Patents Examined by Said Bouziane
  • Patent number: 11063537
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of controlling a rotational speed of a rotor (3) of a direct current electric motor (1) comprising an inductor circuit (A, B) for rotating the rotor, which is configured to rotate continuously and is equipped with permanent magnets. The method comprises: measuring the rotational speed of the rotor; determining a time drift in the rotor rotation compared to a reference signal; defining N speed thresholds with at least one being a variable speed threshold depending on the determined time drift, the N speed thresholds defining N+1 rotational speed ranges for the rotor; determining in which one of the N+1 rotational speed ranges the determined rotational speed of the rotor is; and finally selecting an action relative to the control of the inductor circuit, based on the determined rotational speed range, for controlling the rotational speed of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Christophe Germiquet, Laurent Nagy
  • Patent number: 11063538
    Abstract: A wiper system including a brushless DC electric motor having a rotor, a stator having coils for electromagnetically exciting the rotor, a device for determining the angular position of the rotor with respect to the stator, a control unit configured to generate control signals for supplying power to the electromagnetic excitation coils according to the angular position of the rotor determined by the device for determining the angular position of the rotor, a reduction gear mechanism linked, on one side, to the rotor of the electric motor and, on the other side, to an output shaft that is intended to be linked to an external mechanism. The rotor includes at least one Hall effect sensor associated with a control magnet that rotates with the rotor and the gear motor also having a processing unit connected to the device for determining the angular position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventor: Jose Luis Herrada
  • Patent number: 11063548
    Abstract: A power tool is provided including a power supply interface receiving a medium-voltage-rated removable battery pack having a maximum rated voltage in the range of 40 to 80 volts, and a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor. The motor includes a rotor and a stator having at least three stator windings corresponding to at least three phases of the motor, the rotor being moveable by the stator when the stator windings are appropriately energized within the corresponding phases, each phase being characterized by a corresponding voltage waveform energizing the corresponding stator winding. A multi-phase inverter bridge circuit is disposed between the power supply interface and the motor, and a controller is configured to output drive signals to the inverter bridge circuit to control flow of current from the battery pack to the motor such that the motor produces a maximum power output of at least 2500 watts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: John D. Cox, Michael K. Forster, John C. Vanko, Daniel J. White, Bhanuprasad V. Gorti, Matthew J. Velderman, Andrew E. Seman, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11063543
    Abstract: A voltage supplier in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first voltage generator, a second voltage generator, a first switcher, a second switcher, a first booster, and a second booster. The first booster boosts a voltage lower than a first switching drive voltage to thereby generate the first switching drive voltage, and supplies the first switching drive voltage to the first switcher on a first supply path. The second booster boosts a voltage lower than a second switching drive voltage to thereby generate the second switching drive voltage, and supplies the second switching drive voltage to the second switcher on a second supply path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: MAKITA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Nakamoto, Hitoshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11063531
    Abstract: A multi-level converter includes a first multi-phase inverter and a second multi-phase inverter. The first multi-phase inverter includes a first direct current (DC) positive line, a first DC negative line, and a first plurality of alternating current (AC) lines. Each AC line of the first plurality of AC lines is configured to be connected to a single phase winding of an electric machine. Each single phase winding is connected to a common neutral connector in a Y-winding configuration or between a pair of single phase windings in a ?-winding configuration. The second multi-phase inverter includes a second DC positive line, a second DC negative line, and a second plurality of AC lines and is connected in a similar manner to the first multi-phase inverter. The first DC negative line is electrically coupled to the second DC positive line to connect the first multi-phase inverter and the second multi-phase inverter in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Yehui Han, Jiyao Wang
  • Patent number: 11063549
    Abstract: A motor control system comprises a motor control circuit, a non-transitory storage medium and a processing circuitry. The storage medium is configured to store a current threshold profile that is indicative of a current requirement of the motor control circuit for an operational cycle of a motor. The processing circuitry is configured to adjust the stored current threshold profile based on a change to the operational cycle of the motor (e.g., from standard to non-standard).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Won-Door Corporation
    Inventors: Duane O. Hall, E. Carl Goodman, William Michael Coleman
  • Patent number: 11052426
    Abstract: An apparatus that generates vibrational motion is disclosed. The apparatus includes a first mass, a second mass, a drive system, and a control system. The first mass is eccentrically mounted on, and configured to rotate about, a first shaft. The second mass is eccentrically mounted on, and configured to rotate about, a second shaft, with first and second shafts sharing a common axis. The drive system imparts rotational motion to first and second shafts, and the control system controls rotational frequencies, directions, and initial angles of the first and second masses. Linear, elliptical, or circular vibratory motion of the apparatus may be induced by controlling such rotational properties of the first and second masses. The apparatus may include a measurement device that measures angular position and/or velocity of the first and second masses. The control system may control the vibrational motion based on measurements taken by the measurement device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: DERRICK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Raymond M. Kirsch, Joseph Hozdic
