Patents Examined by Cortez M Cook
  • Patent number: 11664757
    Abstract: A motor control system with adjustable voltage harmonic and a method for correcting the motor control system is disclosed. Based on the input modulation order, the motor control system drives and controls a motor. The motor control system includes: a control order selection unit to generate a control order based on the modulation order, a modulation signal control unit used to generate a pulse output duty ratio modulation signal, a harmonic voltage weight selection unit used to select the weight value of the harmonic wave, a pulse modulation part to generate a control signal based on the modulation signal indicating the pulse output duty ratio, the weight value of the harmonic wave, and the pulse modulation carrier frequency signal. Based on the control signal, the inverter circuit adds the harmonic voltage into the motor-driving voltage to drive the motor, so as to reduce the noise or vibration of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventors: Shih-Chieh Wang, Cheng-Tai Cheng, Ming-Ho Hsu
  • Patent number: 11660966
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control system (10) for an electric machine (EM), for producing a braking torque, by means of the electric machine (EM), in a traction drive, said system comprising a control device (SE), the control device (SE) being configured to control a generator voltage or a generator current in or through a power electronics system (LE) of the electric machine such that during a movement of the traction drive, the electric power (Pel) of the electric machine (EM) can be limited to a level at least below a predefined minimum value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Gunther Goetting, Falco Sengebusch, Sebastian Paulus
  • Patent number: 11664740
    Abstract: A threshold detection system can be configured to monitor a location (e.g., a DC link) for overcurrent. The threshold detection system can be configured to generate a pulse width modulated signal with a duty cycle that is proportional to current through the DC link. The threshold detection system can be configured to determine whether the duty cycle exceeds a selected threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Shobha Ramanjani, Nageswara Rao Kalluri, Sridhar Katakam
  • Patent number: 11664751
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes: a switching power supply; a first motor configured to operate with a voltage from the switching power supply; and a control unit configured to control the first motor, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the switching power supply to supply power of the switching power supply to a load other than the first motor before detecting an initial position of a rotor of the first motor using a current flowing through the first motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Odate, Hidetoshi Hanamoto
  • Patent number: 11658592
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a motor control circuit enabled to change or adjust functions to be implemented to suppress an increase in cycle time during mass production. A motor control circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is a motor control circuit to control a motor driver including a first non-volatile memory and a second non-volatile memory, and the first non-volatile memory stores a control algorithm and a first parameter group to be used by the control algorithm of the motor control circuit, and the second non-volatile memory is enabled to store a second parameter group to be used by the control algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kaidu, Masato Aoki, Takamichi Kitano, Takahiro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11658595
    Abstract: A method for actuating contactors in a traction system. The traction system includes an AC battery, an electric motor, at least one peripheral unit, a plurality of voltage and current sensors, a plurality of contactors, which are arranged in electrical connections to the AC battery and to the electric motor and to the at least one peripheral unit, and a controller having a hardware-programmable processor unit on which a control program for actuating the contactors is configured at the start of operation. After the configuration, a fixed semiconductor circuit structure relating to the actuation of the contactors is available to the processor unit. The traction system has multiple modes of operation. A respective mode of operation is predefined by a general vehicle controller. A respective mode of operation has a plurality of states formed by at least one respective target state and at least one intermediate state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Inventors: Daniel Simon, Hermann Helmut Dibos, Eduard Specht
  • Patent number: 11656103
    Abstract: An actuator control device that controls an actuator according to an angle of a rotating portion includes a processor configured to: calculate a target relative angle from a rotation start angle to a target angle; detect a sensor detection angle from a sensor; calculate an angular velocity of the rotating portion based on a change amount of the sensor detection angle in a predetermined calculation cycle; correct the angular velocity to be closer to a normal angular velocity when the angular velocity is greater than or equal to a first threshold or less than or equal to a second threshold; calculate an actual relative angle by integrating the angular velocity and a corrected angular velocity; and feedback-control the actuator according to a deviation between a target relative angle and the actual relative angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Daisuke Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 11655894
