Patents Examined by Karen Masih
  • Patent number: 11013569
    Abstract: A detachable motor pack, for use with multiple electrical surgical instruments, includes a housing; a plurality of motors retained within the housing; a controller configured to control one or more operations of the plurality of motors; a first interface portion, wherein the first interface portion is configured to releasably attach to a hand-held surgical instrument and to a robotic surgical instrument; and a second interface portion, wherein the second interface portion is configured to releasably attach to a first surgical tool of the hand-held surgical instrument and to a second surgical tool of the robotic surgical instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Cilag GmbH International
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris
  • Patent number: 11005407
    Abstract: Provided are a data obtaining method, an inverter, and a rotating electric machine capable of managing the operation state of a device without complicating the configuration thereof. Therefore, the data obtaining method uses an inverter for controlling a synchronous electric motor, wherein a position/speed calculation unit of the inverter calculates an electric angle of the synchronous electric motor from the value of the current flowing between the synchronous electric motor and the inverter and obtains data for each electric angle by sampling internal data within the inverter, said internal data being used for controlling the synchronous electric motor in synchronization with the information of the electric angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshio Tomita, Kenichi Saito, Yuuta Iwase, Masahiro Sano
  • Patent number: 11003168
    Abstract: Provided is a controller for controlling a gear cutting machine having a plurality of axes, the controller including an axis information storage unit configured to store data related to control of the plurality of axes during machining, and a disturbance component identification unit configured to identify a component of disturbance with respect to the plurality of axes using the data stored by the axis information storage unit and measurement results of machining accuracy of a workpiece machined by the cutting machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Shoutarou Hashimoto, Yukio Toyozawa
  • Patent number: 10994596
    Abstract: A vehicle driving device includes a permanent magnet motor, an inverter that drives the permanent magnet motor, a DC-to-DC converter that is a buck-boost converter and connected to the inverter, and a driving battery that is connected to the DC-to-DC converter. The DC-to-DC converter outputs, to the inverter, (i) a voltage inputted to the DC-to-DC converter of a positive electrode of the driving battery as-is and (ii) a voltage inputted to the DC-to-DC converter of a negative electrode of the driving battery after increasing the voltage in a negative direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi Yukawa
  • Patent number: 10988984
    Abstract: Intelligent building control systems utilize sky information from a camera or cameras to facilitate control of building systems such as lighting, motorized window coverings, electrochromic glazings, HVAC systems, and so forth. Based on the sky information, interior lighting intensity and/or color temperature may be modified, for example in order to achieve a desired circadian effect for building occupants. In this manner, energy efficiency and occupant comfort and convenience are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: MECHOSHADE SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventors: Stephen P. Hebeisen, Alex Greenspan, Joel Berman
  • Patent number: 10992294
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a driver device, which can drive a load in high temperatures. In a driver IC which drives a motor by switch-driving four output transistors, a gate driving circuit is configured to render a slew rate of a gate voltage of each output transistor to be adjustable at multiple steps while the output transistor is switching. Although a predetermined rate is set to be the slew rate of the gate voltage in a normal state, the slew rate is increased at high temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuo Yamato, Noboru Takizawa
  • Patent number: 10985687
    Abstract: A motor drive system including a motor including two three-phase winding sets, wherein each three-phase winding set is connected a respective three-phase three-level inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: Xin Wu, Lei Xing, Jung Muk Choe
  • Patent number: 10971970
    Abstract: An electrical machine comprising: at least one stator, at least one module, the at least one module comprising at least one electromagnetic coil and at least one switch, the at least one module being attached to the at least one stator; at least one rotor with a plurality of magnets attached to the at least one rotor, an integrated electrical differential coupled to at least one of the rotors, the at least one integrated electrical differential permitting the at least one rotor to output at least two rotational outputs to corresponding shafts, wherein the at least two rotational outputs are able to move the shafts at different rotational velocities to one another. The electrical machine is configured to fit into a housing, and that can be retrofitted into a conventional vehicle by replacing the mechanical differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: AXIFLUX HOLDINGS PTY LTD.