  • Patent number: 11038452
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a motor and a processor, and the processor is electrically connected to the motor. The processor performs the following actions: calculating the d-axis magnetic flux and the q-axis magnetic flux in a synchronous rotating reference frame according to the information fed back by the motor; multiplying the d-axis magnetic flux and the q-axis magnetic flux by a d-axis current feedback and a q-axis current feedback to be a d-axis flux-current product and a q-axis flux-current product respectively; subtracting the q-axis flux-current product from the d-axis flux-current product to get a flux-current product error; sending the flux-current product error to a proportional-integral controller to generate a present compensation current-angle command; adding the present compensation current-angle command and a previous current-angle command to obtain the present current-angle command; sending the present current-angle command to a d-q axis current regulator for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: National Central University
    Inventors: Faa-Jeng Lin, Shih-Gang Chen, Chia-Hui Liang
  • Patent number: 11031887
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a storage configured to store reference Lissajous values; and a controller configured to apply an excitation signal to a resolver; receive an output signal output from the resolver, to obtain a Lissajous value corresponding to the received output signal, to determine that an external noise is input when the obtained Lissajous value is different from the reference Lissajous values, and to control driving of a motor based on the obtained Lissajous value when the obtained Lissajous value is equal to any one of the reference Lissajous values. A vehicle having the motor control device may further include a battery configured to transmit power to the motor and to be charged by regenerative braking of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jiwan Cha, Han Hee Park, JaeHyeon Lee, Seongmin Kim, Hyunwoo Noh, Taeil Yoo
  • Patent number: 11025185
    Abstract: An adaptive control system (2) for controlling a plant (3) is disclosed. The adaptive control system comprises a control system (5) configured to generate drive signals (16) for the plant in dependence upon a reference signal (8) and an error signal, and a state observer (17) or state sensor (17?; FIG. 2) configured to generate an estimate of a state of the plant in dependence upon the reference signal. The system comprises an error combiner (12) configured to selectably combine a first error (11) determined from the reference signal and a set of measurements of the plant and a second error (13) determined from the reference and the estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Europe GmbH
    Inventor: Suad Jusuf
  • Patent number: 11018611
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a multi-phase rotating electric machine includes at least one electric power converter, a command value calculator and an input voltage determiner. The at least one electric power converter converts DC power into multi-phase AC power and supplies the multi-phase AC power to the rotating electric machine. The command value calculator calculates command values for operating the at least one electric power converter. The input voltage determiner determines whether an input voltage of the at least one electric power converter is within a normal operation range. When the input voltage is determined by the input voltage determiner to be outside the normal operation range, the control apparatus switches control to ignore voltage change or current change caused by the reverse input of an external force to the rotating electric machine from a load side or suppress control fluctuation caused by the reverse input of the external force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Nakashima, Nobuyori Nakajima, Takafumi Sato, Akira Takesaki, Takashi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11018557
    Abstract: An speed detection apparatus of a rotational shaft in a robot arm that is applied to a drive mechanism is provided. The speed detection apparatus includes: first and second rotation sensors that are disposed on a side of a rotational shaft of the robot arm and outputs first and second rotational position signals with a phase difference of 90 degrees; first and second differentiators that differentiate the first and second rotational position signals; and a speed calculator that obtains a rotational speed of the robot arm by calculating a sum of squares of a first differential signal and a second differential signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Kenji Nagamatsu
  • Patent number: 11011998
    Abstract: An inverter power generator includes an engine, an actuator that adjusts the position of a throttle valve of the engine, a power generator that generates AC power from a driving force of the engine, a converter that converts the AC power outputted from the power generator into DC power, an inverter that converts the DC power outputted from the converter into AC power, a current detector that detects the current of the AC power outputted from the inverter, a voltage detector that detects the voltage of the AC power outputted from the inverter, a target rotation speed determiner that determines a target rotation speed of the engine based on a detected current value and a correction value based on the difference between a target voltage value and the detected voltage value, and an actuator controller that controls the actuator based on the determined target rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: YAMAHA MOTOR POWER PRODUCTS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masataka Kaneko, Keisuke Sugiura
  • Patent number: 11012018
    Abstract: A system includes a motor-driven component, a motor configured to operate the motor-driven component, and a motor drive circuit configured to power the motor. The motor drive circuit includes at least one complementary stage, where each stage includes a first transistor and a second transistor. During operation of the motor drive circuit, the first transistor is switched on when the second transistor is switched off. The system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the motor drive circuit. A load condition associated with the component is monitored. Based on the load condition, the controller determines whether the component is operating at a light load condition. If the component is operating at the light load condition, a switching frequency of each of stages is changed from a first switching frequency to a second switching frequency, which is less than the first switching frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Lennox Industries Inc.
