Patents Examined by Jorge Carrasquillo
  • Patent number: 8164288
    Abstract: To estimate a fluctuation component of the torque generated at the motor accurately, a motor control device (3) which controls a motor with a stator having armature winding and a rotor having a permanent magnet is provided to include a torque fluctuation component estimation unit for estimating a torque fluctuation component generated at the motor based on flux-linkage of the armature winding and an armature current that flows the armature winding. The torque fluctuation component estimation unit estimates the torque fluctuation component (Trp) based on an inner product (Fd·id+Fq·iq) of a flux-linkage vector which is a vectorial representation of the flux-linkage and a current vector which is a vectorial representation of the armature current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Hida, Yoshio Tomigashi, Kenji Ueyama
  • Patent number: 8159170
    Abstract: When cooling operation or dehumidifying operation is started, a blower fan for an evaporator and an exhaust fan for a condenser are driven at an initial rotational number. A compressor is driven at a fixed rotational number. Due to load variation, an operating current supplied from a power source is changed. When the operating current exceeds a reference value, the rotational number of the blower fan is gradually reduced. When an endothermic quantity by the evaporator decreases, a temperature of a gas refrigerant flowing through the evaporator is lowered. Since the load applied on the compressor is reduced, the operating current decreases. In this way, when the compressor is loaded, the operating current increased, however, by controlling operation of the fans as described above, it is possible to prevent that the power source is shut off due to overcurrent and operation is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsushi Kakiuchi
  • Patent number: 8159167
    Abstract: An electronically commutated motor (20) has a rotor (28) and a rotor position sensor (30), which sensor, during operation, furnishes a rotational position signal (34). A stator interacts with the rotor (28). The stator has a stator winding strand (26) in an H bridge (22), and a control apparatus (36) which, during operation, performs the steps of: (A) controlling the H bridge (22) so that current pulses (+i1, ?i1) flow through the stator winding strand (26), in alternate directions, each pulse starting at a first point in time (t1); (B) at the beginning of each commutation, starting from a second point in time (t2), operating in short circuit the winding strand (26), in order to cause a decreasing loop current (I*) through the stator winding strand (26), which loop current (I*) reaches zero at a third point in time (t3); and (C) stepwise modifying, toward a minimum, the time interval (TCC) between the first and third points in time (t1, t3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: EBM-Papst St. Georgen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Haas, Frank Heller
  • Patent number: 8159169
    Abstract: In a parking brake control device, the minimum value of a motor current is set as an idle current after a motor begins to be driven, specifically, in a period during which the idle current is being sampled. As a result, the idle current is set to a value which reflects the temperature of an electric parking brake and the dispersion of individual units of the motor. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a parking brake control device, which can set a target current value capable of coping with the dispersion of the individual units of the motor by calculating the target current value by adding a target effective current necessary to generate an actuation force to the idle current set as described above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Watanabe, Kazuma Kondo, Masaki Ninoyu
  • Patent number: 8154240
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an electric railcar includes an inverter that exchanges power with an AC rotating machine, a filter capacitor connected in parallel to a DC side of the inverter, a filter reactor provided between the filter capacitor and an overhead line, an overhead line voltage measuring instrument that measures a voltage value of the overhead line, a voltage increase detection unit that senses an amount of voltage increase occurring when, with an overhead line voltage being supplied, the overhead line voltage goes beyond a reference voltage value and rises at a rate equal to or higher than that by a predetermined time constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hideto Negoro, Masaki Kono
  • Patent number: 8148937
    Abstract: When a rectangular wave voltage control mode is selected, a control apparatus estimates the output torque of an alternating-current motor based on the outputs of a current sensor and a rotation angle sensor, and executes torque feedback control by adjusting the phase of rectangular wave voltage based on the difference between the torque estimated value and a torque command value. The control apparatus executes a switching interruption that outputs a control command to a switching element of an inverter every 60 degrees of electrical angle, and executes an angle interruption that samples the phase currents of the alternating-current motor based on the output of the current sensor and converts those phase currents into a d-axis current and a q-axis current every predetermined electrical angle that is set beforehand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Itoh, Keiichi Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8138693
