Brushless Motor Closed-loop Control Patents (Class 318/400.01)
  • Patent number: 8692493
    Abstract: A movable partition system includes a movable partition including coupled panels and a lead post engaged with and movable along a track. A motor control system includes a motor coupled to the movable partition and a switching circuit coupled to the motor and for selectively coupling the motor to a positive power source and a negative power source responsive to one or more PWM signals. An encoder is configured for generating one or more rotation signals indicative of operational direction and operational speed of the motor. A motor controller is coupled to the switching circuit and is configured for improving airflow around the panels of the movable partition when the lead post of the movable partition is between a predefined position and a fully retracted position indicative of a billowing effect for the panels by adjusting pulse widths of the PWM signals to control rotational speed of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Won-Door Corporation
    Inventors: Duane O. Hall, E. Carl Goodman, W. Michael Coleman, John G. Garrett, III
  • Patent number: 8692491
    Abstract: The brushless motor driver includes a sample and hold circuit which samples and holds a first value of the first comparison signal in a first case in which a current is forced to flow from a first phase coil of the three-phase brushless motor to a second phase coil and no current is forced to flow to a third phase coil in a first period having a preset setting time and a second value of the first comparison signal in a second case in which a current is forced to flow from the second phase coil to the first phase coil and no current is forced to flow to the third phase coil in a second period having the preset setting time subsequent to the first period. The brushless motor driver includes an addition circuit which adds up the first value and the second value sampled and held by the sample and hold circuit and outputs an addition signal depending upon a result of the addition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shigeki Murai, Masatoshi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8692494
    Abstract: A driving circuit for a single-phase-brushless motor includes a driving-signal-generating circuit to generate a driving signal for supplying, to a driving coil of the single-phase-brushless motor, first- and second-driving currents alternately with a de-energized period therebetween, an output circuit, and a zero-cross-detecting circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Tsutomu Murata
  • Patent number: 8686674
    Abstract: A method for controlling a brushless DC motor, comprising transmitting a phase-inversion signal to a motor control unit by a rotor position detecting unit after a motor enters a stable state, advancing or delaying phase shift by the motor control unit at an offset electrical angle, recording and comparing phase current values In at different offset electrical angles whereby obtaining an optimum offset angle ?m corresponding to the minimum phase current value Imin, and advancing or delaying phase shift by the motor at the optimum offset angle ?m. As the motor enters a stable state, the motor advances or delays phase shift at the optimum offset angle ?m, at this time operating current of a coil winding of the motor is the minimum, which saves power and reduces cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Zhongzshan Broad-Ocean Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ronghua Bi, Yong Zhao
  • Patent number: 8686671
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for compensating nonlinearity of a resolver to control a motor in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, thereby stably controlling the motor current during high-torque and high-speed operation. In preferred aspects, the present invention provides a method for compensating nonlinearity of a resolver to control a motor in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, the method including collecting resolver position data; determining whether to perform resolver position correction in the corresponding vehicle; and compensating nonlinearity of the resolver based on the collected resolver position data, if it is determined that the resolver position correction is not performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Woo Yong Jeon, Shin Hye Chun, Won Kyoung Choi, Bum Sik Kim, Young Kook Lee, Jin Hwan Jung, Sang Hyeon Moon, Sung Kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 8680799
    Abstract: To achieve peak acoustic and power performance, the coil or applied current should be in phase or substantially aligned with the back electromotive force (back-EMF) voltage. However, there are generally phase differences between the applied current and back-EMF voltage that are induced by the impedance of the brushless DC motor (which can vary based on conditions, such as temperature and motor speed). Traditionally, compensation for these phase differences was provided manually and on an as-needed basis. Here, however, a system and method are provided that automatically perform a commutation advance by incrementally adjusting a drive signal over successive commutation cycles when the applied current and back-EMF voltage are misaligned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: John K. Rote, Seil Oh, Brian L. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8680807
