Abstract: Disclosed herein is a battery charger control circuit having a voltage detector to generate a signal indicative of a source voltage level to select one of a first charging mode and a second charging mode, and a charge controller coupled to the voltage detector to enable charging in accordance with one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode based on the signal from the voltage detector. The first and second charging modes establish charging at differing, non-zero rates. The source voltage level may be sampled at a sampling rate to minimize power consumed by monitoring the source voltage level.

Abstract: A control circuit for a motor includes a voltage regulator having a thermal shutdown apparatus that turns off the voltage regulator when the temperature of the control circuit rises above a pre-determined threshold level, wherein the voltage regulator is used to provide power to a plurality of insulated gate bipolar transistors controlling a plurality of stator windings of the motor. Thus the voltage regulator prevents the control circuit and the various components on the control circuit from being damaged from overheating. An embodiment of the control circuit is adapted to generate an error code in response to the shutdown of the voltage regulator and to monitor the operation of the motor to ensure that the motor has been turned off and then on before turning on the power supply to a plurality of phase windings.

Abstract: A system and method of ensuring legitimacy of a sensor signal received from a rotor position sensor in a motor is provided that includes polling the sensor to determine a first state of the sensor signal, determining a first time delay by summing a first plurality of time constants, and initiating a first time delay. Also included is re-polling the sensor to determine a second state of the sensor signal, determining a second time delay by summing a second plurality of time constants, initiating a second time delay if the second state of the sensor signal is the same as the first state of the sensor signal, re-polling sensor to determine a third state of the sensor signal, and considering the sensor signal as a legitimate signal if the third state of the sensor signal is the same as the first and second states of the sensor signal.

Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having a stator core. The stator core includes a central bore and a plurality of stator poles extending inwardly from the stator core. Each of the stator poles includes a stator pole face. The reluctance machine further includes a rotor having a plurality of rotor poles. Each of the rotor poles includes a rotor pole face. Each of the rotor pole faces includes a first portion, a second portion that is radially inwardly stepped with respect to the first portion to create a non-uniform air gap between the rotor pole face and a corresponding stator pole face, and a protrusion located at an edge of the second portion of the rotor pole face.

Abstract: A switched reluctance machine includes a stator body having a stator pole. A bobbin is located on the stator pole. A stator winding is disposed on the bobbin. The switched reluctance machine further includes a first housing unit for receiving the stator body and an insulating member coupled to the first housing unit. The insulating member includes a first mounting element for engaging a first end of the bobbin to secure the bobbin against displacement during machine operation.

Abstract: A system and method of restarting a switched reluctance motor after a cycling of power provided to the motor is provided that includes receiving at the motor a power-off signal followed by a power-on signal, determining a rotational speed of a rotor, and energizing a stator only when the rotational speed of the rotor is determined to be less than a threshold speed.