Patents Examined by Anthony M Paul
  • Patent number: 10978970
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a rotation body, a motor, a drive controller, a rotating speed detector, a rotation error determination circuit, and a filter. The rotation body is provided on an outer peripheral surface of an elongated insertion section and configured to be rotatable around a longitudinal axis. The motor rotates the rotation body. The drive controller controls driving of the motor. The rotating speed detector detects a rotating speed of the motor based on an encoder signal output from an encoder. The rotation error determination circuit determines an error in rotation of the rotation body based on the detected rotating speed. The filter passes, as the encoder signal, only a signal having a frequency, outside a frequency band of a high-frequency signal of a high-frequency treatment instrument, of signals input to the rotating speed detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Umemoto, Takashi Suzuki, Toshihiro Kumagai, Takuro Onda
  • Patent number: 10680477
    Abstract: A brushless electric motorsystem having integrated power stages, said electric motor system comprising a rotor, a stator, a plurality of power stages, and a cooling system comprising a substantially flat hollow main cool body arranged to support the flowing of a cooling medium inside said hollow main cool body for cooling said main cool body, a base cooling plate connected to a first flat surface of said hollow main cool body and to said plurality of power stages for transferring heat between said plurality of power stages and said base cool plate, heat resistance inserts connected to said base cooling plate and said plurality of electrically excitable coils for transferring heat between said plurality of coils and said base cooling plate wherein said heat resistance inserts provide for a thermal conductivity, thereby creating a thermal buffer such that said electrically excitable coils are cooled less compared to said power stages, by said cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Saluqi Holding B.V.
    Inventor: Martinus Henricus Renier Klomp
  • Patent number: 10505478
    Abstract: In one implementation, a motor module according to the present invention includes: a motor driving circuit 10 to drive a motor M; and a position estimation device 30 to output an estimated position signal of a rotor R of the motor M. It also includes: a motor control circuit 20 to supply a command voltage value to the motor driving circuit 10 in response to a pulse signal; and a variable step-size memory 40 storing variable step-size information, which defines an amount of displacement of the rotor R per pulse of the pulse signal. The estimated position signal is an analog or digital signal. Upon receiving a pulse signal, the motor control circuit 20 determines the command voltage value based on an estimated position value of the rotor R acquired from the position estimation device 30 and the variable step-size information read from the variable step-size memory 40. The motor driving circuit 10 changes the position of the rotor R based on the command voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Fujita, Shota Ishigami, Tomohiro Fukumura
  • Patent number: 10447194
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus for driving a motor includes a rectifier, a capacitor, an inverter circuit, a control portion arranged to output a drive signal, and a sensing portion arranged to sense a smoothed direct-current voltage, and output an analog sensing result to the control portion. After outputting a drive signal to drive the motor, the control portion quantizes the sensing result using a predetermined number of bits at a predetermined interval for a period longer than a power-supply period of an alternating-current power supply, determines Vn+1 which satisfies both Vn+1>Vn+2 and Vn+1>Vn to be a peak value when Vn denotes an nth voltage value obtained by quantizing the sensing result, determines whether the peak value is within a predetermined range, and outputs a drive signal to stop the motor if the peak value is outside of the predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: NIDEC SERVO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Masatomo Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 10393519
    Abstract: A fall detection sensor for a rammer includes an acceleration sensor, a low-pass filter, an integrator, a first comparator, a second comparator, and control means. The second comparator compares wave patterns of input signals with a plurality of types of fall sample waves and non-fall sample waves stored in advance. The second comparator outputs a fall detection signal upon determining that the rammer has fallen when the similarity with one of the fall sample waves exceeds a threshold, and the second comparator outputs a non-fall signal upon determining that the rammer has not fallen when the similarity with one of the non-fall sample waves exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignees: MIKASA SANGYO CO., LTD., NANO STUDIO INC.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Harashima, Hideo Saito, Masahiro Ikeda, Kazuma Hirai, Yuki Shibuichi, Kazuya Kato
  • Patent number: 10378141
    Abstract: A control system includes a motor, first and second movable members, which can be rotated by the motor and which are adapted to interact with a first and a second controlled apparatus, respectively, and a transmission mechanism configured for controlling the movable members. The motor is bidirectional and is configured for selectively rotating, through the transmission mechanism, the first and second movable members, respectively, when the motor turns in a first direction and a second direction of rotation, respectively, opposite to each other. The transmission mechanism includes a first and a second unidirectional clutch selectively cooperating with the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: ELBI INTERNATIONAL SPA
    Inventors: Marco Becchio, Luca Garetto, Paolo Ravedati, Giorgio Carrer, Ugo Gaino, Ivan Fumagalli
  • Patent number: 10263545