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus for controlling a DC motor includes a first detection unit configured to detect an angular velocity of the DC motor, a driven member configured to be driven by the DC motor, a control unit configured to perform, during start-up of the DC motor, feed forward control for changing a control value used for controlling drive of the DC motor from a first control value corresponding to an angular velocity smaller than a target angular velocity to a second control value corresponding to the target angular velocity, and to change the feed forward control to feedback control for controlling the control value based on a detection result by the first detection unit to keep the DC motor at the target angular velocity, and a second detection unit configured to detect whether the driven member has been replaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8674636
    Abstract: A power conversion device for a vehicle includes: a power module that includes a switching device and, upon operation of the switching device, converts DC power into AC power to be supplied to an electric machine for driving a vehicle; a capacitor module that includes a smoothing capacitor element, an input-side power source terminal for receiving DC power, and an output-side power source terminal for supplying DC power to the power module; and a noise removal capacitor for removing noise, wherein: the noise removal capacitor is built in the capacitor module, and the noise removal capacitor is electrically connected to the input-side power source terminal in a position where a distance between a connection position of the noise removal capacitor and the input-side power source terminal is less than a distance between a connection position of the noise removal capacitor and the output-side power source terminal of the capacitor module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Matsuo, Kinya Nakatsu, Toshiya Satoh, Ken Maeda
  • Patent number: 8674647
    Abstract: Provided is a drive device for an alternating current motor which performs vector control on sensorless driving of the alternating current motor in an extremely low speed region without applying a harmonic voltage intentionally while maintaining an ideal PWM waveform. A current and a current change rate of the alternating current motor are detected, and a magnetic flux position inside of the alternating current motor is estimated and calculated in consideration of an output voltage of an inverter which causes this current change. The current change rate is generated on the basis of a pulse waveform of the inverter, and hence the magnetic flux position inside of the alternating current motor can be estimated and calculated without applying a harmonic wave intentionally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshitaka Iwaji, Daigo Kaneko, Kouki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8674646
    Abstract: A step motor and a motor control unit are connected to a battery, so that electrical power is continuously supplied to the step motor and the motor control unit. The motor control unit continuously drives the step motor until a rotor of the step motor reaches at a next excitation stable point, in a case that a display position adjusting switch or an ignition switch is turned off when the rotor of the step motor is on a way to the next excitation stable point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuki Oomori
  • Patent number: 8669727
    Abstract: A detection device for detecting a magnetic pole position of a synchronous motor includes a generating unit for generating a magnetic pole correction value based on the difference between a forward rotation d-phase voltage command and a reverse rotation d-phase voltage command, the d-phase voltage commands being used for rotating the synchronous motor and generated when the synchronous motor is driven in forward and reverse directions, respectively, by applying a prescribed d-phase current command after detecting a magnetic pole initial position at power-on of the synchronous motor, and a correcting unit for correcting the magnetic pole initial position based on the magnetic pole correction value and on a sensor reference position which defines a reference position of a sensor attached to the synchronous motor, and a control apparatus equipped with the detection device controls the rotation of the synchronous motor based on the corrected magnetic pole initial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Okita, Yukio Toyozawa, Kenji Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8664899
    Abstract: To present a motor drive control device capable of realizing high speed driving by a simple power feeding control method. The motor drive control device of the invention has a three-phase full bridge circuit for adjusting the feeding phase so as to invert the terminal voltage in feeding-off time, by cyclically repeating positive direction feeding period, non-feeding period, negative direction feeding period, and non-feeding period. In high speed driving, the phase is adjusted so as to invert the terminal voltage right after feeding-off, and if not reaching the desired rotating speed, the feeding time is shortened. As a result, the phase angle to the actual applied voltage can be advanced, and high seed rotation by weak-field system driving is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Doyama, Yoshinori Takeoka, Hidehisa Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8659247
