Patents Examined by Rina Duda
  • Patent number: 10020760
    Abstract: A control method for a three-phase DC brushless motor including a rotor that includes a plurality of magnetic poles and that is rotatable, a stator that includes a plurality of magnetic field generation parts to generate a magnetic field to be a driving source of the rotor, and a sensor to detect a magnetic pole of the rotor which pole passes through a first position in the stator is provided, the method including: detecting in which the sensor detects a first magnetic pole of the rotor which pole passes through the first position; estimating, based on a result of the detection of the first magnetic pole, time until the first magnetic pole reaches a second position in the stator; and controlling the plurality of magnetic field generation parts in such a manner that a suitable magnetic field is generated when the first magnetic pole passes through the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuta Tachibana, Katsuhide Sakai, Yasuhiro Koide, Yuhei Tatsumoto
  • Patent number: 10006455
    Abstract: There is provided a drive control apparatus that can maintain a drive control system to be in a safe state even in a case where operational abnormality of avoiding a normal reset of a control processor or operational abnormality of avoiding solution even after resetting the control processor occurs in the control processor. The control processor includes an actuator control processing unit configured to generate a control signal for a drive circuit being a control target apparatus and an actuator, and a diagnosis processing unit configure to diagnosing the actuator control processing unit. The diagnosis processing unit cyclically outputs a reset signal to WDT in a case where the operation of the control processor is normal. The WDT continuously outputs a cutoff signal for cutting off a supply of the control signal from the control processor to the control target apparatus when the cyclic reset signal stops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD
    Inventors: Hirokazu Tajima, Hiroji Nishida
  • Patent number: 10007249
    Abstract: A method, according to the present invention, of adjusting control parameters used in a control apparatus of an electric motor includes the steps of: computing a first frequency characteristic (Step 1); computing a present speed-proportional gain range (Step 2); computing a present mechanical-system characteristic constant (Step 3); computing a present proportional gain range (Step 4); computing a secular characteristic (Step 5); computing a secular speed-proportional gain range (Step 6); computing a secular proportional gain range (Step 7); and selecting proportional gain values (Step 8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Tazawa, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Masaru Nishizono
  • Patent number: 10003186
    Abstract: A variable-speed constant-frequency (VSCF) power converter includes a generator control operable to regulate an output voltage of a variable frequency generator at a variable frequency. The VSCF power generator also includes an inverter control operable to regulate a VSCF output voltage at a point-of-regulation at a constant frequency, where the generator control and the inverter control independently control a main line contactor of the point-of-regulation to provide redundant fault protection for an aircraft use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Carl A. Wagner, Mustansir Kheraluwala
  • Patent number: 9998037
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a synchronous motor according to the present invention includes: a current command generation unit for generating a d-phase current command and a q-phase current command; a current detection unit for detecting a d-phase current and a q-phase current; a short-circuiting device for short-circuiting the synchronous motor to apply dynamic braking to the synchronous motor; and a short-circuit control unit for controlling the short-circuiting device; wherein the current command generation unit controls the q-phase current command so as to decrease the q-phase current after receipt of a dynamic braking signal; and the short-circuit control unit controls the short-circuiting device to short-circuit the synchronous motor after the receipt of the dynamic braking signal and after a lapse of a predetermined time from the control of the q-phase current command by the current command generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tatsuya Senoo
  • Patent number: 9991831
    Abstract: A DC motor control device includes a communication circuit configured to receive a control command specifying a target rotation amount for a DC motor, a sensor interface configured to receive a detection signal from a rotational angle sensor that outputs the detection signal every time the DC motor rotates by a certain rotational angle, a step counter that outputs a count signal every time the detection signal has been received a certain number of times, a controller that, based on the number of times the count signal received, determines a step count representing the total amount of rotation, and generates a control signal that controls the DC motor in accordance with the step count and the target rotation amount, and a drive signal generation circuit that generates a drive signal that rotates the DC motor in accordance with the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumi Matsushita, Hiroyuki Ibuki
  • Patent number: 9985559