    Abstract: A system comprises an aircraft hydraulic system motor, a position sensor, and a programmable controller. The aircraft hydraulic system motor includes a rotor whose position is detected by the position sensor. The position sensor produces an output representative of that position. The programmable controller is configured to receive the output of the position sensor and calculate an estimated velocity of the aircraft hydraulic system motor based on the output of the position sensor. The calculation of the estimated velocity comprises determining both a high bandwidth velocity estimation and a low bandwidth velocity estimation. The programmable controller is additionally configured to compare the estimated velocity to a desired velocity and direct the aircraft hydraulic system motor to increase or decrease velocity based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
    Inventors: John David Neely, John Mendenhall White
  • Patent number: 10073473
    Abstract: An indoor digital centralized controller system (DCCS) that is connected to a controller of an application system and accepts orders from the controller of the application system and controls at least one motor to work. The DCCS includes a power supply, a master control unit (MCU), a plurality of motor control modules, a programming port module, and an input interface. The power supply is configured to supply power for circuits. The MCU is connected to and communicates with the controller of the application system via the input interface. An outer computer is capable of rewriting control programs of the MCU via the programming port module. The MCU is connected to a motor via a motor control module. The motor includes a stator assembly, a rotor assembly, and a shell assembly. The stator assembly and the rotor assembly are coupled magnetically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN BROAD-OCEAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ge Hu, Zheng Zhang, Yong Zhao
  • Patent number: 9735723
    Abstract: A method to control the rotor position in a reluctance motor includes: energizing a phase winding to an energized state so as to move a rotor relative to a stator; switching the phase winding between the energized state and a freewheeling state over a pulsing period to produce a plurality of phase current pulses wherein the phase current freewheels in the freewheeling state over a freewheeling period of each current pulse; sampling rates of change of phase current and amplitudes of phase current during a plurality of freewheeling periods; de-energizing the phase winding; and computing the angular position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Perkins Engines Company Limited
    Inventors: John Rutledge, Stephen Watkins
  • Patent number: 9563726
    Abstract: A motor selection device includes a computer including a storage device and a calculation device. The storage device stores data of acceleration time, constant speed time, deceleration time, stop time, maximum output torque for each motor, dynamic friction torque, and constant load torque. To select selectable motors and to suggest an optimal operation pattern among motor operation patterns, the calculation device includes a central processing unit (CPU) and performs effective torque calculation by calculating torque in the acceleration time, in the constant speed time, in the deceleration time, and in the stop time based on data stored in the storing unit, and calculating the effective torque by giving a first torque, a second torque, a third torque, a fourth torque, the acceleration time, the constant speed time, the deceleration time, and the stop time to a predetermined formula.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Shota Miura
  • Patent number: 9481252
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing engine fuel consumption during regenerative braking. According to certain embodiments, the regenerative braking system has an engine, a generator, a rectifier, a first inverter, a traction motor, and a reverse recovery unit. The generator is configured to be driven by the engine to produce AC electrical power. The rectifier is configured to receive AC electrical power from the generator and convert the AC power to DC power. The first inverter is configured to receive the DC power and convert the DC power to AC power. The traction motor is configured to be driven by the AC power in a traction mode, and to produce regenerated power when rotated in reverse in a regenerative braking mode. The reverse recovery unit has a second inverter and a filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Baojun Si, Dustin C. Selvey, William J. Tate, Mary Jill Trumper, Alexander Cameron Crosman, III
  • Patent number: 9413276
    Abstract: Various examples are provided for brushless direct current (DC) motor control over a wide dynamic range. In one example, among others, a system including a power drive coupled to a DC motor and a MCU configured to control commutation of the DC motor based upon shaft speed of the DC motor, where the MCU transitions between a motion-based commutation mode and a time-based commutation mode in response to a comparison of the shaft speed with a predefined threshold. In another example, a method includes commutating a DC motor in response to a transition in rotor position of the DC motor and transitioning from a motion-based commutation mode to a time-based commutation mode in response to a comparison of shaft speed of the DC motor to a predefined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: PROCESS CONTROL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Lloyd Miller
  • Patent number: 9300237
    Abstract: A divided phase windings circuit includes motor divided phase windings, a power switch circuit comprising at least one power switch and a direct current (DC) supply circuit all at a midpoint of the divided motor phase windings, and a non-collapsing DC power supply component to prevent the DC power supply from collapsing when the at least one power switch is on and conducting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: QM Power, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles J. Flynn, Cooper N. Tracy
  • Patent number: 9030138
