With Nonmotor Parameter Or Remote Condition Detected (e.g., Temperature, Light, Airflow, Position Of Diverse Object, Etc.) Patents (Class 318/400.08)
  • Patent number: 8749180
    Abstract: The present invention is aimed to realize a method and a system for controlling an electric cylinder by which the load detector that is attached to an electric cylinder and the rod of the cylinder can avoid being overloaded. An unexpected bump between the rod of the cylinder and the material to be pressed can cause that overload. A servo controller 17 determines whether the load for pressurizing Pm detected by the load detector 13 is larger than or equal to the load for detecting a bump Pc. If it is determined that the load for pressurizing Pm is larger than or equal to the load for detecting a bump Pc, the servo controller 17 determines whether the flag for stopping is ON. Also, the controller 17 determines whether the speed Sm of the rod 11 is greater than or equal to an allowable speed to bump Sc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Sintokogio, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiko Nagasaka, Yoichiro Shirai
  • Patent number: 8736209
    Abstract: A drive and control circuit for motor system and the method thereof are disclosed. The motor system could be applied in a cooling device, wherein the motor system comprises a rotor, a coil and a bridge circuit. The drive and control circuit comprises a control unit, a state detecting circuit, a load determining circuit, and a startup setting circuit. The startup setting circuit makes the motor run with the maximum torque, thus to make the motor system start up easily and quickly. The load determining circuit detects the load of the motor system, thus to generate a load determining signal to determine the speed of the motor system. The control unit could be realized with few components so as to save the costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jian Zhao, Yike Li, Yangwei Yu
  • Patent number: 8674651
    Abstract: There is provided an electronic device that includes a heatsink and a set of IGBTs coupled to the heatsink and configured to deliver power to a field exciter and a battery. The electronic device also includes a temperature sensor disposed in the heatsink and a controller. The controller is configured to receive a temperature reading from the temperature sensor and, based on the temperature reading, determine a junction temperature for at least one of the IGBTs of the set of IGBTs. The controller is also configured to de-rate an output power provided by each of the IGBTs based, at least in part, on the junction temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Dimitrios Ioannidis
  • Patent number: 8674637
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a power storage device, a motor generator, a converter for stepping up an output voltage from the power storage device, an inverter for driving the motor generator, and an ECU. The inverter includes switching elements. The switching elements have a characteristic that the withstand voltage of the switching elements decreases as the temperature of the inverter decreases. The ECU sets the stepped-up voltage, based on a temperature characteristic of the power storage device and a temperature characteristic of the inverter, so that the stepped-up voltage is increased within a range in which the stepped-up voltage does not exceed the withstand voltage. In this way, at low temperatures, deterioration of the power performance can be suppressed while the switching elements are protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yusuke Kamijo
  • 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: 8587245
    Abstract: A motor, including: a stator, a rotor, and a motor controller. The motor controller is connected to a network interface circuit (NIC). The motor can be directly connected to a network, which makes it possible for technicians to facilitate remote control, debugging, remote diagnosis, and troubleshooting. The motor is easy to be identified, and features improved functions, wider application range, and more convenient use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Zhao
  • Publication number: 20130293166
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. The system includes an integrated motor including a plurality of operating speeds and an input for selecting one of the plurality of operating speeds. The system further includes a system controller and an adjustment module. The adjustment module includes a plurality of operating modes each associated with one of the plurality of operating speeds and the ability to manually vary associations between the plurality of operating modes and the plurality of operating speeds. The adjustment module selects one of the plurality of operating modes on the basis of control commands received from the system controller and setting programmed or manually entered into and stored in the adjustment module and controls the integrated motor according to the operating speed associated with the selected operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: DYNAMOTORS, INC.
