Patents Examined by Gabriel Agared
  • Patent number: 11835900
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes: a current supply unit configured to supply coil current to a plurality of coils of a motor by controlling, based on a first command value of excitation current and a second command value of torque current, voltage to be applied to the plurality of coils; a first setting unit configured to set the first command value; a second setting unit configured to set the second command value; and a control unit configured to use first control in starting of rotation of a rotor of the motor, and switch control to second control after rotation speed of the rotor becomes greater than predetermined speed. The first setting unit is further configured to set a value greater than 0 as the first command value before the control unit switches control from the first control to the second control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masatoshi Itoh
  • Patent number: 11831258
    Abstract: A circuit with a Safe-Torque-Off (STO) functionality and a frequency converter including the same are provided. According to embodiments, the circuit may include a first STO channel configured to control on/off of power supply to a high-side driver of a frequency converter based on a first STO signal, a second STO channel configured to control on/off of power supply to a low-side driver of the frequency converter based on a second STO signal, and a third STO channel configured to control supply of a drive control signal from a controller of the frequency converter to the high-side driver and the low-side driver based on a result of a logical operation of the first STO signal and the second STO signal, wherein the logical operation is configured to make the result active in response to at least one of the first and second STO signals being active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Zhejiang Holip Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaoran Xu, Liang Xiao
  • Patent number: 11817801
    Abstract: An electric motor speed controller includes a processor connected to the following terminals, a base voltage terminal receiving a base voltage, a first voltage terminal provided with a constant voltage, and a second voltage terminal receiving a first motor coil voltage from the processor, and a third voltage terminal receiving a second motor coil voltage from the processor. The processor provides a first control period having the second motor coil voltage be zero and a second control period having the first motor coil voltage be zero. The processor determines the motor speed by controlling a difference between a first time period in the first control period and a second time period in the second control period. The first time period corresponds to a first output voltage increase and the second time period corresponds to a second output voltage increase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventors: Menghua Hu, Jinbao Li, Yufeng Zhou, Shuqing Wang, Zuolin Ren
  • Patent number: 11804795
    Abstract: This application relates to a motor controller applied to an electric vehicle, a microprocessor in the motor controller, and a sampling trigger method applied to the microprocessor. The sampling trigger method includes: a signal generation module generates an exciting fundamental wave signal to drive the resolver to work; a signal processing module determines an exciting symbol based on the exciting fundamental wave signal, where the exciting symbol includes alternate high-level signals and low-level signals, and the signal processing module further determines a zero crossing point signal of the exciting fundamental wave signal based on the exciting symbol; and a phase shift processing module performs phase shift processing on the zero crossing point signal to obtain a sampling trigger signal, to trigger the microprocessor to sample the resolver feedback signal. In this solution, fewer peripheral circuits of a chip are used, thereby improving a product integration degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xuejuan Kong, Lixia Zou, Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 11804794
    Abstract: A motor controller comprises a switch circuit and a control unit. The motor controller is used for driving a motor, where the motor has a coil. The switch circuit is configured to supply a coil current to the coil. The control unit is configured to generate a plurality of control signals to control the switch circuit. The motor controller enables a floating phase time to be a variable value, where the floating phase time has a stable interval and a detecting interval. The motor controller enables a zero point of the coil current to appear in the stable interval, so as to detect a phase switching time point in a stable way and avoid a noise problem. The motor controller detects a zero crossing point of a back electromotive force in the detecting interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Global Mixed-mode Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Chien-Lun Chu
  • Patent number: 11799405
    Abstract: In sensorless control for a rotary machine, when variations in inductances for U, V, W phases due to manufacturing error are great, imbalance occurs among detected currents for the respective phases. Thus, estimation error of a magnetic pole position of a rotor increases, so that positioning accuracy is reduced. Correction filters for imparting gains in accordance with rotary machine constants for the respective phases are provided to control means or magnetic pole position calculation means, thereby correcting the imbalance occurring among the detected currents for the respective phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke Hachiya, Masato Ito, Akihiro Maruyama, Kunihiro Kawahara
  • Patent number: 11796831
