Patents Examined by William M. Shoop
  • Patent number: 5959431
    Abstract: Index signals which represent the degree of instability in a three-phase induction motor system is derived by using phase current signals which are usually already available in V/Hz PWM inverters for other purposes. Proportional integration compensators, which may be implemented in software, process these index signals and generate frequency and/or voltage adjustments to the V/Hz controller in order to compensate for speed instability in the system. The compensation algorithm is robust to system changes and is also effective to improve acceleration and deceleration performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Baldor Electric Company
    Inventor: Youqing Xiang
  • Patent number: 5959418
    Abstract: As shown in FIG. 9, a switching control part 310 detects voltage drops of FET power transistors 81 to 83, and outputs a switching control signal Vd responding with a modulated signal changed in synchronization with a movement of a motor, and a detected operation voltage. The switching operation of a switching transistor 61 is controlled responding with the switching control signal Vd, so that a converted DC voltage of a voltage converting part 52 is controlled. The converted DC voltage of the voltage converting part is supplied to power amplifying parts 11 to 17. The power amplifying parts configured by FET power current-mirror circuits analoguely alter current paths from the converted DC voltage of the voltage converting part to three-phase windings 2, 3, and 4, whereby pulsation of drive currents I1, I2, and I3 to the windings is reduced and a motor vibration is decreased in level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Gotou
  • Patent number: 5959231
    Abstract: There are provided a tone source for generating tone signals in plural channels independently and effect impartment sections, provided in corresponding relations to the channels, for imparting individual effects to the tone signals of the channels generated by the tone source. Each of the effect impartment sections, in accordance with tone control information unique to the tone signal of the corresponding channel, controls a parameter of the effect to be imparted. In a case where any of the effect impartment sections uses a signal delaying memory to impart an effect, when a damping (or truncating process) is performed in any of the channels, the storage area to be used for the channel is switched to another unused storage area so as to prevent any preceding tone's delayed signal from being undesirably mixed into the signal of a new tone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Hasebe
  • Patent number: 5959226
    Abstract: One particular design for providing a substitute to a cane reed incorporates a wood-based, polymer body (the tube), two thin plastic tongues, regulated by a short length of synthetic tubing (the bridle). A brass or plastic tube is screwed or pressed in one end to form the "seat" of the reed, or that portion which is pressed into the bagpipe itself. An opposite end of the tubular body includes a tuning pin to change a pitch of the reed. The bagpipe reed is fashioned from a hollow tube as a body, threaded or tapered at both ends to provide for the use of a threaded or tapered plug (tuning pin) at either end, employed to adjust airflow and pitch. The tuning pin is a socket headed cap screw having external threads at one end and an enlarged, knurled head at the opposite end. The head includes a hexagonal shaped opening for rotation of the tuning pin into and out of the tubular body by an allen wrench.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Inventor: Mark A. Wygent
  • Patent number: 5959430
    Abstract: A power conversion system, including a converter for converting an AC power from a power source to a DC power, a DC capacitor for smoothing the DC power output from the converter, an inverter for converting the DC power smoothed by the DC capacitor to an AC power of an arbitrary frequency to drive and control an induction motor, a unit for detecting or computing a magnetic flux axis of the induction motor, a unit for computing a current orthogonal to the detected or computed magnetic flux axis, and a phase control unit for controlling a phase angle of an output voltage of the inverter so that a value of the current orthogonal to the detected or computed magnetic flux axis is maintained at a constant level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazuaki Yuki, Yosuke Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 5959227
    Abstract: A mute device for a cymbal of the kind mounted on a cymbal post. The device include a strike plate assembly having a mount for engaging an upper part of a cymbal post, and at least one foot projecting from the strike plate assembly to rest on the cymbal. A cymbal mute assembly projects from the strike plate assembly to receive part of an outer circumference of the cymbal. The mute assembly includes a muting part of sound dampening material arranged to contact the cymbal in a rest position, and a strike piece arranged to strike the cymbal in response to a percussion force on the strike plate assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Inventor: Victor Shapiro
  • Patent number: 5959229
    Abstract: A tuning device for a stringed musical instrument consisting of stroboscopic light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), positioned to be seen by a musician in or near normal playing position as partially eclipsed by the strings. The LEDs are driven at standard musical frequencies by a microprocessor. To use the device, a musician observes the illusion of a moving shadow around an untuned vibrating string, and adjusts the instrument until the shadow appears to slow down and stop. The LEDs are sufficiently powerful, and their duty cycles are sufficiently large, that no special shielding or means of observation are required by the musician in normal ambient lighting conditions. A plurality of LEDs is grouped behind each string, with each LED in the group having the same frequency but different phase, which creates an illusion of movement along the string in one direction or the other indicating whether the string is sharp or flat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Inventor: David Collin Walley