    Abstract: A shift range control device switches a shift range by controlling drive of a motor. An angle calculation unit calculates a motor angle based on a signal from a rotation angle sensor that detects a rotation position of the motor. A drive control unit drives the motor so that the motor angle becomes a target angle according to the target shift range, and stops a rotor by a fixed phase energization, when the motor angle reaches a target angle. When the rotor vibrates with respect to stop position, the drive control unit maintains a state in which a brake torque, which is the torque generated when moving away from center of vibration, is larger than an acceleration torque, which is the torque generated when moving toward the center of vibration, and reduces the current that energizes the motor based on a difference between the brake torque and the acceleration torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koji Sakaguchi, Jun Yamada, Haruka Miyano
  • Patent number: 11652431
    Abstract: Implementations of a system for sensing rotor position of a PMSM may include: a controller which may be coupled with the PMSM. The controller may be configured to apply a plurality of voltage vectors to the PMSM to generate a plurality of sensing signals from a stator of the PMSM in response. A comparator may be coupled to the PMSM configured to receive and to compare each one of the plurality of sensing signals with a threshold voltage. A rise time measurement circuit may calculate a plurality of rise times using the plurality of sensing signals in response to receiving a signal from the comparator. The rotor-angle estimation circuit may be configured to identify from the plurality of rise times a shortest rise time and a voltage vector corresponding with the shortest rise time and thereby identify the position of the rotor of the PMSM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Masanori Okubayashi
  • Patent number: 11644789
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus excites an excitation phase targeted for excitation among a plurality of excitation phases of a motor. The motor control apparatus, in a state in which a rotor of the motor is stopped, excites an excitation phase corresponding to a stop position of the rotor among the plurality of the excitation phases, and measures a physical quantity which changes in accordance with an inductance of at least one of a plurality of coils configuring the plurality of excitation phases. The motor control apparatus estimates a temperature of the rotor from a measurement value of the measured physical quantity, and decides a parameter value for control of the motor based on the estimated temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eijiro Ohashi, Yasukazu Maeda, Takuya Miyashita
  • Patent number: 11646640
    Abstract: In a controller for an AC rotating electric machine, a failure-state determining circuitry determines a failure state of a magnetic-pole position sensor based on an output signal from the magnetic-pole position sensor. A modulation-ratio switching circuitry outputs a target value of a modulation ratio and also changes the target value to be output based on a result of the failure-state determining circuitry. The modulation-ratio switching circuitry sets, when the magnetic-pole position sensor is determined as being abnormal by the failure-state determining circuitry, the target value to be smaller than in a case in which the magnetic-pole sensor is determined as being normal by the failure-state determining circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Shingo Harada
  • Patent number: 11632072
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling a three-phase inverter (3) using a 120° control arrangement associated with a PWM-type control, the inverter (3) being driven by a controller and configured to power a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (5) of a device on board an aircraft. The motor (5) comprises a stator and a rotor that can be rotated relative to the stator when the motor (5) is powered. The inverter (3) comprises three branches (31, 32, 33), each branch comprising two switches (310, 311, 320, 321 and 330, 331) associated with a motor winding sing a 120° control arrangement of a three-phase inverter. The method is characterised in that when one switch on one branch is controlled such as to switch front the on-state to the off-state, the other switch on said branch is controlled such as to be in the on-state for a sufficient amount of time to allow the magnetic discharge of the motor winding associated with said branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Safran Electrical & Power
    Inventors: Wenceslas Bourse, Pascal Jacques Frédéric Guy Toutain, David Baltaro
  • Patent number: 11626827
    Abstract: A variety of methods, controllers and electric machine systems are described that facilitate pulsed control of electric machines (e.g., electric motors and generators) to improve the machine's energy conversion efficiency. Under selected operating conditions, the electric machine is intermittently driven (pulsed). The pulsed operation causes the output of the electric machine to alternate between a first output level and a second output level that is lower than the first output level. The output levels are selected such that at least one of the electric machine and a system that includes the electric machine has a higher energy conversion efficiency during the pulsed operation than the electric machine would have when operated at a third output level that would be required to drive the electric machine in a continuous manner to deliver the desired output. In some embodiments, the second output level is zero torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Tula eTechnology, Inc.
