Patents by Inventor Kun-Min Chen

Kun-Min Chen 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: 11575257
    Abstract: A motor protecting circuit is provided. A first terminal of each of high-side transistors is coupled to a power supply voltage. A second terminal of each of low-side transistors is grounded. Second terminals of the high-side transistors are respectively connected to first terminals of the low-side transistors. An overvoltage detector circuit is coupled to the power supply voltage of an output circuit. When the overvoltage detector circuit determines that the power supply voltage of the output circuit is higher than a voltage threshold, the overvoltage detector circuit outputs an overvoltage detected signal to a controller circuit. According to the overvoltage detected signal, the controller circuit controls a driver circuit to turn on at least one of the high-side transistors and at least one of the low-side transistors at the same time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Publication number: 20230022386
    Abstract: A motor controlling circuit is provided. A first terminal of a first high-side transistor and a first terminal of a second high-side transistor are coupled to a common voltage. A first terminal of a first low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of the first high-side transistor. A first node between the first terminal of the first low-side transistor and the second terminal of the first high-side transistor is connected to a first terminal of a motor. A first terminal of a second low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of the second high-side transistor. A second node between the first terminal of the second low-side transistor and the second terminal of the second high-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of the motor. The driver circuit regulates at least one of the transistors such that no current flows to the common voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN
  • Publication number: 20230021728
    Abstract: A motor current controlling circuit having a voltage detection mechanism is provided. A first terminal of a first low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of a first high-side transistor. A node between the first terminal of the first low-side transistor and the second terminal of the first high-side transistor is connected to a first terminal of a motor. A first terminal of a second low-side transistor is connected to a second terminal of a second high-side transistor. A zero current detector circuit detects a voltage of the node and determines whether or not a current flowing through the motor is equal to a zero value to output a zero current detected signal according to the detected voltage. A controller circuit controls a driver circuit to turn on or off the high-side transistors and the low-side transistors according to the zero current detected signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2021
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN
  • Publication number: 20220393459
    Abstract: A motor protecting circuit is provided. A first terminal of each of high-side transistors is coupled to a power supply voltage. A second terminal of each of low-side transistors is grounded. Second terminals of the high-side transistors are respectively connected to first terminals of the low-side transistors. An overvoltage detector circuit is coupled to the power supply voltage of an output circuit. When the overvoltage detector circuit determines that the power supply voltage of the output circuit is higher than a voltage threshold, the overvoltage detector circuit outputs an overvoltage detected signal to a controller circuit. According to the overvoltage detected signal, the controller circuit controls a driver circuit to turn on at least one of the high-side transistors and at least one of the low-side transistors at the same time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN
  • Patent number: 11522485
    Abstract: A three-phase motor driving circuit and a three-phase motor driving method are provided. The three-phase motor driving circuit includes an inverter circuit, a control circuit, a turn-off module, a turn-off confirmation module, and a turn-on logic unit. The inverter circuit includes a plurality of phase circuits, each including an upper bridge switch and a lower bridge switch. The control circuit operates in a feedback mode to output a feedback start signal. The turn-off module includes a feedback detection unit, a voltage adjusting unit, and a turn-off logic unit. The feedback detection unit detects an output current of a designated phase circuit, and if the output current flows out, a voltage regulation signal is output until the output current is 0, and a lower bridge turn-off signal is output. The voltage adjusting unit adjusts the voltage of the output node to be close to a predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 11362613
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit and a motor driving method are provided. The motor driving circuit is used to drive the motor and includes an inverter circuit, a control circuit, a current-limiting circuit, a start circuit and a transient circuit. The control circuit controls the inverter circuit to drive the motor with a motor control current according to a set current limit value indicated by a current-limiting signal, and outputs a steady state ready signal in response to the motor reaching a steady state. The current-limiting circuit generates the current-limiting signal according to a start state signal, or generates the current-limiting signal according to a transient signal. The start circuit outputs the start state signal when the motor starts. The transient circuit detects whether the motor is in a transient state, and outputs the transient signal in response to the motor being in a transient state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Publication number: 20220140767
    Abstract: A three-phase motor driving circuit and a three-phase motor driving method are provided. The three-phase motor driving circuit includes an inverter circuit, a control circuit, a turn-off module, a turn-off confirmation module, and a turn-on logic unit. The inverter circuit includes a plurality of phase circuits, each including an upper bridge switch and a lower bridge switch. The control circuit operates in a feedback mode to output a feedback start signal. The turn-off module includes a feedback detection unit, a voltage adjusting unit, and a turn-off logic unit. The feedback detection unit detects an output current of a designated phase circuit, and if the output current flows out, a voltage regulation signal is output until the output current is 0, and a lower bridge turn-off signal is output. The voltage adjusting unit adjusts the voltage of the output node to be close to a predetermined voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2021
