Patents Examined by Jorge Carrasquillo
  • Patent number: 8513911
    Abstract: A power converter that interfaces a motor requiring variable voltage/frequency to a supply network providing a nominally fixed voltage/frequency includes a first rectifier/inverter connected to a stator and a second rectifier/inverter. Both rectifier/inverters are interconnected by a dc link and include switching devices. A filter is connected between the second rectifier/inverter and the network. A first controller for the first rectifier/inverter uses a dc link voltage demand signal indicative of a desired dc link voltage to control the switching devices of the first rectifier/inverter. A second controller for the second rectifier/inverter uses a power demand signal indicative of the level of power to be transferred to the dc link from the network through the second rectifier/inverter, and a voltage demand signal indicative of the voltage to be achieved at network terminals of the filter to control the switching devices of the second rectifier/inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Converteam Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Rodney Jones, Christopher Newton
  • Patent number: 8508161
    Abstract: A drive apparatus includes a magnet rotor having a plurality of magnetic poles that are magnetized, a stator having a magnetic pole portion that opposes each pole of the magnet rotor, a coil configured to excite the magnetic pole portion, a position detector configured to detect a position of the magnet rotor, a first driver configured to switch an electrification state of the coil in accordance with a preset time interval, a second driver configured to switch an electrification state of the coil in accordance with an output of the position detector, and a controller configured to select the first driver when the output of the position detector is less than a first threshold, and to select the second driver when the output of the position detector is equal to or larger than the first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kousuke Kiyamura, Hiromu Yasuda, Chikara Aoshima
  • Patent number: 8508182
    Abstract: An alternating current-to-direct current (AC-to-DC) power supply has a first stage providing a first DC voltage and a second stage providing a second DC voltage. The AC-to-DC power supply has a first efficiency at the first stage and a second efficiency at the second stage that is less than the first efficiency. The second DC voltage is also less than the first DC voltage. A blower is electrically connected to the first stage of the AC-to-DC power supply to receive the first DC voltage from the AC-to-DC power supply to power the blower. Electrical connection of the blower to the first stage of the AC-to-DC power supply instead of to the second stage of the AC-to-DC power supply wastes less power and is more efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Randhir S. Malik, Jen-Ching Lin, Chu Te Chung, Cecil C. Dishman, Michael J. Steinmetz
  • Patent number: 8502491
    Abstract: A rotation direction control method of a cooling fan is disclosed. The rotation direction control method includes a detection step, a determination step and a driving step. The detection step receives a temperature control signal from a temperature detection unit by a rotation direction control unit when a predetermined dust-expelling time period begins. The determination step determines whether a detected temperature is higher than a predetermined value based on the temperature control signal by the rotation direction control unit. The driving step controls the rotation direction control unit to keep outputting a cooling signal so as to drive a motor of the cooling fan for a cooling operation when the determination of the determination step is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Horng, Ching-Sheng Hung
  • Patent number: 8497647
    Abstract: A control system and method for a multi-phase motor substantially reduces or eliminates jitter resulting from. drive mismatch by replacing a conventional trapezoidal drive profile with a drive profile that causes the voltage applied across active phases of the motor to match the back-EMF across those phases. In an ideal motor, the back-EMF is substantially sinusoidal, and although the drive profile applied to each phase is not truly substantially sinusoidal, the drive voltage across the active phases is substantially sinusoidal. In a non-ideal motor, the back-EMF is not truly sinusoidal and the drive profiles applied to each phase are calculated to cause the drive voltage across the active phases to match the back-EMF across those phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Ravishanker Krishnamoorthy, Foo Leng Leong
  • Patent number: 8493017
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrical drive having a motor with a rotor and a stationary stator, which has a coil arrangement, and having a motor controller for controlling the motor, with the motor controller being configured to pass current through the coil arrangement in order to produce an excitation field, with the coil arrangement having a plurality of coil winding sections, and with each coil winding section having a plurality of coil sections, wherein the polarity of at least one coil section of the plurality of coil sections of each coil winding section can be selectively reversed with respect to the other coil sections of the coil winding section. The drive is particularly suitable for use for an electrical tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: C. & E. Fein GmbH
    Inventor: Lothar Dietl
  • Patent number: 8471513
