Patents Examined by David S. Martin
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Patent number: 6418032Abstract: A printed wiring board in which noise components at a high frequency side of a power supply voltage can be eliminated, and undesired radiation noisewhich is newly generated can be suppressed, such that noise can be greatly reduced overall. The printed wiring board includes a first signal layer, a GND layer, a power source layer and a second signal layer. A sub-power source layer is provided on a same layer as a main power source layer. The sub-power source layer is formed in a substantially oval shape at a predetermined position in a substantially oval opening in the main power source layer, such that it is not in direct contact with the main power source layer. Power supply voltage is supplied from the main power source layer through an L-type filter.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2001Date of Patent: July 9, 2002Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masayuki Hirata, Osamu Ueno
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Patent number: 6418085Abstract: A pair of numeral “8” display elements is operative to perform dual functions in a digital time display, one, to display the values of seconds and, the other, to display an AM or PM indicator which may be separately activated for setting the correct AM or PM cycle synchronized with the hour value in the time display.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2001Date of Patent: July 9, 2002Assignee: Equitime, Inc.Inventor: Berj A. Terzian
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Patent number: 6414454Abstract: An operator for opening and closing movable barriers such as garage doors comprising a pass point limit system which is a component of an operating head. The operator is responsive to remote control from a wall panel or other location remote from the operating head to enable setting and adjustment of door travel limits from a remote location, without requiring installation of limit switches separate from the operating head.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1999Date of Patent: July 2, 2002Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.Inventors: Roger William Lhotak, James Joseph Fitzgibbon, Robert John Olmsted, Kenneth J. Dombrowski
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Patent number: 6400106Abstract: An inductive load is managed to reduce unnecessary induced electromagnetic radiation as caused by unwanted voltage and/or current fluctuations. The management is accomplished through combined current and voltage slew rate limiting of a transistor driving the inductive load. This management may be effected through a combination of analog and digital circuitry.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 1999Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: Siemens Automotive CorporationInventors: Angela Murch Magruder, Alfons Fisch
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Patent number: 6392374Abstract: The control device includes a switch (12) controlling the power supply to the motor and an actuator which actuates this switch by rotatably reacting against the moving object being restrained so as to cause said switch to be opened and to cut off the power supply to the motor. This actuator consists of a bistable mechanical device (11) capable of taking up a first state in which the switch (12) is closed and a second state in which the switch is open. The actuating device also includes a cable (17) for putting the actuating device into its first state, this device being brought into its second state by reacting against the moving object.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1999Date of Patent: May 21, 2002Assignee: SomfyInventors: Didier Menetrier, Norbert Dupielet
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Patent number: 6377005Abstract: A drive device, in particular a locking device, having an actuating drive for driving a moving element as well as a position detection device for detecting the position of the moving element, in which case the invention provides that the position detection device has a magnet element which is fitted to the moving element, as well as a Hall element which is arranged in the vicinity of the magnet element, in which case the Hall element is integrated in an electronic module.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 1999Date of Patent: April 23, 2002Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AGInventors: Albert Zintler, Wolfgang Mücke, Reinhard Stalter
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Patent number: 6373208Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the voltage applied to a voice coil motor coil during the retract operations of a mass storage device, comprising a combination of three different voltage regulator stages. This method includes providing a first circuitry stage adapted to source current to a voice coil motor apparatus, raising the voltage across the voice coil motor to a desired level, providing a second circuitry stage adapted to draw current from the voice coil motor effecting a desired voltage across the voice coil motor, and providing a third circuitry stage adapted to raise the voltage of the voice coil motor to ground by effectively shorting the voice coil motor to ground.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1999Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Joao Carlos Felicio Brito, Frederick W. Trafton, John K. Rote
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Patent number: 6373210Abstract: Conventionally converter-controlled electric motors are allowed to operate in generational mode during braking and to convert the electrical energy so produced into heat. Such motors may also comprise electromagnetically actuated mechanical brakes. In the present invention it is proposed to supply the electrical energy produced by the motor when in a generational mode to an excitation coil of the brake and there store it temporarily as magnetic energy or convert it into heat.Type: GrantFiled: January 4, 2000Date of Patent: April 16, 2002Assignee: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co.Inventors: Jörg Roth-Stielow, Josef Schmidt