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN
  • Publication number: 20220131491
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit and a motor driving method are provided. The motor driving circuit is used to drive the motor and includes an inverter circuit, a control circuit, a current-limiting circuit, a start circuit and a transient circuit. The control circuit controls the inverter circuit to drive the motor with a motor control current according to a set current limit value indicated by a current-limiting signal, and outputs a steady state ready signal in response to the motor reaching a steady state. The current-limiting circuit generates the current-limiting signal according to a start state signal, or generates the current-limiting signal according to a transient signal. The start circuit outputs the start state signal when the motor starts. The transient circuit detects whether the motor is in a transient state, and outputs the transient signal in response to the motor being in a transient state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN
  • Patent number: 11309308
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge protection circuit includes an internal circuit, a pad, a first high voltage transistor, an electrostatic protection element and a control circuit. A first terminal of the first high voltage transistor is coupled to the pad, a second terminal of the first high voltage transistor is coupled to the internal circuit and includes a control terminal. The electrostatic protection element has one end coupled to the first end of the first high voltage transistor and the other end grounded. The control circuit is coupled between the control terminal of the first high voltage transistor and the ground terminal. The control circuit is configured to control the first high voltage transistor to turn off when the pad receives an electrostatic voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Chien-Lun Chu
  • Patent number: 11258381
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit for a single phase motor and a motor driving method for the same are provided. The motor driving circuit includes a motor driver, a Hall sensor, a Hall commutation detection circuit, a period recording circuit, a motor current detection circuit, a cut-off angle adjustment circuit, an angle calculation circuit and a control circuit. The motor current detection circuit detects a motor current value at a commutation point after the single phase motor operates normally. The cut-off angle adjustment circuit generates a cut-off angle adjustment signal indicating a cut-off adjustment angle according to the motor current value when the single phase motor passes the commutation point. The control circuit processes the commutation signal and the cut-off signal generated by the angle calculation circuit to generate a control signal group to control the motor driver to generate an output signal group to drive the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Ching-Shan Lu
  • Patent number: 11205984
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit and a motor driving method are provided. The motor driving circuit is used to drive a motor, and includes a starting unit, a driving unit, a floating phase selecting unit, a hysteresis comparator, an integration circuit, a first comparator and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the floating phase selecting unit to select a floating phase to output a floating phase voltage signal, and controls, in response to an initial starting signal, the integration circuit to use a first integration time, and determine whether the motor has been successfully started. In response to a successful start, the control circuit controls the integration circuit to use a second integration time, and controls the starting unit to be switched to an operation mode to control the driving unit to drive the motor. The first integration time is greater than the second integration time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Yi-Cheng Liu
  • Patent number: 11088639
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes a first hysteresis comparator, a second hysteresis comparator, a logic circuit, a control unit, and an inverter circuit. The logic circuit receives a start signal or a start completion signal to output the first output signal as a commutation signal according to the start signal, or to output the second output signal as the commutation signal according to the start completion signal, clamps the second output signal by the first output signal, stops outputting the commutation signal after the potential state of the commutation signal is changed, and unclamps the second output signal with the first output signal and outputs the commutation signal in response to a difference voltage between the first input signal and the second input signal being greater than a positive value of the first hysteresis voltage or less than a negative value of the first hysteresis voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Ching-Shan Lu, Shih-Hai Chien
  • Patent number: 11088641
    Abstract: A motor driving device having a lock protection mode includes a rotation speed detecting unit, an operating unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit, a BEMF detecting unit, a control unit, and a lock protection unit. The operating unit enters an operating mode after a motor is stably operated, and generates an operating signal having phases according to a commutation sequence, and the driving unit drives the motor. The BEMF detecting unit detects a BEMF of a first floating phase to generate a detection result. The control unit outputs a commutation signal to cause the driving unit to drive the motor. When the rotation speed detecting unit determines that a rotation speed of the motor exceeds a predetermined rotation speed, the rotation speed detecting unit outputs a switching signal to the lock protection unit to enter the lock protection mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 11038446