  • Patent number: 5959425
    Abstract: A method of controlling a robot system (20) includes using a camera (40) to generate a first, two-dimensional image of a marking (42) on a workpiece (32). A second, two-dimensional image of the marking (42) is generated from a second perspective. The two images are then used to generate a three-dimensional location of the marking in real space relative to the robot (22). Since the visible marking (42) corresponds to a desired path (48), the three-dimensional location information is used to automatically program the robot (22) to follow the desired path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Assignee: FANUC Robotics North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Leonard H. Bieman, Gary J. Rutledge
  • Patent number: 5959225
    Abstract: A guitar rack structure that is composed of a fixing plate and two leg stands, characterized in that: on each of two sides symmetrically arranged below the fixing plate is respectively a reversed-L shaped adjusting hole, on the support rod of each leg stand is respectively a longitudinal through hole corresponding to the adjusting hole, with a shaft rod pulling through the adjusting hole and the through hole, to control the unfolding and folding of the two leg stands; the leg stand comprises a support rod, a bottom rod and a placement rod, at the center of the bottom rod is a connector part, the bottom rod is fitted to the bottom of the support rod by the connector part for its folding purpose; and near the top of the bottom rod on the support rod is fitted a placement rod, the placement rod may be folded upwards. Thus, when the above-mentioned construction is assembled for use, the invention may facilitate the unfolding of the rack, or the rack may be folded to reduce the space for its storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 28, 1999
    Inventor: Hsin-Hsuan Hsu
  • Patent number: 5955861
    Abstract: A sensorless switched reluctance motor (SRM) driving apparatus comprising: a phase control unit for outputting a start or stop command signal for the SRM and a speed command signal to set rotation speed thereof; a phase detecting circuit for outputting a phase current signal after measuring the phase current transmitted to the SRM; a digital firing angle estimating unit for outputting a rotor phase signal to supply the current to a specific phase of the rotor if the arrangement command signal is input, and for outputting a rotor phase signal after measuring a SRM firing angle by comparing a phase current signal and a reference phase converting period signal as a pulse signal is applied to a phase previously magnetized when the SRM has been rotated; a speed control unit for sending an arrangement command signal to the digital firing angle estimating unit if an operation start signal is input from the phase control unit, for outputting a voltage command signal to control the SRM rotation speed in response to th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seong-Ki Jeong, In-Jung Ha, Tae-Han Kim
  • Patent number: 5955690
    Abstract: An keyboard assembly for an electronic musical instrument is mainly constructed by a key frame, a key, a key switch and an assembly guide member. A fixing portion of the key is supported by the key frame such that a front portion of the key can be freely rotated up and down. An actuator is attached to and projected downward from a lower side of the key. The key switch (or a key-depression sensor) has an elastic projecting portion at its upper end. This key switch is provided on the key frame and is driven by the actuator, which depresses down the elastic projecting portion of the key switch when the key is depressed down. The assembly guide member guides the key when the key is moved in an assembling direction (i.e., a longitudinal direction of the key) in order to carry out an assembling operation to assemble the key and the key frame together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Kenichi Yoshinaga
  • Patent number: 5955689
    Abstract: A fully adjustable acoustic guitar bridge is claimed that allows the strings (e.g. nylon or steel) of an acoustic guitar to be separately and continuously intonated, accurately and easily, whenever necessary. The bridge system employs a minimum of alterations to the traditional non-adjustable acoustic guitar bridge to retain the acoustic qualities of the instrument. In one embodiment, recessed rear-loaded cap screws utilize the forward and downward pull of the strings to stabilize the adjustable saddles; in another, recessed, front-loaded cap screws utilize a c-clip to stabilize the saddles. A threaded saddle capture on each saddle provides stability, continuous threading capability, and the freedom to use acoustically resonant materials (e.g. bone, phenolic, composites, etc.) for saddles. In one embodiment, the string's downward pressure transmits string vibration to the soundboard; in another, a set-screw assists this transference of sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Inventors: Howard B. Feiten, Gregory T. Back
  • Patent number: 5955687
    Abstract: A disc music box for playing a melody, which comprises a disc (3) having a plurality of engaging parts (4, 40), a motor (M) for rotating the disc, and star wheels (12) guided and rotated by the engaging parts of the rotating disc for plucking music box petals (17a), wherein control information for controlling other instruments to be operated in association with the play of the music box is recorded at desired portions on the disc excepting portions where the engaging parts are disposed on the disc. An information disc (101) has both playing and control information and is driven to rotate at a predetermined speed. A tricky timepiece comprises a disc music box instrument (120) to which a music box disc (101) is attached and a tricky device (150) interconnected with the disc music box instrument to move puppets (151), thereby providing tricky performance. The term "tricky" is defined as mechanized movements designed to amuse or impress.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Rhythm Watch Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Miyagi, Norihiko Nakamura
  • Patent number: 5955863
