Patents Examined by David S Luo
  • Patent number: 9816576
    Abstract: A compact control device for failsafely controlling an electrical actuator capable of moving a movable machine part into a defined end position, has an input connection for receiving an external control signal representing a desired position of the machine part. The compact control device further has an input part for detecting a position signal, which signals an actual position of the machine part at the defined end position. A power section comprises a power switching element for switching on and failsafely switching off a control current for the actuator that is supplied to the electrical actuator via a first output connection. The compact control device has a second output connection for providing an external status signal and an evaluation unit which actuates the power switching element depending on the external control signal and generates the external status signal at the second output connection depending on the position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: CHR. MAYR GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Karl Unsin, Martin Hecht, Alexander Wiegert, Andreas Hahn, Berthold Roessler, Michael Haerter
  • Patent number: 9813003
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus comprising an electromechanical device, a control unit, a main control unit and a motion detector, wherein said control unit is configured to control said electromechanical device. The invention also relates to a method for operating an apparatus with a main control unit, a control unit and an electromechanical device. The technical problem of providing an apparatus with an electromechanical device, the reliability of which is improved, is solved by an apparatus wherein the main control unit is configured to provide information to the control unit. The motion detector and the main control unit are configured such that information about the movement of the electromechanical device is provided by the motion detector at least to the main control unit. The technical problem is also solved by a method for operating an apparatus, in particular an apparatus or medical device according to the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH
    Inventors: Shane Alistair Day, Barry Yates, Aidan Michael O'Hare
  • Patent number: 9813008
    Abstract: One example includes a half-bridge switching circuit system. The system includes a first plurality of switches arranged between a first rail voltage and an output on which an output voltage is provided and a second plurality of switches arranged between a second rail voltage and the output, the first and second pluralities of switches being controlled via a plurality of switching signals. The system also includes a plurality of flying capacitors arranged to interconnect the first and second pluralities of switches, and further includes a plurality of snubber circuits that are each arranged in parallel with a respective one of the plurality of flying capacitors, the first plurality of switches, and the second plurality of switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: LCDRIVES CORP
    Inventors: Russel Hugh Marvin, David H. Leach
  • Patent number: 9813005
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric motor (motor) includes providing a processor having an associated memory storing a stator resistance (Rs) estimation (RSE) algorithm that is programmed to implement the RSE algorithm to execute steps including injecting a current waveform at an arbitrary frame of reference into the stator using a field-oriented-control (FOC) motor controller including an Id controller and an Iq controller, and measuring current and voltage values from the motor responsive to the injecting. The measured current and voltage values are then transformed into transformed current and voltage values in a d/q coordinate system. The transformed current and voltage values are low pass filtered to generate filtered d/q current and voltage values, and a value for Rs is estimated from the filtered d/q current and voltage values. The arbitrary frame of reference can be a time-varying frame of reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Patrick Magee, Andre Veltman, Jorge Zambada
  • Patent number: 9806653
    Abstract: A control apparatus calculates a total loss change amount that is a power loss change amount of a motor control system including respective power loss change amounts of a converter, an inverter, and a motor of the motor control system. Based on the total loss change amount, during a correction-allowed period that is a period during which square wave control is performed, the control apparatus performs correction to decrease a current output voltage command value of the converter when the current output voltage command value is determined to be greater than the output voltage of the converter at which actual total power loss change amount becomes minimum. When the current output voltage command value is determined to be less than the output voltage of the converter at which actual total power loss change amount becomes minimum, the control apparatus performs correction to increase the current output voltage command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akiyoshi Morii, Tetsuya Nomura
  • Patent number: 9802466
    Abstract: A backup controller which is capable of suppressing an unintended operation performed by a motor which rotates in both of a normal rotation direction and a reverse rotation direction is provided. The control unit of the backup controller activates the second relay and the backup circuit in a case where a state in which the motor is rotating in the first direction even though the first relay is not activated is transmitted from the monitoring unit. Further, the control unit activates the first relay and the backup circuit in a case where a state in which the motor is rotating in the second direction even though the second relay is not activated is transmitted from the monitoring unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Shioiri, Mizuki Katsu, Kazunari Ochi
  • Patent number: 9806648
