Abstract: A temperature management apparatus comprising: a temperature management furnace having a space in which an article placed and for which temperature management is carried out; rod members that include magnetic material; opposing members that respectively oppose portions of the lateral sides of the rod members and include magnetic material; drive apparatuses, which rotates the rod members around the central axis axes thereof and changes the relative positions of the rod members and the respective opposing members; and a coupling degradation monitoring unit 301 for predicting or detecting degradation in the respective coupling between the rod members and the respective opposing members.

Abstract: A system and method that recognizes and highlights objects in a video frame for augmented video production workflow. A video production camera is provided to capture a video frame and generate frame data and object data relating to objects within the video frame that are in focus. Moreover, a display device is included that is wearable by the camera operator and includes a camera that captures field of view data that corresponds to a field of view of the camera operator. Furthermore, the display device can compare the video frame data with the field of view data captured by the camera to generate visual indicators for the video frame and the in focus objects. As a result, the display device can provide the camera operator with a field of view having visual indicators of the video frame and the objects that appears as overlays over the operator's field of view.

Abstract: A system uses a camera, a depth sensor, and a processing module to track a moving object in an athletic playing space over time. The processing module receives image frames from the camera and depth data from the depth sensor. The processing module analyzes the depth data to identify which of the pixels are in a plane of a sufficiently large size to indicate that the identified pixels correspond to a playing surface of the athletic playing space. The processing module then determines that gravity is in a direction normal to the identified plane. By finding the direction of gravity within the images, the algorithm for calculating performance parameters based on the trajectory of a moving object within the athletic playing space can be greatly simplified, thereby decreasing the processing burdens associated with calculating the performance parameters and providing more accurate trajectory estimations with fewer measured trajectory points.

Abstract: A separately excited synchronous machine (1b1k) with an excitation circuit on the side of the rotor includes an excitation winding (3) and a power supply for the excitation winding (3) as well as a switching element (8a, 8e) for connecting the power supply to the excitation winding (3). Further, the synchronous machine (1b1k) comprises a first stator-side primary winding (5a5f) and a first rotor-side secondary winding (6a6f). Moreover, the synchronous machine (1b1k) may comprise a) a tap of the first rotor-side secondary winding (6d) connected to a control element (9a, 9e) of the switching element (8a, 8e) or b) a second rotor-side secondary winding (14d), which is coupled to the first stator-side primary winding (5a5f) and connected to a control element (9a, 9e) of the switching element (8a, 8e).

Abstract: The synchronous motors are controlled by a three-phase AC power controller. According to an embodiment of the invention, firing points for the AC power controller are determined. A pair of two or three phases is determined from the angular position of the rotor, for which the firing points can be present for the respective A.C power controller. Actual firing points are determined from the mains voltage phase position of the phases so that only positive torque is produced.

Abstract: A methodology and apparatus is described that registers images outputted by at least two video camera sensors that are not necessarily bore-sighted nor co-located together. Preferably this can be performed in real-time at least at video rate. The two video camera sensors can be either of similar or two different modalities (e.g., one can be intensified visible, while the other can be thermal infrared) each possibly with a different field-of-view. The methodology and apparatus take advantage of a combination of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) information and image registration between the two camera sensors from computational image processing. In one preferred embodiment, the system uses a rifle mounted weapon sight camera sensor and a helmet mounted sensor camera. The aim point of the weapon sight camera sensor (e.g., typically at the image center) zeroed to the true rifle aim point is digitally overlayed as a reticle on the video image from the helmet sensor, displayed on a head mounted display (HMD).

Abstract: A method to start at least two AC motors that are supplied from a common AC bus, which in turn is supplied from a power converter. At least one of the AC motors is an electrically excited synchronous motor including an excitation circuit. The synchronous motor is started first. During starting of remaining of the at least two AC motors a reactive power supplied by the power converter is determined and an increase of a field current or of a field voltage of the synchronous motor in linear dependence on the reactive power supplied by the power converter is determined. The increased field current or field voltage is applied to the excitation circuit of the synchronous motor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controllably moving a plurality of antennae in a wireless communications system. The method comprises activating a first and second actuator associated with a first and second one of the plurality of antennae to move the first and second antennae to a desired position. The power delivered to the first and second actuators is measured, and at least one parameter of at least one of the first and second actuators is reduced in response to the measured power being greater than a setpoint.

Abstract: A method and a device for controlling a production unit in a production installation are specified, controlling referring to the controlling and monitoring of speeds of rotation or angles of rotation of individual drives (20-22) such that the movements of these are monitored in respect of a synchronous value (37) and/or a limit value (33). The monitoring in respect of the limit value (33) results in a safely limited speed of the individual drives. The monitoring in respect of the synchronous value (37) permits detection of asynchronies. The monitoring can be carried out in normal operating mode and/or in setup mode, and, in setup mode, it serves particularly to protect the operating personnel from drives (20-22) that start up suddenly or are running too fast.

Abstract: A large domestic appliance has main and auxiliary drives (17, 24) thereof supplied from the same dc voltage intermediate circuit (19) which is provided only once, by way of change-over switch sets (12), by half-bridge circuits (21, 21?). For that purpose a frequency converter (15) with its bridge circuit (21) for the main drive (17) is switched over in single-pole or multiple mode to the rotary field motor (23, 25) of the auxiliary drive (24) by way of a change-over switch set (12) connected in its output-side motor lines (13); or in the frequency converter (15) two half-bridge circuits (21, 211) which are associated with the main and the auxiliary drives (17, 24) are operated in parallel from the dc voltage intermediate circuit (19).

