Patents Examined by Anthony M Paul
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Patent number: 8558499Abstract: To provide a controller apparatus of a type, in which the controller is given the redundancy so that the control of the drive motor can be properly performed at all times when an abnormality such as the failure of the controller occurs, with the reliability consequently increased, a plurality of controllers are provided, each including a power circuit for outputting a drive current for the drive motor and a control circuit, which is a light electric circuit, for controlling the power circuit in response to a motor drive command fed from a higher control. An abnormality determiner is provided for determining an abnormality occurring in the controller then in use according to a prescribed rule and then generating a switching signal. A switch is provided, which is operable in response to the switching signal to change the controller then in a state of functioning relative to the drive motor.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2012Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: NTN CorporationInventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Koichi Okada, Takeshi Kanda
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Patent number: 8148925Abstract: This electric safety braking device for an electric traction vehicle may allow the force/speed characteristic of the vehicle to be improved and includes a rotating electromechanical machine with permanent magnets which has at least one coil with electric terminals, a rheostatic electric braking torque production device, and a commutation device which are capable of connecting the electric terminals of the electromechanical machine to the braking torque production device. The electric safety braking device includes at least one inductor is connected in series between the braking torque production device and the electromechanical machine.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2008Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Alstom Transport SAInventors: Thierry Jobard, Eric Bonin
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Patent number: 8102143Abstract: Electric drive units comprising a common active part having a stator and a rotor, which has windings and/or permanent magnets for a drive function and an energy transmission function, enable the rotor winding that is provided for energy transmission to be used to allow position detection at a low additional cost. For this purpose, a power converter in the rotor, which provides the output of electrical energy for the energy transmission function, impresses an alternating voltage into the rotor winding, said voltage being detected in the stator and allowing the rotor position to be determined.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2008Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Jan Weigel
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Patent number: 7863842Abstract: A control system and method for a multi-phase motor substantially reduces or eliminates jitter resulting from drive mismatch by replacing a conventional trapezoidal drive profile with a drive profile that causes the voltage applied across active phases of the motor to match the back-EMF across those phases. In an ideal motor, the back-EMF is substantially sinusoidal, and although the drive profile applied to each phase is not truly substantially sinusoidal, the drive voltage across the active phases is substantially sinusoidal. In a non-ideal motor, the back-EMF is not truly sinusoidal and the drive profiles applied to each phase are calculated to cause the drive voltage across the active phases to match the back-EMF across those phases.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2007Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.Inventors: Ravishanker Krishnamoorthy, Foo Leng Leong
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Patent number: 7859215Abstract: A motor controller includes a reference signal generator; an A/D converter performing A/D conversion of the cosine and the sine signals outputted from a resolver; a first amplitude calculator calculating cosine and sine signal amplitudes based on twice-A/D converted cosine and sine signals respectively; a second amplitude calculator calculating averages of the cosine and the sine signals, and that calculates the amplitude of the cosine signal from a difference between the cosine signal average and a latest A/D converted cosine signal, and that calculates the amplitude of the sine signal from a difference between the sine signal average and a latest A/D converted sine signal; a synthesizer synthesizing the cosine and sine signal amplitudes obtained by the first and the second amplitude calculators respectively; a rotational angle calculator calculating a rotational angle based on the synthesized cosine and sine signal amplitudes; and a PWM controller.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2008Date of Patent: December 28, 2010Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Kazunobu Nagai, Sari Maekawa
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Patent number: 7633247Abstract: According to the invention, there is provided a control apparatus for a motor generator of a hybrid vehicle. The control apparatus includes a determiner, a comparator, and a controller. The determiner works to determine values of a first and a second parameter, which are defined in the same unit and respectively representative of economic benefits obtainable by operating the motor generator in generator and motor modes. The comparator works to compare the determined values of the first and second parameters. The controller works to control the motor generator to operate in the generator mode when the value of the first parameter is greater than that of the second parameter and in the motor mode when the value of the second parameter is greater than that of the first parameter. With such a configuration, the control apparatus can economically shift operation of the motor generator between the generator and motor modes.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 2006Date of Patent: December 15, 2009Assignee: Denso CorporationInventor: Kazuyoshi Obayashi
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Patent number: 7622882Abstract: The invention indicates a correct one of multiple rotor positions. For example, the invention can determine, in a PM machine, which of two possible positions a rotor is in when the position is known only within ±? radians. If the actual rotor position is known to be one of ? and ?+?, for example as indicated by a resolver, the proposed invention can be used to determine whether the actual position is ? or ?+?.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2007Date of Patent: November 24, 2009Assignee: Magna Electronics Inc.Inventors: Lei Hao, Zilai Zhao
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Patent number: 7557528Abstract: A method for autonomously identifying a type of motor based on a characteristic value of the motor, the method including measuring a characteristic value of a motor, comparing the measured characteristic value to a known characteristic value, and identifying the motor based on the measured characteristic value when compared to the known characteristic value.Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2006Date of Patent: July 7, 2009Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Ajith K. Kumar, Kevin Jones
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Patent number: 7508145Abstract: A mobile storage system includes movable storage units that can be positioned to selectively form an aisle between adjacent storage units. The storage units define a maximum aisle space that forms a single aisle between an adjacent pair of storage units, or a number of aisles between several adjacent pairs of storage units by distributing the maximum aisle space between at least two aisles. A control arrangement controls the position of the storage units, in response to user commands, so as to form the aisles. The control arrangement may be configured such that, when a pair of aisles are present between two pairs of storage units, one of the aisles is closed based on certain criteria when a command to open a different aisle is initiated. The criteria may be user defined, or may be a characteristic such as the frequency of use of the aisles such that the more frequently used aisle remains open and the less frequently used aisle is closed.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2007Date of Patent: March 24, 2009Assignee: Spacesaver CorporationInventors: Brian P. Bourke, Matthew A. Tourdot, William W. Lynt, III
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Patent number: 7498762Abstract: A motor includes a drive circuit for driving a rotor by controlling a current applied to an armature winding of a stator, and a capacitor for smoothing a voltage supplied to the armature winding and/or a capacitor for smoothing a supply voltage from outside on a same board. The board and the stator are integrally molded in using resin. Prior to the molding, capacitors are sealed inside a cylindrical metal case with a closed top face by rubber, and a pair of lead terminals protrude outside through this sealing rubber. The capacitors are mounted upright on the board and fixed by applying adhesive at two diagonally opposite areas on a bottom end of the metal case.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2005Date of Patent: March 3, 2009Assignee: Panasonic CorporationInventor: Masayuki Takada
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Patent number: 7482769Abstract: A high-level ECU generates a torque command value T1 according to an output request to an electric motor. A low-level ECU calculates a torque command value T2 for correcting the original torque command value T1 according to the operational state of the electric motor and, according to a final torque command value Tf that is set by combining the torque command values T1 and T2, the electric motor is controlled. The high-level ECU receives from the low-level ECU the torque command value T2 and a motor state quantity transmitted thereto and, by a comparison between an actual torque value Tj determined from the motor state quantity and the final torque command value Tf determined with the torque command value T2 reflected thereto, abnormality in electric motor control is detected.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2006Date of Patent: January 27, 2009Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Masaki Kutsuna, Masaki Okamura, Kenji Yamada