Patents Examined by Cortez M Cook
  • Patent number: 11876474
    Abstract: A linear resonant device and a braking method for the same. The linear resonant device comprises a linear resonant motor and a drive chip. The drive chip pre-stores a drive waveform and at least one first braking waveform therein. The method comprises: determining, in response to a braking instruction, whether vibration of the linear resonant motor meets a first condition while being driven by the drive waveform; and if so, controlling the drive chip to drive, by using the first braking waveform, the linear resonant motor and to conduct a first braking process for the linear resonant motor, wherein the first braking waveform comprises at least two pulse waveforms, and an amplitude value of each of the at least two pulse waveforms gradually decreases along a propagation direction of the first braking waveform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: SHANGHAI AWINIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Guanxing Zhao, Shaofu Wu, Dajun Wu, Zhijun Meng
  • Patent number: 11863097
    Abstract: A motor controller comprises a switch circuit, a driving circuit, and a pulse width modulation circuit. The switch circuit is coupled to a three-phase motor for driving the three-phase motor. The driving circuit generates a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit. When the motor controller starts a floating phase for detecting a phase switching time point, the motor controller enables that at least one transistor within the switch circuit is operated in a linear region. The motor controller is configured to reduce switching noise of the three-phase motor and increase a success rate of phase switching.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Global Mixed-mode Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Chien-Lun Chu
  • Patent number: 11855561
    Abstract: A motor control determines if a motor is rotating at steady state velocity and then populates a table with information about each individual motor sector. At steady state velocity, the duration of the motor within an electrical sector is measured. The duration of the complete mechanical rotation of the motor is determined. The controller determines a ratio of the measured duration of the sector to a duration of a complete mechanical rotation of the motor. The ratio of sector duration to rotation duration is stored in a table. The controller is configured for controlling the motor using the table values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Insight Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Emil V. Popov, Ivaylo N. Sotirov
  • Patent number: 11855574
    Abstract: A control device includes first and second input terminals to which a DC voltage for driving a motor is input, and a control unit. The control unit sets a rotation direction of the motor based on first input to the first input terminal or the second input terminal. A rotation speed of the motor is changed based on a subsequence input of the DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HIRATA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naoto Arita, Satoshi Nishimoto, Koichi Nakano
  • Patent number: 11848629
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for electric motor control includes a model predictive controller operating in a d-q reference frame to provide d-q reference frame voltage command signals that counteract a magnetic cross coupling within the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Yue-Yun Wang, Lei Hao, Ruixing Long, Bojian Cao
  • Patent number: 11846230
    Abstract: A load adaptive linear electrical generator system is provided for generating DC electrical power. The electrical generation system includes one or more power generation modules which will be selectively turned on or off and additively contribute power depending on the DC power demand. Each power generating module includes a pair of linear electrical generators connected to respective ones of a pair of internal combustion piston based power assemblies. The piston in the internal combustion assembly is connected to a magnet in the linear electrical generator. The piston/magnet assembly oscillates in a simple harmonic motion at a frequency dependent on a power load of the electrical generator. A stroke limiter constrains the piston/magnet assembly motion to preset limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventor: Jay B. Ross
  • Patent number: 11843340
    Abstract: A power tool includes a brushless motor including several windings, a drive circuit for driving the brushless motor, a detection device for detecting the brushless motor so as to obtain a load parameter corresponding to a load of the brushless motor, and a controller for outputting a first control signal to reduce current of the brushless motor in a first slope when the load parameter exceeds a first preset range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Nanjing Chervon Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongwei Wang, Qian Xu, Weipeng Chen, Xiangqing Fu, Dongrong Qiu, Wencheng Li
  • Patent number: 11837985