    Abstract: An electric current control method for a servomotor using DQ conversion capable of increasing an acceleration torque and stabilizing a current control for deceleration when a voltage is saturated. It is determined whether the voltage command is saturated over a maximum voltage which a power amplifier is able to output (Step T1). When the voltage command is saturated, a saturation process is performed for rewriting an integrator of a Q-phase current control loop (Step T2), it is further determined whether the servomotor is in acceleration or deceleration (Step T3) and a further saturation process is performed for rewriting an integrator of a D-phase current control loop (Step T4) only when it is determined that the servomotor is in deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Hiroyuki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 5953490
    Abstract: The circuit for speed regulation of a three-phase motor incorporates a drive connected directly to a three-phase mains (R,S,T) which allows through mains voltage directly to the motor windings controlled by a pulse-width modulated signal produced by a control circuit controlled by the motor speed and fed to the drive stage via circuits for galvanic (d.c.) separation of the control circuit and the drive stage. The galvanic separation is produced with solar cell components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Woel Elektronik HB
    Inventors: Gunnar Wiklund, H.ang.kan Ohrnell
  • Patent number: 5952592
    Abstract: An acoustic guitar having a resin laminate soundboard with a bracing pattern specifically configured to provide the non-wooden soundboard with qualitites resembling traditional wooden soundboards. The soundboard is made from a relatively inexpensive resin laminate material in order to reduce the manufacturing cost of the acoustic guitar. The bracing pattern located on the underside of the soundboard stiffens the non-wooden soundboard at particular locations in order to permit a required degree of vibration for acoustic purposes while preventing damaging flexure caused by the forces of the tensioned guitar strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: C.F. Martin & Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy A. Teel
  • Patent number: 5952593
    Abstract: A fretted stringed musical instrument is provided with channels which can removably accommodate frets. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the channels are provided at locations where it is sometimes, but not always, desirable to have a fret. The frets which are standard to the instrument may remain imbedded in the fingerboard. Alternatively, channels may be provided at all possible fret locations such that the instrument can be played fretted or unfretted. This embodiment would eliminate the need for expensive, time consuming, and instrument damaging refretting operations. In another embodiment of the invention, a set of tempered frets can be used to change the temperament of the instrument, such as from equal temperament to mean temperament in an Appalachian dulcimer. In another embodiment, using frets having a variety of lengths, it also becomes possible to fret only certain strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Inventor: Dwain Wilder
  • Patent number: 5952598
    Abstract: A method is provided for automatically rearranging a plurality of digital information units (DIU) arbitrarily designated in a first digital information file (DIF), each DIU containing data with artistic structure and characteristics, to create a plurality of second DIF's having different artistic structure and characteristics from the first DIF. The method includes a first process for automatically (1) reordering, (2) repeating, (3) creating alternate sequences of, (4) altering durations of, (5) including and excluding certain ones of, and (6) automatically manipulating the characteristics of the plurality of DIU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Airworks Corporation
    Inventor: Darryl Goede
  • Patent number: 5952810
    Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a technique that detects an electrical angle of a synchronous motor with a high accuracy and adequately controls the synchronous motor even when the synchronous motor is driven under a non-loading condition. The direction that passes through a rotating shaft of the motor and causes a magnetic flux to pass through permanent magnets is defined as a d-axis. Even when the motor is driven under the non-loading condition and no flow of electric currents through windings is required in response to a torque requirement, the method of the present invention applies a voltage to the d-axis, based on an estimated electrical angle. Application of the voltage is realized by switching on and off a transistor inverter with a delay of a dead time. The method solves voltage equations with the applied voltages and the electric currents corresponding to the voltages, and controls the motor while correcting the electrical angle with errors of the arithmetic operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Yamada, Yasutomo Kawabata
  • Patent number: 5952599
    Abstract: An improved music generation system that facilitates artistic expression by non-musician and musician performers in both individual and group performance contexts. Mappings are provided between 1) gestures of a performer as indicated by manipulation of a user input device, 2) displayed motion of a graphic object, and 3) global features of a musical segment. The displayed motions and global features are selected so as to reinforce the appearance of causation between the performer's gestures and the produced musical effects and thereby assist the performer in refining his or her musical expression. The displayed motion is isomorphically coherent with the musical segment in order to achieve the appearance of causation. The global features are segment characteristics perceivable to human listeners. Control at the global feature level in combination with isomorphic visual feedback provides advantages to both non-musicians and musicians in producing artistic effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1999
    Assignee: Interval Research Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas Dolby, Tom Dougherty, John Eichenseer, William Martens, Michael Mills, Joy S. Mountford