Patents Examined by Bickey Dhakal
  • Patent number: 11231297
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing rotary position sensor information. One system includes an electronic processor configured to receive a first set of signals from a first bridge circuit of a rotary position sensor and receive a second set of signals from a second bridge circuit of the rotary position sensor. In response to the receipt of the first set of signals from the first bridge circuit stopping, the electronic processor is also configured to identify a fault associated with the first bridge circuit. The electronic processor is also configured to receive a pulse signal and determine a rotary angle based on the pulse signal and the second set of signals from the second bridge circuit. The electronic processor is configured to generate an output torque value based on the rotary angle for controlling a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Kristian Ballabani, Wolfgang Baierl
  • Patent number: 11233466
    Abstract: A thyristor starter is configured to accelerate a synchronous machine from a stop state to a predetermined rotation speed by sequentially performing a first mode of performing commutation of an inverter by intermittently setting DC output current of a converter to zero and a second mode of performing commutation of the inverter by induced voltage of the synchronous machine. The thyristor starter is further configured to raise induced voltage in proportion to the rotation speed of the synchronous machine by keeping field current constant and to suppress rise of the induced voltage by reducing the field current after the induced voltage reaches a first voltage value, in the first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuaki Matsumoto, Hiroshi Ogino, Hironori Kawaguchi, Akinobu Ando, Ryoji Miyatake, Michio Kataoka
  • Patent number: 11233473
    Abstract: A sensor is configured to sense current, of one or more output phases of an inverter, associated with back electromotive force (back EMF) of the machine. A converter or electronic data processor is adapted to convert the sensed current into current vectors associated with a stationary reference frame. An estimator or current model is configured to estimate back-EMF vectors from the converted current vectors. A vector tracking observer or the electronic data processor is adapted to mix the back-EMF vectors and applying the mixed back-EMF vectors to a preliminary inertial model. A secondary observer or the data processor is operable to apply the output of the preliminary inertial model to a secondary inertial model in the second speed range to estimate position or motion data for the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventor: Lav Thyagarajan
  • Patent number: 11228260
    Abstract: A method of controlling a switched reluctance motor is disclosed herein. The motor comprises a stator carrying a plurality of phase windings and a rotor. The method comprises activating the phase windings in a sequence selected to apply torque to the rotor, wherein during a cycle of rotation of the rotor the phase windings switch between an active state in which current in the phase winding applies torque to the rotor and an inactive state; applying a voltage to a selected phase winding whilst the selected phase winding is in the inactive state to provide a flux in the selected phase winding; determining the current in the selected phase winding; determining the rotor angle based on the current and the flux; and controlling said activating based on the rotor angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Turntide Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Howard Slater, David Hodgson
  • Patent number: 11228232
    Abstract: Displacement devices comprise a stator and a moveable stage. The stator comprises a plurality of coils shaped to provide pluralities of generally linearly elongated coil traces in one or more layers. Layers of coils may overlap in the Z-direction. The moveable stage comprises a plurality of magnet arrays. Each magnet array may comprise a plurality of magnetization segments generally linearly elongated in a corresponding direction. Each magnetization segment has a magnetization direction generally orthogonal to the direction in which it is elongated and at least two of the magnetization directions are different from one another. One or more amplifiers may be connected to selectively drive current in the coil traces and to thereby effect relative movement between the stator and the moveable stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: The University of British Columbia
    Inventors: Xiaodong Lu, Irfan-Ur-Rab Usman
  • Patent number: 11223306
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for determining a rotor position of an electric rotating machine. The electric machine comprises at least one first, multi-phase subsystem and one second multi-phase subsystem, which each comprise a PWM-controlled inverter for feeding respective winding groups. The winding groups of the at least first and second subsystems are arranged substantially electrically offset from one another by 360°. In the method, voltages predefined by a controller are altered by feeding high-frequency voltages in order to attain high-frequency current changes. The current changes are then detected in that a current curve of phase currents is ascertained for each subsystem by measuring at least one first phase current and one second phase current. The rotor position is then determined depending on the ascertained current curves and the fed high-frequency voltages. The disclosure additionally relates to an electric machine which is designed for carrying out the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Marco Roetzer, Ulrich Vollmer