    Abstract: An N-phase electric machine, N being an integer ?3, includes a housing; i×N stator windings arranged in a fixed manner in the housing, i being an integer ?2; and a rotatable rotor surrounded by the i×N stator windings in the housing. The stator windings are consecutively divided into i subgroups in a circumferential direction, each subgroup having N stator windings. The electric machine further comprises i current control modules and i temperature measurement devices, each current control module being correspondingly electrically connected to the N stator windings in one corresponding subgroup, so that when the stator windings in the i subgroups are supplied with power by the i current control modules, a rotating magnetic field is generated around the rotor. Each temperature measurement device is configured to measure the temperature of one corresponding subgroup in the i subgroups during operation of the electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alina Sun, Tingting Dong, Takashi Shigematsu, Thomas Specker
  • Patent number: 11837987
    Abstract: A motor control device controls a drive of a motor in a motor drive system including the motor and a detent mechanism. The detent mechanism has a detent member that rotates integrally with an output shaft to which the rotation of the motor is transmitted, and an engaging member that moves a valley portion by a rotation of the motor and positions the output shaft by stopping within a positioning range. The motor control device includes a positioning determination unit and an energization control unit. The positioning determination unit determines whether or not the engaging member is stopped within the positioning range based on control parameter other than a detection value of a motor rotation angle sensor that detects a motor rotation angle. When the energization control unit determines that the engaging member is stopped within the positioning range, the energization control unit turns off the energization of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamamoto, Seiji Nakayama, Jun Yamada, Kouji Sakaguchi
  • Patent number: 11831263
    Abstract: The present specification relates to a motor control device, a motor control system, and a motor control method. The motor control device measures a ripple voltage of a DC link capacitor to determine an appropriate switching frequency according to the ripple voltage, and causes a plurality of arithmetic processing units to selectively control a switching operation of the switching unit according to the determined switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jungdae Lee, Sanggi Ko, Jaeyoon Oh, Gilsu Lee
  • Patent number: 11827291
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a third harmonic calculation unit configured to calculate a first third harmonic on a basis of an average value between a voltage command value of a maximum phase with a maximum duty ratio and a voltage command value of a minimum phase with a minimum duty ratio among three-phase voltage command values; an amplitude calculation unit configured to calculate an amplitude of the three-phase voltage command values; a third harmonic conversion unit configured to convert the first third harmonic into a second third harmonic on a basis of the first third harmonic and the amplitude; a correction unit configured to correct the three-phase voltage command values by subtracting the second third harmonic from the three-phase voltage command values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Yasutoshi Miki, Masahiro Maeda
  • Patent number: 11817810
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a motor driving device includes an output part that supplies an exciting current to an exciting coil, a position detection part that detects a rotational position of a rotor, and a driving control part that produces a driving signal that is based on a detection signal from the position detection part and supplies it to the output part. The position detection part has first, second, and third detection elements that are integrally integrated together with the driving control part and detect rotational positions of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation
    Inventor: Shen Wang
  • Patent number: 11811344
    Abstract: A work machine includes a frame, a traction system supporting the frame, a power source mounted on the frame, a switched reluctance motor, an inverter configured to control power to the motor from a power source, and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a signal indicating a desired torque and determine if the desired torque is between an upper threshold and a lower threshold. If the desired torque is between the upper threshold and the lower threshold, pulse width modulation is used to produce a PWM adjusted torque command, and the motor is commanded based on the PWM adjusted torque command. The PWM adjusted torque command is configured to cycle between the upper threshold and the lower threshold to produce the desired torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse R. Gerdes, Thomas M. Sopko, Carlos E. Nino Baron, Jackson Wai, Ahmed Khalil, Sajan Abdul, Amara Ashfaq, James Michael Thorne
  • Patent number: 11811352
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a vehicle propulsion system. The vehicle propulsion system includes a first electric machine including a first set of machine windings that are configured to cause a rotor to rotate about an axis to selectively drive a transmission during a first vehicle operating state and a second electric machine including a second set of machine windings that are configured to cause a rotor to rotate about an axis selectively drive the transmission during at least one of the first vehicle operating state or a second vehicle operating state. The second vehicle operating state different from the first operating state, and a number of series turns per phase for the first set of machine windings is different from a number of series turns per phase for the second set of machine windings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Thomas W. Nehl, Norman K. Bucknor
