Patents Examined by Kawing Chan
  • Patent number: 11139768
    Abstract: Control circuitry of a motor drive provides commands for operation of power circuitry based at least in part on signals exchanged with functional circuits, such as for system data and control data, such as feedback of motor or system parameters. The functional circuits may operate at different data rates, with different interrupt intervals, depending upon their capabilities. The control circuitry accommodates all of these flexibly. A physical backplane printed circuit board comprising independent data lines for each functional circuit allows for independent configuration of the data rates, interrupt intervals and communications between the control circuitry and the functional circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan J. Campbell, Scott D. Braun
  • Patent number: 11133765
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving a motor for an eco-friendly vehicle is provided. The apparatus includes a motor that has a rotor and a stator and a controller that operates the motor. The motor includes a plurality of stator coils and stator relays and the controller operates the stator relays based on an operation mode to adjust the number of turns of the stator coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Ji Wan Cha, Han Hee Park, Jae Hyeon Lee, Seong Min Kim, Hyun Woo Noh, Tae Il Yoo
  • Patent number: 11133773
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a cooling fan, a cooling fan control unit that controls the drive amount of the cooling fan, and an electrolytic capacitor whose life varies according to the drive amount of the cooling fan. The cooling fan control unit controls the drive amount based on the relationship between the drive amount, the life of the cooling fan, and the life of the electrolytic capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shinya Nakagawa, Shizuri Tamura, Ryuichi Takezawa
  • Patent number: 11128243
    Abstract: A drive apparatus of an electric motor which does not include a position detection sensor, the drive apparatus includes drive portion configured to drive the electric motor on the basis of a command value inputted from outside, a number-of-rotations detection portion configured to detect a number of rotations of the electric motor driven by the drive portion, an out-of-phase judgement portion judging that the electric motor is out of phase in a case where the number of rotations detected by the number-of-rotations detection portion is less than a predetermined threshold value, and the predetermined threshold value being configured to be changed on the basis of the command value inputted from outside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyamoto, Koichi Aizawa
  • Patent number: 11128123
    Abstract: A method for operating an electric gardening and/or forestry apparatus system having an accumulator, a gardening and/or forestry apparatus with an electric motor, and a protective electronic circuit including inputs which are connected to the accumulator, outputs which are connected to the gardening and/or forestry apparatus, and a switching element which is disposed in a power path between one of the inputs and one of the outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Kay-Steffen Gurr, Martin Schurr, Andreas Mack, Christian Heigemeyr
  • Patent number: 11128252
    Abstract: A motor drive device has an abnormality detection function for a power supply unit between its own device and a power supply, and includes: a forward converter that is inputted AC power from the power supply via the power supply input part, and converts the AC power into DC power; a reverse converter that converts the DC power from the forward converter into AC power; a DC link capacitor provided to a DC link between the forward converter and the reverse converter; a voltage detection part that detects voltage of the DC link capacitor; and an abnormality detection part that obtains a voltage change amount for a predetermined time of the DC link capacitor based on voltage values detected by the voltage detection part, and performs abnormality detection on the power supply input part based on the voltage change amount thus obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tomokazu Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11121660
    Abstract: Provided herein are systems, methods, and software for improving drive efficiency in an industrial automation system. In one implementation, a system comprises a mechanical load, an electromechanical device attached to the mechanical load, and a drive coupled to the electromechanical device. A processor is programmed to generate and display an acceleration curve, a duplicate acceleration curve, an energy curve and a duplicate energy curve. A user input is received indicating a change to at least a portion of the duplicate acceleration curve, and a change to the duplicate energy curve is calculated and displayed. A modified command signal based on the user input is calculated, and the drive is configured to control the electromechanical device via the modified command signal to mechanically operate the mechanical load perform a task.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian R. Fast, Robert J. Miklosovic
  • Patent number: 11121651
