Patents Examined by Renata McCloud
  • Patent number: 7826722
    Abstract: A driving apparatus for fan motors, electrically connected between a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generator and a controller, includes a converter electrically connected to the PWM signal generator, generating a first reference voltage according to the duty cycle of a PWM signal generated by the PWM signal generator; a reference voltage generator electrically connected to an external power source, generating a second reference voltage according to the external power source; and a comparator having a first and second input terminal and an output terminal; wherein the first input terminal is electrically connected to the converter, the second input terminal is connected to the reference voltage generator and the output terminal is connected to the controller, and when the first reference voltage is greater than the second reference voltage, a driving signal is output from the output terminal to the controller to control the rotation speed of the fan motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Liang Lin, Tsung-Jung Hsieh, Yueh-Lung Huang, Wen-Shi Huang
  • Patent number: 7808201
    Abstract: A power converter circuit for providing maximum utilization of a DC bus voltage to a two-phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) is disclosed. The circuit includes first, second, and third nodes, each node being the junction between series connected high and low side switches connected across a DC bus; a PMSM having first and second windings and a star point at which the first and second windings are coupled to each other, the first winding having a terminal connected to the first node, the second winding having a terminal connected to the second node, and the star point being connected to the third node; and a controller for performing a three-point Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) coupled to a gate of each switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Ana Borisavljevic
  • Patent number: 7800327
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing improved sensorless control of permanent magnet motors is described. Induced electricity from at least one winding set is used to determine rotor position and provide feedback to a commutation circuit driving at least another winding set isolated from the first.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Pratt-Whitney Canada Corp
    Inventor: Kevin Allan Dooley
  • Patent number: 7791299
    Abstract: A process for controlling an electrically driven window pane for a motor vehicle which has an operating element for triggering the pane motion. After the operation of the operating element, the window pane is moved by a driving motor until a soft-stop position is reached, the motion of the driving motor being detected for determining the window pane position. A multiple operation of the operating element within a definable time period causes an overshooting of the soft-stop position to the mechanical stop, in which the position of the pane is newly defined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG
    Inventor: Matthias Eichin
  • Patent number: 7756402
    Abstract: An exemplary method for controlling rotation speed of a computer fan includes: judging the type of a fan by comparing two rotation speeds detected before and after changing a duty cycle of a PWM signal respectively; controlling the computer fan as a 4-pin fan the PWM signals if the rotation speeds are different; and controlling the computer fan as a 3-pin fan via voltage signals converted from the PWM signals if the rotation speeds are equal. And an exemplary circuit for controlling rotation speed of a computer fan is capable of controlling rotation speed of the 4-pin fan via PWM signals, and controlling rotation peed of the 3-pin fan via voltage signals converted from PWM signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hua Zou, Feng-Long He, Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 7746011
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle, and equipped with a central control unit, motors, peripheral motor control devices each associated to one motor and connected to the central control unit. To allow rapid and accurate adjustments while providing versatility, the invention provides that each motor and its associated motor control device shall constitute a closed regulation loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Faurecia Autositze GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Rainer Gerding, Thomas Bethge
  • Patent number: 7683567
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, an inverse filter is used to improve scanned images from a scanning probe microscope by removing the effect of the scanning system dynamics from the image data. This may be done in-line or as a post-processing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Agilent Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Y Abramovitch
  • Patent number: 7671553
    Abstract: In a servo controller according to the invention, a position feedback correction unit (3) calculates a first-axis position feedback signal (pmfb1) based on a first-axis position (pm1) as a self-axis position, and a second-axis position (pm2) as an other-axis position; and a deviation between a model position (pa1) and the first-axis position feedback signal (pmfb1) is inputted from a subtracter (5) to a position control unit (4), which performs positional control to output a velocity command. A velocity feedback correction unit (6) calculates a first-axis velocity feedback signal (wmfb1) from a first-axis velocity (wm1) as the self-axis velocity, and a second-axis velocity (wm2) as the other-axis velocity; and the velocity control unit (8) adds a model velocity (wa1) and the velocity command outputted from the position control unit (5), and subtracts the first-axis velocity feedback signal (wmfb1) therefrom, and outputs a feedback torque command (Tfb1) based on the corrected velocity command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kei Terada, Tetsuaki Nagano, Kazutaka Takahashi, Takashi Isoda
  • Patent number: 7667428