    Abstract: A control device for controlling an electronically commutated motor. The control device includes a control input for a rotor position signal and a control output for connection to field coils of the motor, and generates a load current for displacing a rotor of the motor depending on the rotor position signal outputting said load current via the control output. The control device includes at least one semiconductor switch for switching the load current depending on a semiconductor control signal, and includes at least one pulse generator which generates the load current in the form of a pulsed control signal for displacing the rotor. The control device also includes a delta sigma converter which is at least indirectly connected to the control input on the input side and which is designed to produce the semiconductor control signal in the form of a digital bit stream depending on the rotor position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: David Fricker
  • Patent number: 8659248
    Abstract: A drive device has a break circuit. The break circuit inputs phase-current values transferred from phase-current sensors mounted on an electrical path of a motor generator. A power switching element is equipped with a freewheel diode connected in parallel with each other. An inverter has pairs of the power switching elements. In each pair, the power switching element in a high voltage side and the power switching element in a low voltage side are connected in series. It is detected for the freewheel diode to be in a freewheel mode when a forward current flows in the freewheel diode. The break circuit detects the freewheel mode where the current flows in the freewheel diode in a lower arm when the phase-current value is not less than a predetermined threshold value. The break circuit detects the freewheel mode where the current flows in the freewheel diode in an upper arm when the phase-current value is not more than the threshold current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Ryotaro Miura, Tsuneo Maebara, Yusuke Shindo, Junichi Fukuta, Junichi Nagata
  • Patent number: 8659251
    Abstract: In a wiper motor including a motor unit having a rotating shaft, and a gear unit having a speed reduction mechanism for reducing and outputting the speed-reduced rotation, a first speed reduction gear forming a speed reduction mechanism is provided to one end side of a rotating shaft, a sensor magnet is fixed to the other end side of the rotating shaft, a control board is provided so as to face the other end side of the rotating shaft from the axial direction of the rotating shaft, a MR sensor for detecting a rotational state of the rotating shaft is provided to a facing portion of the control board to the sensor magnet, and coil end portions of coils configured to generate an electromagnetic force for rotating the rotating shaft on the basis of supply of drive current from the control board is electrically connected to the control board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Amagasa
  • Patent number: 8659805
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a motor driving control device including a motor driver, a storage device, and a control section. The motor driver supplies a motor driving current for driving a motor to the motor. The storage device stores a first data table in which temperature around the motor, a current value of the motor driving current set to prevent the motor from stepping out at the temperature, and a driving voltage set in the motor driver in order to cause the motor driver to output the motor driving current having the current value are associated with one another for each temperature around the motor. The control section controls the motor driver to output the motor driving current having a predetermined current value associated with the temperature around the motor in the first data table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Atsuhiko Eguchi
  • Patent number: 8653774
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit may include a Hall sensor configured to generate a Hall signal according to the position of a rotor of a motor to be driven; a Hall bias circuit; an analog amplifier configured to amplify the Hall signal; an A/D converter configured to convert the Hall signal into a digital signal; an amplitude control circuit configured to adjust the amplitude of the digital signal; a control signal generating unit configured to generate a control signal to be used to drive the motor; and a driver circuit configured to drive the motor according to the control signal. The components may be monolithically integrated on a single semiconductor substrate. The amplitude control circuit may include an amplitude correction circuit; and a target amplitude judgment circuit configured to adjust the gain of the analog amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuro Shimizu, Hiroyuki Ishii, Nobuo Komura, Toshiya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8653769