    Abstract: During rain, including a light source (5) for radiating light such that the light is transmitted through a vehicle window (2), a light receiving element (6) for sensing an optical signal when the light radiated from the light source (5) is reflected from the raindrop fallen on the vehicle window (2) and performing a photoelectric transduction, and a receiver (9) for receiving the photoelectrically transduced signal from the light receiving element (6) and judging the level of rainfall. The light source (5) and the light receiving element (6) are inclined with respect to the surface of the vehicle window (2) such that the light of the light source (5) directly reflected from the vehicle window (2) exits to the outside of the light receiving element (6) and the light reflected from a raindrop (8) on the vehicle window (2) is received by the light receiving element (6) to operate a vehicle wiper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Inventor: Sea Yeoun Han
  • Patent number: 8471511
    Abstract: A voltage application unit causes switching elements to apply voltage to flow an electric current into corresponding windings to generate a revolving magnetic field. A period derivation unit derives an energization period of the windings. A signal generation unit generates a PWM signal for causing the voltage application unit to activate and deactivate the switching elements, such that a duty ratio decreases gradually in a predetermined time period subsequent to the derived energization period. A period specifying unit specifies a detection period of an electric current, which is supplied from the switching elements presently switched and deactivated, by a predetermined time period between an edge, which is caused when the PWM signal changes in level to deactivate the switching elements, and a time point in advance of the edge in the energization period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: ASMO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 8466644
    Abstract: First and second A/D converters perform analog/digital conversion of first and second signals of a Hall signal so as to generate third and fourth signals as digital signals. A differential conversion circuit generates a fifth signal as a single-ended signal that corresponds to the difference between the third and fourth signals. An offset correction circuit corrects offset of the fifth signal so as to generate a sixth signal. An amplitude control circuit stabilizes the amplitude of the sixth signal to a predetermined target value, and generates its absolute value, thus generating a seventh signal. A control signal generating unit generates a control signal based upon the seventh signal. A driver circuit drives a motor according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ishii, Nobuo Komura, Toshiya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8456122
    Abstract: A control circuit includes a current sensing circuit, an analog digital converter (ADC), an amplifying circuit, a processor, and a switching circuit. The current sensing circuit senses current supplied to an electronic device by a power supply and outputs a first voltage signal. The amplifying circuit amplifies the first voltage signal output from the current sensing circuit to a second voltage signal. The ADC converts the second voltage signal to a digital signal. The processor outputs pulse width modulation (PWM) signals according to the digital signal. The switching circuit receives the PWM signals to control a fan of the electronic device according to the PWM signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ming-Chih Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8432113
    Abstract: A brushless fan motor control circuit assembly consists of a high-frequency filter circuit, a rectifier circuit, a power factor enhancing circuit, a current-limit and voltage regulation circuit and a brushless fan motor driving circuit. By means of the high-frequency filter circuit to suppress high frequency noises, the power factor enhancing circuit to enhance the power factor and to save power consumption, the current-limit and voltage regulation circuit to limit the current and to achieve overload protection, the brushless fan motor control circuit assembly controls the operation of a motor of an electric accurately and safely, avoiding fan vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Inventor: Hsien-Meng Lee
  • Patent number: 8427082
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for absorbing the displacement, under the influence of an external force, of at least one plunger (10,20) in a linear electrodynamic motor comprising a least an induction coil (11, 21) magnetically coupled with the plunger. Said method comprises the steps of: detecting in said induction coil a current induced (I?ind) amplified relative to the induced current. The invention can be applied to cryogenic machines on board space ships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Gerald Aigouy, Jonathan Buquet, Thierry Trollier
  • Patent number: 8410735
    Abstract: A torque ripple suppression control device for a permanent magnet motor includes a current command conversion unit that outputs a current command value, a position detector that detects a rotational position of the permanent magnet motor, a current detection unit that detects a current at the permanent magnet motor, an induced voltage coefficient setting unit that outputs an information signal related to an induced voltage coefficient for an induced voltage at the permanent magnet motor, a torque ripple suppression operation unit that outputs a current correction command value for the permanent magnet motor, a current control operation unit that outputs a voltage command value based upon addition results obtained by adding together the current command value and the current correction command value and the current detection value, and a power converter that outputs a voltage with which the permanent magnet motor is to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Kokusan Denki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Tobari, Yoshitaka Iwaji, Junnosuke Nakatsugawa, Rikio Yoshikawa, Masamichi Yagai
