Patents Examined by Zoheb S Imtiaz
  • Patent number: 10992245
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described herein for position estimation of permanent magnet synchronous machines through vibration induced saliency. An example permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) includes a motor control system to provide input command to the motor to cause a position of the motor to change. The PMSM further includes a motor position estimation module configured to estimate the position of the motor. The estimation includes measuring a current Iabc across the motor. The estimation further includes extracting a filtered current Iabc_inj at a predetermined frequency from the current Iabc. The estimation further includes estimating the position of the motor based on the filtered current Iabc_inj.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation
    Inventors: Zhe Zhang, Prerit Pramod
  • Patent number: 10965230
    Abstract: A brushless DC motor driver for driving a brushless DC motor which comprises at least one coil wherein the control unit is adapted for applying a PWM driving signal to the at least one coil of the brushless DC motor such that a current through the at least one coil is always bigger than a pre-defined undercurrent limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: MELEXIS BULGARIA LTD
    Inventors: Xing Zuo, Dirk Leman, Thomas Freitag
  • Patent number: 10965233
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a backup electrical angle detection circuit in which an inter-sensor error correction unit calculates an advance gain equal to or more than 1 with respect to input of a steering torque equal to or more than a predetermined torque value, and multiplies an output shaft angular velocity by the advance gain to calculate a post-advance steering angular velocity for correcting the estimated angle error of the direction delayed with respect to the steering direction. Then, an estimated angle calculation unit of the backup electrical angle detection circuit integrates the post-advance steering angular velocity, and, on the basis of a value of the integration, calculates a second motor electrical angle that is an estimated value of a motor electrical angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventor: Yousuke Imamura
  • Patent number: 10926790
    Abstract: A vehicle-mounted electronic controller includes a motor case that accommodates an electric motor, a lid body of the motor case, power circuitry including switching circuits that supply driving signals to the electric motor, and control circuitry including a control circuit that controls the switching circuits. The case further accommodates the power circuitry and the control circuitry. The lower surface of the lid body contacts the power circuitry. Each of the case and the lid body has a heat radiation property. The upper surface of the lid body is exposed. A vehicle-mounted mechanically/electrically integrated electric motor includes the vehicle-mounted electronic controller and the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEC ELESYS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Eiji Wada, Kazuki Harada, Hitoshi Kuroyanagi
  • Patent number: 10931212
    Abstract: Unique systems, methods, techniques and apparatuses of motor starters are disclosed. One exemplary embodiment is a synchronous machine including a plurality of stator phase windings, a rotor, a motor starter, and a controller. The motor starter includes a plurality of wye semiconductor switches and a plurality of delta semiconductor switches. The controller is structured to operate the plurality of wye semiconductor switches and the plurality of delta semiconductor switches so as to couple the plurality of stator phase windings in a delta configuration while an angular speed of the rotor is less than a synchronous speed, and structured to operate the plurality of wye semiconductor switches and the plurality of delta semiconductor switches so as to couple the plurality of stator phase windings in a wye configuration in response to the angular speed of the rotor being equal to the synchronous speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Robert F. McElveen, Jr., Jukka Jarvinen
  • Patent number: 10924001
    Abstract: A gate driver controller, inverter circuit apparatus, and associated discharge method for electric vehicles are disclosed. An example gate driver controller includes a mode determiner to set a mode of operation of the gate driver. The example device includes a gate driver control to control the gate driver to set the gate driver to: a) on, b) off, or c) generate a pulse width modulation signal. When in a first operating mode and set to on, stored energy is to be transferred from a capacitor to a motor winding inductor via a power transistor activated by the gate driver to dissipate a first portion of the stored energy. When in a second operating mode, a second portion of the stored energy is to be transferred from the motor winding inductor to the power transistor to dissipate the second portion of the stored energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Xiong Li, Toru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10914484