    Abstract: A method of calculating a control parameter for a component in an HVAC system includes receiving a plurality of input signals, and calculating a value of the control parameter using a control parameter equation having a plurality of predetermined coefficients and a plurality of variables, each variable corresponding to one of the input signals. This equation is stored in and subsequently fetched from memory associated with a component of the HVAC system, such as a blower motor controller or a system controller. In some embodiments, the equation is stored in a device for interfacing a system controller with a blower motor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Charles E. B. Green
  • Patent number: 8648562
    Abstract: An apparatus for improving machine drive performance. The apparatus includes a controller configured to control an impedance of a converter. The converter is configured to be electrically coupled to a plurality of first ends of a plurality of windings of a machine. A plurality of second ends of the plurality of windings of the machine are configured to be electrically coupled to a power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Inventor: Thomas A. Lipo
  • Patent number: 8643317
    Abstract: A single phase DC brushless motor controller, including: a micro control unit including: a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) pin for receiving a PWM signal from a system; and a commutation logic unit for controlling the speed and rotation of a single phase DC brushless motor according to the PWM signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Lee-Long Chen, Ya-Sen Tu, Chia-Ching Tsai
  • Patent number: 8644992
    Abstract: The present subject matter relates to methods and apparatus for controlling operation of a washing machine motor. Different control algorithms may be used during different time periods of operation of the motor where each algorithm is configured to provide different operating characteristics of the motor based on the needs of the washing machine system. The method and apparatus both provide for changing from one motor control algorithm to another algorithm while the motor is spinning. For certain type motors, a time period may be established between operation of the motor under a first or second control algorithms where no energy is supplied to the motor but the motor is permitted to continue to spin. During this period of time for these type motors, magnetic fields in the motor are permitted to subside prior to application of the second control algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Richard Dean Suel, II
  • Patent number: 8638053
    Abstract: Motor control circuits and associated methods to control an electric motor provide an ability to synchronize a rotational speed of the electric motor with an external clock signal, resulting in reduced jitter in the rotational speed of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, LLC
    Inventor: Chee-Kiong Ng
  • Patent number: 8624532
    Abstract: A system for controlling a motor (3) includes a driver circuit (5) for generating a drive voltage (v) to generate a phase current (i) in the motor. Phase current sensing circuitry (10,21) digitizes the phase current. A first circuit (23) provides a reconstructed digital representation of a BEMF signal (vbemf) of the motor to generate an error-corrected synchronization signal (SYNC) in response to the phase current and a detected error in the motor speed, an amplitude feedback signal (15), and information (iR,iL,?iL,vL) indicative of a resistance (Rm) and an inductance (Lm) of the motor. A motor drive signal (15) having an error-corrected frequency is generated in response to the synchronization signal. A PWM circuit (16) produces a PWM signal (17) having a frequency equal to the error-corrected frequency of the synchronization signal (SYNC) and a duty cycle controlled according to the detected error.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Yew Tat Chuah, Yisong Lu
  • Patent number: 8618754
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus that controls a DC motor includes a detection unit configured to detect angular speed of the DC motor, a driven member configured to be driven by the DC motor, and a control unit configured to increase, when starting to drive the DC motor, a control value for controlling driving of the DC motor from a first control value to a second control value at a predetermined increase rate, wherein the control unit detects a start-up characteristic of the DC motor based on a detection result of the detection unit, and corrects the first control value or the increase rate according to a result of comparing a detected start-up characteristic and a predetermined start-up characteristic such that the start-up characteristic of the DC motor becomes closer to the predetermined start-up characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoritsugu Maeda
  • Patent number: 8618757
    Abstract: A system and process includes continuously determining an applied armature voltage supplied to a polyphase synchronous machine for which a maximum mechanical load is characterized by a pull-out torque. The armature voltage is supplied from a power source via one of many taps of a regulating transformer. The armature voltage being supplied from the power source to the machine is changed by selecting one of the voltage levels from the taps of the regulating transformer. The tap voltage levels are selected based on the determined applied armature voltage to minimize power consumption of the machine while ensuring based on a predetermined confidence level that the pull-out torque of the machine will not be exceeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Utilidata, Inc.