    Inventors: William F. Merkel, William M. Jones, Robert G. Klimo
  • Patent number: 8552668
    Abstract: An automotive electrical body system includes a plurality of electrical assemblies coupled to at least one automotive body component. Each of the assemblies includes a heating element for heating the at least one component, a motor for actuating the at least one component, or a switch configured to toggle the at least one component on and off. Each of the assemblies also includes a wireless communication module for receiving wireless signals, and, in response to the wireless signals, controlling operation of the heating element or motor. An electrical conductor interconnects each of the electrical assemblies and carries electrical power to each of the electrical assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Alfons Hogenmueller, Vivek Jain
  • Patent number: 8513911
    Abstract: A power converter that interfaces a motor requiring variable voltage/frequency to a supply network providing a nominally fixed voltage/frequency includes a first rectifier/inverter connected to a stator and a second rectifier/inverter. Both rectifier/inverters are interconnected by a dc link and include switching devices. A filter is connected between the second rectifier/inverter and the network. A first controller for the first rectifier/inverter uses a dc link voltage demand signal indicative of a desired dc link voltage to control the switching devices of the first rectifier/inverter. A second controller for the second rectifier/inverter uses a power demand signal indicative of the level of power to be transferred to the dc link from the network through the second rectifier/inverter, and a voltage demand signal indicative of the voltage to be achieved at network terminals of the filter to control the switching devices of the second rectifier/inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Converteam Technology Ltd.
    Inventors: Rodney Jones, Christopher Newton
  • Patent number: 8502491
    Abstract: A rotation direction control method of a cooling fan is disclosed. The rotation direction control method includes a detection step, a determination step and a driving step. The detection step receives a temperature control signal from a temperature detection unit by a rotation direction control unit when a predetermined dust-expelling time period begins. The determination step determines whether a detected temperature is higher than a predetermined value based on the temperature control signal by the rotation direction control unit. The driving step controls the rotation direction control unit to keep outputting a cooling signal so as to drive a motor of the cooling fan for a cooling operation when the determination of the determination step is positive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Alex Horng, Ching-Sheng Hung
  • Patent number: 8493008
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. The system includes an integrated motor including a plurality of operating speeds and an input for selecting one of the plurality of operating speeds. The system further includes a system controller and an adjustment module. The adjustment module includes a plurality of operating modes each associated with one of the plurality of operating speeds and the ability to manually vary associations between the plurality of operating modes and the plurality of operating speeds. The adjustment module selects one of the plurality of operating modes on the basis of control commands received from the system controller and setting programmed or manually entered into and stored in the adjustment module and controls the integrated motor according to the operating speed associated with the selected operating mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Dynamotors, Inc.
    Inventors: William F. Merkel, William M. Jones, Robert G. Klimo
  • Patent number: 8461793
    Abstract: A motor load control apparatus capable of suppressing heat generation of an electronic switch and suppressing occurrence of noise associated with rotation of a fan and vibration of the fan is provided. A switch section (17) in which a first electronic switch (T1) and a second electronic switch (T2) are connected in parallel is provided, and the first electronic switch (T1) is driven by a PWM signal with a predetermined duty ratio and a predetermined frequency and the second electronic switch (T2) is driven in a state of delaying the PWM signal by which the first electronic switch (T1) is driven by a predetermined time. Consequently, as compared with the case of one electronic switch, a heating value of each of the electronic switches can be reduced and radiation measures of the whole apparatus can be reduced. Further, noise or vibration occurring by PWM control can be reduced by changing delay time at random.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Shunzou Ohshima
  • Patent number: 8403648
    Abstract: A compressor control device includes a driving circuit, for controllably supplying a coil of an electric motor of a compressor. A temperature sensor is thermally coupled to the driving circuit and provides a temperature sensing signal correlated to a temperature in the driving circuit. A control stage, coupled to the driving circuit and to the temperature sensor, selectively prevents the driving circuit from supplying the coil, in response to a minimum temperature increment being detected by the temperature sensor within a pre-determined control time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Design and Application s.r.o.