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Patent number: 6353296Abstract: An electronic system (101/102) for use in a car has an electronic control unit (10) and, in the alternative, either a passive load (11) or an active logic (12) attached thereto. The control unit (10) comprises a push-pull arrangement (20) which can provide drive signals for the load (11) as well as for the logic (12), a multiplexer (45) to alternatively forward a load drive signal of a bus signal to the arrangement (20), and a register (90) to store a mode signal. Further, the control unit (10) automatically determines whether either the load (11) or the logic (12) is attached by analyzing electrical parameters.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 1999Date of Patent: March 5, 2002Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Will Specks, Markus Strecker, Ricardo Erckert, Francoise Vareilhias
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Patent number: 6351601Abstract: A fan speed control system for controlling the operation and speed of a fan is described. The fan speed control system includes a power control block for supplying an output voltage to the fan. An integrated circuit fan controller causes a resistor divider circuit to operably divide a selected portion of the output voltage. The integrated circuit fan controller comprises a data register which receives values indicative of control or speed operands from a host. A logic state machine translates these values into appropriate logic signals and provides the signals to the resistor divider circuit. A timing reference or an oscillator controls the proper sequencing and timing relationship of the logic state machine. To turn the fan on, the following sequence of steps occurs. The power control block is turned off causing the output voltage not to be supplied to the fan. The logic state machine controls the resistor divider circuit to divide the output voltage to be supplied to the fan.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 1999Date of Patent: February 26, 2002Assignee: Micrel IncorporatedInventor: Joseph James Judkins, III
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Patent number: 6351093Abstract: In an FDD control apparatus for controlling a floppy disk drive for driving a floppy disk loaded in the floppy disk drive, an FDD control part including a floppy disk controller (FDC) is disposed in an FDD side in lieu of a host side (a SET side). The host side (SET side) is loaded with a USB connector connected to the FDD control part. The FDD control part includes a flash ROM for storing a program for adjusting a step timing of a stepping motor.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 1999Date of Patent: February 26, 2002Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masaki Kato, Hideaki Hayasaka, Yoshihito Otomo, Koichi Seno
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Patent number: 6351090Abstract: A device for starting a gas turbine in an aircraft includes an electrical power supply delivering a direct current and a drive electric motor connected to the power supply, independent of the turbine to be started and having an output shaft mechanically coupled to an input shaft of the turbine to rotate with it. The drive electric motor is a three-phase alternating current synchronous motor and is controlled by an inverter connected to the power supply. Applications include situations in which the turbine to be driven is a high-power turbine.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 1998Date of Patent: February 26, 2002Assignee: Aerospatiale Societe Nationale Industrielle and Kollmorgen ArtusInventors: Serge Boyer, Régine Sutra-Orus, Stéphane Tregine-Regent, Alain Tardy, Claude Barbier, Philippe Buron, Patrick Ribardiere, Marcel Louarn
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Patent number: 6344718Abstract: Disclosed is an electric actuator comprising a feed nut member and a movable member for making displacement along a longitudinal direction of a frame by the aid of a rotary driving force transmitted by a ball screw shaft in accordance with a driving action of a rotary driving source, and guide blocks formed separately from the movable member and the feed nut member, for making displacement along the frame integrally with the movable member, wherein the movable member is detachably installed to the guide blocks.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 1999Date of Patent: February 5, 2002Assignee: SMC Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Shigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Masaru Saitoh
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Patent number: 6340872Abstract: A movable barrier operator includes a wall control switch module having a learn switch thereon. The switch module is connectable to a control unit positioned in a head of a garage movable barrier operator. The head unit also contains an electric motor which is connected to a transmission for opening and closing a movable barrier such as a garage door. The switch module includes a plurality of switches coupled to capacitors which, when closed, have varying charge and discharge times to enable which switch has been closed. The control unit includes an automatic force incrementing system for adjusting the maximal opening and closing force to be placed upon the movable barrier during a learn operation. Likewise, end of travel limits can also be set during a learn operation upon installation of the unit.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 1999Date of Patent: January 22, 2002Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.Inventors: James J. Fitzgibbon, John V. Moravec, Bradley Farris