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present technology may provide methods and systems for position stabilization. The methods and systems for position stabilization may be integrated within an electronic device. An exemplary system may include a driver circuit responsive to a gyro sensor and a feedback signal from an actuator. The driver circuit may be configured to calibrate a gain applied to a drive signal based on the posture of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Koichi Abe
  • Patent number: 11799404
    Abstract: A motor controller circuit having a rotational speed locking mechanism is provided. Each time when a motor commutates, a first signal generating circuit resets a first waveform signal and a second signal generating circuit resets a second waveform signal. An output signal generating circuit outputs a waveform output signal according to the first waveform signal and the second waveform signal. A motor controller circuit outputs an on-time signal according to the waveform output signal. A motor driving circuit outputs a driving signal to the motor to drive the motor to rotate according to the on-time signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ming-Jung Tsai
  • Patent number: 11788349
    Abstract: A motorized shade comprising a motor adapted to lower or raise a shade material for selectively covering an architectural opening based on a position of the sun. The motorized shade comprises a controller adapted to drive the motor phase according to a startup sequence by ramping up amplitude form an initial amplitude to a startup amplitude and ramping up frequency from an initial frequency to a drive frequency, drive the motor phase according to a full drive sequence to move the shade material by driving the motor phase according to a sinusoidal waveform at a set maximum amplitude and at a drive frequency, and drive the motor phase according to a wind down sequence by reducing frequency from the drive frequency to an end frequency and reducing the amplitude from the maximum amplitude to an end amplitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Crestron Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Campagna, Benjamin Slivka, Luis J. Rivera
  • Patent number: 11777424
    Abstract: A method for determining an initial rotor position of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) includes: generating a plurality of transient currents by applying a plurality of voltages to each phase stator winding of a three phase stator winding of the PMSM; generating three phase current differences according to the plurality of transient currents; determining a first zone in which the initial rotor position of the PMSM is located according to the three phase current differences, wherein angles between 0-360 degrees are divided into a plurality of zones, and the first zone is selected from the plurality of zones; calculating three line current differences according to the three phase current differences; and determining the initial rotor position of the PMSM according to the first zone and the three line current differences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Elite Semiconductor Microelectronics Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Shih-Chieh Wang, Yong-Yi Jhuang, Ming-Fu Tsai
  • Patent number: 11759953
    Abstract: An abnormality detection method for detecting an abnormality of an encoder provided for a robot includes: obtaining corrected position information according to commanded position information output from a controller that designates the rotational position of a motor and an output signal output from the encoder; and, determining, after comparing the corrected position information with the detected position information according to the output signal output from the encoder, the abnormality of the encoder, if there is a difference greater than or equal to a predetermined value between the corrected position information and the detected position information. The controller removes a vibration component of the robot corresponding to the weight of an attachment load from the commanded position information and compensates for a time delay to obtain the corrected position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Kinugasa, Atsumi Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11764709
    Abstract: A motor controller comprises a switch circuit and a control unit. The switch circuit is coupled to a motor for driving the motor. The control unit generates a control signal to control the switch circuit. The motor controller determines a non-excitation time. When the motor is in a locked state, the motor controller enables the non-excitation time to be a variable value. The motor controller utilizes the non-excitation time to achieve a lock protection function. The motor controller determines whether the motor is in the locked state by detecting a rotor speed or a rotor temperature. Moreover, the motor controller further comprises a driving signal, where the driving signal has the non-excitation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Global Mixed-mode Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Ching-Feng Lai
  • Patent number: 11750135
    Abstract: One aspect of a motor control device according to the present invention is a motor control device that controls a motor of an electric pump. The motor control device includes a drive unit that supplies a drive current to the motor; a control unit that controls a rotation speed of the motor by controlling the drive unit based on a rotation speed command value; and a current detection unit that detects the drive current supplied to the motor, and supplies a current detection value indicating a detection result of the drive current to the control unit. The control unit determines whether or not a foreign fluid suction abnormality occurs in the electric pump, based on a first current detection value acquired at a first timing when the rotation speed command value changes from a first command value to a second command value and a second current detection value acquired after the first timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: NIDEC TOSOK CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Shirai