    Inventor: Albert Boscarato
  • Patent number: 8380354
    Abstract: A motor controller for an air-conditioner fan, including at least a central processor, a power drive module, a power supply module, and a communication interface circuit. The power supply module supply working power to the central processor and the power drive module. Multiple instruction input ports are connected to the central processor. Multiple parameters N are set in the central processor and corresponding to the instruction input ports. The central processor controls the power drive module to drive a motor of the air-conditioner fan to operate at a parameter N corresponding to an instruction input port as the instruction input port is connected. The communication interface circuit is communicated with an external communication device. The external communication device changes the parameters N in the central processor corresponding to the instruction input ports via the communication interface circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Zhongshan Broad-Ocean Motor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Zhao
  • Patent number: 8364349
    Abstract: An angle calculator determines an angle of a rotor. An angular speed calculator determines an angular speed of the rotor. A command current calculator determines a command current defined on a dq-axis. An open loop controller determines a command voltage defined on the dq-axis in accordance with a circuit equation of a motor, based on the command current and the angular speed. A dq-axis/three-phase converter converts the command voltage into a three-phase command voltage. A resistance calculator and a ?-value calculator respectively determines circuit resistance including armature winding resistance and a number of armature winding linkages which are included in the circuit equation of the motor, based on temperature of the motor detected by a temperature sensor and with reference to a table or the like which is stored in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Ueda, Shigeki Nagase, Hiroshi Sumasu
  • Patent number: 8324848
    Abstract: A system for maintaining thermal stability of a motion stage driven by a motor comprises a motion current generator operative to produce a motion current to drive the motion stage to move and a thermal current generator operative to produce a thermal current to dissipate heat in the motion stage for controlling a temperature of the motion stage without producing corresponding movement of the motion stage. A summation controller is operative to combine the motion current with the thermal current, and to produce a combined current output to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: ASM Assembly Automation Ltd
    Inventors: Gary Peter Widdowson, Wai Chuen Gan, Cheuk Wah Tang, Chor Fai Wong
  • Patent number: 8278864
    Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in compressors and, in particular, to an improvement in a method of controlling variable speed dynamic compressors to avoid ‘motor overload as a result of choking.1 The invention therefore comprises a method of controlling a compressor to provide compressed gas at a target delivery pressure (Pt) and prevent excessive motor power consumption, the compressor being driven by a variable speed motor which has motor windings, wherein the gas inlet temperature (Tin), gas output delivery pressure (Pd), motor speed (Vm) and the motor winding temperature (Tmw) are continuously measured during operation of the compressor. The gas inlet temperature (Tin) is used to determine a predetermined maximum motor winding temperature (Tmwmax) limit. The maximum motor winding temperature (Tmwmax) is used (to set a maximum motor speed (Vmmax) limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH
    Inventor: Geoffrey George Powell
  • Publication number: 20120212166
    Abstract: A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is provided. The system includes an integrated motor including a plurality of operating speeds and an input for selecting one of the plurality of operating speeds. The system further includes a system controller and an adjustment module. The adjustment module includes a plurality of operating modes each associated with one of the plurality of operating speeds and the ability to manually vary associations between the plurality of operating modes and the plurality of operating speeds. The adjustment module selects one of the plurality of operating modes on the basis of control commands received from the system controller and setting programmed or manually entered into and stored in the adjustment module and controls the integrated motor according to the operating speed associated with the selected operating mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: William F. Merkel, William M. Jones, Robert G. Klimo
  • Patent number: 8242723
    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: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Charles E. B. Green
  • Patent number: 8242726
    Abstract: There is disclosed a method and a circuit arrangement for the feedback of commutation energy in three-phase current drive systems with a current intermediate circuit converter. Commutation energy is released at each commutation in the inverter. The commutation unit ensures that the released energy is directly fed back to the current intermediate circuit in two steps. In the first step, the commutation energy is fed into the commutation capacitor by a rectifier circuit (diode bridge and three triacs). In the second step, the commutation energy is fed directly from the commutation capacitor into the current intermediate circuit by means of three semiconductors (first RIGBT, second RIGBT, diode) so that the current of the intermediate circuit flows through the capacitor over a controlled period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Econodrives GmbH
    Inventor: Pal Kanyo
  • Patent number: 8175836
    Abstract: A method of estimating airflow for a characterized blower system including a motor. The method includes running the motor, estimating a torque and a speed of the running motor, and assuming a starting airflow estimate. Torque is calculated based on the estimated speed and the estimated airflow. A torque error is calculated as a function of the calculated torque and the estimated torque. Estimated airflow is revised based on the calculated torque error. The method also includes repeating the calculating and revising steps using the revised estimated airflow until the torque error is within a predetermined acceptable range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventor: Prakash B. Shahi
  • Patent number: 8164285
    Abstract: A system includes a power control module, a period determination module, and a control module. The power control module controls current through stator coils of a motor to rotate a rotor. The period determination module determines a first length of time between a first set of induced stator coil voltages and determines a second length of time between a second set of induced stator coil voltages. The control module determines whether an external disturbance disturbs rotation of the rotor based on a difference between the first and second lengths of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Marvell World Trade Ltd.
