Patents Examined by Antony M. Paul
  • Patent number: 11545924
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes processing circuitry that estimates a magnet magnetic flux of an electric motor based on a d-axis magnetic flux generated in the electric motor, a d-axis inductance of the electric motor, and a d-axis current flowing in the electric motor, estimates a q-axis inductance of the electric motor based on a q-axis magnetic flux generated in the electric motor and a q-axis current flowing in the electric motor, estimates a drive force of the electric motor based on the magnet magnetic flux and the q-axis inductance, and corrects a current command such that the drive force follows a drive force command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Kentaro Inomata, Akira Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11545923
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus may include a first inverter circuit including a plurality of first switching devices and connected to a first end portion of each of a plurality of windings in a motor corresponding to a plurality of phases of the motor, respectively, a second inverter circuit including a plurality of second switching devices and connected to a second end portion of each of the plurality of windings, and a plurality of selection switching devices having first end portions connected to a node to which the plurality of windings and the plurality of second switching devices are connected and second end portions connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ho Rim Choi, Han Hee Park, Seong Min Kim, Seon Mi Lee, Ho Sun Jang, Tae Il Yoo, Seung Hyeon Bin
  • Patent number: 11541757
    Abstract: Testing connections to phase windings of an electric motor upon startup includes, prior to entering a RUN state in which motor power commands are accepted from a user to perform work, applying to each respective phase of the electric motor a respective test voltage signal, measuring in each respective phase a respective current induced by the respective test voltage signal, and preventing entry into the RUN state when at least one values representative of a respective current is below the respective predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Huthaifa Mohammad Mahmoud Flieh, Chia-Chou Yeh
  • Patent number: 11545884
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a stator module for a linear drive of a container-handling machine in the beverage processing industry, comprising a housing in which a core and at least one coil are arranged, wherein the stator module comprises a media supply for supplying a gas into the interior of the housing and the media supply is adapted to pressurize the interior of the housing, as well as a corresponding container-handling machine and a method of operating a container-handling machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Krones AG
    Inventors: Michael Neubauer, Hartmut Davidson
  • Patent number: 11539321
    Abstract: The degree of flexibility of a speed curve for a target rotational speed of a motor is to be increased. A motor control circuit 11 measures a duty cycle of an input speed command signal Sc indicating a target rotational speed of a motor 50 to be driven, sets an inflection point In for each duty cycle obtained by equally dividing a possible duty cycle range assumed by the speed command signal Sc based on resolution information 301 indicating a resolution of the duty cycle of the speed command signal Sc, calculates a rotational speed corresponding to the measured duty cycle of the speed command signal Sc based on rotational speed information 302 indicating rotational speeds at the inflection points In on a speed curve and the set inflection points In, and determines the calculated rotational speed as the target rotational speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kaidu, Masato Aoki, Takahiro Suzuki, Tomotaka Sakuma, Yoshihisa Okabuchi
  • Patent number: 11533014
    Abstract: A power converter converts power from a power source into power to be supplied to a motor having n-phase (n is an integer of 3 or larger) windings. The power converter includes an inverter including switches connected to the windings, a controller to control operation of each of the switches, and a failure detector to detect a sign of failure in a drive system ranging from the power source to the motor. When a sign of failure is detected by the failure detector, the controller is configured or programmed to check presence or absence of a failure in the drive system while supplying power to the motor by causing the inverter to perform a failure operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kaori Nabeshi, Takashi Kitamura
  • Patent number: 11527978