    Abstract: Provided are a driving force control method and device for a hybrid vehicle, each capable of effectively absorbing torque fluctuation of an engine while suppressing deterioration in energy efficiency. The driving force control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises a PCM configured to: estimate an average torque output by an engine; estimate a torque fluctuation component of the torque output by the engine; set a countertorque for suppressing the estimated torque fluctuation component; and control an electric motor to output the set countertorque, wherein the PCM is operable, under a condition that an engine speed is constant, to set the countertorque such that, as the average torque output by an engine becomes larger, the absolute value of the countertorque becomes smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Nishimura, Tsuyoshi Goto, Kentaro Furusho, Yuta Enokizono, Wataru Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11108352
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor configured to provide propulsion for a mobile platform includes determining whether to activate a preheat mode based on a temperature of a motor and, upon determining to activate the preheat mode, controlling a preheat current provided to the motor to enable self-preheating of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qiu Lan, Changxing Zhou
  • Patent number: 11104215
    Abstract: A hybrid transmission includes a permanent magnet rotor which is selectively held against rotation by a one-way-clutch. The one-way-clutch utilizes a pocket plate having a plurality of pawls which engages with an inner race in response to energizing a magnetic coil. The pocket plate is fixed to the rotor shaft and restrains the laminates axially, eliminating the need for one of the end plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Norman Jerry Bird, Raunak Singh Bindra
  • Patent number: 11108348
    Abstract: In a method for generating a blocking moment in a standstill state of an electrically commutated electric motor having at least two windings, on which electric motor a possibly varying load moment acts from outside in the standstill state, first, a blocking current is supplied at a maximum value into a first winding. This blocking current is successively reduced to, possibly, a minimum value. From that moment the inductivity of the electric motor is controlled, namely by controlling the blocking current if the control deviation between the actual value and the set value of the inductivity exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Thereby, it is possible to control the blocking current in an adaptive manner insofar as, despite a varying load moment, the standstill state of the electric motor can be maintained by varying the blocking current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: ELMOS SEMICONDUCTOR SE
    Inventor: Jörg Hartzsch
  • Patent number: 11108346
    Abstract: The method for detecting a position error of an electronically commutated actuator drive between an assumed position and an actual position of the actuator drive includes performing a position control procedure for the position of the actuator drive. The method further includes providing data with regard to the assumed position of the actuator drive. The method further includes forming an electric space vector value to generate a component of a stator magnetic field that extends parallel with a direction of an exciter magnetic field that prevails in the case of the assumed position of the actuator drive. The method further includes detecting whether a movement of the actuator drive has occurred as a result of generating the component of the exciter magnetic field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Malchow, Udo Sieber, Dieter Schwarzmann, Tobias Mauk, Andreas Ortseifen
  • Patent number: 11096476
    Abstract: A personal care appliance 10 comprises an actuator 14, a current sensor 28 for monitoring a driving current, and a controller 24. The actuator 14, operable according to a non-linear response characteristic 58 of amplitude versus frequency, includes a movable shaft 18 configured for resonant movement 38 in response to a drive signal 25, further for being coupled with a workpiece 20. The controller 24 (i) detects at least one of a plurality of different characteristic load states (100,102,104,106,108,110) in response to a perturbation in the monitored driving current 29 and (ii) actively delivers the drive signal 25 to the actuator 14 selected from at least two different drive signals (66,70) as a function of a detected characteristic load state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Meng Peng, Scott Robert Wills, Sungsoo Lee
  • Patent number: 11101751
    Abstract: This method for controlling an asynchronous electrical motor (32) of a compressor system (10), comprises:—connecting (100) a capacitor bank (50) of the compressor system (10) in parallel with a first electrical motor (32) of the compressor system, this connection comprising connecting capacitors (52, 54, 56) of the capacitor bank (50) to windings of the stator of the first motor (32), by operating a switch unit (60) of the capacitor bank connected to an internal power bus (12);—starting (102) the first asynchronous electrical motor (32), by providing an input electrical current to the windings of the first motor (32) from the internal power bus (12);—disconnecting (108) the capacitor bank (50) from said first motor (32) once said motor (32) has started, this disconnection comprising disconnecting said capacitors (52, 54, 56) from the windings of the motor (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: CARRIER CORPORATION
    Inventor: Stefano Bovio
  • Patent number: 11101728
