Plural Mode Control (e.g., Open And Closed Loop, Starting And Braking, Plural-phase And Single-phase Operation, Open And Closed Loop, Etc.) Patents (Class 318/400.09)
  • Patent number: 11842860
    Abstract: An integrated electronic switch includes an input unit and a circuit board. The input unit is configured to receive a drive signal output by a user. A sensing module for sensing the drive signal transmitted from the input unit, and a control module electrically connected to the sensing module are disposed on the circuit board, where the sensing module and the control module are disposed on a first side surface of the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Nanjing Chervon Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Changwei Zuo, Shubin Tong, Yonghui Cheng
  • Patent number: 11837980
    Abstract: A motor flux weakening control method with data map creation is provided. The method estimates a phase angle between a dq electric current vector and a d-axis based on a speed of the motor; estimates an input direct current; repeats the estimating of the phase angle and the direct current while decreasing a magnitude of the dq electric current vector based on a difference between the estimated direct current and a preset direct current limitation value; and interrupts the repeating of the estimating of the phase angle and the estimating of the direct current when the direct current and the preset direct current limitation value are equal, and stores a relationship between the speed of the motor, the direct current voltage, the phase angle, and the magnitude of the dq electric current vector, when the estimated direct current and the preset direct current limitation value are equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Hyundai Mobis Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyeon Hee Jeong
  • Patent number: 11736049
    Abstract: To provide a motor controller which can suppress occurrence of a torque difference between systems, even if a DC voltage difference occurs between systems, in the case where each system is provided with a DC power source. A motor controller is provided with a first controller that controls so that the first q-axis current detection value approaches the second q-axis current detection value or the second q-axis current command value obtained from the second controller, when determining that the first DC voltage is higher than the second DC voltage; and a second controller that controls so that the second q-axis current detection value approaches the first q-axis current detection value or the first q-axis current command value obtained from the first controller, when determining that the second DC voltage is higher than the first DC voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Jun Kitagawa, Tatsuya Mori, Hiroko Ikeda, Haruna Koyama, Kenta Kubo
  • Patent number: 11726446
    Abstract: A drive controller controls an electric drive of an electric machine receiving electric energy via a converter. The drive controller has a normal operating mode and a special operating mode. In the special operating mode, the drive controller determines control signals for the converter and rotates the rotor shaft first at a starting rotational speed. The rotor shaft then coasts without an applied external force, with the drive controller determining from raw signals continuously received from a position sensor raw positions of the rotor shaft, and determining therefrom correction variables for use in the normal operating mode. In the normal operating mode, the drive controller determines from continuously received raw signals in combination with the correction variables determined in the special operating mode an actual position of the rotor shaft and controls the converter with control signals based on the actual position or rotational speed of the electrical machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Stefan Künzel
  • Patent number: 11557989
    Abstract: Braking a power tool motor based on a phase voltage of the motor. The power tool includes a motor and a power source providing operating power to the motor. A power switching network is between the power source and the motor to drive the motor. An actuator is operable to provide an input. An electronic controller is connected to the actuator and the power switching network. The electronic controller is configured to receive an indication related to initiating braking of the motor, control the power switching network to allow the motor to coast, monitor a phase voltage of the motor, determine whether the phase voltage of the motor is equal to or less than a phase voltage threshold, and control, in response to the phase voltage of the motor being equal to or less than the phase voltage threshold, the power switching network to brake the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy J. Bartlett, Zachary J. Evans, Jacob R. McDonald
  • Patent number: 11411607
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and techniques for audio and lighting control in a bus system. For example, in some embodiments, a bus system may be configured for operation as a light organ and/or to generate sound effects based on accelerometer data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: ANALOG DEVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Martin Kessler, Christopher M. Hanna, Eric M. Cline
  • Patent number: 11345241
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric motor to optimize system efficiency of an electric motor operable in a pulsed mode and a continuous mode is disclosed herein. The method includes receiving a requested torque for the electric motor, calculating a pulsed system efficiency, calculating a continuous system efficiency, and operating the electric motor in the pulsed mode when the pulsed system efficiency is greater than the continuous system efficiency. The pulsed system efficiency is calculated for delivering the requested torque from the electric motor in a plurality of torque pulses greater than the requested torque. The continuous system efficiency is calculated for delivering the requested torque from the electric motor as a continuous torque. The system efficiency may be at least partially based on a battery efficiency and a motor efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Tula eTechnology, Inc.
