Patents Examined by Rita Leykin
  • Patent number: 9531301
    Abstract: The power conversion device includes a power-supply shunt resistor provided between a negative voltage side of a DC power supply and an inverter and phase lower-arm shunt resistors respectively provided between phase lower-arm switching elements of two arms among three arms and the power-supply shunt resistor. The power conversion device detects voltages between connection points of the phase lower-arm switching elements and the phase lower-arm shunt resistors and a negative voltage side of the DC power supply and calculates, on the basis of detection values of the voltages, phase currents flowing to a load device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Uemura, Takuya Shimomugi, Koichi Arisawa, Yosuke Shinomoto, Shigeo Umehara, Shinichiro Ura, Makoto Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 9527480
    Abstract: The invention relates to a control device (160) for a drive unit (120) of a vehicle windshield wiper system (100) comprising at least one wiper arm (140). The control device (160) is designed to determine a load quantity (L) of the drive unit (120) and to set the wiping frequency (WH) of the wiper arm (140) on the basis of the ratio of the load quantity (L) to at least one load threshold value (LS). Furthermore, the control device (160) is designed to set the wiping frequency (WH) depending on the current speed (v) of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Braun, Norbert Wegner, Harald Retsch
  • Patent number: 9531304
    Abstract: A method and a device for operating an electrical machine having separate excitation, especially a synchronous machine. With the aid of a sensor system, a variable characterizing a rotor temperature and/or a stator temperature are/is determined, and an excitation current and stator currents for the electrical machine are specified by a control unit as a function of the variable characterizing the rotor temperature and/or the stator temperature, at least in specifiable operating ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Mercedes Herranz Gracia, Stefan Kolmorgen, Stefan Spannhake, Yves Challand, Daniel Raichle, Mario Beyer, Dragan Mikulec, Gunther Goetting, Alexander Scheidle
  • Patent number: 9515584
    Abstract: A converter for an electric motor includes a semiconductor element connected at at least one contacting for converting a voltage, a voltage measuring device for measuring a voltage drop over the semiconductor component, and a control device for controlling the semiconductor component, the control device being configured to determine a state of the contacting based on the measured voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Dieter Koller, Martin Richter, Harald Schueler
  • Patent number: 9515641
    Abstract: A voltage level detector is provided. The voltage level detector includes a comparator and a threshold level changer. The comparator compares a voltage level of an increasing or decreasing input signal with a threshold level, and generates and outputs a voltage level detection signal indicating that the input signal has reached the threshold level. The threshold level changer changes the threshold level of the comparator based on the voltage level detection signal by increasing the threshold level when the input signal is monotonically increasing and decreasing the threshold level when the input signal is monotonically decreasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironobu Tani, Tomohiko Kamatani
  • Patent number: 9513608
    Abstract: A device and a method for operating an electromechanical adjustment device having an electric drive device, include a control unit that detects the reaching of a mechanical end stop of the adjustment device and controls and/or regulates the electric drive device. After a mechanical end stop of the adjustment device is reached, a change in the direction of rotation is automatically actuated in the electric drive device for a predefinable period of time or a predefinable traveling distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Metals & Mechanisms GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Michael Reimann
  • Patent number: 9509242
    Abstract: A method for operating a direct current (DC) motor is shown and described. The method includes generating a first pulse width modulated (PWM) signal having a first duty cycle, providing the first PWM signal as a PWM DC output for the DC motor, and adjusting the first duty cycle to control a speed of the DC motor. The method further includes sensing an electric current output to the motor using a current sensor and, when the sensed current exceeds a threshold, holding the PWM DC output off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Russell W. Diamond, Gary A. Romanowich, David R. Fuhr
  • Patent number: 9502633
    Abstract: Method for controlling a piezoelectric actuator acting on valve elements to open or close a fuel injector respectively allowing or preventing fuel injection into a combustion chamber of an engine, the method includes: applying to the piezoelectric actuator a nominal electrical charge to open the injector, as a function of the torque required and the engine speed, to open the valve elements for fuel injection, thereafter applying to the actuator at least one electrical polarization charge, to polarize the actuator during an opening phase of the injector and fuel injection into the combustion chamber, thereafter commanding the closure of the injector by applying to the actuator at least one electrical discharge to close the valve elements, the step of applying the electrical polarization charge including a prior step of increasing the value of the charge current to a value greater than that of the nominal charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Leblon, Alain Atanasyan, Jeremie Memain
  • Patent number: 9501047
    Abstract: A power-assisted door closer includes an output shaft, a driving mechanism operatively connected to the output shaft, a mechanical energy accumulator for storing closing energy for the door leaf and acting upon the driving mechanism, a motor/generator unit operatively connected to the output shaft and an electrical energy accumulator for storing an assisting energy for the door leaf and being electrically connected to the motor/generator unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: DORMA DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Salutzki, Wolfgang Semelka, Felix Böse
  • Patent number: 9488965
    Abstract: In a numerical controller, a control table including the coefficient of an instruction pulse for each axis is stored and an instruction is provided for each axis of a machine based on the instruction pulse and the coefficient of the instruction pulse with reference to the control table. This eliminates the need for having a number of pulse generators and control cables corresponding to the number of motors, thereby providing a numerical controller with reduced hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: FANUC Corporation
    Inventor: Daisuke Sekine
  • Patent number: 9479087
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus of a vibration-type actuator for generating an elliptical motion of contact portions by a common alternating current including a frequency determining unit for setting a frequency of the alternating current. The frequency determining unit sets the frequency of the alternating current for changing an ellipticity of the elliptical motion, within a frequency range such that ellipticity changing frequency ranges set for the vibrators are overlapped, and the ellipticity changing frequency ranges are set for the vibrators as frequency ranges between an upper limit and a lower limit, such that the lower limit is a maximum resonant frequency at a time of changing the ellipticity, and the upper limit is larger than the lower limit and is a maximum frequency for the relative movement of the driving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shinya Kudo