    Abstract: A computing unit simulates an ideal operation of a vibration excitation actuator by using at least a model operation parameter and the vibration-excitation movable mass data and calculates a parameter corresponding to acceleration/deceleration thrust for moving the vibration-excitation movable mass. A vibration isolation controller determines a control content of a vibration isolation driving unit based on the parameter corresponding to the acceleration/deceleration thrust and controls an operation of the vibration isolation driving unit so that a force canceling a reaction force, which acts on an apparatus when a vibration-excitation movable mass is moved, acts on the apparatus by moving the vibration isolation movable unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Terada, Tetsuaki Nagano, Kiyoshi Maekawa, Emiko Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 8129928
    Abstract: Provided is a power branching system for driving a plurality of motors by use of a single servo driver, the power branching system capable of protecting each of the motors. The power branching system of the present invention has power lines 15 branched at some midpoint to connect the plural motors 5 and the servo driver 12; a plurality of current sensors 21 provided at branched power lines 15b for detecting currents supplied to the respective motors 5; and controlling means 22 for receiving current data detected by the plural current sensors 21, determining whether or not the detected currents are balanced and generating an alarm signal when the currents are unbalanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuo Shoda, Yuki Nomura, Toshiyuki Aso
  • Patent number: 8129931
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a magnetization control unit energizing a motor winding to change magnetic flux content of permanent magnet motor, a current detector detecting current supplied to the motor, a vector control unit including a speed/position estimation unit carrying out an operation to estimate a motor rotational speed and rotational position, the vector control unit carrying out a vector control of the motor, an induced voltage detector detecting an induced voltage of the motor based on the rotational speed, motor currents obtained by the vector control unit, output voltages of the drive unit, a winding inductance or the motor constant and a winding resistance, an induced voltage command determining unit determining an induced voltage command based on the motor rotational speed and output torque, and a magnetization current determining unit determining an amount of energization based on the induced voltage of the motor and the induced voltage command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Sari Maekawa, Kazunobu Nagai, Isamu Nitta
  • Patent number: 8125178
    Abstract: A drive and a method, including an electric motor, which is supplied by a rectifier, the rectifier including a time-discrete closed-loop control structure, which regulates the stator current of the electric motor by setting the voltage applied at the motor, the current of the motor being acquired in time-discrete fashion, the closed-loop control structure including a closed-loop controller whose actual value is a first current component of the current, the setpoint input of the closed-loop controller being coupled with at least one upstream setpoint limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hammel, Thomas Schuster
  • Patent number: 8122267
    Abstract: A power control circuit for a hard disk drive (HDD) includes a first control circuit, a second control circuit, a first connector connected to a power supply, the first and second control circuits, and a second connector connected to the first control circuit and the HDD. The power supply outputs a first voltage signal and a second voltage signal to the first and second control circuits via the first connector. The first control circuit converts the first and second voltage signals into a form compatible with a timing sequence of the HDD receiving voltage signals, and outputs the first and second voltage signals to the HDD via the second connector. The second control circuit controls the first control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yi Rui, Cheng-Yang Li, Jian-She Shen
  • Patent number: 8093845
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a 3-phase brushless DC motor controller, which comprises: a unit for generating a PWM signal; an ADC for converting a back electromotive force (BEMF) signal from an analog form into a digital form; a synchronization and extraction unit operating in synchronization in part with the PWM signal for extracting the digital BEMF signal to obtain a corresponding ZCP signal; and a unit for judging whether a commutation operation is to be performed according to a change of the corresponding ZCP signal. A wait instruction and a delay instruction help to accurately acquire the digital BEMF signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Padauk Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mao-Hsin Cheng
  • Patent number: 8093848
    Abstract: One terminal of a first capacitor is set to a fixed electric potential. A charging/discharging circuit charges/discharges the first capacitor using a current that corresponds to an input signal which specifies the revolution of a motor. A comparator compares a voltage at the first capacitor with a predetermined voltage. A control signal generating unit generates a control voltage having a level that corresponds to an edge timing of a frequency signal synchronized with the rotation of the motor and an edge timing of the comparison signal output from the first comparator. Furthermore, the control signal generating unit switches the charging/discharging state of a charging/discharging circuit according to an edge of the periodic signal and an edge of the comparison signal. The motor is driven with a torque according to the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8089240