    Abstract: In a motor control device that can perform more appropriate motor control, a switching arm has a first upper FET, a second upper FET, and a lower FET connected in series to one another. A source electrode of the second upper FET and a drain electrode of the lower FET are connected to each other via an intermediate line. The intermediate line is connected to a U-phase motor coil of a motor via a power line. The first upper FET, the second upper FET, and the lower FET are each provided with a parasitic diode that prevents current from flowing from a battery side to a ground side. A phase opening relay FET is provided on the U-phase power line. A parasitic diode of the phase opening relay FET is provided such that a current is not applied from the U-phase motor coil to the U-phase switching arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shunsuke Sugiura
  • Patent number: 9800192
    Abstract: A control system for a multi-phase switched reluctance (SR) machine, having at least two phases, is disclosed. The control system may include a converter circuit and a controller. The controller may include a phase voltage estimator module configured to determine a first phase voltage and a second phase voltage associated with a second phase second phase for the SR machine. The controller may further include a flux estimator module configured to determine first and second estimated fluxes, the first estimated flux associated with the first phase and based on the first phase voltage and an associated first mutual voltage and the second estimated flux the second estimated flux associated with the second phase and based on the second phase voltage and an associated second mutual voltage, and a position observer module configured to determine a rotor position based at least partially on the first estimated flux, the second mutual flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Seok-hee Han, Jackson Wai, Ahmed Khalil, Jesse Gerdes, James Michael Thorne, Sangameshwar Sonth
  • Patent number: 9797517
    Abstract: A valve assembly for spraying devices for agricultural technology having a plurality of valves, wherein the valves each include a valve body, which is capable of assuming at least one enable position and one disable position relative to a valve seat, an electric motor for moving the valve seat and/or the valve body into the enable position and the disable position, and an electric energy storage device for providing electric energy for the electric motor, wherein a voltage converter is provided and configured, in a first operation mode, to convert a first voltage provided by the energy storage device into a second, higher voltage to be applied to the electric motor during moving the valve body and/or the valve seat and, in a second operation mode, to charge the energy storage device with low power input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: LECHLER GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Rempp
  • Patent number: 9795764
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments provide a hoop drive assembly. A hoop drive assembly according to the various embodiments may include one or more toothed rings and one or more motors coupled to the one or more toothed rings. In the various embodiments, rotation of the one or more toothed rings may change an orientation of a turret supported by the hoop drive assembly and/or move a control actuator of a catheter held in a modular plate coupled to the turret.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: CATHETER PRECISION, INC.
    Inventors: Robert Pacheco, Steve Foley, David Jenkins, Thomas Jackson, Luke Hares, Daniel Leonard Fuller
  • Patent number: 9793838
    Abstract: A method includes measuring a speed of a motor, determining a phase angle of a motor voltage relative to a motor current based on the measured speed of the motor, adjusting a profile of the motor voltage by the determined phase angle, and generating a profile of a drive voltage based on the adjusted profile of the motor voltage and a back-EMF profile. An apparatus includes a motor, and a driver circuit. The driver circuit measures a speed of the motor, determines a phase angle of a motor voltage relative to a motor current based on the measured speed of the motor, adjusts a profile of the motor voltage by the determined phase angle, and generates a profile of a drive voltage based on the adjusted profile of the motor voltage and a back-EMF profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: MARVELL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventor: Yichao Wang
  • Patent number: 9793841
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a sensor-less detection circuit is provided that includes a first voltage adjustment circuit coupled for receiving an induced voltage and a second voltage adjustment circuit coupled for receiving a common voltage. A differential amplifier has an inverting input terminal coupled to the first voltage adjustment circuit and a noninverting input terminal coupled to the second voltage adjustment circuit. In accordance with another embodiment, a method for detecting a motor rotor position is provided that includes receiving a first back electromotive force that is at a first voltage level and shifting the first back electromotive force from the first voltage level to a second voltage level. The first back electromotive force is filtered to generate a first filtered voltage; and a first motor rotor position signal is generated in response to comparing the first filtered voltage with a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Satoshi Yokoo, Atsuhiro Ichikawa
  • Patent number: 9787234
    Abstract: A drive controller of an instrument controls a stepping motor to rotate a pointer of the instrument attached to a rotation shaft of the stepping motor, the pointer rotatable between a zero scale position and a maximum scale position. The drive controller controls the stepping motor to perform a sweeping operation in which the pointer is swung from the zero scale position to the maximum scale position and returned back to the zero scale position, wherein the drive controller controls the stepping motor, during the sweeping operation, to accelerate to a predetermined speed by outputting a rated torque signal to the stepping motor and controls the stepping motor to rotate at the predetermined speed by outputting a decreased torque signal to the stepping motor, the decreased torque signal being lower than the rated torque signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sakae Fujitani, Nobuyuki Sueyoshi
  • Patent number: 9783063