    Inventor: David Gordon Bell
  • Patent number: 8618755
    Abstract: A control device is for a motor, especially a brushless DC motor. The control device contains a bridge circuit for generating a rotating field for the motor and a sensor system for detecting a position of a rotor of the motor, a control signal for the bridge circuit being derivable from the signal representing the rotor position. The sensor system includes an absolute value transmitter which detects the absolute position of the rotor and which is configured to derive at least one incremental signal from the absolute position and to make it directly available to a control component for controlling the bridge circuit for commuting the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Maier, Christoph Schikora, Thomas Wiercioch
  • Patent number: 8610383
    Abstract: The invention relates to a combined method and device for powering and charging, wherein said device comprises an AC motor (6), a converter (2), storage means (5), and switching means (4) either for enabling the powering of the motor (6) or for enabling the charging of the storage means (5) by the converter (2). The switching means (4) is integrated in the converter (2) and includes at least one H-shaped bridge structure (3) for each phase of the motor (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Valco Systemes de Controle Moteur
    Inventors: Luis De Sousa, Boris Bouchez
  • Patent number: 8604739
    Abstract: A controller for an axial gap-type motor (3) comprises a rotor (11) having a permanent magnet and a first stator (12a) and a second stator (12b) opposed to each other with the rotor (11) interposed therebetween in the axial direction of revolution of the rotor (11). The controller further includes an electrification control portion which supplies a torque current (Iq) for generating a magnetic field to revolve the rotor (11) to an armature winding (13a) of the first stator (12a) and supplies a field current (+Id) for reinforcing the magnetic flux by the permanent magnet of the rotor (11) or a field current (?Id) for weakening the magnetic flux to an armature winding (13b) of the second stator (12b). Consequently, the controllable range of the motor is increased and the axial gap-type motor can be operated at higher velocity and higher torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Atarashi
  • Patent number: 8604729
    Abstract: A method of controlling a permanent-magnet motor that includes sequentially exciting and freewheeling a winding of the motor. The method includes varying the angle over which the winding is freewheeled in response to changes in speed of the motor. Additionally, a control system for a permanent-magnet motor, and a product incorporating the control system and motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Charlton Clothier, Tuncay Celik, Yu Chen
  • Patent number: 8604733
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator including an electrical machine. The electrical actuator (100) comprising: a polyphase machine (101); at least one connection member (143) for powering the actuator from at least one network (146) delivering alternating current; and first and second buses (106, 107) connected in parallel between each connection member (143) and the machine (101) for applying frequency control thereto. Each inverter (111, 131) comprises a plurality of arms each having two controlled switches, each phase of the machine (101) being connected both to the two switches of an arm of the first inverter (111) and also to the two switches of an arm of the second inverter (131). The actuator further comprises controlled connection and disconnection means interposed between each bus (106, 107) and each connection member. The invention is applicable to actuators used in aviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignees: Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, Universite de Lorraine, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Liegeois, François-Noël Leynaert, Farid Meibody-Tabar, Serge Lionel Pierfederici, Babak Nahid Mobarakeh
  • Patent number: 8593093
    Abstract: An electric motor control apparatus capable of controlling a motor normally regardless of failures is obtained without increased cost. The apparatus includes a position sensor failure determination unit which outputs a failure determination signal, and generates a first phase; a motor rotation speed calculator which operates based on the failure determination signal and position sensor signals; a phase command generator producing a phase command based on the first phase, the failure determination signal and rotation speed; an amplitude command generator that generates an amplitude command indicating magnitude of a driving signal for the motor, and an electrical energization unit that applies the driving signal to the motor based on the phase command and the amplitude command. Upon failure of a position sensor, the phase command generator generates the phase command using the first phase, and a second phase obtained based on the first phase and the rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yuya Hisano, Ryo Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8593087