    Abstract: An electronic control module is provided. The electronic control module is operably connected to a power supply for providing power to a motor. The electronic control module includes an input device, a processor coupled to the input device, and first and second current supply lines. The processor is configured to generate a command signal in response to an input supplied by the input device and transmit the command signal to the motor. The command signal controls an operating point of the motor. The first and second current supply lines are operably connectable to the motor and the processor. At least one of the current supply lines, the input device and the processor are adapted to utilize the current supply lines both to transmit power to the motor and to transmit the command signal to the motor over the current supply lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Steven Mullin, Michael David Smith, Katie Da-Nelle Hamilton, Srinivas Chandu Kutcherlapati
  • Patent number: 10917030
    Abstract: An electric drive system includes a battery pack, a power inverter module (“PIM”), an electric machine, a switching circuit, and a controller. The electric machine has three or more phase legs. The PIM has a DC-side connected to the battery pack, and an alternating current (“AC”)-side connected to the electric machine. The switching circuit includes AC switches. For each phase leg the circuit also includes three or more winding sections each electrically connectable to or disconnectable from the PIM via the AC switches. The controller commands a binary switching state of each respective AC switch based on the rotary speed to implement one of four different speed-based operating modes of the electric machine, and to thereby vary a conductive path from the PIM to the electric machine through one or more of the connected winding sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Lei Hao, Chandra S. Namuduri, Rashmi Prasad
  • Patent number: 10901414
    Abstract: A method for driving an electric motor includes providing two controllers for driving the electric motor. The two controllers use different control methods to drive the electric motor. The method further includes selecting a first controller of the controllers as a primary controller to drive the electric motor and a second controller of the controllers as a secondary controller, monitoring a control of the electric motor, and switching the control of the electric motor from the primary controller to the secondary controller if an error condition is detected in the control of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qiu Lan, Changxing Zhou
  • Patent number: 10892695
    Abstract: A low-frequency torque controller 9 outputs a low-frequency torque controller output ?dc* based on a torque command value ?* and a torque detection value ?det, and a vibrational torque controller 11 outputs a vibrational torque command value ?pd* based on the torque command value ?*, the torque detection value ?det, and a rotational phase detection value ?. Meanwhile, in a high-frequency resonance suppression controller, an inverter torque command value ?inv* is outputted based on the torque detection value ?det and a corrected torque command value ?r* obtained by adding the low-frequency torque controller output ?dc* to the vibrational torque command value ?pd*. The invention thus provides shaft torque vibrational control of a motor drive system wherein engine vibrational torque command values including distortion components are tracked while entirely removing the influence of resonance, non-periodic disturbances, and periodic disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Meidensha Corporation
    Inventors: Yugo Tadano, Takao Akiyama, Takashi Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 10881396
    Abstract: A motorized surgical instrument is disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a displacement member, a motor coupled to displacement member, a control circuit coupled to the motor, a parameter sensor coupled to the control circuit and a position sensor coupled to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to receive a parameter output of the parameter sensor indicative of a force applied to translate the displacement member, determine a duration during which the parameter output is maintained at or above a predetermined fault threshold, receive a position output of the position sensor indicative of at least one position of the displacement member during the duration, and effect a motor control action based on the duration and the at least one position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Ethicon LLC
    Inventors: Frederick E. Shelton, IV, Jason L. Harris, David C. Yates
  • Patent number: 10884012
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein include a method and system for determining velocity and a motor controller implementing such velocity determination. In one embodiment, a rotatable element has a digital encoder coupled thereto for determining discrete angular positions of the rotatable element. An amount of time for the rotatable element to rotate between two successive ones of the discrete angular positions is measured. The amount of time is converted to a rotational velocity determination of the rotatable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Aaron M. Hulse, Harrison D. Pham, Stanley Lewis
  • Patent number: 10879833
    Abstract: A blower register includes a movable terminal, a plurality of fixed terminals to which the movable terminal is selectively connected, a plurality of resistors installed on the downstream side of the fixed terminals to adjust a current value of an electric current applied to a blower, and a current flow control part configured to subdivide the current value of the electric current in a number larger than the number of the fixed terminals and to form current flow paths through the resistors so that a rotation speed level of the blower is controlled to one of rotation speed levels larger in number than the fixed terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Hanon Systems