    Abstract: A power monitoring apparatus for receiving an external input signal includes a first modulating unit, a second modulating unit and a comparing unit. The first modulating unit receives and modulates an input signal into a first signal. The second modulating unit receives and modulates the input signal into a second signal. The comparing unit is electrically connected with the first modulating unit and the second modulating unit and has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal. The first input terminal receives the first signal and the second input terminal receives the second signal. When a difference between the first signal and the second signal is higher or lower than a predetermined range, the output terminal outputs a control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Pin Wei, Yi-Lun Chen, Wei-Shuo Tseng, Wen-Shi Huang
  • Patent number: 7667427
    Abstract: Presence/absence of a failure in a feedback control system of a motor is monitored. When a failure is detected in the feedback control system, the motor is driven by switching to an open-loop control. During the open-loop control, the motor is rotated by sequentially switching the motor current supply phase without feeding back encoder count information. The position count is incremented or decremented every time the current supply phase is switched. When the position count has reached a target count, it is determined that the rotor has reached a target position, whereupon the open-loop control is finished.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Kamio, Kenichi Fujiki, Sumiko Amamiya, Yasushi Kobiki, Yuji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7667425
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for controlling an electric door drive. During a learning process determination of the course over time of the torques of the door drive for each of at least one opening process and closing process is carried out. Maximum permissible torques are derived from the ascertained torques for predetermined zones within an opening process and closing process. During operation of the door drive a comparison of the current torque with the maximum torques and a comparison of the current speeds of the door drive with predetermined target speeds are carried out. The current speed of the door drive is increased if the associated target speed is fallen below. In addition, switching-off the door drive takes place if the current torque exceeds the associated maximum torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Sommer Antriebs- und Funktechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Frank Sommer
  • Patent number: 7659689
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for supplying a polyphase (AC) alternating current motor with driving voltages. A conversion unit is coupled to phases of the polyphase AC motor and includes a plurality of switching devices and includes, in at least one phase, a first switching device between a bus of an AC power supply and an output terminal, a second switching device between a bus of a direct current (DC) power supply and the output terminal, and a third switching device between a common bus for the AC power supply and the DC power supply and the output terminal. Driving voltages for the polyphase AC motor are generated by selecting a voltage from among voltages having potential values corresponding to the AC power supply and the DC power supply, and the selected voltage is used to operate a switch of the plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Kantaro Yoshimoto, Yasuhiko Kitajima, Kengo Maikawa
  • Patent number: 7652445
    Abstract: A disk drive controller including a differential voice coil motor control function is disclosed. The differential voice coil motor control function includes an on-chip compensation network for the inner control loop, including a resistor formed of one or more MOS transistors connected in series. The gate of the MOS transistors in the compensation network is driven with a bias voltage based on a tuning current, where the tuning current is derived so that it varies with process and temperature variations of the integrated circuit, for example with variations in an on-chip capacitor. The on-chip compensation network can be tuned with sufficient precision to properly compensate the inner control loop to provide the desired frequency response in driving the voice coil motor in the disk drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Degang Xia, Robert E. Whyte, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7642739
    Abstract: A speed direction corrector determines whether a speed Vp corresponding to a manipulated variable Up generated by a position controller is larger than a target speed Vt set in a target speed setting register (Vp>Vt). If Vp?Vt, the manipulated variable corresponding to the target speed Vt is corrected to the manipulated variable Up to produce a new manipulated variable Uf. If Vp>Vt, a manipulated variable corresponding to the target speed Vt is set to the new manipulated variable Uf as is. As above, in a deceleration section where Vp?Vt, the manipulated variable of a position control is reflected in the manipulated variable of a speed control. Combined use of the speed control and the position control becomes possible without a need to execute a complicated process in which the manipulated variable is regulated at the time of switching from the speed control to the position control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kazushige Muroi
  • Patent number: 7635960
    Abstract: An operator system and related methods for automatically controlling access barriers which includes a base controller associated with at least one access barrier and at least one base receiver associated with the base controller. The system also includes at least one mobile transmitter that automatically and periodically generates at least one mobile signal detectable by the base receiver. The base controller selectively generates barrier movement commands upon receipt of the at least one mobile signal in an operate mode. The operator and the mobile transmitter both include transceivers to allow two-way communication therebetween during a learn mode. Such a system allows for hands-free operation of the access barrier. A discrete processing system may also be used to retrofit existing barrier operator systems for use in hands-free operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Wayne-Dalton Corp.