  • Patent number: 11811345
    Abstract: A converter of a variable frequency drive (VFD) is operated in a ramp-up mode to produce an AC output voltage for accelerating a motor. A loading of the converter is determined concurrent with the ramp-up mode. Transfer of the motor to a bypassed mode is conditioned on whether the determined loading in the ramp-up mode meets a criterion. In some embodiments, conditioning transfer to the bypassed mode comprises foregoing transition to the bypassed mode based on a comparison of the determined loading to an underloading threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Stan Rex Simms, Thomas A. Farr, Donovan Gray
  • Patent number: 11811342
    Abstract: Disclosed is a ripple counter with a dynamic bandpass filter for a DC motor. The ripple counter includes a current sense amplifier configured to provide an analog voltage responsive to an inline current in rotor windings of the DC motor. The ripple counter also includes an analog-to-digital converter configured to provide a digital signal responsive to the analog voltage. The ripple counter also includes a digital filter configured to receive the digital signal and a clock signal and configured to vary a frequency response to provide a filtered ripple current. The ripple counter also includes a digital comparator circuit configured to receive the filtered ripple current and to provide a pulsed output. The ripple counter also includes a clock generator configured to detect the frequency of the pulsed output and to provide the clock signal responsive to the detected frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Chinmay Jain, Kalpana Suryawanshi, Priyank Anand, Ashish Ojha, Krishnamurthy Shankar
  • Patent number: 11804798
    Abstract: A motor controller includes a rectifier module, an inverter circuit, an energy storage capacitor C1, a DC inductor L1, a microprocessor, and a lightning protection and surge protection circuit. The rectifier module includes an output end connected to the energy storage capacitor C1 to charge the energy storage capacitor C1; two ends of the energy storage capacitor C1 are connected to the inverter circuit to supply power to the energy storage capacitor C1. The DC inductor L1 is in series connection between a positive output end A of the rectifier module and a positive end B of the energy storage capacitor C1. The lightning protection and surge protection circuit is disposed between the rectifier module and the energy storage capacitor C1. The lightning protection and surge protection circuit includes a differential mode protection circuit and a primary common mode protection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: ZHONGSHAN BROAD-OCEAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xiaosan Xu, Yunsheng Chen, Pengyuan Chen, Hairong Sun
  • Patent number: 11784592
    Abstract: A control device (1) is configured to reduce the commutation angle error ? of a three-phase (u, v, w) EC motor (2.2) connected via a y-configuration. The three phases (u, v, w) are commutated via a motor control (3) including a rotor position sensor (4) and a control circuit (10). The rotor position sensor (4) senses the relative angular position of the rotor using the neutral-point potential at the neutral point of the y-configuration. The control circuit (10) is configured to impose a desired field weakening current component on the motor control (3) for reducing the commutation angle error ?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: ebm-papst Mulfingen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jens Krotsch, Thomas Ley, Hiren Gondaliya
  • Patent number: 11777423
    Abstract: A method for determining a movement of a rotor of an electric motor, comprises supplying a drive signal to a drive coil of the electric motor, sensing a coil current of the drive coil, detecting current ripples of the sensed coil current caused by the rotor of the electric motor crossing ripple generating positions, inferring the movement of the rotor from the detected ripples, braking the motor by reducing the drive signal supplied to the drive coil from an initial signal value to zero according to a braking curve specifying a non-zero fall time during which the drive signal is reduced from the initial signal value to zero. The braking curve is adapted so that the rotor does not cross a ripple generating position after the drive signal has been reduced to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Aptiv Technologies Limited
    Inventors: Mateusz Romaszko, Grzegorz Wyszynski, Piotr Maj
  • Patent number: 11770086
    Abstract: An operation device includes a movable portion, a vibration generating unit, a fixed portion, a detecting unit, and a control unit. The vibration generating unit includes a movable yoke attached to the movable portion, and a fixed yoke attached to the fixed portion and disposed facing the movable yoke in a first direction. The vibration generating unit includes a permanent magnet attached to one yoke among the movable yoke and the fixed yoke, both ends of the permanent magnet in the first direction being opposite magnetic poles created by magnetization. The vibration generating unit includes an exciting coil attached to a different yoke from the one yoke among the movable yoke and the fixed yoke, the exciting coil being configured to induce magnetic flux in response to a current flowing through the exciting coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Wakuda