Patents by Inventor Heath Hofmann

Heath Hofmann 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).

  • TRACTION SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20170210220
    Abstract: A traction system for a vehicle may include a first mount, a second mount, a stator, and a rotor. The first mount defines a hollow core. The second mount is coaxially positioned with the first mount about a center axis. The stator is attached to and arranged along an outer surface of the first mount. The rotor is attached to and arranged along an inner surface of the second mount. The rotor faces the stator and rotates with respect to the stator and about the center axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Publication date: July 27, 2017
    Inventors: Zifu WANG, Jeff C. WHITE, Heath HOFMANN
  • Voltage estimation feedback of overmodulated signal for an electrical vehicle
    Patent number: 7821224
    Abstract: A voltage estimation system for motor control feedback is described. The system may include one or more control modules which may generate voltage commands. An overmodulation or “clipping” module receiving a voltage command can generate a clipped voltage. Rather than measuring directly, a voltage estimator may estimate the clipped voltage based on the duty cycle command to the inverter. This estimated voltage may then be used by a flux estimator to estimate a flux value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Tesla Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew David Baglino, Troy Adam Nergaard, Heath Hofmann
  • VOLTAGE ESTIMATION FEEDBACK OF OVERMODULATED SIGNAL FOR AN ELECTRICAL VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20090255740
    Abstract: A voltage estimation system for motor control feedback is described. The system may include one or more control modules which may generate voltage commands. An overmodulation or “clipping” module receiving a voltage command can generate a clipped voltage. Rather than measuring directly, a voltage estimator may estimate the clipped voltage based on the duty cycle command to the inverter. This estimated voltage may then be used by a flux estimator to estimate a flux value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Andrew David Baglino, Troy Adam Nergaard, Heath Hofmann
  • WEIGHTED FIELD ORIENTED MOTOR CONTROL FOR A VEHICLE
    Publication number: 20090256517
    Abstract: A system for transitioned field oriented motor control is described. The system may include a module using a current-based algorithm to estimate flux and a module using a voltage-based algorithm to estimate flux. A weighting module operates over a transition range to transition between the flux estimate using the current-based algorithm to the flux estimate using the voltage-based algorithm based on a weighted combination of the flux estimates. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Inventors: Andrew David Baglino, Troy Adam Nergaard, Heath Hofmann
  • Feedforward controller for synchronous reluctance machines
    Publication number: 20060076919
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electro-mechanical energy exchange system with a variable speed synchronous reluctance motor-generator having an all-metal rotor. A bi-directional AC-to-DC electric power converter interconnects the motor-generator with a DC bus. First and second hybrid controllers provide current regulation for the motor-generator and voltage regulation for the DC bus. Use of both feedback and feedforward control elements provides a controller particularly suited for operating high speed devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Inventors: Heath Hofmann, Claude Khalizadeh
  • Feedforward controller for synchronous reluctance machines
    Publication number: 20050007061
    Abstract: The present invention provides an electromechanical energy exchange system with a variable speed synchronous reluctance motor-generator having an all-metal rotor. A bi-directional AC-to-DC electric power converter interconnects the motor-generator with a DC bus. First and second hybrid controllers provide current regulation for the motor-generator and voltage regulation for the DC bus. Use of both feedback and feedforward control elements provides a controller particularly suited for operating high speed devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2004
    Publication date: January 13, 2005
    Inventors: Heath Hofmann, Claude Khalizadeh