Patents by Inventor Pekka Jahkonen

Pekka Jahkonen 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: 7331426
    Abstract: An elevator system uses a supercapacitor to store electric energy. Furthermore, the supercapacitor can be used as a source of reserve power in emergency situations, such as power failures. The supercapacitor is connected together with three switching branches to a rectified signal of the power supply of the motor. By closing and opening the switches, the supercapacitor can be charged when the motor load is small. When the motor load is large or when the power supply fails, the electric energy contained in the supercapacitor can be discharged for use by the motor. In an emergency, the motor drives the elevator at a speed lower than normal, and therefore a supply voltage lower than normal is sufficient. Also, energy obtained from braking of the elevator can be stored in the supercapacitor, which has a storage capacity of considerable magnitude as compared to an ordinary capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Patent number: 7314120
    Abstract: A method and a system for controlling an elevator that does not change the torque direction, such as an elevator without counterweight. The elevator has an alternating-current electric motor (M1), such as a permanent magnet motor or an asynchronous motor, and a motor drive section (DRIVE1) for controlling the motor and an elevator control section (ECO1) used to control the operation of the elevator. Control channels are provided between the elevator control section and the motor drive section for the transmission of control signals. To control the motor, only position and torque control signals are passed between the elevator control section and the motor drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Publication number: 20070163844
    Abstract: The present invention describes a method and an apparatus for storing electric energy needed in an elevator system into a supercapacitor. Furthermore, the invention can be used as a source of reserve power in emergency situations, such as power failures. The supercapacitor is connected together with three switching branches to a rectified signal of the power supply of the motor. By closing and opening the switches, the supercapacitor can be charged when the motor load is small. When the motor load is large or when the power supply fails, the electric energy contained in the supercapacitor can be discharged for use by the motor. In an emergency, the motor drives the elevator at a speed lower than normal, and therefore a supply voltage lower than normal is sufficient. Also, energy obtained from braking of the elevator can be stored in the supercapacitor, which has a storage capacity of considerable magnitude as compared to an ordinary capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Patent number: 7184286
    Abstract: A DC/DC bridge having a power stage provided with controllable semiconductor switches controls a direct currently load, and comprises two bridge sections, one of which bridge sections conducts direct currently while the other bridge section is controlled via pulse width modulation to regulate the current magnitude. Two of three bridge arms of the DC/DC bridge are connected in parallel and semiconductor switches in the parallel-connected bridge arms are controlled via pulse width modulation to form a pulse width modulation controlled bridge section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Esa Putkinen
  • Patent number: 7176653
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric motor drive for operating an alternating-current motor. The electric motor drive comprises a frequency converter for controlling the motor, which frequency converter comprises a rectifier and an inverter implemented using semiconductor switches arranged in a bridge, and an intermediate circuit placed between the rectifier and the inverter and comprising a capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Patent number: 7147084
    Abstract: An elevator control method is provided, where the elevator motor is controlled in such manner that the velocity of the elevator follows a speed reference. When the elevator is decelerating, the motor is controlled by a speed adjustment method during the initial deceleration phase, and during the final deceleration phase the motor is controlled by a position adjustment method. The instant of transition from speed adjustment to position adjustment is determined substantially using the elevator speed curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Publication number: 20060243533
    Abstract: A method and a system for controlling an elevator that does not change the torque direction, such as an elevator without counterweight, said elevator having an alternating-current electric motor (M1), such as a permanent magnet motor or an asynchronous motor, and a motor drive section (DRIVE1) for controlling the motor and an elevator control section (ECO1) used to control the operation of the elevator, and wherein control channels are provided between the elevator control section and the motor drive section for the transmission of control signals. To control the motor, only position and torque control signals are passed between the elevator control section and the motor drive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2006
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Applicant: KONE Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Patent number: 7121385
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for adjustment of the rotor angle of an elevator motor (M), in which method: the rotor angle of the elevator motor is measured, the rotor angle is adjusted by using the measured rotor angle value as feedback data, and the rotor angle is measured by a pulse emitter (PE) or tachometer connected to the elevator motor. In the method, a disturbance signal (u) is fed into the rotor angle feedback data to produce a change (disturbance) in the rotor angle, the change (disturbance) is compared to the disturbance signal (u), and, on the basis of the comparison, a control signal is generated to adjust the rotor angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2006
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Antti Kallioniemi
  • Publication number: 20060214624
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric motor drive for operating an alternating-current motor. The electric motor drive comprises a frequency converter for controlling the motor, which frequency converter comprises a rectifier and an inverter implemented using semiconductor switches arranged in a bridge, and an intermediate circuit placed between the rectifier and the inverter and comprising a capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Publication date: September 28, 2006
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Publication number: 20060032710