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Patent number: 6329777Abstract: A direct current motor for an engine throttle control is driven with a motor current of 100% duty ratio, when a throttle valve is to be moved from one throttle position to another or when the movement of the throttle valve is to be braked. The motor current is limited to a limit level, when the motor locks, that is, when the motor current continues to be in excess of the limit level for more than a predetermined period. The motor may be driven with a limited current at initial stages of moving the throttle valve, and with a further limited current when the motor lock is detected. The motor current is finally shut off, when the throttle valve is not rotated to the target position after the continuation of the limitation of the motor current for more than a predetermined period.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 1999Date of Patent: December 11, 2001Assignee: Denso CorporationInventors: Toru Itabashi, Yukihide Niimi
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Patent number: 6323615Abstract: A modular articulated robot structure (FIG. 4) composed of a series of independent modules (10,100,300) releasably connected to each other to form various configurations. The modules (10,100,300) may be of the rotary (10), linear (100), or wheeled (300) type. The rotary modules (10) are generally formed of first and second substantially U-shaped structural members (12,14) pivotally attached to one another by means of a pair of axles or pivot pins (26) adapted to support a workload exerted on the module (10). A motor (48) is mounted internally of the module (10) for pivoting the second structural member (14) relative to the first structural member (12). The motor (48) is connected to the second structural member (14) in such a way that it is not submitted to outside loads exerted on the module (10).Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1999Date of Patent: November 27, 2001Inventor: Charles Khairallah
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Patent number: 6320350Abstract: A modulation control type of AC motor includes a modulator and a modulation motor. The modulation motor has the structure in which a DC field power source of a two-phase synchronous motor is replaced by a load and a DC main magnetic flux is replaced by an alternate main magnetic flux. There is no interference between the frequency of an AC power source and the frequency of a modulation signal. Therefore, the synchronous torque and the rotation speed can be controlled separately and independently. The controllable range is wide.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 1999Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Inventor: Takashi Take
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Patent number: 6320349Abstract: A power corresponding to an A/C voltage command id1* is applied in the d-axis direction of rotational coordinates of a stopped synchronous motor via a current control unit, a three-phase converting unit, and a power converter. Further, by using “an amplitude value of a current iq′ in the q-axis direction of the rotational coordinates generated in response to the A/C voltage command id1*” which is fed back and detected via a current detector and a dq converting unit, a field pole position estimation value &thgr;{circumflex over ( )} is converged. The field pole position is estimated by using the converged field pole position estimation value &thgr;{circumflex over ( )} as a true value of the field pole position &thgr; of the synchronous motor.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 1999Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Inventors: Satoru Kaneko, Ryoso Masaki, Yuusuke Takamoto, Taizou Miyazaki, Sanshiro Obara
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Patent number: 6320336Abstract: A bicycle with a power assisting function has an electric motor for adding part of propulsive forces to manual forces to assist in the manual forces, a battery for supplying electric energy to the electric motor, a treading force detecting circuit for detecting manual forces applied as propulsive forces, and a control circuit for controlling operation of the electric motor depending on the magnitude of detected manual forces. The electric motor is operable as an electric generator with extra manual forces for utilizing part of regenerated electric energy to charge the battery.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 1999Date of Patent: November 20, 2001Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Yasuhito Eguchi
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Patent number: 6310451Abstract: A movable barrier operator includes a wall control switch module having a learn switch thereon. The switch module is connectable to a control unit positioned in a head of a garage movable barrier operator. The head unit also contains an electric motor which is connected to a transmission for opening and closing a movable barrier such as a garage door. The switch module includes a plurality of switches coupled to capacitors which, when closed, have varying charge and discharge times to enable which switch has been closed. The control unit includes an automatic force incrementing system for adjusting the maximal opening and closing force to be placed upon the movable barrier during a learn operation. Likewise, end of travel limits pan also be set during a learn operation upon installation of the unit.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2000Date of Patent: October 30, 2001Assignee: The Chamberlain Group, Inc.Inventors: James J. Fitzgibbon, John V. Moravec, Bradley Farris