    Abstract: A power converting apparatus includes: a boost circuit including a reactor supplied with first voltage output from an alternating-current power supply, a first leg including first upper-arm and lower-arm switching elements connected in series, and a second leg connected in parallel with the first leg and including second upper-arm and lower-arm switching elements connected in series, and boosting the first voltage; a first voltage detecting unit detecting the first voltage; a smoothing capacitor smoothing voltage output from the boost circuit; and a second voltage detecting unit detecting second voltage smoothed by the smoothing capacitor. When the second voltage is larger than the first voltage and is lower than or equal to twice the first voltage, a width of a second drive pulse to turn on the first upper-arm switching element is larger than a width of a first drive pulse to turn on the first lower-arm switching element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Shinya Toyodome, Takashi Yamakawa, Shigeo Umehara
  • Patent number: 11098928
    Abstract: A speed estimation apparatus for an AC motor includes a model deviation calculation unit, first and second angular velocity estimation units, and an adder. The deviation calculation unit calculates a model deviation based on a voltage, a current, and an estimated angular velocity of the motor. The first angular velocity estimation unit calculates a first estimated angular velocity as a low-frequency component including a DC component of a real angular velocity based on the model deviation. The second angular velocity estimation unit calculates a second estimated angular velocity as a high-frequency component of a real angular velocity based on a specific high-frequency component of the model deviation. The adder adds the first and second estimated angular velocities together. An addition value of the first and second estimated angular velocities is fed back as the estimated angular velocity to the deviation calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenji Takahashi, Koichi Arisawa, Mitsuo Kashima
  • Patent number: 11091193
    Abstract: A system includes a first module that: receives the output current from the electric motor as a feedback, the output current including a direct axis component and a quadrature axis component; and generates a first voltage command based on a virtual resistance value, the feedback, and a targeted frequency characteristic of the motor control system. The system includes: a second module that: receives a difference between the feedback and a commanded current; and generates a second voltage command based on an estimated inductance value, an estimated resistance value of an electric motor, the virtual resistance value, a targeted frequency response characteristic of the motor control system, and the response of the d-axis component of the output current being decoupled from the response of the q-axis component. The system includes an addition module that generates an input voltage command for the electric motor by adding the first and second voltage commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Prerit Pramod, Julie A. Kleinau
  • Patent number: 11095210
    Abstract: An arrangement (100) of an electrical power tool for reducing a touch current is disclosed. The arrangement comprises a filter (101) configured to reduce electrical interference, a voltage booster (102) configured to rectify and increase an alternating current into a direct current, a motor comprising a motor drive (104) configured to power the electrical power tool, and a choke impedance (103) arranged between the voltage booster and the motor drive such that an input of the choke impedance is connected to the voltage booster and an output of the choke impedance is connected to the motor drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: HUSQVARNA AB
    Inventor: Magnus Rosén
  • Patent number: 11085227
    Abstract: A vehicle opening and closing apparatus that opens and closes an opening and closing body provided on a vehicle includes: an electric motor that drives the opening and closing body; a position detection part that detects a position of the opening and closing body; a measurement part that measures a current value which flows in the electric motor when the opening and closing body arrives at a predetermined position; a counter that counts up a count value based on the current value; and a determination part that stops, for a predetermined period of time, the next and subsequent opening and closing operation of the opening and closing body when the count value exceeds a first threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Roppongi, Takayuki Ikeda, Masahiro Fueki, Yasunori Noro
  • Patent number: 11081992
    Abstract: A virtual voltage injection-based speed sensor-less driving control method for an induction motor is provided. First, a virtual voltage signal is injected into a motor flux linkage and rotating speed observer so that there is a difference between an input of the motor flux linkage and rotating speed observer and a command input of the motor. Then, based on any type of the motor flux linkage and rotating speed observer, a motor flux linkage rotation angle and a motor rotor speed are estimated, and the induction motor is driven to run normally with a certain control strategy (such as vector control).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignees: HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, HARBIN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Wei Sun, Dianguo Xu