  • Patent number: 11218038
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for a control system for motor/generator comprising: a controller configured to receive sensor input related to rotation of a plurality of coils relative to a throat of a partial toroidal magnetic cylinder, and energize the coils based on the sensor input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Linear Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred E. Hunstable
  • Patent number: 11209779
    Abstract: There is provided a timepiece including a high-load rotation position detection unit that detects a high-load rotation position that is a rotation position of a wheel when a rotational load of a rotor that transmits rotor's rotation to the wheel and rotates a pointer clockwise is greater than that during normal hand movement and a drive signal output unit that outputs a sub-drive signal having energy greater than that of a main drive signal that is output during the normal hand movement and less than that of an auxiliary drive signal that is output when the rotor does not rotate by the main drive signal in a case where the rotation position of the wheel is the high-load rotation position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Kenji Ogasawara, Tamotsu Maesawa
  • Patent number: 11205982
    Abstract: Actuators are components of machines, which move and/or control a mechanism or system. During operation, actuators can experience regeneration events, with the actuator actually generating excess energy (e.g., regenerative energy) which must be stored or dissipated to avoid damaging the power supply. An actuator motor controller is configured to implement field oriented voltage control and flux weakening voltage control without current sensors. Dissipating regenerative energy includes providing a motor controller to command a motor drive to modify an input voltage, or to dissipate regenerative energy in a dump circuit. This command can cause motor windings to dissipate regenerative energy. Systems having a plurality of actuators distribute regenerative energy from one actuator to another. A central controller provides centralized regeneration dissipation control for the plurality of actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: LORD Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Black, Douglas Swanson, Russell E. Altieri
  • Patent number: 11201572
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for motor braking using selectively connectable resistance. The method includes controlling, using a motor controller of the power tool, a power switching network to drive a motor of the power tool in response to actuation of a user input and determining, using the motor controller, a variable tool characteristic. The method further includes determining, using the motor controller, that the user input is de-actuated. The method also includes controlling, using the motor controller, the power switching network to brake the motor when the variable tool characteristic satisfies the tool characteristic threshold and controlling, using the motor controller, a braking circuit to brake the motor when the variable tool characteristic does not satisfy the tool characteristic threshold. The braking circuit includes one or more resistive loads and is selectively coupled to the motor terminals of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Timothy R. Obermann, Alexander Huber
  • Patent number: 11196371
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an electric motor including a stator and a translator; a three-phase inverter electrically coupled to the electric motor; a power source electrically coupled to the three-phase inverter; and a controller communicatively coupled to the three-phase inverter. The controller is programmed to determine at least three measurements at different times of flux linkage from the electric motor, represent the measurements in Clarke coordinates, determine Clarke coordinates of a center of a circle defined by the Clarke coordinates of the measurements, and determine a position of the translator relative to the stator based on the Clarke coordinates of the center of the circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
    Inventors: Rui Wang, Hendrik Huisman
  • Patent number: 11190110
    Abstract: A main circuit power source and a control power source of a motor drive device are backed up. A first backup capacitor is inserted between a rectifier and a control power source output terminal that supplies power to a control circuit of a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Taketomo Hirata, Takao Ushiyama
  • Patent number: 11183900
    Abstract: A telescopic tube for use in a linear drive to be applied in articles of furniture such as beds, chairs and the like has an outer tube accommodating an inner lift tube which is longitudinally displaceable within the outer tube by the linear drive and projects from the outer tube at a front end opposite to the linear drive. An end cover having a seal closes and seals the front end and prevents any media from entering the outer tube and the linear drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: DEWERTOKIN TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD
    Inventors: Andreas Oberndörfer, Jürgen Martin
  • Patent number: 11175631