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls a rotating machine including a stator having groups of phase windings, to control current application to the groups. The control apparatus includes power converters converting received power to AC power and supplying the AC power to the rotating machine, a harmonic component cancellation section reducing a harmonic component superimposed on a fundamental wave component by a cancellation process in an estimated-rotating coordinate system for at least one of voltage and current of each system, when a unit of a group of components controlling current application to a specific group of the windings is defined as a system, an induced voltage estimation section estimating an induced voltage based on information common to the systems including a voltage value and a current value calculated by the cancellation process, and a magnetic-pole-position estimation section estimating a magnetic pole position of a rotor based on the estimated induced voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sukhwa Jung
  • Patent number: 9973133
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a detecting unit configured to detect rotation of a motor to be controlled and output a rotation detection value related to the rotation; a drive control unit configured to perform drive control to rotate the motor at a control target value increasing with time based on the rotation detection value; and an abnormality detection unit configured to perform an abnormality detection process for detecting an abnormality in the drive control based on the rotation detection value and a predetermined threshold. The drive control unit performs control to stop rotation of the motor when the abnormality is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kiguchi, Takeo Seki, Natsuko Ishizuka, Takuya Murata
  • Patent number: 9973116
    Abstract: A power supply converter controller in an injection molding machine continuously operates a power supply converter in a continuous operation interval, operates the power supply converter in a step-up interval to increase a voltage of an electric storage unit up to a step-up voltage, and intermittently operates the power supply converter in an intermittent operation interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junpei Maruyama, Masakazu Niwa
  • Patent number: 9973129
    Abstract: A power factor optimized variable speed drive unit for an electric motor of an HVAC device is disclosed. In an embodiment, the unit includes a selectively-activatable power factor correction unit operatively associated with a switched mode power supply unit. A power measurement unit measures the input power of the electric motor. A comparator unit compares the motor input power to a predetermined threshold. The comparator unit activates the power factor correction unit when the input power of the electric motor is above the threshold, and deactivates the power factor correction unit when the input power of the electric motor falls below the threshold. In an embodiment, motor input power is determined by the product of motor load current and motor speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Trane International Inc.
    Inventors: Don A. Schuster, Chuan Yan
  • Patent number: 9960728
    Abstract: A winding temperature estimation device for a rotating electric machine includes a rotating electric machine including a stator, which has a winding, and a rotor, a coolant supply part configured to supply a coolant, a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the coolant, a heat reduction amount calculation part configured to calculate a heat reduction amount of the winding using the temperature of the coolant and a heat resistance between the coolant and the winding, a heating value calculation part configured to calculate a heating value due to a loss of the winding, and a winding temperature calculation part configured to calculate a temperature of the winding using the heat reduction amount from the winding and the heating value due to the loss of the winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Ito, Munehiro Matsubara, Hiroyuki Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 9954476
    Abstract: A TH terminal receives an analog control voltage VTH which indicates a rotational speed. With a first platform, a capacitor and a discharging resistor are connected in parallel between an OSC terminal and the ground. A charging resistor and a first switch are arranged in series between the OSC terminal and a reference voltage line via which a stabilized voltage is supplied. When an oscillator voltage VOSC that occurs at the OSC terminal reaches an upper-side threshold VH, a switching circuit turns off the first switch. When the oscillator voltage VOSC falls to a lower-side threshold value VL, the switching circuit turns on the first switch. The oscillator voltage VOSC is compared with the voltage at the TH terminal, so as to generate a pulse-modulated control pulse S3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomofumi Mishima, Masahiro Nakamura, Joji Noie
  • Patent number: 9948219
    Abstract: A rotating electrical machine control device where the changeover control circuit switches the source of electric power for the electronic control unit when the electric power that is supplied from the second DC power supply to the electronic control unit becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined first reference value and electric power that is output from the backup power supply is equal to or higher than a predetermined second reference value, and the electronic control unit uses the electric power supplied from the backup power supply to cause the inverter to perform the switching operation to perform fail-safe control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Yutaka Hotta, Yasushi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9948203
    Abstract: A direct-current power supply device includes a reactor, one end of which is connected to one output end of an alternating-current power supply, a switching unit for short-circuiting the other end of the reactor and the other output end of the alternating-current power supply, a rectifying unit configured to rectify an alternating-current voltage supplied from the alternating-current power supply and generate a voltage equal to or higher than a double voltage, a smoothing capacitor connected to the rectifying unit via backflow preventing diodes and configured to smooth a direct-current voltage output from the rectifying unit, and a control unit configured to control the switching unit and stop the supply of the alternating-current voltage to the rectifying unit in a predetermined period after a predetermined time has elapsed from a zero cross point of the alternating-current voltage output from the alternating-current power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke Shinomoto, Koichi Arisawa, Kazunori Hatakeyama, Takashi Yamakawa