    Inventor: Jeong Yeop Lee
  • Patent number: 10879816
    Abstract: A control device alternately turns on an upper arm switch and a lower arm switch constituting an inverter on the basis of an operation pattern that is a time-series pattern that defines a switching pattern for each of the upper arm switch and the lower arm switch. The control device detects each of a present pattern that is the operation pattern currently set and a next pattern that is the operation pattern to be set next time. A plurality of timings is set in the middle of the present pattern over one electrical angle period as candidates of switching from the present pattern to the next pattern, and the control device selects a command switching timing from among the plurality of timings. The control device switches the operation pattern from the present pattern to the next pattern at the selected command switching timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koji Irie
  • Patent number: 10879823
    Abstract: Enhanced motor power control circuitry is presented herein. In one implementation, a circuit includes power transistor elements in a half-bridge arrangement configured to selectively switch current for a phase of a motor according to control signals applied to corresponding gate terminals. The circuit also includes control circuitry configured to produce the control signals to achieve target states among the power transistor elements. The control signals have ramp rates determined based at least on polarities of the current through the power transistor elements during inactive states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Michael Edwin Butenhoff, Rakesh Raja, Nicholas James Oborny
  • Patent number: 10870444
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus for a power steering apparatus, and a power steering apparatus using it that can reduce electromagnetic noise with the aid of a spread spectrum, thereby realizing stabilized motor control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Kashima, Yoshitaka Sugiyama, Masaki Itabashi, Tadashi Suganuma, Kazuya Yamano
  • Patent number: 10863846
    Abstract: A motor driven system for raising and lowering a window covering executes motor ramp trajectory speed control. The motor ramp trajectory limits acceleration of an external motor from the idle (stationary) state to full operating speed, and limits deceleration of the motor from full operating speed back to the idle state. This function reduces stresses on a continuous cord loop drive mechanism. A control system manages solar heating effects in response to sunlight entrance conditions such as system sensor outputs, external weather forecasts, and other data sources. The system automatically opens or close the window covering to increase or decrease admitted sunlight under appropriate conditions. The input interface of the control system includes a visual display and input axis, which are aligned vertically if the window covering mechanism raises and lowers the window covering, and are aligned horizontally if the window covering mechanism laterally opens and closes the window covering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Axis Labs Inc.
    Inventors: Trung Duc Pham, Alan Cheng, Marc Bishara, Clifton Pereira
  • Patent number: 10862374
    Abstract: A rotor for a synchronous machine of a motor vehicle includes an excitation coil configured to generate a magnetic field necessary for rotation of the rotor in a stator of the synchronous machine. The rotor also includes a supply circuit, to which energy is fed contactlessly such that the supply circuit supplies the excitation coil with the energy. The rotor also includes a demagnetization circuit configured to demagnetize the excitation coil, which, upon collapse of the energy supply of the excitation coil, diverts a current flowing through the excitation coil into a circuit branch in which at least one component for demagnetization is arranged, wherein the at least one component is also configured to perform a protection function to protect the supply circuit against an induced voltage generated at the excitation coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christoph Sudan, Berthold Schinnerl, Nuno Miguel da Silva Cerqueira, Falko Friese, Daniel Ruppert
  • Patent number: 10855219
    Abstract: There is provided a drive device configured to impose a more appropriate limitation on driving of a motor. The drive device comprises a motor configured to generate an induced voltage according to a rotation speed, and an inverter configured to drive the motor. Upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition to impose a limitation on driving of the motor, the drive device performs a drive limitation that imposes a larger limitation on driving of the motor when the induced voltage of the motor is higher than an input voltage that is input from a power storage device side to the inverter, compared with a limitation imposed when the induced voltage of the motor is equal to or lower than the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomoko Oba
  • Patent number: 10855142
    Abstract: A power system for use in hydraulic fracturing or fracking of wells is disclosed. The power system is generally self-contained on a transportable system, such as a trailer. The weight and configuration of the trailer must be sized to be hauled legally on United States roadways. The system components include a turbine generator, rectifier, inverter units and AC motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Supreme Electrical Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Glass Cory