    Abstract: There is provided an analog electronic timepiece including a stepping motor in which a rotor magnetized in two poles is rotationally driven in a stator connected to a driving coil, a drive circuit for applying a drive pulse to the driving coil, the drive pulse being a pulse for driving the rotor, and a control unit for controlling application of the drive pulse by the drive circuit, in which when an induced voltage induced in the driving coil by rotation of the rotor satisfies a predetermined condition related to the induced voltage, the control unit controls the drive circuit so that the drive pulse is applied to the driving coil before free vibration of the rotor is settled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Akihito Okumura
  • Patent number: 11165373
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a motor driving apparatus and, more specifically, to a motor driving apparatus which allows a maximum torque operation by correcting an angle error occurring during quick acceleration of a motor in a sensorless system. The motor driving apparatus comprises: an inverter for driving a motor, using an alternating current voltage; and a control unit for outputting a PWM signal for controlling an operation of a switching element included in the inverter. Here, the control unit determines an inductance parameter used to calculate a speed command value for determining a duty ratio of a PWM signal, and determines whether the motor is being accelerated, on the basis of a current change measured from the inverter. When the motor is being accelerated, the control unit enables a maximum torque operation by reducing an angle error of a rotor through a correction of reducing a previously-determined inductance parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hansu Jung, Kwang Sik Kim, Chungill Lee
  • Patent number: 11155338
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling a component of an aircraft engine by communicating data over an inner control loop portion of a distributed engine control network for an aircraft; and controlling an operation of the aircraft engine by communicating encrypted data over an outer control loop portion of the distributed engine control network, wherein the data communicated over the inner control loop portion is unencrypted or encrypted with weaker encryption than the data communicated over the outer control loop portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignees: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES INC., ROLLS-ROYCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Joseph Costello, Richard Joseph Skertic
  • Patent number: 11152876
    Abstract: A system includes a position sensor configured to detect positions of a rotor of a starter motor relative to the position sensor and to output signals indicating the detected positions and a controller configured to rotate the rotor to a plurality of predetermined positions relative to a stator of the starter motor, determine sensed positions of the rotor based on the signals output by the position sensor, and calculate an initial detected position of the rotor based on relationships between the determined sensed positions of the rotor and an expected angular distance between adjacent ones of the predetermined positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Chandra S. Namuduri
  • Patent number: 11146196
    Abstract: An electric machine control method includes: calculating a voltage command value based on a torque command value to an electric machine; calculating a modulation rate based on a power-supply voltage and the voltage command value; calculating a compensation gain in accordance with the modulation rate, the compensation gain being used to linearize a relationship between a magnitude of the voltage command value and a magnitude of a fundamental wave component of an output voltage to the electric machine; calculating a compensated voltage command value based on the voltage command value and the compensation gain; controlling the output voltage to the electric machine based on the compensated voltage command value; and limiting the compensation gain to be equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Mizuguchi, Mitsuhiro Shouji, Kengo Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11146199
    Abstract: A motor control method includes providing a motor comprising a plurality of windings, a rotor and a stator magnetically coupled to the rotor, coupling a plurality of power converters to the plurality of windings, configuring the plurality of power converters to operate in a first interleaving mode, controlling the plurality of power converters to dynamically adjust the number of poles of the motor and after the step of controlling the plurality of power converters to dynamically adjust the number of poles of the motor, configuring the plurality of power converters to leave the first interleaving mode and enter into a second interleaving mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Quanten Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hengchun Mao
  • Patent number: 11133761
    Abstract: A motor arrangement comprising: motor having a rotor, a stator, and a plurality of windings mounted on one of the rotor and the stator for acting on the other of the rotor and the stator, and a plurality of inputs coupled to the windings; and control circuit configured to operate in a riving mode in which it dynamically energises the windings via the motor inputs so as to cause the rotor to rotate relative to the stator, the control circuit being further configured to operate in a braking mode in which it continually connects at least a first and a second one of the windings to a common rail to form a closed current path to induce braking of the rotor relative to the stator, wherein the control circuit is configured to enter the braking mode in response to a trigger exogenous to the motor indicative of a fault condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: CMR Surgical Limited
    Inventor: Paul Christopher Roberts