    Inventor: Xiaoping Cai
  • Patent number: 11349359
    Abstract: A radial flux electric machine includes an inner stator and an outer rotor configured to rotate about the stator. The outer rotor may include a rotor base and a plurality of annularly arranged permanent magnets axially extending from the rotor base parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotor. A cylindrical core may extend from the rotor base encircling the plurality of permanent magnets. The core may be formed of a Soft Magnetic Composite (SMC). A sleeve may encircle the rotor. The sleeve may support the cylindrical core and the cylindrical core may support the plurality of permanent magnets. The cylindrical core may be positioned radially between the sleeve and the plurality of permanent magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: EVR MOTORS LTD
    Inventors: Victor Kislev, Oleg Gaspar, Ruslan Shabinski, Eliyahu Rozinsky
  • Patent number: 11292362
    Abstract: A system for increasing a temperature of a battery includes an inverter including a plurality of legs each including one pair of switching devices connected in series to each other between opposite ends of the battery and corresponding to a plurality of phases, respectively, a motor including a plurality of coils corresponding to the plurality of phases, respectively, where one end of each of the plurality of coils is connected to a connection node between one pair of switching devices included in a corresponding leg and other ends of the coils are connected to each other, and a controller configured to select two phases of the plurality of phases, and to alternately control an on/off state of switching devices included in two legs in the inverter, corresponding to the two selected phases, at a preset switching frequency to generate alternating current (AC) supplied to the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yong Jae Lee, Su Hyun Bae, Jung Mo Yu, Jae Ho Hwang, Joo Young Park
  • Patent number: 11283383
    Abstract: In a method for determining a flux of an asynchronous machine, the flux is adjusted according to a loss of the asynchronous machine. Therefore, an apparatus for determining the flux of the asynchronous machine is provided with a model for calculating a loss of the asynchronous machine according to the flux of the asynchronous machine. A selection facility selects a flux according to the loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Mihaly Nemeth-Csoka
  • Patent number: 11239767
    Abstract: An inverter system, including a pre-conversion circuit, a post-conversion circuit, and a control circuit; the pre-conversion circuit is configured to convert a voltage of a power supply into a DC voltage and output the DC voltage to the post-conversion circuit; a voltage between the pre-conversion circuit and the post-conversion circuit is a DC bus voltage; the post-conversion circuit is configured to output an alternating current; the control circuit is configured to detect a DC component of an output terminal of the post-conversion circuit, calculate a difference value of a zero value and the DC component to obtain a DC component deviation value, and perform PI adjustment on the DC component deviation value to obtain a voltage compensation value; the voltage compensation value is used to adjust the DC bus voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: ECOFLOW INC.
