Patents by Inventor Alexander T. Huber

Alexander T. Huber has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11949362
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide for controlling a conduction angle applied to a motor, such as a power tool motor. Operations for controlling the conduction angle includes receiving by a motor controller, a desired speed signal, and monitoring a speed of the power tool motor. The operation further includes a motor controller determining an error value between the desired speed signal and the monitored speed and determining a conduction angle signal based on the error value. The operation also includes the motor controller determining whether the conduction angle signal is greater than the error value and increasing a conduction angle of the power tool motor in response to the conduction angle signal being determined to be greater than the error value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Shuvam Gupta, Gerry M. Nagel, Alexander T. Huber
  • Publication number: 20240048085
    Abstract: A power tool that includes a brushless motor, a power switching circuit, a current sensor, and an electronic controller. The power switching circuit provides a supply of power to the brushless motor. The current sensor is configured to sense a current of the brushless motor. The electronic controller is configured to receive a first signal indicative of current of the brushless motor, generate a current command, set a conduction angle of the brushless motor based on the current command, supply a PWM signal having a duty cycle to the brushless motor to increase current of the brushless motor, determine whether duty cycle equals a first threshold, maintain the duty cycle at the first threshold, modify the conduction angle to increase the current of the brushless DC motor, determine whether current equals a second threshold, and control the second conduction angle to maintain current at the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Austin Gaspar, Gerald M. Nagel, Shuvam Gupta, Alexander T. Huber
  • Publication number: 20220347811
    Abstract: Power tools described herein include a housing, a motor supported by the housing, a battery pack configured to provide electrical power to the power tool, a user input configured to provide an input signal corresponding to a target speed of the motor, a plurality of sensors supported by the housing and configured to generate sensor data indicative of an operational parameter of the power tool, and an electronic controller. The electronic controller includes an electronic processor and a memory. The memory includes a machine learning control program for execution by the electronic processor. The electronic controller is configured to receive the target speed, receive the sensor data, process the sensor data using the machine learning control program, generate, using the machine learning control program, an output based on the sensor data, the output including one or more field weakening parameters, and control the motor based on the generated output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Jonathan E. Abbott, Alexander T. Huber
  • Publication number: 20220345057
    Abstract: Systems and methods described herein provide for controlling a conduction angle applied to a motor, such as a power tool motor. Operations for controlling the conduction angle includes receiving by a motor controller, a desired speed signal, and monitoring a speed of the power tool motor. The operation further includes a motor controller determining an error value between the desired speed signal and the monitored speed and determining a conduction angle signal based on the error value. The operation also includes the motor controller determining whether the conduction angle signal is greater than the error value and increasing a conduction angle of the power tool motor in response to the conduction angle signal being determined to be greater than the error value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Inventors: Shuvam Gupta, Gerry M. Nagel, Alexander T. Huber
  • Publication number: 20220247202
    Abstract: A power tool device including a housing, first and second battery pack terminals, at least one bulk capacitor, a pre-charge circuit, and a discharge circuit. The pre-charge circuit includes at least one resistance connected in series with the at least one bulk capacitor, and a pre-charge switch connected in series with the at least one resistance. The pre-charge switch is configured to selectively provide a conductive path to charge the at least one bulk capacitor. The discharge circuit includes a first switch and a second switch connected in series with the at least one bulk capacitor. The first switch and the second switch are configured to be turned on after the at least one bulk capacitor is charged to a DC bus voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Nicholas C. Mantych, Alexander T. Huber
  • Publication number: 20220137147
    Abstract: A device, such as a power tool, configured to receive a battery pack that is operable to determine a type of battery pack that is attached to the device. When the battery pack is connected to the device, the device is configured to determine an impedance of the battery pack. Based on the determined impedance of the battery pack, the device is capable of detecting the particular type of battery pack that has been attached. In some embodiments, the device is configured to be controlled based on the type of battery pack that has been detected by the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Carl B. Westerby, Griffin M. Steffy, Alex R. Kuhls, Jonathan E. Abbott, Alexander T. Huber, Gareth Mueckl, Douglas R. Fieldbinder
  • Publication number: 20220120813
    Abstract: Power tool devices described herein include a housing, a power source interface, a field effect transistor within the housing connected between the power source interface and a load of the power tool device, and an electronic processor coupled to the field effect transistor. The electronic processor is configured to control the field effect transistor to drive the load and measure a voltage at a terminal of the field effect transistor. The electronic processor is also configured to determine the current flowing through the field effect transistor based on the voltage without using a shunt resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Alexander T. Huber, Timothy R. Obermann
  • Publication number: 20210399378
    Abstract: Gas-engine replacement devices described herein include a housing that includes battery receptacle configured to removably receive a battery pack, a motor located within the housing, a power take-off shaft receiving torque from the motor and protruding from a side of the housing, a power switching network configured to selectively provide power from the battery pack to the motor, and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is coupled to the power switching network and configured to receive a current measurement associated with the motor and control the power switching network according to one of a freewheeling mode or a synchronous rectification mode based on the current measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander T. Huber, My Uyen Nguyen