  • Patent number: 8405332
    Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program products for reducing or removing current spikes generated during a current recirculation period associated with phase switching in a spindle motor are described. In some implementations, the duty cycle of the drive signals applied to the windings of the spindle motor can be adjusted to reduce or eliminate the current surge resulting from current recirculation. In some implementations, the duty cycle of the drive signals during spin-up can be reduced based on a current limit, and the reduced duty cycle can then be used to drive the spindle motor taking into account of current surges in the supply current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventors: Ravishanker Krishnamoorthy, Foo Leng Leong
  • Patent number: 8405344
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for estimating a rotation speed of an electric motor supplied by an inverter, by determining a time derivative of a stator current vector of the electric motor during a zero vector state of the inverter; and determining an estimate of the rotation speed of the electric motor on the basis of the determined time derivative of the stator current vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Oy
    Inventor: Samuli Heikkilä
  • Patent number: 8405342
    Abstract: A motor including a stator, a rotor, and a current supply unit. The stator includes a stator core, which has a plurality of teeth, and a plurality of coils, which are wound around the teeth. The rotor includes a plurality of magnets, which function as first magnetic poles, and salient poles, which function as second magnetic poles. Each of the salient poles is arranged between adjacent magnets spaced apart by a clearance from the magnets. When P represents the number of poles in the rotor and S represents the number of coils, a ratio P/S of the pole number P and the coil number S is represented by (4n?2)/3m (where n and m are integers that are greater than or equal to 2). The plurality of coils includes a plurality of coil groups including coils for three phases. The current supply unit executes a different current control for each coil groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Asmo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoji Yamada, Shinji Santo, Seiya Yokoyama, Yoko Tateishi, Yoshiaki Takemoto, Shigemasa Kato
  • Patent number: 8405339
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting a rotor fault condition in an AC induction machine is disclosed. The system includes a processor programmed to receive voltage and current data from an AC induction machine, generate a current frequency spectrum from the current data, and identify rotor-fault related harmonics in the current frequency spectrum. The processor is also programmed to calculate a fault severity indicator using the voltage and current data, identified rotor-fault related harmonics, and motor specifications, analyze the fault severity indicator to determine a possibility of rotor fault. The processor generates an alert based on the possibility of rotor fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Pinjia Zhang, Bin Lu, Thomas G. Habetler
  • Patent number: 8390234
    Abstract: A method for automated startup and/or for automated operation of controllers of an electrical drive system with vibrational mechanics with the following steps: (a) determining a preliminary value of at least one parameter; (b) determining a model of the electrical drive system by determination of initially a non-parameterized model through the recording of frequency data during operation of the drive system subject to the utilization of the preliminary value of at least one parameter and the subsequent determination of parameters of the electrical drive system based on the frequency data and subject to optimization of at least one preliminary value of at least one parameter by a numerical optimization method on the basis of the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and (c) parameterizing at least one controller of the electrical drive system by at least one of the determined parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Baumuller Nurnberg GmbH
    Inventor: Sebastian Villwock
  • Patent number: 8384338
    Abstract: A system and method for determining the stator winding resistance of AC motors is provided. The system includes an AC motor drive having an input connectable to an AC source and an output connectable to an input terminal of an AC motor, a pulse width modulation (PWM) converter having switches therein to control current flow and terminal voltages in the AC motor, and a control system connected to the PWM converter. The control system generates a command signal to cause the PWM converter to control an output of the AC motor drive corresponding to an input to the AC motor, selectively generates a modified command signal to cause the PWM converter to inject a DC signal into the output of the AC motor drive, and determines a stator winding resistance of the AC motor based on the DC signal of at least one of the voltage and current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Bin Lu, Thomas G. Habetler, Pinjia Zhang
  • Patent number: 8378612
    Abstract: A control system for a massage device. The massage device has a base, a carriage movably engaged with the base, a plurality of kneading heads mounted on the carriage, and a motor operative to drive the plurality of kneading heads to produce a kneading effect on a body of a user and to drive the carriage up and down relative to the base such that various areas of the body can be massaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Inventor: Chichun Wu