    Abstract: A circuit configuration for driving an electric motor includes a signal evaluation module, which stores a number of output patterns. An input pattern is specified, and as a function of the input pattern, one of the output patterns is output, by which the electric motor is driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Wagner, Dieter Thoss, Andreas Merker
  • Patent number: 8988027
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus according to the embodiment includes a rotational position estimating unit, a change amount estimating unit, and an inductance estimating unit. The rotational position estimating unit estimates a rotational position of a rotor from a motor parameter including a q-axis inductance of a motor on a basis of an output current to the motor and a voltage reference. The change amount estimating unit estimates a change amount of an output torque with respect to a current phase change of the motor corresponding to a high frequency signal whose frequency is higher than a drive frequency of the motor. The inductance estimating unit estimates an inductance value that obtains a maximum torque on a basis of the change amount as the q-axis inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Shingo Fukumaru, Shinya Morimoto, Hideaki Iura, Akira Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8884577
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for a rotary electric machine receiving power from a DC power supply, a DC-AC converting circuit is provided with serially connected circuits each having high-potential-side and low-potential-side switching elements. When a short-circuit occurs at the switching elements, all the switching elements are turned OFF for failsafe and a path connecting the machine and the battery is opened. In such a case, a switching element belonging to part of the switching elements is turned ON, with potential at all the terminals of the rotary electric machine being the same. A location of the short-circuit occurs is identified, based on changes in current passing through the machine and being detected in response to turning ON the switching element. The changes are at least one of a reduction change in deviation of the current from a zero point and a reduction change in an absolute value of the current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroya Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8836260
    Abstract: A method for controlling a specific electric machine includes receiving with a controller a back electromotive force (BEMF) coefficient for the specific electric machine. The controller is configured to control operation of an inverter coupled to the electric machine where the inverter is configured to provide or receive multi-phase electricity to or from the electric machine in motor mode or generator mode, respectively. The method further includes receiving with the controller an input related to a selected torque to be applied by or a selected power to be removed from the electric machine. The method further includes determining a first electrical parameter the inverter is to apply to in motor mode or a second electrical parameter the inverter is to convert power to in generator mode using the BEMF coefficient, and applying the first electrical parameter to the electric machine or converting the received power to the second electrical parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventor: David A. Fulton
  • Patent number: 8698435
    Abstract: A motor drive device includes an inverter circuit, a driver circuit for outputting a PWM signal to the inverter circuit, a booster circuit for boosting a power supply voltage supplied from a power supply circuit, a fail safe circuit arranged between the inverter circuit and the motor, and a fail safe drive unit for outputting a signal for turning ON/OFF a semiconductor switching element of the fail safe circuit. A boost voltage output from the booster circuit is supplied to the driver circuit and also supplied to the fail safe drive unit. The fail safe drive unit drives the semiconductor switching element of the fail safe circuit by such boost voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Tada
  • Patent number: 8614559
    Abstract: A programmable robot system includes a robot provided with a number of individual arm sections, where adjacent sections are interconnected by a joint. The system furthermore includes a controllable drive mechanism provided in at least some of the joints and a control system for controlling the drive. The robot system is furthermore provided with user a interface mechanism including a mechanism for programming the robot system, the user interface mechanism being either provided externally to the robot, as an integral part of the robot or as a combination hereof, and a storage mechanism co-operating with the user interface mechanism and the control system for storing information related to the movement and further operations of the robot and optionally for storing information relating to the surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Universal Robots ApS
    Inventors: Kristian Kassow, Esben Hallundbæk Østergaard, Kasper Støy
  • Patent number: 8598736
    Abstract: An input circuit includes an interface structured to output a logic signal from an alternating current signal of a pair of elongated conductors. A load is switchable to the elongated conductors. A processor outputs a control signal to switch the load to the elongated conductors asynchronously with respect to the alternating current signal for a first predetermined time, inputs the logic signal, determines if the input logic signal is active a plurality of times during the first predetermined time and responsively sets a first state of the alternating current signal, and, otherwise, sets an opposite second state of the alternating current signal, and delays for a second predetermined time, which is longer than the first predetermined time, for the opposite second state before repeating the output, and, otherwise, delays for a third predetermined time, which is longer than the second predetermined time, for the first state before repeating the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald A. Vanweelden, Mark A. Verheyen