    Inventors: Foo Leng Leong, Edy Susanto, Ravishanker Krishnamoorthy
  • Patent number: 8154235
    Abstract: An electric drive has at least one electric motor and a power converter feeding electrical motor current thereto. A current desired-value emitter generates a reference signal. An additional circuit is coupled to the current desired-value emitter so as to receive the reference signal and generates a current desired-value signal. A current regulator is coupled to the additional circuit so as to receive the current desired-value signal. The current regulator generates a control signal to the power converter so as to regulate the motor current as a function of the current desired-value signal. The additional circuit has a first mode wherein the current desired-value signal corresponds to the reference signal and a second mode wherein the current desired-value signal is a pulsed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: SSB Wind Systems GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hermann Kestermann, Josef Upsing
  • Patent number: 8115428
    Abstract: A control system for an electric motor is arranged to determine the position of the motor from at least one electrical parameter by means of a position determining algorithm. It is further arranged to monitor at least one algorithm parameter defined by the algorithm and if the monitored parameter meets a predetermined fault condition to generate a fault indication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: TRW Limited
    Inventors: Connel Brett Williams, Christopher David Dixon
  • Patent number: 8093850
    Abstract: A fan control system includes a linear adjustor, an input/output controller, and a temperature sensor. A first terminal of the linear adjustor is connected to a first power supply. A second terminal of the linear adjustor is connected to a fan and grounded via a first resistor and a second resistor in series. A third terminal of the linear adjustor is connected to a node between the first resistor and the second resistor. A first terminal of the input/output controller is connected to the third terminal of the linear adjustor via a third resistor. A second terminal of the input/output controller is connected to the temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignees: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong-Zhao Huang
  • Patent number: 8054609
    Abstract: System to control, protect and monitor the status of forced cooling motors for power transformers and similar, is preferably applied to power transformers and auto-transformers, and this system turns conventional (1) cooling motors into “intelligent” motors, operating in a totally autonomous manner, whose electronic module (2) is installed on the actual motor cover, more specifically on the connection box (3) and is interconnected by a communication network to a digital system (4) without the need to use any external control, protection and monitoring elements or exaggerated panels for functioning thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Inventor: Eduardo Pedrosa Santos
  • Patent number: 7990090
    Abstract: A method for determining the position at rest of a rotor of a machine having at least one excitation winding. The invention provides a technique for detecting the position of the rotor at rest, from information contained in the voltages produced at the terminals of the stator windings, when the voltage applied to the rotor winding undergoes variations. The invention thus makes it possible to detect the rest position of the wound-rotor machine in the absence of ordinary position sensors such as magnetic, optical, resolving, mechanical, capacitive or other sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Jean-Paul Vilain, Luc Kobylanski, Ferhat Chabour
  • Patent number: 7949233
    Abstract: A method for controlling a heat-dissipating fan for an electronic component includes the steps of: detecting a temperature of the electronic component, and outputting a first control signal corresponding to the temperature thus detected; receiving a load current of the electronic component, and converting the load current into a second control signal; and controlling a rotating speed of the heat-dissipating fan with reference to the first control signal and the second control signal. A device employing the method includes a current detecting module adapted for detecting a load current, a temperature control circuit adapted for detecting a temperature, and a logic circuit unit coupled to the current detecting module and the temperature control circuit and controlling a rotating speed of a heat-dissipating fan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventors: Yi-Tung Chiang, I-Huei Huang, Nien-Yu Liao
  • Publication number: 20100320947
    Abstract: A method enables measurement of an inverter loss within a motor control circuit for an appliance. The method includes applying a constant DC current generated from a first AC supply voltage to a motor winding through an inverter at a first duty cycle, measuring a first voltage corresponding to the current through the motor at a motor current sense resistor, computing a first ratio of the first measured voltage at the motor current sense resistor to a first DC input voltage corresponding to the first AC supply voltage, identifying a second duty cycle from the first computed ratio, comparing the second duty cycle to the first duty cycle, and identifying a first inverter loss factor from the difference between the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: EMERSON ELECTRIC CO.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Sheahan