    Inventor: Jose Juan Sandoval
  • Patent number: 11005403
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a motor control system and method based on current feedback signal. The motor control system includes a control apparatus, a linear motor, and a current feedback apparatus, where an output end of the control apparatus is connected to the linear motor for calculating a displacement error of a previous moment to obtain a control output value of a current moment, and converting the control output value into a voltage signal for transmission to the linear motor; the linear motor is configured to vibrate according to the voltage signal input by the control apparatus; and the current feedback apparatus is connected to the linear motor, and is configured to: convert a measured current value of the linear motor into an actual displacement value of the current moment, and feed back the actual displacement value to an input end of the control apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiang Lu, Zheng Xiang, Liang Jiang, Hanlin Deng
  • Patent number: 11001295
    Abstract: A motor control device for performing PWM control of an inverter for driving a three-phase brushless motor on the basis of a current command value, wherein the motor control device is provided with: a voltage command value computation unit for calculating a voltage command value using the current command value, and a motor rotation speed and a motor electric angle acquired for each control cycle from the three-phase brushless motor; an electric angle interpolation unit for estimating an interpolated electric angle from the motor electric angle at division intervals obtained by dividing the control cycle; a conversion unit for calculating a three-phase Duty command value from the voltage command value and the motor electric angle, and calculating a three-phase interpolated Duty command value from the voltage command value and the interpolated electric angle; and an output setting unit for switching between, and outputting, the three-phase Duty command value and the three-phase interpolated Duty command value s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takase, Ryo Minaki, Takayoshi Sugawara, Kouichi Nampei
  • Patent number: 11005400
    Abstract: In order to suppress high-frequency noise in micro-step driving of a stepping motor, a motor control device (100) includes an H bridge circuit (20) and control means for driving a switching element of the H bridge circuit (20) with a PWM signal and for setting a charge mode, a fast attenuation mode, or a slow attenuation mode for a motor coil. In a range from an electrical angle where the reference current value starts descending to an electrical angle of +52°, the control means switches the H bridge circuit (20) every PWM cycle to the charge mode and then to the slow attenuation mode. In a range exceeding +52° and to +90 degrees where the reference current value starts ascending, the control means switches the H bridge circuit (20) every PWM cycle to the charge mode and, if the motor current exceeds the reference current value, then the control means switches it to the fast attenuation mode and further to the slow attenuation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Kei Yamazaki, Tetsuya Seki, Shigeki Miyaji
  • Patent number: 11005406
    Abstract: Disclosed embodiments are directed to a technique to remove DC offset from current measurement signals through shunt resistors in digital signal processing for current reconstruction when using discontinuous pulse width modulation (DPWM). Such measurements regarding current are pertinent to a feedback loop used for a system including a DC-link capacitor, inverter, and motor. A method of removing DC offset comprises: determining a three-phase output current signal of an inverter, wherein the inverter is coupled to a motor and a power supply; producing a voltage signal based on the three-phase output current signal and the resistances of one or more shunt resistors disposed in the inverter; applying an analog gain circuit to the voltage signal; processing the voltage signal with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC); applying a DC offset corrector to the voltage signal; and performing current reconstruction on the voltage signal to produce a continuous current signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventors: Goutham Selvaraj, Yu Liu
  • Patent number: 11000337
    Abstract: An instrument chassis for a robotic surgical system comprises a bridge member, a first instrument guide member configured to receive a first surgical instrument, and a second instrument guide member configured to receive a second surgical instrument. Each of the first instrument guide member and the second instrument guide member is moveably coupled to the bridge member such that each of the first instrument guide member and the second instrument guide member is moveable in at least one degree of freedom relative to the bridge member. The instrument chassis further comprises a central instrument guide member coupled to the bridge member between the first instrument guide member and the second instrument guide member. The central instrument guide member is configured to receive a third surgical instrument. Each of the first instrument guide member and the second instrument guide member is slidably movable relative to the bridge member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Grosvenor Cooper, David Quentin Larkin, David Joseph Rosa
  • Patent number: 11005398
    Abstract: Provided is a motor drive controller capable of a locking energization operation while preventing increase in temperature of a coil. The motor drive controller includes a motor drive section selectively energizing coils with a plurality of phases of a motor and a locking energization control section. The locking energization control section performs a locking energization operation when the motor is started or restarted and holds a rotor of the motor in a position corresponding to the coil in which the lock current flows. In case of performing the locking energization operation, the locking energization control section switches a locking energization pattern for applying the lock current in the coil from a locking energization pattern when the preceding locking energization operation was performed. The locking energization control section controls the motor drive section so that the lock current flows in the coil in accordance with the switched locking energization pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kaidu, Youhei Serizawa, Shunsuke Harigae, Zhou Xiao