Abstract: An ultrasonic airspeed and direction sensor system comprising an ultrasonic sensor array including an elongate base member for mounting to a vehicle, such as a helicopter, so as to extend outwardly from the vehicle. A number of radially extending support members are connected to the base member. The support members carry ultrasonic transducers arranged to define at least four bidirectional ultrasonic paths between respective pairs of the transducers, the ultrasonic paths being arranged into at least three non-coplanar sets. A processing system monitors the passage of ultrasonic signals along the paths to generate corresponding time of flight data, making a weighted selection containing at least one path from each of at least three sets, and processing the time of flight data for the selected paths, proportionate to the determined weighting, to generate airspeed and direction information.

Abstract: A motor drive circuit includes: a digital filter configured to attenuate amplitude in a frequency band including a resonance frequency of an actuator in a target current signal, the target current signal being a digital signal indicative of a target value of a drive current, the drive current being supplied to a voice coil motor configured to drive the actuator; a digital-analog converter configured to convert an output signal of the digital filter into an analog signal, and output the converted analog signal as a current control signal; and a drive circuit configured to supply the drive current to the voice coil motor according to the current control signal.

Abstract: The non-linear elastic deformation component included in the angular transmission error of an actuator provided with a wave gear drive is a component of the angular transmission error occurring due to elastic deformation of a flexible externally-toothed gear when the direction of rotation of the motor shaft changes. This component can be analyzed by driving the motor in a sine-wave shape. A model of the non-linear elastic deformation component (non-linear model) obtained from the analysis results is used to store data or a function for compensating for this component in a motor-control device. Compensation for the non-linear elastic deformation component (?Hys) is added to a motor-shaft angle command (?*M) as a compensation input (N?*TE) for feed-forward compensation. As a result, the non-linear elastic deformation component (?Hys) can be effectively reduced, and the positioning precision of the actuator can be improved.

Abstract: This invention provides methods for electric vehicle motor control and rotor position detection and fault-tolerant processing. The rotor position signal sampled by the system is compared with the previous rotor position ?0. When there is a sudden change, the current position signal acquired is discarded. Instead, a fault-tolerant processing strategy for use during an error condition is employed where the previous sampled rotor position ?0 is used as a base to determine the corrected current rotor position angle ?1?. Then the correcting value is used to control the electric motor.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to provide a speed control method for reducing current ripple and speed ripple at constant dynamics behavior while reducing the hardware required to a minimum. For this purpose, a control signal, especially a speed deviation (ev) is divided up into at least two signal portions (evhi and evlo). Every one of the at least two signal portions (evhi and evlo) is processed in a different manner. The low-order portion (evlo) can be smoothed by means of a low-pass filter (F). In an adder (Sum6) mounted downstream thereof the differently processed signal portions are then added up for further control.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to provide a speed control method for reducing current ripple and speed ripple at constant dynamics behavior while reducing the hardware required to a minimum. For this purpose, a control signal, especially a speed deviation (ev) is divided up into at least two signal portions (evhi and evlo). Every one of the at least two signal portions (evhi and evlo) is processed in a different manner. The low-order portion (evlo) can be smoothed by means of a low-pass filter (F). In an adder (Sum6) mounted downstream thereof the differently processed signal portions are then added up for further control.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to process an analog encoder signal. The apparatus includes an analog encoder pattern generating unit, an analog encoder pattern storage unit, a digital/analog converting unit, a comparing unit, a recent state latch unit, a present state determining unit, and a gray code converting unit. The method includes generating an analog encoder pattern by sampling and quantizing a quasi-sinusoidal wave signal output from an analog encoder during initialization; determining a recent state and a present estimated state by comparing the analog encoder pattern with the quasi-sinusoidal wave signal; and generating quadrature signals from the recent state and the present estimated state.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for a scannerincludes a delivery device, a first rotational speed motor and a second rotational speed motor. The delivery device consists of an actuating wheel, a passive wheel and a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is carried by the actuating wheel and the passive wheel, and the axes of the passive wheels are attached to two ends of the inner side diameter of the actuating wheel. The output shaft of the first rotational speed motor is provided with an actuating skew gear that engages two passive skew gears. The output shaft of the second rotational speed motor is also provided with an actuating skew gear that engages two passive skew gears. The drive mechanism uses the two motors to drive the two passive skew gears so as to better control the rotational speed and to scan the document image.