    Abstract: If there is static friction, the magnetic pole position estimation is completed at the time when error torque used for magnetic pole position estimation becomes less than the friction, so that there remains magnetic pole error. A problem has been that when the error torque becomes less than a forward static friction, there remains a positive magnetic pole deviation and when the error torque becomes less than a backward static friction, there remains a negative magnetic pole deviation. By shifting in the negative direction and the positive direction initial values for estimating a magnetic pole error in operation sets, a true pole-error estimation value is estimated in the use of a pole-error estimation value having a positive magnetic pole error obtained by the positive shift operation and a negative one obtained by the negative shift operation, which can reduce estimation error due to the static friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kei Terada, Satoshi Aoki
  • Patent number: 8593086
    Abstract: A drive system, such as for a fluid jet cutting system, includes a brushless synchronous motor configured to drive movement through a loosely coupled transmission, a sensor configured to sense movement, and a control system configured to drive the brushless synchronous motor responsive to previously measured drive coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: OMAX Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Hay, Brian Guglielmetti
  • Patent number: 8587230
    Abstract: A power tool includes a brushless DC motor housed inside a tool housing, an input unit, and a control unit. The motor includes a rotor, a stator, and at least one sensor positioned to sense a state of the rotational position of the rotor inside the stator. A control unit controls commutation of the motor through a series of power switches coupled to the power supply. The control unit receives a current sensor state from the sensor and a user-selected speed from the input unit and determines whether the motor has reversed direction using the user-selected speed and the current sensor state. The control unit disables commutation of the motor if the motor has reversed direction until a proper current sensor state is received from the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Pradeep M. Pant, James Goble
  • Patent number: 8587233
    Abstract: Motors, such as DC motors, and methods and systems for operating a motor, are described. The motor is optionally an electronically commutated motor. The motor comprises one or more electromagnets and a controller device to control the electromagnets. The controller device is configured to calibrate the motor operation in a desired installation to determine the torque needed to achieve a desired operating speed by causing the motor to ramp up to the desired speed, measuring an electric current needed to operate the motor at the desired speed, and setting a value corresponding to a first speed tap using the measured electric current. The controller device is configured to operate the motor in a substantially constant torque mode using the set value at least after the completion of the calibration operation. The motor may be configured for use in a ventilation system, such as an HVACR system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: SNTech, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan Bass, Louis Sulfstede
  • Patent number: 8587250
    Abstract: A method for the identification without a shaft encoder of magnetomechanical characteristic quantities, in particular the mass moment of inertia J and the permanent magnetic flux ?PM between rotor and stator of a three-phase synchronous motor, comprising:—constant voltage supply U1d in the d flux axial direction;—test signal voltage supply U1q in the q transverse flux axial direction;—measuring signal current measuring I1q of the q transverse flux axial direction;—identification of magnetomechanical characteristic quantities of the synchronous motor on the basis of the test signal voltage U1q and of the measuring signal current I1q; whereby the rotor can execute deflection movements with pre-definable maximal amplitudes. Method use also for control of electrical drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Baumuller Nurnberg GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Villwock, Heiko Zatocil
  • Patent number: 8587234
    Abstract: Identification without shaft encoder of electrical equivalent circuit parameters of a three-phase asynchronous motor comprising: -standstill position search of the rotor, so that the d flux axial direction of the rotor is aligned opposite the cc axial direction of the stator; -test signal voltage supply U1d in the d flux axial direction of the motor whereby the q transverse axial direction remains without current; -measuring signal current I1d of the d flux axial direction of the motor; -identification of equivalent circuit parameters of the motor based on the test signal voltage U1d and on the measuring signal current I1d in the d flux axial direction; whereby the rotor remains torque-free. The method used to control electrical drives. An identification apparatus for a synchronous motor and a motor control device comprising the apparatus, whereby identified equivalent circuit parameters can be used to determine, optimize and monitor a motor control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Baumuller Nurnberg GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Villwock, Heiko Zatocil
  • Patent number: 8587232
    Abstract: A system and method are presented for aligning a rotor in a motor. The motor may include the rotor and a plurality of pairs of electromagnets. One or more pairs of electromagnets may be excited at a first excitation level. The one or more pairs of electromagnets may be less than all of the plurality of pairs of electromagnets. The excitation of the one or more pairs of electromagnets may be increased to a second excitation level over a first period of time. The excitation of the one or more pairs of electromagnets may be decreased to a third excitation level over a second period of time. Exciting the one or more pairs of electromagnets, increasing the excitation, and decreasing the excitation may cause the rotor to stop in a known position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation
    Inventor: Lynn R. Kern
  • Patent number: 8581533
    Abstract: A controller controls switching of IGBT devices of an inverter according to the desired output of the permanent magnet motor. The controller includes: a magnet temperature detection device that detects the magnet temperature of the permanent magnet motor based on the output of a temperature sensor; a setting device that sets a threshold value of the magnet temperature corresponding to the desired output of the permanent magnet motor, based on a predetermined relation between the output from the permanent magnet motor and a critical temperature, up to which demagnetization in the permanent magnet motor is not caused; and a carrier frequency control device that, when the magnet temperature detected by the magnet temperature detection device exceeds the threshold value, changes the carrier frequency, at which the IGBT devices are switched, such that a ripple current superimposed on a motor current that flows through the permanent magnet motor is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhito Hayashi, Masayoshi Suhama
  • Patent number: 8569984
    Abstract: A motor controller controlling a rotational speed of a motor and including a thermal detector, a capacitor, an operational amplifier (OP), a charging/discharging circuit, a flip-flop and a logic circuit. The thermal detector detects environmental temperature of the motor to set a first reference voltage. The capacitor has one terminal coupled to a second reference voltage while another terminal thereof is charged/discharged by the charging/discharging circuit, controlled by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, to provide a third reference voltage. The OP compares the first and third reference voltages and outputs the comparison result to a ‘set’ terminal of the flip-flop. The flip-flop further uses a ‘reset’ terminal to receive a clock signal and the output signal thereof is utilized in generating the PWM signal. The PWM signal is further provided to the logic circuit for setting a duty cycle of a driving current of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Chi-Lin Hsu
  • Patent number: 8564229
    Abstract: A motor controlling device is provided that controls a brushless motor having a plurality of phases based on magnetic pole signals output by a plurality of magnetic pole signal output sections each corresponding to one of the phases. The motor controlling device includes an abnormality determining section, a signal generating section, and a motor controlling section. The abnormality determining section determines whether a magnetic pole signal output by each magnetic pole signal output section is an abnormal magnetic pole signal. When the abnormality determining section determines that at least one of the magnetic pole signals is an abnormal magnetic pole signal, the signal generating section generates a simulated signal corresponding to the abnormal magnetic pole signal based on the normal magnetic pole signals other than the abnormal magnetic pole signal and the rotational state of the brushless motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Advics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Imoto, Masahiro Matsuura, Hiroaki Niino
  • Patent number: 8558489
    Abstract: A thinly configured and brushless miniature DC micro motor that includes at least two substantially-flat motor cells that are aligned axially. Each motor cell comprises a stator coil having an elongate opening and passage for a rotor shaft, and a cross-polarized rotor magnet carried on the rotor shaft and received within the elongate opening. The micro motor also includes a frame substrate that fixably supports the stator coils of the motor cells while providing a bearing means for rotatably supporting the rotor shaft, so that selectively energizing one of the motor cells creates an electric current in the stator coil interacting with a magnetic field of the received rotor magnet to generate a torque between the rotor shaft and the frame substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobsen, Shane Olsen, Marc X. Olivier
  • Patent number: 8558494
    Abstract: A driving device is electrically connected with an AC power and a brushless DC motor for a fan. The driving device includes a rectifier unit, a filter unit, a switch power conversion unit and a control unit. The rectifier unit receives the AC power and rectifies the AC power. The filter unit, electrically connected with the rectifier unit, filters the rectified AC power and generates a DC power. The switch power conversion unit, electrically connected with the filter unit and the brushless DC motor, receives the DC power and outputs a driving power to the brushless DC motor. The control unit is electrically connected with the switch power conversion unit and the brushless DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Shuo Tseng, Chia-Pin Wei, Yu-Wei Lee
  • Patent number: 8552674