    Inventors: Lei Wang, Xi Chen, Hongyu Qian
  • Patent number: 11218108
    Abstract: A motor controller includes: a rotation speed measurement portion that measures a rotation speed of a motor; and an energization method switching portion that switches an energization method so that the motor is driven by a 120-degree energization method when a rotation speed of the motor measured by the rotation speed measurement portion is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, and the motor is driven by a 150-degree energization method when a rotation speed of the motor measured by the rotation speed measurement portion exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Miyamoto, Kenji Yamashita
  • Patent number: 11218072
    Abstract: Modulating a gate drive current supplied to an output drive switch coupled to an electric motor by performing at least the following: obtain a gate drive current modulation profile, supply, based on the gate drive current modulation profile, a first gate drive current level as the gate drive current when the output drive switch is operating within a first region, drop the first gate drive current level to a second gate drive current level when the output drive switch transitions from the first region to operating within a Miller region, increase the second gate drive current level to a third gate drive current level within the Miller region, and set the gate drive current to a fourth gate drive current level when the output drive switch transitions from the Miller region to operating within a third region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay, Sooping Saw, Anuj Jain
  • Patent number: 11196315
    Abstract: A drive apparatus is provided for driving a rotating electric machine having first and second multi-phase coils. The drive apparatus includes first and second inverters, first and second shift switches, and first and second energization controllers. The first energization controller is configured to turn on and off, for each of phase windings of the first and second multi-phase coils, one corresponding pair of upper-arm and lower-arm switches of the first and second inverters while keeping the first and second shift switches in an OFF state. The second energization controller is configured to turn on and off, for each corresponding pair of the phase windings of the first and second multi-phase coils, one corresponding upper-arm switch of the first inverter and one corresponding lower-arm switch of the second inverter respectively for first energization periods and second energization periods that are alternately set while keeping the shift switches in an ON state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kinjo, Makoto Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 11196368
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus, includes: a voltage control unit configured to control a voltage to apply to a plurality of coils in order to cause a rotor of a motor that includes the plurality of coils to rotate; a holding unit configured to hold information that indicates a magnitude of a load of the motor; and a detection unit configured to, based on the information that indicates the magnitude of the load that is held by the holding unit, set a detection condition for a stop position of the rotor, and perform detection processing of the stop position of the rotor in accordance with the set detection condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Kameyama
  • Patent number: 11075594
    Abstract: A power tool includes a three-phase DC motor, a power switching network, a power source, and an electronic processor. A first phase of the motor is connected between a first low side electronic switch and a power source electronic switch, and connected to the power source via a first high side electronic switch in parallel with a diode. The electronic processor is configured to receive an indication to stop the motor during operation of the motor and activate the first low side electronic switch and a second low side electronic switch for a first predetermined time responsive to receiving the indication such that a back-electromagnetic force generated by the motor is stored in the first phase. The electronic processor is configured to deactivate the second low side electronic switch after the first predetermined time such that a first regenerative current is provided to the power source via the diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Carl B. Westerby, Timothy R. Obermann, Alex Huber
  • Patent number: 11075599
    Abstract: A brushless motor includes: a motor rotor; a stator coil section which has a plurality of energization phases, which includes a first stator coil and a second stator coil that are provided to each phase, and which is arranged to generate a magnetic field, and thereby rotate the motor rotor; and a connection switching section configured to switch a connection of the first stator coil and the second stator coil from a serial connection to a parallel connection, or from the parallel connection to the serial connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Kohtaro Shiino, Mitsuo Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11031892
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor overload detection apparatus. The BLDC motor overload detection apparatus includes a measurer for measuring a 3-phase current value applied to the BLDC motor to derive a sector value matched with the 3-phase current value, a determiner for determining whether the sector value is normal by comparing the sector value derived by the measurer with a previous sector value that is previously measured, and a driving controller for controlling driving of the BLDC motor according to whether the BLDC motor has a fault, determined by the determiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Choong Seob Park
  • Patent number: 10934655
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a washing machine including: a main body having a laundry inlet in the front portion; a tub disposed in the inside of the main body, and configured to store water; a drum rotatably disposed in the inside of the tub; a pulsator disposed in the inside of the drum, and configured to be rotatable relative to the drum; a motor configured to provide a driving force to the pulsator; and a controller configured to control a current flowing to the motor on the basis of revolution per minute (rpm) of the pulsator rotating by a movement of laundry contained in the drum, and to start controlling the motor on the basis of rpm of the drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seung-Hoon Kim, Jung Chul Choi, Sung Mo Lee, Jun Hyun Park
  • Patent number: 10928884
