetic sensor includes a housing supporting a speed change mechanism including an output shaft supporting a magnet. The magnet is mounted adjacent a Hall effect sensor circuit which measures the change in the magnetic field generated by the magnet to determine position of the barrier, as well as speed. Control circuitry enables accurate determination of the position of the barrier for setting open and closed limit positions, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Overhead Door Corporation
    Inventors: Brett A. Reed, Ralph C. Angiuli
  • Patent number: 8101889
    Abstract: In a built-in drawer type cooking device, an open/close door 2a and a heating container 2b that constitute a drawer body 2 are separably connected to each other. The open/close door 2a and the heating container 2b are connected via an insulator 10 to prevent a discharge phenomenon due to emission of microwaves. The open/close door 2a and the heating container 2b can be separated from each other with the drawer body 2 being drawn out, and thus the heating container 2b can be taken out of the cooking device and cleaned or wholly washed. An inner wall surface of a heating chamber 3 that is easily contaminated can be cleaned while being visually checked. The heating container 2b and the open/close door 2a are separately produced, and can be individually stored, conveyed and stacked, thereby reducing a rejection rate due to deformation and increasing productivity in an assembling process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Uno
  • Patent number: 8084966
    Abstract: An electromotive furniture drive (2) for displacing parts of an item of furniture in relation to one another comprises a base body (16) on which a first drive unit (4) and a second drive unit (6) are held. When the furniture drive (2) is mounted, each drive unit (4, 6) is actively connected to a part of the item of furniture to be displaced. According to the invention, the drive units (4, 6) are each accommodated in a separate housing (8 or 10), whereby the base body (16) is provided in the form of a brace and connects the housings (8, 10) of the drive units (4, 6) to one another. The inventive model significantly simplifies the production of furniture drives whereby rendering it more economical.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Linak A/S
    Inventor: Eckhart Dewert
  • Patent number: 8084978
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control device of a vehicle seat for controlling a first drive and a second drive and for detecting jamming of a body part or of an object by means of an adjusting movement of an adjusting part, which can be adjusted in a first adjusting direction by means of the first drive and in a second adjusting direction by means of the second drive, of the vehicle seat, wherein the control device is configured to detect the jamming by means of a combined evaluation of at least one first force variable which is dependent on the adjusting movement and of a second force variable which is dependent on the adjusting movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Jürgen Buhlheller, Markus Schüssler, Thomas Rösch
  • Patent number: 8065039
    Abstract: A control routine for groups of remotely controlled, variable-position, position-aware, transceiver-equipped actuators manages data discrepancies by issuing a first set of generic actuation commands to start and stop the actuators, then polling the actuators to report their achieved positions. The routine then applies a rule to determine a preferred position value from among the reports and issues a second set of position-specific actuation commands to all of the actuators. The routine can further poll the actuators to confirm the extent to which the commands have been realized, and can retain and apply compensation factors for performance deviations in the individual actuators. The routine can further manage multiple groups of actuators, dissimilar activators within groups, assignment of an actuator to more than one group, and application of variable control factors as inputs modifying the rule applied by the routine for determining the commands to be issued.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: HomeRun Holdings Corporation
    Inventors: Willis Jay Mullet, Ben L. Garcia, Douglas Real, Yan Rodriguez, Richard Bardin
  • Patent number: 8065024
    Abstract: A bottom adjusting action control system for an adjustable bed is provided that facilitates adjustment of the adjustable bottom sections of the bed via a predetermined path of angular adjustment in reaching final set positions for the back and knee bottom sections. In particular, the control system of the present invention provides a means of adjusting the angular positions of adjustable bottom sections of the bed to predetermined final positions via preset bottom coordinative action patterns carried out by a controller means. The preset bottom coordinative action patterns raise and lower adjustable back and knee bottom sections of the bed in a coordinated manner, so as to adjust the bottom sections of the bed to the chosen angular positions without causing the user to slide relative to the bed, and without exerting uncomfortable abdominal pressure on the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nagaoka, Masao Horitani, Satoru Inoue
  • Patent number: 8065037
    Abstract: A control method and system for controlling a hydraulically actuated mechanical arm to perform a task, the mechanical arm optionally being a hydraulically actuated excavator arm. The method can include determining a dynamic model of the motion of the hydraulic arm for each hydraulic arm link by relating the input signal vector for each respective link to the output signal vector for the same link. Also the method can include determining an error signal for each link as the weighted sum of the differences between a measured position and a reference position and between the time derivatives of the measured position and the time derivatives of the reference position for each respective link. The weights used in the determination of the error signal can be determined from the constant coefficients of the dynamic model. The error signal can be applied in a closed negative feedback control loop to diminish or eliminate the error signal for each respective link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education, on Behalf of the University of Nevada, Reno
    Inventor: George Danko
  • Patent number: 8049451
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for a near field detection system. The apparatus comprises a glass plate, the glass plate having a first edge and comprising a first electrode, the first electrode disposed along the first edge of the glass plate, adapted to detect the presence of an object in near proximity to the glass plate, and adapted to transmit a signal in response to the presence of the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Derek L. Patterson, Scott A. Niemiec, Craig A. Kollar, Edward M. Sanocki, Jr., Thomas A. Wilson