  • Patent number: 7847508
    Abstract: A heat dissipation system for an electronic device comprises a base, a fan, a pulse width modulation speed control circuit controlling the speed of the fan, a converter outputting a voltage signal, a selection switch connected to the motor, and a control element provided on the base, connected to the switch and to the converter. When the control element is operated, the switch selectively enables the motor be connected to the output of the pulse width modulation speed control circuit or to the output of the converter, and when the motor is electrically connected to the converter, the control element can modify the output voltage of the converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jen-Yee Liu
  • Patent number: 7786686
    Abstract: A method is for estimating an angular position of a rotor of a motor having position sensors along the circumference of a stator and generating digital signals that switch each time the rotor crosses certain angular positions. The method includes storing rotor angular positions at every digital signal switching, and determining for each rotor revolution a time interval elapsed between a current and a precedent switching edge of the signal generated. The method also includes estimating the angular position during a current rotor revolution by identifying which position sensor generated the last detected switching edge. The corresponding angular position and the time interval elapsed between two consecutive rotor crossings, through a same angular position, correspond to a sum between the angular position and a product between a fraction of the time interval elapsed from the corresponding precedent switching edge multiplied by 360° and a number of polar pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Giuseppe D'Angelo, Giovanni Moselli, Stefano Baratto
  • Patent number: 7764035
    Abstract: The invention relates to an actuator (9) comprising a rotary electric motor (12) a screw Old) driven in rotation by the motor, a mechanical member (15) driven in translation by the screw, a first position sensor (40) sensitive to a position of the electric motor and/or of the screw, a second position sensor (41) sensitive to a position of the mechanical member, and a servo-control circuit (11) connected to both of the position sensors and to the motor, this circuit delivering a power supply signal to the motor that varies as a function of a position setpoint signal (23) and as a function of signals delivered by the two position sensors; the second position sensor presents a resolution that is at least equivalent to the resolution of the first position sensor, and the servo-control circuit includes redundant modules (19, 22) for calculating the position of the mechanical member as a function of the signals/data delivered by the two sensors, together with at least two modules (17, 18) for mutual surveillance of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Eurocopter
    Inventors: Alain Kirchhofer, Olivier Honnorat
  • Patent number: 7746013
    Abstract: Presented in an apparatus for controlling a brushless DC motor with a permanent magnet arranged on a rotor and a stator with windings. The apparatus includes an observer that is adapted to determine an estimated temperature of the permanent magnet as a function of the temperature of the windings, and determine at least one actuating signal for controlling the DC motor as a function of the estimated temperature of the permanent magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Mathias Fernengel, Reiner Grossmann, Frank Sader
  • Publication number: 20100039055
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a brushless motor configured to sense the temperature of the motor and control the operation of the motor. The motor is configured to lower the current generation in a power switching circuit and lower the temperature within the power switching circuit without stopping the operation of the motor. The brushless motor comprises a rotor, a stator comprising windings, a power switching circuit configured to supply an electric current to the windings, a temperature sensor placed on or in the vicinity of the power switching circuit and configured to sense or ascertain temperature of the power switching circuit, and a controller configured to receive a temperature input from the temperature sensor, select a mode of operation of the motor based on the temperature input, and generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal corresponding to the selected mode of operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventor: Young-Chun Jeung
  • Patent number: 7612521
    Abstract: In a fan motor drive circuit which drives a motor based on a pulse-modulated external control signal, a temperature control signal generator generates a pulse-modulated temperature control signal whose duty ratio changes depending on temperature. A signal synthesizer synthesizes the external control signal and the temperature control signal by a logical operation. A drive controller drives the motor based on output of the signal synthesizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Miyajima
  • Publication number: 20090224707