    Abstract: Method for control of synchronous electrical motors that enables determining the instantaneous motor load angle and rotor speed without using rotor position sensors. The method is realized with solving the set of differential equations that govern the currents in the stator windings of the motor for the time intervals between each two consecutive crossings of the currents in the windings of their set values and deriving relationships between the induced in the windings back-electromotive force voltages and the parameters of the Pulse Width Modulation. The parameters of the Pulse Width Modulation are measured and stored in a memory and based on the derived relationships the values of the back-electromotive force voltages are calculated continuously in time. From the values of the back-electromotive force voltages the motor load angle and rotor speed are calculated and used as feedback signals for the closed-loop control of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Inventors: Radek Georgiev Nachev, Blagovest Georgiev Nachev
  • Patent number: 8552604
    Abstract: A power module of a drive unit of an electric motor is formed by inserting multiple power transistors, which supply a drive current to a coil wound around a stator or a rotor, and wirings connecting the power transistors in a resin, which is formed in the shape of a plate, by resin molding. Electronic components such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors, a choke coil and a first connector are provided in a board thickness direction of the power module and are electrically connected with the wirings of the power module. Thus, a construction for electrically connecting the wirings of the power module formed by the resin molding and the electronic components can be simplified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Matsuda, Masashi Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 8547051
    Abstract: A system includes a control module that controls a motor based on a first rotor angle and an angle determination module that generates the first rotor angle. An estimator module determines an estimated rotor angle of the motor. A transition module generates a transition signal in response to convergence of the estimator module. The angle determination module initially generates the first rotor angle based on an open loop angle. In response to the transition signal, the angle determination module switches to generating the first rotor angle based on the estimated rotor angle and an offset value. The offset value is based on a difference between the estimated rotor angle and the open loop angle at the time when the transition signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Green, Joseph G. Marcinkiewicz
  • Publication number: 20130249447
    Abstract: A controller for a conventional synchronous motor is configured to produce desired output characteristics. The controller generates a drive current for based on a current command, has a motor correcting section and a gain adjusting section which output a compensated current command based on the current command according to a compensating transfer function for cancelling a first transfer function showing a first torque response characteristic of the synchronous motor and replacing it with a second transfer function showing a second torque response characteristic, and a current controller which generates a drive current corresponding to the compensated current command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicants: INTELLIGENT MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, MORI SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shinji Ishii, Masakazu Soshi, Kazuo Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8541964
    Abstract: A rotation-position detection system according to the present invention is configured with a resolver mounted in a brushless motor and a motor controller. The motor controller outputs an excitation signal to the resolver and an A/D converter thereof alternately applies analogue/digital conversion to a sine wave signal and a cosine wave signal outputted from the resolver so that a rotation position of the motor is calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Ryo Sakaguchi, Makoto Itoi
  • Patent number: 8541969
    Abstract: In a method and a device for pulse width modulated (PWM-) activation of an electrical drive motor (2) of an adjustment arrangement based on a reference of the mechanical system of the adjustment arrangement that corresponds to a relationship between the force (F) on the drive motor (2) and the adjustment path (s) or the adjustment time (t) of the adjustment arrangement stored in a memory (9), an anticipated future force value (F(t+t0)) is determined based on the reference of the mechanical system in order to adjust the PWM activation in advance by utilizing this future force value such that motor synchronization fluctuations can be prevented upon anticipated mechanical fluctuations in the adjustment arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Holzinger, Roman Morawek, Daniel Zuffer
  • Publication number: 20130234631
    Abstract: A method of determining the position of a rotor of a permanent-magnet motor. The method uses two different schemes to determine the position of the rotor. A first scheme is used when the rotor rotates within a first speed range, by sequentially exciting and freewheeling a winding of the motor, measuring a parameter that depends on the rate of change of current in the winding, and comparing the parameter against a threshold. A second scheme is used when the rotor rotates within a second speed range, by generating a voltage signal that is proportional to the voltage across the winding, generating a further voltage signal that depends on the rate of change of current in the winding, and comparing the two signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventor: Christopher John BATEMAN