    Abstract: The method for initially starting the motor improves the reliability to the start of the motor. In particular, even though the external load is at more than a predetermined level, a rotor located at an arbitrary angle can be aligned to an accurate initial position. Moreover, it can prevent the damage of the motor or the damage of the electronic device where the motor is installed. In order to initially align the rotor of the motor, a position on a stationary coordinate system, to which an alignment current of a rotation magnetic field is applied, is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Gil Su Lee
  • Patent number: 8081432
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a flat panel display device. A flat panel display device includes a display panel, a stand, and a multi-angle adjusting device. The multi-angle adjusting device includes a first shell fixed on the stand, a second shell cooperatively defining a receiving space with the first shell, a holder, a first motor, a second motor, and a third motor. The holder, the first, the second, and the third motors are received in the receiving space. The first motor is connected between the first shell and the holder, and rotates the holder about a first direction along the stand. The second motor is connected between the holder and the second shell, and moves about a second direction perpendicular to the first direction relative to the first shell. The third motor is connected between the second shell and the display panel, and rotates about a third direction which is perpendicular to the first and second directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei Li, Hua Jiang
  • Patent number: 8076894
    Abstract: The present invention provides a superconductive rotating electric machine drive control system that has higher efficiency and is smaller size and lighter in weight than conventional systems, and also provides a superconductive rotating electric machine drive control method to be implemented in the superconductive rotating electric machine drive control system. By the superconductive rotating electric machine drive control system and the superconductive rotating electric machine drive control method in accordance with the present invention, a control operation is performed so that the field current If2 applied to the superconductive field winding of the synchronous rotating electric machine satisfies an equation for the field current If2 in accordance with the variation of the electric power exchanged between the synchronous rotating electric machine and the power unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: National University Corporation Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
    Inventors: Mitsuru Izumi, Naoki Maki
  • Patent number: 8076884
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus for an electric vehicle has an AC motor system including a power conversion unit and a motor/generator. The power conversion unit performs conversion between DC power and AC power to drive the motor/generator. The motor control apparatus further includes a decoupling control section configured to perform decoupling control, which restricts interference between system voltage control and motor torque control, by correcting a control state amount of one of the system voltage control and the motor torque control by a control state amount of the other of the system voltage control and the motor torque control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Tsuneyuki Egami
  • Patent number: 8072179
    Abstract: An electronic starter device for an electric motor including a first terminal connected in use to a mains voltage source selectively activatable by means of control means to feed respective starter and run windings of the electric motor; switch means arranged in series between the voltage source and the starter winding to selectively feed the starter winding; generating means of a first low voltage potential (V1) directly connected to the feeding terminal; timer means including at least one capacitor and means for selectively charging the capacitor by means of at least one first resistor; first driving means for activating the switch means; and second driving means for activating the first driving means, the latter being arranged logically in a cascade with respect to the second driving means, which are activated by means of the timer means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: ITW Industrial Components S.R.L. Con Unico Socio
    Inventor: Alfredo De Pasca
  • Patent number: 8069896
    Abstract: The present invention is a method and apparatus for driving a roller-shutter door having a drive mechanism. The method comprises the activation of a circuit in response to an external stimuli to a switch. This actuates a timer and raises a timing bar. A cable passes across the timing bar and is connected to the switch on one end and to a solenoid on a second end. The cable passes through a top portion of a rocker arm assembly having a one-way bearing. The solenoid is actuated as a result of the raising of the timing bar; and activates the one-way bearing to cause the door to be raised to a pre-set position for a pre-set period of time. To reverse the door, the timer bar is dropped after the lapse of the pre-set period of time. The solenoid is re-activated and reverses the one-way bearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Alpine Overhead Doors, Inc.
    Inventor: Sebastian Magro
  • Patent number: 8063598
    Abstract: The invention relates to a synchronous motor (12) with a number of stator coils (15), with a rotor (16) with at least one permanent magnet (17), which induces a rotor magnetic field in a useful flux direction and with at least one coil winding (20), which is fitted on the rotor in order to induce a resultant magnetic field as a result of an alternating magnetic fields which is applied with the aid of the stator coils, in the direction of a winding axis of the coil winding, so that a resultant inductance of the stator coils (15) with respect to a direction of the winding axis is different given different positions of the rotor (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Dietmar Stoiber, Bernd Wedel