  • Patent number: 9472944
    Abstract: A method of operating a refrigeration system that receives power from an electrical grid includes operating at least one component of the refrigeration system in a first state. The method includes detecting a fault event of the electrical grid in response to a concurrent increase in amount of current drawn by the component and decrease in voltage of power received by the component. The method includes, in response to detecting the fault event, switching the component from the first state to a second state, wherein the component consumes less power in the second state than in the first state. The method includes determining a first delay period according to a random process. The method includes identifying a conclusion of the fault event. The method includes, in response to the conclusion of the fault event, waiting for the first delay period before switching the component back to the first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Nagaraj Jayanth, George Ramayya
  • Patent number: 9465370
    Abstract: A actuator in a HVAC system includes a motor and a drive device driven by the motor. The drive device is coupled to a movable HVAC component for driving the movable HVAC component between multiple positions. The actuator further includes a main actuator controller that determines when the drive device is approaching an end stop and a pulse width modulation (PWM) speed controller that generates a PWM speed output for controlling a speed of the motor. The PWM speed controller sets the PWM speed output to zero in response to a determination that the drive device is approaching the end stop. The PWM speed controller then increases the PWM speed output until the end stop is reached, thereby causing the speed of the motor to increase as the drive device approaches the end stop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Robert K. Alexander, Gary A. Romanowich
  • Patent number: 9467078
    Abstract: A rotating electric machine driver apparatus and an electric power steering apparatus using the same includes a controller section that obtains a detected current value and generates a high-side instruction signal and a low-side instruction signal to switch an upper arm element and a lower arm element based on the detected current value. An abnormality detector determines a simul-OFF abnormality which is an abnormality of a pair made up of the high-side and low-side instruction signals being simultaneously switched off based on a condition that switching off of the high-side instruction signal for the upper arm element and the low-side instruction signal for the lower arm element pair continues for at least a simul-OFF abnormality determination time. In such manner, the simul-OFF abnormality of the instruction signals is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Mukai, Hideki Kabune
  • Patent number: 9456726
    Abstract: A cleaning system including a motor, an impeller driven by the motor, a battery receptacle, and a motor controller. The battery receptacle is configured to receive a battery pack. The battery pack includes one or more battery cells and a battery controller. The motor controller is configured to receive from the battery controller one of a first type of data and a second type of data, and operate the motor at a defined speed, the defined speed being a first speed upon receiving the first type of data, and a second speed upon receiving the second type of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Brett A. Reed, Mark Reindle, Will Sebastian
  • Patent number: 9450532
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a control processing unit that controls driving of a motor based on a command signal input from a controller so as to command an operation of the motor and a detection signal which is a detection result of the operation of the motor; and an abnormality determining unit that detects an abnormality in the controller, the motor control device, and the motor based on the command signal, the detection signal, and a control signal generated in the motor control device and that determines a level of repeatability of the detected abnormality based on a predetermined criterion. The control processing unit transitions from a normal mode to a specific abnormality alarm mode when the abnormality determining unit determines that an specific abnormality having high repeatability has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Tanabe, Daisuke Goto
  • Patent number: 9448519
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a motor device, a speed command section, and a load detecting section. The motor control device includes: a motor configured to drive a rotating body and output a speed notification signal having an oscillation frequency corresponding to a rotational speed of the rotating body; and a driver IC configured to control a rotational speed of the motor. The speed command section is provided outside the motor device and configured to output a speed command signal designating a rotational speed of the motor to the driver IC. The load detecting section is provided outside the motor device and configured to derive a phase difference between the speed command signal and the speed notification signal and detect a load on the motor based on the phase difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Naohiro Anan
  • Patent number: 9444392
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a control processing unit that controls the driving of a motor based on a command signal input from a controller and a detection signal which is a detection result of the operation of the motor; an abnormality determining unit that detects an abnormality in the controller, the motor control device, and the motor according to the command signal, the detection signal, and a control signal generated in the motor control device and that determines a level of repeatability of the detected abnormality on the basis of a predetermined criterion; a specific abnormality storage unit that stores occurrence information of a specific abnormality which is determined to have high repeatability on the basis of the predetermined criterion; and an abnormality releasing unit that erases the occurrence information of the specific abnormality stored in the specific abnormality storage unit according to an erasure command signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Goto, Akira Tanabe
  • Patent number: 9441943
    Abstract: The invention is a method of determining the position and the speed of the rotor in a synchronous electric machine using a state observer of the currents of the electric machine and the injection of signals. Thus, the invention provides position information which is accurate, notably at low speed, without using a position detector. The invention also is a control method and system for controlling a synchronous electric machine which accounts for the position determined for the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: IFP ENERGIES NOUVELLES
    Inventor: Wissam Dib
  • Patent number: 9438157
    Abstract: In a method for operating a multiphase electrical machine, which includes a rotor and a rotary encoder operatively connected to the rotor, an actual rotational angle of the rotor is determined from a measured rotational angle determined by means of the rotary encoder and a rotational angle offset. To determine the rotational angle offset the rotor is brought to a specific rotational speed and then an active short circuit of the electrical machine is initiated, wherein an actual current vector is determined, using a dq-transformation, from the current intensities of the currents flowing in at least two of the phases of the electrical machine and the measured rotational angle determined by means of the rotary encoder, and wherein the rotational angle offset is calculated from the actual current vector and a reference current vector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventors: Martin Adam, Marcel Kuhn