    Inventor: David Elias Jahshan
  • Patent number: 10972032
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a failure of a current sensor measuring the magnitude of a current, by which a motor is driven. A required current calculator calculates a phase and a magnitude of a current required for a motor, in accordance with a torque required for the motor. An estimated current calculator calculates an estimated current, in accordance with the phase and the magnitude of the required current. A failure detector detects a failure of a current sensor by comparing the estimated current with a current measured by the current sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jong Hoon Lee
  • Patent number: 10972024
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes a PWM signal generating unit, a control unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit and a BEMF detecting unit. The PWM signal generating unit generates an input PWM signal having a duty cycle according to a rotation speed command. The control unit generates a driving signal having multiple phases and an output PWM signal. The floating point selection unit selects a floating phase of the motor that is not turned off, and the BEMF detecting unit receives detects the BEMF of the floating phase during ON times or OFF times of the output PWM signal, so as to output a commutation signal in response to zero crossing events occurring in the BEMF. The control unit controls the BEMF detecting unit to detect the BEMF of the floating phase under the ON times or the OFF times of the output PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Yi-Cheng Liu
  • Patent number: 10965240
    Abstract: A hardware-based detection system includes, among other things, a signal-generating circuit for generating a signal which is functionally related to current in a motor winding, a reference current, and a duration of time. The system may also include a comparator circuit for comparing the generated signal to a reference signal, and for thereby detecting an over-temperature condition in the motor winding. If desired, a compensating circuit may be used to generate a variable reference signal as a function of ambient temperature. A method of operating a detection system is also disclosed. If desired, the detection system may be completely implemented in hardware using an uncomplicated analog circuit architecture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Manu Balakrishnan, Abhishek Vishwa
  • Patent number: 10958149
    Abstract: A linear actuator includes dual bucking magnets, dual pole pieces, and dual spacers. The linear actuator includes a coil-and-housing assembly disposed around a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly includes two bucking magnets sandwiched around a central magnet. The central magnet and the bucking magnets may be separated by spacers. A housing is disposed around the magnet assembly. Between the housing and the magnet assembly, a dual coil is wound in two opposing directions to generate additive forces on the magnet assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Oracle International Corporation
    Inventors: Darryl Yeakley, Frank Goodknight, Steven Suttle
  • Patent number: 10945798
    Abstract: Various exemplary methods, systems, and devices for causing end effector motion with a robotic surgical system are provided. In general, a surgical tool can be configured to releasably and removably couple to a robotic surgical system. The robotic surgical system can include two motors configured to provide torque to the surgical tool to drive one single function of the surgical tool. In at least some embodiments, at least one of the two motors configured to cooperate with another motor to drive the single function of the surgical tool can be configured to drive a second function of the surgical tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: David C. Yates, Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris
  • Patent number: 10951151
    Abstract: A drive device that includes a rotating-field rotary electric machine; and an inverter that drives the rotary electric machine, wherein: the rotary electric machine includes a stator core, and a coil wound on the stator core; the coil includes a first coil and a second coil electrically insulated from each other; and the inverter includes a first inverter circuit that supplies AC power to the first coil, and a second inverter circuit that supplies AC power to the second coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shintaro Chinen
  • Patent number: 10951145
    Abstract: A motor control method adapted for use in the startup process of a sensorless brushless DC (BLDC) motor includes the following steps. A phase voltage signal and a driving voltage signal are generated according to the startup current signal with a first predetermined value and a phase current signal. A driving current signal is generated according to the driving voltage signal to drive the BLDC to rotate. The driving current signal is sensed to generate the corresponding phase current signal. The load state of the shaft end of the BLDC is determined according to the phase voltage signal with the change of the corresponding phase current signal and the startup current signal. The magnitude of the startup current signal is adaptively adjusted according to the load state of the shaft end and/or according to the electric rotation angular velocity and the torque demand of the BLDC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chin-Hao Chen, Cheng-Chung Li, Yu-Min Meng
  • Patent number: 10951140
    Abstract: A synchronous motor drive device drives a plurality of synchronous motors, and includes a power converter that converts power to supply power to the plurality of synchronous motors, a first switch device that electrically connects or disconnects between the power converter and each of the plurality of synchronous motors, and a controller that, based on a higher order command, performs stability judgment processing of the plurality of synchronous motors, determines the number of synchronous motors to be driven and a drive speed from among the plurality of synchronous motors, selects a synchronous motor corresponding to the number of the synchronous motors from among the plurality of synchronous motors, controls the first switch device corresponding to the selected synchronous motor to electrically connect the power converter to the synchronous motor and to supply the power, and instructs, to the power converter, the drive speed of the synchronous motor to be driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tsukasa Masumura, Kenji Takahashi, Yasuhiko Wada
  • Patent number: 10944349
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a multi-inverter electric motor controller, which solves the technical problem that the existing inverter with silicon-based devices cannot accurately modulate high-frequency currents. The multi-inverter electric motor controller comprises a primary inverter and one or more secondary inverters, where the primary inverter and the secondary inverters connect in parallel to a same electrical motor, the primary inverter employs silicon-material power electronic devices, the secondary inverters employ wide-bandgap semiconductor power electronic devices, and the switching frequency of the primary inverter is less than the switching frequencies of the secondary inverters. According to the present disclosure, the existing inverter with silicon-based devices and the inverters with wide-bandgap semiconductor devices are connected in parallel, and can complete the fine control of the harmonic waves of high-frequency currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: JING-JIN ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zifu Wang
  • Patent number: 10944347
    Abstract: Provided is a rotary electrical machine, which is reduced in size of a motor through use of reluctance torque being a feature of an IPM motor, and in which, in driving in times other than a rated time, a current phase angle is shifted from an angle at which a total torque is maximized so that an increase in torque ripple is suppressed even when the current phase angle changes, to thereby provide characteristics of small size, high output, and low torque ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Takizawa, Yu Hirotani, Masafumi Okazaki, Satoru Akutsu
  • Patent number: 10940771
    Abstract: An electric propulsion system includes a polyphase rotary electric machine that imparts motor torque to a load, a traction power inverter module (“TPIM”) connected to the electric machine, a reconfigurable energy storage system (“RESS”) connected to the TPIM, and a controller. The RESS has multiple battery modules and a switching circuit. The battery modules are connectable in a series-connected (“P-connected”) configuration at a first/low battery voltage level, and a series-connected (“S-connected”) configuration at a second/high battery voltage level that exceeds the first voltage. The controller determines power losses of the electric propulsion system at the first and second battery voltage levels, receives a commanded output torque and output speed of the electric machine, and selects the S-connected or P-connected configuration based on the predetermined power loss and commanded output torque and speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Thomas W. Nehl, Chandra S. Namuduri, Lei Hao, Norman K. Bucknor
  • Patent number: 10931221
    Abstract: A rotational electric machine includes a stator configured to generate a rotation magnetic field in response to alternating current; a rotor configured to rotate in response to the rotation magnetic field; a field coil configured to excite the rotor in response to direct current; an acquisition unit configured to acquire manipulation information related to a torque generated by or caused to be generated by the rotor and a rotational state of the rotor; and a motor characteristic control unit configured to control the direct current based on the manipulation information and the rotational state acquired by the acquisition unit to control a motor characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: EXEDY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Katsura, Taichi Kitamura, Kimitaka Uemura