    Abstract: A control system for an electric motor is arranged to determine the position of the motor from at least one electrical parameter by means of a position determining algorithm. It is further arranged to monitor at least one algorithm parameter defined by the algorithm and if the monitored parameter meets a predetermined fault condition to generate a fault indication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Inventors: Connel Brett Williams, Christopher David Dixon
  • Patent number: 7573220
    Abstract: A self-calibrating, continuous variable speed fan for use in cooling electronic circuitry is disclosed. Upon initial power-up, in an environment of known temperature, the self-calibrating fan accommodates for the tolerances of its electronic components by reading a voltage from its thermistor array and comparing the actual value to an expected value for the given temperature. The difference is then stored in the non-volatile memory of a microcontroller for use in adjusting future voltage readings from the thermistor array. During normal operation, adjusted readings from the thermistor array are then converted by the microcontroller into a control signal for driving the motor of a cooling fan. A quickly cycling stochastic process between adjustments to fan motor speed and temperature readings is then established, thereby maintaining a high degree of control over the device to be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eric A. Hardt, Scott Frankel
  • Publication number: 20090189558
    Abstract: An electric actuator motor drives an actuator leg between inner and outer limits of an actuator stroke relative to an actuator base. A controller detects when the actuator leg is at one of the inner and outer stroke limits by monitoring and comparing actuator motor power draw to known actuator motor power draw values associated with the operation of an electric actuator when its leg has reached an actuator leg stroke limit. A position sensor senses changes in the position of a monitored actuator component and provides corresponding signals to the controller. The controller calculates the position of the monitored actuator component relative to the position that the monitored actuator component was in when the actuator leg was in a predetermined home position. The controller recognizes and records the concurrent position of the monitored actuator component as indicating that the actuator leg is in the home position whenever the leg reaches a stroke limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: Innovative Design Solutions
    Inventors: Robert Ford, Shawn Haley, Mark Woloszyk, John Manfreda
  • Patent number: 7567049
    Abstract: A controller for an electric motor in a blower system includes an input for receiving an air flow demand. The controller is configured for producing drive signals for the electric motor from the air flow demand using an equation having a plurality of terms. At least one of the terms includes a composite function S*CFMn, where S is a speed of the electric motor, CFM is the air flow demand, and n>1. These teachings can also be applied to other types of fluid handling systems including, for example, liquid pumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Prakash B. Shahi, Arthur E. Woodward, Christopher D. Schock
  • Patent number: 7550938
    Abstract: A mechanical-electronic position sensor in which the wiper voltage of a potentiometer actuated by a plunger is measured, processed by a microcontroller, and is available as an analog output signal via an output stage. In the event that watchdog signals fail to appear because of a malfunction of the microcontroller, two monitoring stages deactivate the output stage. The monitoring stages themselves are tested by regularly interrupting the watchdog signals for a short time while the output stage is maintained active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Moeller GmbH
    Inventors: Bernd Wolff, Guido Voellmar
  • Patent number: 7411124
    Abstract: A self-calibrating key sensor system is constituted by an optical modulator, optical position transducers, a data accumulator and a data analyzer, and the optical modulator has a gray scale section to produce a key position signal varied together with the keystroke and an absolute data section to produce a calibration signal representative of a strictly adjusted distance between transparent areas of the absolute data section; the data accumulator accumulates discrete values of the calibration signal and discrete values of the key position signal together with the sampling time, and the data analyzer determines the gradient of the key position signal on the basis of peaks of the calibration signal produced at both ends of the strictly adjusted distance so as to estimate the true distance between the rest and end positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2008
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeru Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 7385365
    Abstract: In a method for error detection of a brushless electric motor, at least one first motor parameter is measured or determined, and a second, estimated motor parameter is estimated on the basis of the first motor parameter. The second, estimated motor parameter is compared to a second, measured or determined motor parameter. An error of the electric motor can be found out according to the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. oHG
    Inventor: Stefan Feick