    Abstract: A method of determining angular position (?) of a rotor of an N-phase permanent magnet motor (PMM). A processor having an associated stored angular position determination (APD) algorithm is programmed to implement the algorithm to cause an associated motor controller to execute steps including forcing one vector at a time a phase vector set of current or voltage vectors to stator terminals of windings for the N-phases a positive and negative magnitude vector, wherein the vector magnitude is sufficiently small to not move the rotor, and a time duration for the forcing current or voltage vectors is essentially constant. The resulting stator current or voltage levels are measured for each current or voltage vector. An N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is generated from superposition of the resulting stator current levels or resulting stator voltage levels. The N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is used to determine angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Eric James Thomas, David Patrick Magee
  • Patent number: 11521805
    Abstract: A motor apparatus for a switch drive of an electric switch has an electric motor and a controller for controlling the electric motor. The controller has: a rectifier unit for rectifying a supply voltage of the motor apparatus, if the supply voltage is an alternating voltage, and for reverse polarity protection if the supply voltage is a direct voltage, a voltage measurement unit for detecting the supply voltage or a rectifier output voltage of the rectifier unit, a switch unit for generating a drive voltage for the electric motor from the supply voltage or from the rectifier output voltage and a control unit for controlling the switch unit as a function of the supply or rectifier output voltage detected. The electric motor is operable by direct current and the switch unit generates a drive direct voltage for the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: David Brummund, Thomas Hilker
  • Patent number: 11522474
    Abstract: A vibration wave motor includes a vibrator, a contact body to be brought into contact with the vibrator, a shaft fixed to the contact body, and a fixing member configured to fix the contact body and the shaft from the shaft side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kei Suefuji
  • Patent number: 11515828
    Abstract: A motor drive control device 1 includes a drive voltage generation circuit 13 configured to generate a drive voltage Vin based on a first supply voltage Vdc inputted to a first terminal P1 and generate the drive voltage Vin based on a second supply voltage inputted to a second terminal P2 when a supply of the first supply voltage Vdc is stopped, a control circuit 21 configured to be operable by the drive voltage Vin, generate a drive control signal Sd based on a drive command signal Sc, generate a motor driving information signal So and output the motor driving information signal So from a third terminal P3 and a motor drive circuit 10 configured to output a drive signal to the motor 3, in which the control circuit 21 monitors the first supply voltage Vdc and outputs history information 300 relating to operation of the motor 3 from the third terminal P3 as the motor driving information signal So upon detecting that the supply of the first supply voltage Vdc is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: MlNEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kato, Toshikazu Koshiba, Katsunori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11510540
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a suction inlet, a motor, and an impeller connected to the motor and operable to generate suction through the suction inlet upon operation of the motor. The vacuum cleaner further includes a power connector mounted to the vacuum cleaner and selectively connectable to a direct current (DC) power source and an alternating current (AC) power source. The power connector includes external terminals accessible from an exterior of the vacuum cleaner. The external terminals are configured for removable mechanical connection to each of the DC power source and an AC power supply cord such that the DC power source and the AC power supply cord are selectively and mechanically connectable to the same external power connector terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Matthew A. Williams, Thomas E. Fogarty, Alex J. Wall, John L. Theising
  • Patent number: 11496083
    Abstract: Electromechanical actuation systems and related operating methods are provided. A method of controlling an electromechanical actuator in response to an input command signal at an input terminal involves determining a commanded actuation state value based on a characteristic of the input command signal, generating driver command signals based on the commanded actuation state value and an actuator type associated with the electromechanical actuator, and operating driver circuitry in accordance with the driver command signals to provide output signals at output terminals coupled to the electromechanical actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.
