Patents by Inventor Nagappan Rethinam

Nagappan Rethinam 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: 11594990
    Abstract: A motor control actuator that drives a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with sensorless Field Oriented Control includes a sampling circuit that generates a measurement signal by measuring a back electro motive force (BEMF) of the PMSM, while the PMSM rotates; a PLL that receives the measurement signal and extracts an amplitude and an angle of the BEMF from the measurement signal; and a motor controller that generates a first set of two phase alternating current (AC) voltage components based on an estimated rotor angle, generates a second set of two phase AC voltage components based on the amplitude and the angle, and generates control signals for driving the PMSM based on the first set of two phase AC voltage components. The motor controller performs a catch spin sequence for restarting the PMSM while rotating, the catch spin sequence includes a synchronizing period followed by a closed loop control period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Long Fei Jian, Nagappan Rethinam
  • Publication number: 20220337183
    Abstract: A motor control actuator that drives a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with sensorless Field Oriented Control includes a sampling circuit that generates a measurement signal by measuring a back electro motive force (BEMF) of the PMSM, while the PMSM rotates; a PLL that receives the measurement signal and extracts an amplitude and an angle of the BEMF from the measurement signal; and a motor controller that generates a first set of two phase alternating current (AC) voltage components based on an estimated rotor angle, generates a second set of two phase AC voltage components based on the amplitude and the angle, and generates control signals for driving the PMSM based on the first set of two phase AC voltage components. The motor controller performs a catch spin sequence for restarting the PMSM while rotating, the catch spin sequence includes a synchronizing period followed by a closed loop control period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Long Fei JIAN, Nagappan RETHINAM
  • Patent number: 11404983
    Abstract: A motor control actuator configured to drive a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with sensorless Field Oriented Control (FOC) includes: a sampling circuit configured to measure a counter electro motive force (CEMF) or a back electro motive force (BEMF) of the PMSM, while the PMSM rotates, and generate a measurement signal based on the measured CEMF or the measured BEMF; a motor controller including a current controller configured to generate control signals for driving the PMSM, the current controller configured to receive the measurement signal and perform a catch spin sequence for restarting the PMSM while rotating based on the measurement signal; and a multi-phase inverter configured to supply multiple phase voltages to the PMSM based on the control signals. The motor controller is configured to match an output voltage of the multi-phase inverter to the measured CEMF or the measured BEMF during the catch spin sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Inventors: Long Fei Jian, Nagappan Rethinam
  • Publication number: 20210211079
    Abstract: A motor control actuator configured to drive a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) with sensorless Field Oriented Control (FOC) includes: a sampling circuit configured to measure a counter electro motive force (CEMF) or a back electro motive force (BEMF) of the PMSM, while the PMSM rotates, and generate a measurement signal based on the measured CEMF or the measured BEMF; a motor controller including a current controller configured to generate control signals for driving the PMSM, the current controller configured to receive the measurement signal and perform a catch spin sequence for restarting the PMSM while rotating based on the measurement signal; and a multi-phase inverter configured to supply multiple phase voltages to the PMSM based on the control signals. The motor controller is configured to match an output voltage of the multi-phase inverter to the measured CEMF or the measured BEMF during the catch spin sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Long Fei JIAN, Nagappan RETHINAM
  • Patent number: 9742322
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a brushless DC (BLDC) electric motor is described. The controller may include a hall control module and a timing module. The hall control module may be configured to receive inputs from three hall sensors, detect one of the three hall sensors has failed based on the received inputs, responsive to detecting that the one of the three hall sensors has failed, switch from a three hall sensors mode to a two hall sensors mode, and generate an output to control a plurality of switches to energize appropriate motor phase windings in the BLDC motor based at least in part on the two hall sensors mode. The timing module may be configured to detect a commutation time from the received inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Nagappan Rethinam, Prashant Abhishek
  • Publication number: 20170012559
    Abstract: A controller for controlling a brushless DC (BLDC) electric motor is described. The controller may include a hall control module and a timing module. The hall control module may be configured to receive inputs from three hall sensors, detect one of the three hall sensors has failed based on the received inputs, responsive to detecting that the one of the three hall sensors has failed, switch from a three hall sensors mode to a two hall sensors mode, and generate an output to control a plurality of switches to energize appropriate motor phase windings in the BLDC motor based at least in part on the two hall sensors mode. The timing module may be configured to detect a commutation time from the received inputs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Nagappan Rethinam, Prashant Abhishek