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit includes a plurality of pins, a Hall sensor, a Hall signal processing portion and a driving processing circuit. The test-starting pin for receiving the test-starting signal and the test signal output pin for outputting the test signal are shared with at least one pin of the plurality of pins. The Hall sensor senses the change in the magnetic field of the motor to generate a Hall signal. The Hall signal processing unit amplifies the generated Hall signal, and the driving processing circuit drives the motor based on an output signal of the Hall signal processing unit and a control signal input from one of the plurality of pins. In a test mode, the output signal is output from the test signal output pin as a test signal. In a normal mode, at least one pin is used for normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Shen-Min Lo
  • Patent number: 10978974
    Abstract: A motor starting device includes a starting unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit, a back electromotive force (BEMF) detecting unit and a control unit. In a starting mode, the starting unit generates an initial starting signal having a plurality of phases according to a commutation sequence, the driving unit drives the motor with a first phase in the initial starting signal, the floating point selecting unit selects a floating phase of the motor that is not turned on according to the driving condition of the driving unit, the BEMF detecting unit detects whether the BEMF of the floating phase has a first voltage level or a second voltage level to generate a detection result, and the control unit outputs a phase changing signal to the driving unit according to the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kun-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 10972024
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes a PWM signal generating unit, a control unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit and a BEMF detecting unit. The PWM signal generating unit generates an input PWM signal having a duty cycle according to a rotation speed command. The control unit generates a driving signal having multiple phases and an output PWM signal. The floating point selection unit selects a floating phase of the motor that is not turned off, and the BEMF detecting unit receives detects the BEMF of the floating phase during ON times or OFF times of the output PWM signal, so as to output a commutation signal in response to zero crossing events occurring in the BEMF. The control unit controls the BEMF detecting unit to detect the BEMF of the floating phase under the ON times or the OFF times of the output PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: ANPEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kun-Min Chen, Yi-Cheng Liu
  • Publication number: 20210091688
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes a PWM signal generating unit, a control unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit and a BEMF detecting unit. The PWM signal generating unit generates an input PWM signal having a duty cycle according to a rotation speed command. The control unit generates a driving signal having multiple phases and an output PWM signal. The floating point selection unit selects a floating phase of the motor that is not turned off, and the BEMF detecting unit receives detects the BEMF of the floating phase during ON times or OFF times of the output PWM signal, so as to output a commutation signal in response to zero crossing events occurring in the BEMF. The control unit controls the BEMF detecting unit to detect the BEMF of the floating phase under the ON times or the OFF times of the output PWM signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: KUN-MIN CHEN, YI-CHENG LIU
  • Publication number: 20210075346
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes a first hysteresis comparator, a second hysteresis comparator, a logic circuit, a control unit, and an inverter circuit. The logic circuit receives a start signal or a start completion signal to output the first output signal as a commutation signal according to the start signal, or to output the second output signal as the commutation signal according to the start completion signal, clamps the second output signal by the first output signal, stops outputting the commutation signal after the potential state of the commutation signal is changed, and unclamps the second output signal with the first output signal and outputs the commutation signal in response to a difference voltage between the first input signal and the second input signal being greater than a positive value of the first hysteresis voltage or less than a negative value of the first hysteresis voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: KUN-MIN CHEN, Ching-Shan Lu, Shih-Hai Chien
  • Publication number: 20210075348
    Abstract: A motor driving device having a lock protection mode includes a rotation speed detecting unit, an operating unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit, a BEMF detecting unit, a control unit, and a lock protection unit. The operating unit enters an operating mode after a motor is stably operated, and generates an operating signal having phases according to a commutation sequence, and the driving unit drives the motor. The BEMF detecting unit detects a BEMF of a first floating phase to generate a detection result. The control unit outputs a commutation signal to cause the driving unit to drive the motor. When the rotation speed detecting unit determines that a rotation speed of the motor exceeds a predetermined rotation speed, the rotation speed detecting unit outputs a switching signal to the lock protection unit to enter the lock protection mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN
  • Publication number: 20210050806
    Abstract: A motor starting device includes a starting unit, a driving unit, a floating point selecting unit, a back electromotive force (BEMF) detecting unit and a control unit. In a starting mode, the starting unit generates an initial starting signal having a plurality of phases according to a commutation sequence, the driving unit drives the motor with a first phase in the initial starting signal, the floating point selecting unit selects a floating phase of the motor that is not turned on according to the driving condition of the driving unit, the BEMF detecting unit detects whether the BEMF of the floating phase has a first voltage level or a second voltage level to generate a detection result, and the control unit outputs a phase changing signal to the driving unit according to the detection result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventor: KUN-MIN CHEN