  • Patent number: 9927821
    Abstract: The inventive subject matter provides a system and a method for automatically controlling appliances via a mechanical controller. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes a first circuitry communicatively coupled with one or more sensors and configured to generate a motor controlling signal based in part on a reading from the sensor. The system also includes a mechanical device in contact with a lever of the mechanical controller. The system also includes a second circuitry configured to cause the mechanical device to move the lever as a function of the signal received from the first circuitry to control the appliance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: INNOVATIVE BUILDING ENERGY CONTROL
    Inventor: Gangyi Zhou
  • Patent number: 9908430
    Abstract: A vehicle with an N-phase electric motor, with a first onboard electrical subsystem and with a second onboard electrical subsystem, wherein the electric motor includes a rotor and a stator system, and the first onboard electrical subsystem includes an inverter. The stator system is associated with the inverter and the electric motor is operable with an inverter controller according to the principle of field-oriented control such that the stator system is embodied in a star circuit in which the star point can be connected to the second onboard electrical subsystem directly or via a star point switch. The inverter controller includes a current controller and a star point controller, wherein the current controller controls phase currents of the stator system and the star point controller controls a star point current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Matthias Gorka, Joerg Reuss, Daniel Findeisen, Michael Steinberger
  • Patent number: 9912279
    Abstract: A method of operating parallel connected transistors including a first transistor and a second transistor having their respective collectors and emitters connected together includes receiving a first pulse and providing it for a first time period to a gate of the first transistor and not to the second transistor. The method also includes receiving a second pulse and providing it for a second time period to a gate of the second transistor and not to the first transistor and receiving a third pulse and providing it to the gate of the first transistor and not to the second transistor for the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventor: Huazhen Chai
  • Patent number: 9899949
    Abstract: A system-specific interface module for a motor control subassembly for controlling operation of an electric motor within a larger system which uses a particular system communication method. The motor control subassembly includes a standard power module and the interface module. The power module includes a controller processor configured to receive input for controlling and to generate output regarding operation of the motor. The interface module includes a communication interface hardware block configured to exchange input and output signals with the larger system, and an interface processor configured to translate the input and output signals between the particular system communication method used by the larger system and a standard internal communication method used by the power module. Thus, the motor control subassembly can be configured to accommodate any of a variety of different system communication methods and other input/output options by selecting and inserting the appropriate interface module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Prakash B. Shahi, Anandan C. Velayutham, Douglas D. Glenn, Christopher D. Schock, James L. Skinner, Randy L. Bomkamp, Mark E. Carrier
  • Patent number: 9899944
    Abstract: In a control apparatus for a rotating electric machine, a phase feedback gain is set such that first and second conditions are met. The first condition is that gain margin and phase margin in frequency characteristics of a first loop transfer function are ensured. The second condition is that a gain intersection angular frequency in frequency characteristics of the first loop transfer function is lower than respective resonance angular frequency in frequency characteristics of first and second transfer functions. An amplitude feedback gain is set such that third and fourth conditions are met. The third condition is that gain margin and phase margin in frequency characteristics of a second loop transfer function are ensured. The fourth condition is that a gain intersection angular frequency in frequency characteristics of a second loop transfer function is lower than respective resonance angular frequency in frequency characteristics of third and fourth transfer functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Irie
  • Patent number: 9893669
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a motor efficiency analysis method for motor inverter. The method can be performed via a real-time motor operation efficiency display device. Based on the measured primary current signal and the voltage provided by the driving device, the device can estimate related data, such as the real-time efficiency, rotational speed, torque and stator resistance, by means of several algorithms. Besides, the device is designed to be applied to most motors; therefore, users can manage the efficiency of all motors of the factory without the need to stop the machines or the manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chun-Hsiang Yang, Yung-Ren Cheng, Chin-Hung Kuo