Abstract: For self-switching control of a brushless motor (10) powered by means of a predetermined electrical cycle in order to cause the rotor to advance, the control system comprises an indicator device (100) for indicating the mechanical position of the rotor, the device being associated with a detector device (50) forming an incremental coder device (150) for encoding the mechanical position of the rotor. The system also comprises a motor control assembly made up of processor means (20) for processing the signals coding the mechanical position of the rotor connected to regulator means (30) for powering the plurality of stator windings. The device for indicating the mechanical position of the rotor comprises at least one series (101) of indications of the mechanical position of the rotor corresponding to passing through one electrical cycle of the stator, whereby the incremental coder device (150) delivers the processor means with one synchronization signal for each electrical cycle.

Abstract: A drive apparatus for driving two motors by PWM control of respective switching elements connected to the motors, whereby respective control signals are applied to the switching elements such that each commencement of a transition of one of the switching elements from the non-conducting to the conducting state coincides with the termination of a transition of the other switching element from the conducting to the non-conducting state, thereby reducing generated electrical noise, and for supplying equivalent values of drive voltage to two motors of different power ratings which rotate respective cooling fans, to obtain equalized levels of air flow rate.

Abstract: A cooling system includes multiple cooling fans, each driven by a corresponding fan motor controller. Each fan motor controller includes electronic commutation circuitry that is responsive to a modulated signal to control the speed of the associated motor and fan. The controller for one motor includes a microcontroller that receives a single control signal from an external control unit and translates that control signal into the modulated signals provided to all of the other motor controllers. In one embodiment, the microcontroller can adjust the duty cycle of the modulated control signals, and can stagger the on-off times of the signals to minimize conducted RFI emissions.

Abstract: There is provided a serial transmitting section for serially transmitting a command frame 100 which is sent from a host controller 1 to a positioning type servo amplifier 30 and a command follow-up type servo amplifier 50. In the command frame 100, an information section, into which information to be transmitted is inputted, has discrimination data for showing a selection between the positioning type servo amplifier 30 and the command follow-up type servo amplifier 50. In the positioning type servo amplifier 30 and the command follow-up type servo amplifier 50, there is provided information reading section for reading the content of an information section after the discrimination data of the command frame 100 by the discrimination data of the command frame 100.

Abstract: A power supply system and method provides for smooth transitions between a utility power, transitory instantaneous power, and backup power in the event of a utility power failure of a utility supplying power to a load. As the utility power weakens due to a failure of the normal utility power supply, a synchronous machine becomes immediately a generator and supplies the required instantaneous power to the load. In order to maintain a constant speed on the synchronous machine, a high speed flywheel rotating faster than the synchronous machine provide kinetic energy that is magnetically coupled to the synchronous machine through an electromagnetic clutch to provide the synchronous machine with the required energy until the utility recovers from its failure. The control means enable smooth transitions by phase synchronization when transiting between utility power, instantaneous power and backup power.

Abstract: A system and method for initializing a plurality of mechanical elements of a machine includes a plurality of housings and an uncoordinated motion controller. The housings are coupled to the mechanical elements and include at least a motor controller electrically connected to a motor. Each of the motor controllers have an associated position sensing component for sensing the position of the associated mechanical element along one axis. The uncoordinated motion controller instructs the motor controllers to operate its associated motor until the associated mechanical element reaches an initialization position. The velocity and acceleration profile of the respective motors are independent of each other, such that each of the motors moves its associated mechanical element in uncoordinated motion until each mechanical element reaches its initialization position. A multi-node daisy chained data bus electrically connects the uncoordinated motion controlling means and the motor controllers in series.

Abstract: An AC variable speed driving apparatus including an AC motor and an inverter for driving the motor. The AC motor includes a synchronous motor and an induction motor. The synchronous motor includes first stator windings and a first rotor having a permanent magnet. The induction motor includes second stator windings and a second rotor. The first and second stator windings are disposed so that they do not magnetically interfere with each other. The first and second rotors are mounted on a common axis of rotation. The inverter supplies AC power to the stator windings so that the synchronous motor and the induction motor are driven independently. A highly efficient, large output and low cost system can be realized in a wide speed range.

Abstract: Drive arrangement for spinning stations of an OE spinning machine. The feed rollers of the spinning stations can be driven by an electric motor and the draw-off rollers by another electric motor. At least one of these two motors is a synchronous motor. Each of the two motors can be fed supply currents of adjustable frequency by a reverse rectifier, with the rotational speed of one of these two motors being adjusted as a function of the rotational speed of the other motor which is sensed by a pulse generator in such manner that the set rotational speed ratio of these two motors remains constant at operating speeds and in that the operating speeds are ensured even in case of brief network outage.

Abstract: A motor driven diverter valve is provided which diverts fluid flow from a single inlet port to either one of two outlet ports, or vice versa. The valve finds general, although not exclusive, utility in solar heating systems for swimming pools, in which the valve is used selectively to divert water flow from the normal pump-filter loop of the pool installation through the solar collectors. In such an application, the diverter valve of the invention may be operated automatically in response to an electrical switching signal derived, for example, from a temperature controller in the solar heating control system, to direct the water through the solar collectors for one operating position of the valve, and to by-pass the solar collectors for a second operating position. The valve of the invention uses two synchronous permanent magnet drive motors which together consume less power than the conventional single shaded pole motor/gear box arrangement of the prior art.

Abstract: A speed control system for an induction motor controlled by a converting arrangement coupled with a commutatorless motor which operates without commutation failure notwithstanding wide variations in the speed of the commutatorless motor. The speed control system includes an arrangement for maintaining the value of a direct current signal of the converting arrangement less than the maximum current value for ensuring proper operation of the converting arrangement.