  • Patent number: 11745619
    Abstract: Multiple chemistry battery systems and methods for using such systems in electric vehicles are disclosed. In one embodiment, an example electric vehicle may include a drive motor configured to impart motion to one or more wheels of the electric vehicle, a plurality of batteries configured to power the drive motor, and one or more controllers. The plurality of batteries may include a first battery including a first cell having a first chemistry, and a second battery including a second cell having a second chemistry different from the first chemistry. The one or more controllers may be configured to cause the first battery and the second battery to power the drive motor, and to cause the drive motor to charge the first battery and the second battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: PREMERGY, INC
    Inventors: Richard Edward Botts, Blakely Lane Fabiani, David S. Merrill
  • Patent number: 11705834
    Abstract: Systems and methods for sensorless trapezoidal control of brushless DC motors provide effective high-torque startup and low speed operation without the use of Hall effect sensors or encoders during motor operation. The systems and methods also provide the ability to boost signal-to-noise ratio for motor startup and low speed operation via an augmenting supply voltage. Sampling architectures and current-dependent inductance modeling architectures for the control systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajan Lakshmi Narasimha, David Patrick Magee
  • Patent number: 11699972
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes techniques for implementing a variable speed drive (VSD) in an environmental conditioning system to facilitate mitigating or eliminating system faults. The variable speed drive drives a motor during on-cycles and heats motor windings of the motor during off-cycles. The variable speed motor drive includes a rectifier that converts alternative-current (AC) power input to a direct-current (DC) power output, a DC bus that is coupled to the rectifier and includes a DC bus transistor, and an inverter. The DC bus transistor pre-charges a DC capacitor of the DC bus to drive the motor during on-cycles and receives a gate pulse with a duty cycle based on a differential temperature, where the gate pulse heats the motor windings. The inverter receives the gate pulse applied to the DC bus transistor and transmits it a motor winding to prevent moisture on the motor winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Tyco IP Holdings LLP
    Inventor: Samuel A. Hanchett
  • Patent number: 11699963
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a reference current generator that generates a reference current based on a command, a motor voltage providing device that generates a phase voltage based on the reference current, a high frequency voltage, and a feedback current and provides a motor with the phase voltage, and a high frequency voltage generator that generates the high frequency voltage corresponding to a magnitude of voltage generated based on the reference current and the feedback current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jun Hyuk Im
  • Patent number: 11677397
    Abstract: A trigger assembly, for use with a power tool having an electric motor, includes a trigger, a conductor coupled for movement with the trigger, and a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has an inductive sensor thereon responsive to relative movement between the conductor and the inductive sensor caused by movement of the trigger. An output of the inductive sensor is used to activate the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: John S. Dey, IV, Jacob P. Schneider
  • Patent number: 11673474
    Abstract: A technique controls regenerative braking to reduce skidding of a vehicle. Such a technique involves imparting rotation to an alternating current (AC) electric motor to move the vehicle to a first commanded vehicle speed; applying a regenerative braking power to the AC electric motor to bring the vehicle to a second commanded vehicle speed; while applying the regenerative braking power, adjusting the level of regenerative braking power applied to follow a predetermined speed reduction rate; while adjusting the level of regenerative braking power applied, provide a limit to the maximum level of regenerative braking power available; and while providing the limit to the maximum level of regenerative braking power available, adjusting the limit to the maximum level of regenerative braking power available based on a current speed of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Russell William King, Kevin Douglas Grove
  • Patent number: 11658593
    Abstract: Automated speed ramp control of stepper motor acceleration and deceleration using direct memory access (DMA) and core independent peripherals (CIPs) comprises a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) controlled through direct memory access (DMA) transfers of prescale values used in combination with a clock oscillator to generate clock pulses that are a function of the clock oscillator frequency and the prescale values. This automates changing the frequency of the NCO, thereby controlling steeper motor speed, without requiring computer processing unit (CPU) overhead. The DMA module is enabled during a first number of clock pulses for step speed acceleration, disabled during a second number of clock pulses for normal operation at full step speed, and then re-enabled during a third number of clock pulses for step speed deceleration. A table in memory may store and provide a plurality of acceleration and deceleration prescale values for DMA transfers to the NCO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Incorporated
    Inventor: Keith Edwin Curtis