    Abstract: A method of regenerative braking includes providing an electric motor including at least one stator and a rotor, a speed of the rotor, a motor controller that regulates a current level in the stator winding, a power inverter which controls an energy flow to the stator terminal, and an energy storage system (ESS) which exchanges energy with the motor. A battery management circuit is between the power inverter and the ESS, and a processor has an associated memory storing a regenerative braking (RB) algorithm. The RB algorithm during braking causes the motor controller to execute determining an RB torque value from the rotor speed that maximizes regenerative braking current, and the power inverter is used to redirect the RB current to maximize a power transfer from the motor to the ESS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Aravind Samba Murthy, David Patrick Magee
  • Patent number: 9787242
    Abstract: Temperature-dependent motor control device, including: a motor controller configured to switch a motor control state among an activated state in which the motor is activated by a first current, an activation stopped state in which activation of the motor is stopped by stopping current supply, and an activation suspended state in which activation of the motor is suspended with a second current smaller than the first current kept supplied; and a temperature estimator configured to calculate an estimated motor temperature value and to perform a first calculation for gradually increasing the estimated value when the motor is in the activated state, a second calculation for gradually decreasing the estimated value when the motor is in the activation stopped state, and a third calculation for gradually decreasing the estimated value at a rate of decrease lower than that in the second calculation when the motor is in the activation suspended state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazutoshi Nakamura, Masanori Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9780717
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes an inverter configured by arms including phase upper-arm switching elements and phase lower-arm switching elements, a power-supply shunt resistor, lower-arm shunt resistors, and a control unit that generates drive signals corresponding to the phase upper-arm switching elements and the phase lower-arm switching elements from detection values of the voltage detectors. The power conversion device changes a ratio of time in which all of the upper-arm switching elements are in an ON state and time in which all of the lower-arm switching elements are in the ON state in one cycle of switching of the inverter according to a modulation ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Uemura, Takuya Shimomugi, Koichi Arisawa, Yosuke Shinomoto, Shigeo Umehara, Shinichiro Ura, Makoto Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 9769990
    Abstract: A power tool includes: a power source (7); a tip tool (2); two switches (SW1,SW2); and a control unit (6e). The tip tool (2) is configured to be driven by the power source (7). The two switches (SW1,SW2) are configured to be turned on for activating the power source (7). The control unit (6e) is configured to control the power source (7) in accordance with on/off of the two switches (SW1,SW2), and operate if at least one of the two switches (SW1,SW2) is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Koizumi, Kazutaka Iwata, Yasutaka Shimizu
  • Patent number: 9771239
    Abstract: A reel has a spool member on which the linear material is spooled, an electric motor that rotates the spool member, and a controller that controls the operation of the motor. The controller monitors an unwound length of the linear material based on sensed rotation of the spool member by one or more sensors. The controller causes the motor to wind the linear material at a drag speed when the linear material is on a ground, at a crawl speed lower than the drag speed when the length of linear material on the ground is shorter than a first threshold amount and through a second predetermined amount once the linear material lifts off the ground to inhibit swing of the linear material as it comes off the ground, and at a docking speed greater than the crawl speed when the unwound linear material is shorter than the second threshold amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Great Stuff, Inc.
    Inventors: James B.A. Tracey, Joseph M. Hill, III, Johnathan R. Tracey
  • Patent number: 9772131
    Abstract: A heat pump device capable of efficiently and reliably preventing a liquid refrigerant from stagnating in a compressor an air conditioner, a heat pump water heater, a refrigerator, and a freezing machine including the heat pump device. The configuration is such that, when the compressor is under operation standby, a high-frequency voltage synchronizing with a carrier signal is supplied to the compressor motor to carry out the locked energization of the compressor motor. From respective inter-phase voltages, respective phase voltages, or respective phase currents of the compressor motor for a plurality of high-frequency energization cycles, the detection values for one high-frequency energization cycle are restored. A power value calculated using the restored detection values for one high-frequency energization cycle is controlled to coincide with a heating power command necessary for discharging the liquid refrigerant stagnated in the compressor to the outside of the compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Hatakeyama, Shota Kamiya, Kenta Yuasa, Shinya Matsushita, Shinsaku Kusube
  • Patent number: 9770301
    Abstract: The invention relates to a robotic module for driving a catheterization system, which includes a base and a movable element rotatably mounted, relative to the base, about a rotation axle. The movable element includes: a mounting having a surface for rotating about the axle, the rotating surface comprising an access opening; a transfer system including a fixed part supported by the base and a mobile part for translating the catheter, supported by the mounting, the mobile part having an access opening. The access opening of the mobile part is aligned with the access opening of the rotating surface, regardless of the relative orientation of the mounting and of the base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Robocath
    Inventors: Philippe Bencteux, Sébastien Deboeuf, Jacques Rignier