Patents by Inventor Charles P. Cole

Charles P. Cole 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: 6667597
    Abstract: A method of AC induction motor speed control employing a rotor flux based MRAS (Model Reference Adaptive System) speed observer. Rotor flux-based MRAS speed observers develop two independent rotor flux estimates. The reference rotor flux estimate is based on the currents and voltages in the stator windings, and the adaptive estimate is based on the stator currents and the measured or estimated rotor speed. These two estimates are compared by taking the cross product between them, and this error signal is passed into a proportional-integral (PI) controller, which adjusts the speed until the flux estimates agree with one another. While this method is well-established, the estimator poles become lightly damped at high speeds and prone to stability problems. In this invention, the upper speed range of the rotor flux-based MRAS speed observer is extended by discretely or continuously modifying the gain/bandwidth parameters of the low-pass filter in the adaptive flux estimator as a function of estimated speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen J. Fedigan, Charles P. Cole
  • Publication number: 20030117101
    Abstract: A method of AC induction motor speed control employing a rotor flux based MRAS (Model Reference Adaptive System) speed observer. Rotor flux-based MRAS speed observers develop two independent rotor flux estimates. The reference rotor flux estimate is based on the currents and voltages in the stator windings, and the adaptive estimate is based on the stator currents and the measured or estimated rotor speed. These two estimates are compared by taking the cross product between them, and this error signal is passed into a proportional-integral (PI) controller, which adjusts the speed until the flux estimates agree with one another. While this method is well-established, the estimator poles become lightly damped at high speeds and prone to stability problems. In this invention, the upper speed range of the rotor flux-based MRAS speed observer is extended by discretely or continuously modifying the gain/bandwidth parameters of the low-pass filter in the adaptive flux estimator as a function of estimated speed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: June 26, 2003
    Inventors: Stephen J. Fedigan, Charles P. Cole
  • Patent number: 6554395
    Abstract: A print head motor control system uses a desired function of print head position versus time and a measured print head position to form an error signal. The print head controller forms a motor drive signal from the sum of a first term corresponding to the square root of the absolute value of the error signal and a second term corresponding to a dead band signal having a predetermined slope if said error signal exceeds a predetermined value. The desired function of print head position versus time may be formed by double integrating a desired function of print head acceleration versus time. The print head motor control preferably also includes a velocity loop subtracting a print head velocity estimated from the measured print head position from the sum. The print head motor control is preferably implemented using a microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Charles P. Cole, Stephen J. Fedigan
  • Publication number: 20020196308
    Abstract: A print head motor control system uses a desired function of print head position versus time and a measured print head position to form an error signal. The print head controller forms a motor drive signal from the sum of a first term corresponding to the square root of the absolute value of the error signal and a second term corresponding to a dead band signal having a predetermined slope if said error signal exceeds a predetermined value. The desired function of print head position versus time may be formed by double integrating a desired function of print head acceleration versus time. The print head motor control preferably also includes a velocity loop subtracting a print head velocity estimated from the measured print head position from the sum. The print head motor control is preferably implemented using a microprocessor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Inventors: Charles P. Cole, Stephen J. Fedigan
  • Patent number: 6304408
    Abstract: A controller for read/write head actuator of a hard disk drive system includes a feedback unit providing a voltage to a servo-actuator motor. The feedback unit includes a first fuzzy logic rule-based algorithm unit for the seek mode and a second fuzzy rule-based algorithm unit for the track mode. In the seek mode, the first algorithm unit, based on present position and delta (velocity) parameters, determines an optimum velocity. A signal representing the optimum velocity is compared with a signal representing the present velocity and an appropriate signals applied to the head actuator unit. The use of the fuzzy logic rule-based algorithm permits a near-minimum seek time even in the presence of non-linear and varying parameters. The output signal from the seek mode apparatus or the output signal from the track mode apparatus is selected based on position and velocity parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Charles P. Cole