    Inventor: Adya S. Tripathi
  • Patent number: 11623529
    Abstract: Modulated pulse control of electric machines to deliver a desired output in a more energy efficient manner by either (a) operating the electric machine in a continuous mode when a requested torque demand is greater than the peak efficiency torque of the electric machine or (b) in a pulsed modulation mode when the requested torque demand is less than the peak efficiency torque of the electric machine. When operating in the pulsed modulation mode, the inverter may be deactivated to further improve the system efficiency when field weakening is not required to mitigate or eliminate generation of a retarding torque in situations when Back Electromagnetic Force (BEMF) exceeds a supply voltage for the inverter of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Tula eTechnology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Carvell, Adya S. Tripathi
  • Patent number: 11621660
    Abstract: A method for controlling a multi-phase rotary electric machine is disclosed. The stator of the machine is controlled by a control bridge having a plurality of parallel mounted switching arms, with each arm comprising a high-side switch and a low-side switch connected at a center tap connected to a phase of said rotary electric machine. The machine operates as a generator and is connected to an electrical network on board a motor vehicle. The method involves short-circuiting a phase winding of the stator when a measurement of the voltage of said network exceeds a first predetermined value, and after this, activating a switching arm, the center tap of which is connected to said at least one short-circuited phase winding, during which the intensity in the short-circuited winding is measured, if the measured intensity is positive, the high-side switch of said activated switching arm is moved to the closed position, otherwise, it is moved to the open position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Laurent Caves, Raphaël Filipe, Michaël Chemin
  • Patent number: 11616465
    Abstract: An electronic data processor comprises a data storage device in communication with the electronic data processor. A control module stored in the data storage device, the control module comprising software instructions for execution by the electronic data processor to change dynamically the fundamental switching frequency of the control signals to reduce electromagnetic noise within a target frequency band if the fundamental switching frequency is equal to or greater than a threshold fundamental switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Brian J. Booth, Long Wu, Dan Li, Roger K. Amundson, Zack M. Day
  • Patent number: 11603927
    Abstract: A shift range control apparatus controls a shift range switching system that switches shift ranges by controlling driving of a motor. This control apparatus calculates a motor angle based on a motor rotation angle signal, acquires an output shaft signal based on a rotation position of an output shaft from an output shaft sensor, sets a target rotation angle based on a target shift range and the output shaft signal, and controls driving of the motor such that the motor angle becomes the target rotation angle. The control apparatus sets the target rotation angle to a target limit value, in response to the target rotation angle that is set based on the output shaft signal being a value at which rotation occurs that is further toward a back side in a rotation direction than the target limit value that is set based on shift ranges before and after switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignees: DENSO CORPORATION, HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji Sakaguchi, Masahiko Akiyama, Masashi Misawa, Kenshi Masuo
  • Patent number: 11601035
    Abstract: A motor current controlling circuit having a voltage detection mechanism is provided. A first terminal of a first low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of a first high-side transistor. A node between the first terminal of the first low-side transistor and the second terminal of the first high-side transistor is connected to a first terminal of a motor. A first terminal of a second low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of a second high-side transistor. A zero current detector circuit detects a voltage of the node and determines whether or not a current flowing through the motor is equal to a zero value to output a zero current detected signal according to the detected voltage. A controller circuit controls a driver circuit to turn on or off the high-side transistors and the low-side transistors according to the zero current detected signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 11588426
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving a motor includes motor circuitry and neural network circuitry. The motor circuitry is configured to generate, based on an error compensated rotor angle and current at a plurality of phases of the motor, a d-axis instant current value and generate a d-axis instant voltage value based on the d-axis instant current value. The motor circuitry is further configured to generate voltage at the plurality of phases based on the d-axis instant voltage value. The neural network circuitry is configured to generate a rotor angle offset based on an instant rotor speed at the motor. The neural network circuitry has been trained to generate the rotor angle offset to minimize the d-axis instant voltage value for each of a plurality of rotor speeds at the motor. The error compensated rotor angle is based on the rotor angle offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Christopher Roemmelmayer, Radovan Vuletic
  • Patent number: 11579198
    Abstract: An inverter system includes a converter, an inverter, a first switch SW1 that connects between the converter and an AC power source, a capacitor that smooths a DC power in a DC bus, a resistor Rr connected from a positive voltage side of the DC bus to ground, a second switch SW2 that connects between the resistor Rr and ground, and a controller that controls drive of the inverter system. The controller is configured to: after charging the capacitor, while the first switch SW1 is in an OFF state, turn on the second switch SW2 and obtain a first across voltage ER1 of the resistor Rx; turn on an element, among semiconductor elements of the inverter, that is connected to the negative voltage side of the DC bus, and then obtain a second across voltage ER2 of the resistor Rx; and inspect insulation resistance of a motor based on the across voltages ER1, ER2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: OKUMA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Motozumi Yura