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for adjustment of the rotor angle of an elevator motor (M), in which method: the rotor angle of the elevator motor is measured, the rotor angle is adjusted by using the measured rotor angle value as feedback data, and the rotor angle is measured by means of a pulse emitter (PE) or tachometer connected to the elevator motor. In the method, a disturbance signal (u) is fed into the rotor angle feedback data to produce a change (disturbance) in the rotor angle, the change (disturbance) is compared to the disturbance signal (u), and, on the basis of the comparison, a control signal is generated to adjust the rotor angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Antti Kallioniemi
  • Publication number: 20060027424
    Abstract: A elevator control method wherein the elevator motor is controlled in such manner that the velocity of the elevator follows a speed reference. When the elevator is decelerating, the motor is controlled by a speed adjustment method during the initial deceleration phase, and during the final deceleration phase the motor is controlled by a position adjustment method. The instant of transition from speed adjustment to position adjustment is determined substantially by means of the elevator speed curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Publication number: 20050127860
    Abstract: A DC/DC bridge having a power stage provided with controllable semiconductor switches controls a direct currently load, and comprises two bridge sections, one of which bridge sections conducts direct currently while the other bridge section is controlled via pulse width modulation to regulate the current magnitude. Two of three bridge arms of the DC/DC bridge are connected in parallel and semiconductor switches in the parallel-connected bridge arms are controlled via pulse width modulation to form a pulse width modulation controlled bridge section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Publication date: June 16, 2005
    Applicant: KONE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Esa Putkinen
  • Patent number: 6898094
    Abstract: A DC/DC bridge having a power stage provided with controllable semiconductor switches controls a direct currently load, and comprises two bridge sections, one of which bridge sections conducts direct currently while the other bridge section is controlled via pulse width modulation to regulate the current magnitude. Two of three bridge arms of the DC/DC bridge are connected in parallel and semiconductor switches in the parallel-connected bridge arms are controlled via pulse width modulation to form a pulse width modulation controlled bridge section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Esa Putkinen
  • Publication number: 20040207359
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric motor drive for operating an alternating-current motor. The electric motor drive comprises a frequency converter, for controlling the electric motor, that includes a rectifier and an inverter implemented using semiconductor switches arranged in a bridge, and an intermediate circuit comprising a capacitor and placed between the rectifier and the inverter. The electric motor drive additionally comprises two regulating units. The first regulating unit contains an inductor unit at the input of the frequency converter and at the input of the rectifier, where the inductors comprised in the unit being connected to each phase; and an intermediate circuit with a low-value capacitor of 50 &mgr;F. The second regulating unit comprises an auxiliary switch, to which the supply of electric power is arranged to occur via a safety relay and a current measuring unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Publication number: 20040105286
    Abstract: A control unit of controlling a direct-current load (M1) includes a DC/DC bridge (B1) provided with controllable semiconductor switches (S21-S26) and having two bridge sections (B11, B12), one (B12) of which conducts direct current while the other one (B11) is controlled via PWM to regulate the current magnitude. The bridge section controlled via PWM includes two bridge arms (B111, B112).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Publication date: June 3, 2004
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Esa Putkinen
  • Patent number: 6697273
    Abstract: A control unit of controlling a direct-current load (M1), said control unit comprising a DC/DC bridge (B1) provided with controllable semiconductor switches (UT, UB, VT, VB, WT, WB) and having two bridge sections (B11, B12), one (B12) of which conducts direct current while the other one (B11) is controlled via PWM to regulate the current magnitude. The bridge section controlled via PWM consists of two bridge arms (B111, B112), and the semiconductor switches (UT, UB, VT, VB) in these bridge arms are turned on alternately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Esa Putkinen
  • Patent number: 6515444
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling an alternating-current motor fed from a current-controlled alternating-current source, in which method the effect of harmonic moments generated in the motor is compensated. According to the invention, the torque of the motor is regulated by means of a current reference and that the current reference is corrected to compensate the harmonic moment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2003
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Jyrki Laaksonheimo, Ekso Aulanko
  • Patent number: 6452357
    Abstract: Method for controlling a permanent magnet synchronous motor, wherein an equivalent circuit describing the characteristics of the permanent magnet synchronous motor is formed, and via calculations based on. the equivalent circuit, a vectorial representation of the control quantities is produced, in which the horizontal axis of the co-ordinate system used represents the magnetisation, the vertical axis represents the torque and the vectors used are stator voltage (Us), supply voltage (e) and current (I), which is at a distance of 90° from the horizontal axis. In the vectorial representation, a correction vector (dU) is formed via inference based on the equivalent circuit and the correction vector is summed with the electromotive force, giving the stator voltage (Us) as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Pekka Jahkonen
  • Patent number: 6285961
    Abstract: A procedure determines the parameters for an electric drive that controls a synchronous elevator motor having permanent magnets, a computer controlling the operation of the electric drive being provided with a control model describing the elevator and containing settable parameters. To determine electric drive parameters, an elevator car installed in the elevator shaft is allowed to enter a motional condition produced by the balance difference between the elevator masses using two different loads connected to the terminals of the synchronous motor, the rotational speed, electromotive force and synchronous reactance of the synchronous motor are measured while the elevator car is in a constant motional condition, and the stator resistance is measured via a separate measure. A control model describing the elevator is computed and formed from these measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventors: Pekka Jahkonen, Tapio Saarikoski