    Inventors: Willis J. Mullet, Jason L. Mamaloukas
  • Patent number: 7612522
    Abstract: A drive system for a three phase brushless AC motor is arranged to optimize the transistor switching pattern to improve power output whilst allowing current measurement in all of the phases using a single sensor. This is achieved by defining voltage demand vectors x where more than two states are required to meet a minimum state time requirement determined by the single sensor method, and calculating three or more state vectors which produce the demanded vector x whilst still allowing single current sensing. Various methods of optimising the PWM pattern so as to give maximum output whilst using single current sensing are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignees: TRW Limited, TRW Automotive US LLC
    Inventors: Connel Brett Williams, Jeffrey Ronald Coles, Adrian Szabo, Christopher David Dixon, Jiang Li, Abbas Ahmad Fardoun
  • Patent number: 7612521
    Abstract: In a fan motor drive circuit which drives a motor based on a pulse-modulated external control signal, a temperature control signal generator generates a pulse-modulated temperature control signal whose duty ratio changes depending on temperature. A signal synthesizer synthesizes the external control signal and the temperature control signal by a logical operation. A drive controller drives the motor based on output of the signal synthesizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Miyajima
  • Patent number: 7612508
    Abstract: An escape sequence coded in power commands from a system controller, such as a BMC, to a cooling fan controller directs the cooling fan to send identification information coded in tachometer readings to the system controller for use by an information handling system. Electronic confirmation of the cooling fan identification ensures compatibility of the information handling system and cooling fan at initial manufacture or subsequent repair. Communication of information over existing power and tachometer wires supports the electronic confirmation without adding additional communication lines. Further, once a communication link is established between an information handling system controller and a cooling fan, other functions are enabled, such as a reflash of the cooling fan controller firmware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Elie Jreij, Paul T. Artman, Akkiah Choudary Maddukuri
  • Patent number: 7612517
    Abstract: A stepping motor controller includes: a pulse frequency adjustment circuit that receives a command pulse having a first frequency from an external controller that outputs the command pulse in accordance with an interrupt process performed periodically by the external controller, and generates an alternative command pulse having a second frequency that is lower than the first frequency; and a motor driving circuit that receives the command pulse through the pulse frequency adjustment circuit, and controls a stepping motor to rotate on the basis of the command pulse. The pulse frequency adjustment circuit outputs the alternative command pulse to the motor driving circuit instead of the command pulse received from the external controller, when the first frequency exceeds a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Aruze Corporation
    Inventor: Kengo Takeda
  • Patent number: 7609012
    Abstract: In an automatic transmission position control by a motor, it is determined whether the present instant belongs to a starting period, that is, the present instant is immediately after resetting of a control unit or application of power to it. If it is the starting period, an actual shift position that is detected from an output of an output shaft sensor for detecting a rotation position of a motor is set as an instructed shift position. With this measure, even if the control unit is reset for a certain reason while the vehicle is running, the instructed shift position is not changed in association with the resetting. This prevents trouble that the shift position is switched contrary to the intention of the driver, whereby the reliability of a position switching control can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Kamio, Kenichi Fujiki, Sumiko Amamiya, Keijiro Ohshima, Yasushi Kobiki, Yuji Inoue