    Inventors: Fatemeh Delijani, Adam S. Trock, Seth N. Kazarians, Jalal Elidrissi
  • Patent number: 11496034
    Abstract: A haptic engine includes a linear resonant actuator having a double-wound driving coil which is used for sensing a back electromotive force (EMF) voltage independently of the coil resistance, thus minimizing the back EMF voltage's sensitivity to temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Riccardo Tarelli, Yumeng Liu
  • Patent number: 11486613
    Abstract: A power converter includes a first substrate on which a module including a switching element is mounted, a second substrate on which a smoothing capacitor is mounted, and a terminal block connecting the first substrate and the second substrate, with the first and second substrates located to face each other. The terminal block includes a current path over which at least one of current flowing from the module to the smoothing capacitor and current flowing from the smoothing capacitor to the module flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Yuasa, Yoshihiro Taniguchi, Yoshikazu Nozuki
  • Patent number: 11489475
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a power conversion apparatus converting a power from a DC power source, supplying the converted power to a rotary electric machine to drive the rotary electric machine. The power conversion apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a first inverter circuit electrically connected to a first end of each of phase winding, transmitting power between respective phase windings and the DC power source; a second inverter circuit electrically connected to a second end each of phase winding, transmitting power between respective phase windings and the DC power source; and a control unit controlling the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit. The control unit is configured to change a total amount of current flowing through respective phase windings depending on a rotational speed of the rotary electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshimitsu Takahashi, Makoto Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11480374
    Abstract: Devices are provided for field weakening control of a compressor, including the compressor and a main circuit unit providing power for the compressor. The devices include a compressor rotational speed obtaining unit, and a control unit that compares the rotational speed ? of the compressor with a rotational speed threshold ?1 of the compressor, and controls the main circuit unit according to comparison results. When the rotational speed ? is less than ?1, an output voltage of the main circuit unit is controlled at a fixed value. When the rotational speed ? is greater than or equal to ?1, the compressor is controlled not to enter the field weakening control temporarily and the output voltage of the main circuit unit is controlled to rise, the compressor is controlled to enter the field weakening control when the output voltage of the main circuit unit cannot continue to rise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignees: QINGDAO HAIER AIR-CONDITIONING ELECTRONIC CO., LTD., HAIER SMART HOME CO, LTD.
    Inventors: Anping Cong, Haizhu Shao, Yan Geng, Bin Shi, Bo Zhang, Xianghui Hu
  • Patent number: 11482963
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an inverter control device for estimating the magnetic flux of a rotor, and calculating and compensating for a slip frequency on the basis of a torque current and a magnetic flux current, to control the speed of an electric motor. To this end, the present invention may comprise: a command voltage generation unit for outputting a three-phase PWM voltage with respect to a command frequency to an inverter on the basis of voltage/frequency operation; and a slip frequency determination unit for determining a slip frequency on the basis of the phase current and phase voltage of an electric motor driven by the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: LS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-Cheol Choi, Hak-Jun Lee
  • Patent number: 11482920
    Abstract: A system (110) and method of controlling a three-phase active harmonic filter (160) with a three-phase converter having inputs for connection to a three-phase AC source (112), the three-phase converter having three phase legs, each phase leg of the three phase legs of the three-phase converter includes a first switching device operably connected to a first power supply rail and a second switching device operably connected to a second supply rail, the three-phase converter operably connected to a controller. The controller is configured to determine an operating characteristic of the AHF and operable to control the first and second switching devices of each phase leg of the three phase legs with a first PWM strategy, compare the operational characteristic of the AHF to a selected threshold, and employ a second PWM strategy if the operational characteristic exceeds a selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ismail Agirman
  • Patent number: 11474578
    Abstract: Data exchange using fan unit signal lines is disclosed, including receiving a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal on a PWM signal line of a fan unit; detecting that a frequency of the PWM signal is outside a frequency range used to control a fan speed of a fan in the fan unit; selecting a data output based on the frequency of the PWM signal; and sending the data output on a tachometric signal line of the fan unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Keith M. Campbell, Christopher L. Wood, Connor B. Reed, Clifton E. Kerr
  • Patent number: 11476790
    Abstract: An electric working machine in one aspect of the present disclosure includes two or more circuits and a control circuit. The control circuit executes two or more diagnoses one by one in order. The diagnoses at least include a first diagnosis and a second diagnosis. The first diagnosis diagnoses a first circuit. The second diagnosis diagnoses a second circuit. The control circuit executes the first diagnosis or the second diagnosis at a first diagnosis timing. The control circuit executes the first diagnosis or the second diagnosis at a second diagnosis timing. The second diagnosis timing follows the first diagnosis timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Ichikawa, Akihiro Nakamoto