Abstract: An adaptive control system for adaptively controlling a turning operation performed at a work piece by a turning tool adjusts a controlled input operation parameter F to maintain an output operation parameter &Dgr;M substantially at a predetermined value &Dgr;Mo to compensate variation of the output operation paramemeter &Dgr;M caused by the variation of at least one operation condition B=B (t). The system comprises a sensor (8) of the output operation parameter &Dgr;M for providing a signal Uc proportional to a current value &Dgr;Mc and an adaptive controller (10) for determining a value Fc to which the input operation parameter F should be adjusted, as a function of kUc, where k is a signal transmission coefficient which comprises an invariant signal transmission coefficient component ko inversely proportional to &Dgr;Mo.

Abstract: A drive mechanism of scanner, includes a delivery device, a first rotational speed motor and a second rotational speed motor. The said delivery device consists of a actuating wheel, a passive wheel and a circular conveyor belt wherein the circular conveyor belt is harnessed on actuating wheel and passive wheel respectively, the axes of the above-mentioned two passive wheels are attached to two ends of inner side diameter of actuating wheel, the output shaft of the first rotational speed motor is provided with a actuating skew gear and is engage with two passive skew gears respectively. The output shaft of the second rotational speed motor is provided with an actuating skew gear and is engage with two passive skew gears respectively. The drive mechanism drive two passive skew gears by means of the above-mentioned two motors so enable drive mechanism of the scanner to create specific rotational speed and scan document image.

Abstract: A conversion system for a controller for an antenna rotator which includes circuitry for generating an analog signal which varies as a function of the angular position of the antenna. The conversion system includes circuitry for converting the analog signal to a corresponding first digital signal representative of the angular position of the antenna relative to a first reference heading of the antenna. The conversion system also includes storage circuitry having a prestored table of digital values of angular positions of the antenna relative to a second reference heading of the antenna and which in response to the first digital signal produces a second digital signal corresponding to one of the prestored digital values, the second digital signal thereby being representative of the angular position of the antenna relative to the second reference heading. A digital display system and controller for an antenna rotator are also disclosed.

Abstract: In a solenoid actuated device for controlling the oil supplied to a power steering unit of a motor car, a driving circuit is provided to pass current through the solenoid. The driving circuit comprises a comparator supplied with an analogue control signal proportional to the running speed of the motor car, a power amplifier including an output transistor which supplies exciting current to the solenoid coil in response to the output of the comparator. A positive feedback resistor is connected between the output of the comparator and the input thereof to which the analogue signal is applied, and a negative feedback resistor is connected between the output of the power amplifier another input of the comparator thereby ON-OFF controlling the output transistor to pass pulse current through the solenoid coil.

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for controlling the height of one or more cutting torches (12) above a workpiece (14). The apparatus (10) senses the actual height of the torch (12) above the workpiece (14) and compares the actual height with a desired reference height. The apparatus (10) moves the torch (12) up or down until the actual height and reference height are substantially equal. The apparatus (10) is operable in a manual mode, a semi-automatic mode or a fully automatic mode allowing an operator to select a desired degree of control during a cutting operation.

Abstract: A torch height sensing apparatus (10) is provided for generating information representative of the spacing between a cutting torch (12) and an associated workpiece (14). The apparatus (10) drives a preselected current from the torch (12) through the torch flame to the workpiece (14) so that electrons flow from the workpiece (14) through the flame to the torch (12). The output current biases the flame into the linear region of the preselected voltage-current characteristic at a positive torch (12) to workpiece (14) current. Biasing the torch (12) for positive current flow from the torch (12) to the workpiece (14) insures that flame height sensing occurs in the positive linear region where the sensitivity is greatest due to the availability of thermally emitted electrons at the workpiece.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for damping the critical frequencies of a rotor suspended by a radial electromagnetic bearing which has means associated therewith for detecting the radial position of the rotor, comprising a servo-circuit for connection between the detecting means and windings of the electromagnetic bearing and including a circuit for controlling the current supply to the windings in response to signals from the detecting means to keep the rotor in a predetermined radial position. The servo-circuit is provided with means for the selective amplification of the phase advance gain of said circuit in a frequency equal to the speed of rotation of the rotor for damping said critical frequencies.

Abstract: A tracer control circuit for guiding a probe around a template comprising analog computers for calculating normalized values of x and y deflection signals and x and y velocity signals. The circuit comprises means for rotating the vector defined by the normalized deflection signals to drive the probe tangent to the template edge and means for rotating the vector defined by the normalized velocity signals to establish a probe deflection reference against which actual deflection may be compared and controlled.