    Abstract: A control system for driving a motor of a compressor includes a microcontroller and a programmable logic device. The microcontroller is configured to generate a reference current value for a power factor correction (PFC) converter. The programmable logic device is configured to receive control messages from the microcontroller and, in response to data in a first control message, set a value into a timing register. The programmable logic device is configured to reverse a state of a power switch of the PFC converter between an on state and an off state in response to receiving a comparison signal indicating that a measured current in the PFC converter crossed the reference current value. The programmable logic device is configured to, subsequent to reversing the state of the power switch, wait for a period of time determined by the timing register and reverse the state of the power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Green, Joseph G. Marcinkiewicz
  • Patent number: 10873282
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes: a voltage control unit configured to control a voltage applied to a plurality of coils in a motor to supply an exciting current; a current detection unit configured to detect an exciting current having flown through the plurality of coils; and a detection unit configured to detect a stop position of a rotor of the motor by performing a detection process, in which the exciting current to at least a first coil of the plurality of coils is supplied by the voltage control unit, and the exciting current is detected by the current detection unit. The detection process includes a first period in which a first voltage of a first polarity is applied to the first coil, and a second period in which a second voltage of a second polarity is applied to the first coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Kameyama
  • Patent number: 10840836
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes: a current detection unit configured to detect currents flowing through a plurality of coils of a motor, and includes a first detection unit that detects a current flowing through a first coil of the plurality of coils, and a second detection unit that detects a current flowing through a second coil of the plurality of coils; a determination unit configured to perform determination processing for determining a stopping position of a rotor of the motor based on a detection result of the current detection unit; and a calibration unit configured to calibrate the second detection unit based on a detection result of the first detection unit and a detection result of the second detection unit when a current is flowing in a series connection of the first coil and the second coil in the determination processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeru Kameyama
  • Patent number: 10780565
    Abstract: A housing device for a hand-held power tool includes at least one receiving interface configured to receive a battery unit. The at least one receiving interface is further configured to receive a mains power connection unit as an alternative to the battery unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Andre Ullrich
  • Patent number: 10707797
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a current estimation unit configured to output a detected current value corresponding to each of the three-phase AC currents based on the measured current value and rotor rotation angle information of the motor. The current estimation unit defines a phase whose duty ratio of a driving pulse supplied to an inverter circuit, which generates the three-phase AC currents, becomes more than or equal to an operation switching threshold as an estimation target phase, calculates, for the estimation target phase, an estimated current value based on a coefficient value, which is calculated from the measured current value by the current measurement unit in a period in which the duty ratio of the driving pulse is lower than the operation switching threshold, and the rotor rotation angle information, and outputs the calculated estimated current value as the detected current value of the estimation target phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Yamada, Hiroyuki Iyama, Yu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10655880
    Abstract: Systems and method for retrofitting heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems with a variable speed electronically commutated motor (ECM) are provided. A speed setting controller is adapted to be connected with a furnace main control board and a motor controller, and provides detecting, speed setting, and control functions that are required to operate the ECM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Great Lakes Electric, LLC
    Inventors: Zheng Zhang, Steve J. Cook, Ze Jiang, Yifeng Yu
  • Patent number: 10658955
    Abstract: Disclosed is a sensorless control system for a permanent magnet synchronous machine. The sensorless control system includes a counter electromotive force estimation unit configured to estimate a counter electromotive force using a phase voltage reference applied to an inverter and a phase current applied from the inverter to the permanent magnet synchronous machine, and a speed estimation unit configured to estimate an angular velocity and an electrical angle of a rotor of the permanent magnet synchronous machine, and the counter electromotive force estimation unit according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may maintain robust performance at a low speed by modifying some portion of a conventional Luenberger observer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hak-Jun Lee
  • Patent number: 10648687
    Abstract: Systems and method for retrofitting heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems with a variable speed electronically commutated motor (ECM) are provided. A speed setting controller is adapted to be connected with a furnace main control board and a motor controller, and provides detecting, speed setting, and control functions that are required to operate the ECM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Great Lakes Electric, LLC
    Inventors: Zheng Zhang, Steve J. Cook, Ze Jiang, Yifeng Yu
  • Patent number: 10627128
    Abstract: Systems and method for retrofitting heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems with a variable speed electronically commutated motor (ECM) are provided. A speed setting controller is adapted to be connected with a furnace main control board and a motor controller, and provides detecting, speed setting, and control functions that are required to operate the ECM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Great Lakes Electric, LLC
    Inventors: Zheng Zhang, Steve J. Cook, Ze Jiang, Yifeng Yu
  • Patent number: 10605843
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a power circuit of an inverter for an electric vehicle, and, more specifically, to a power circuit supplying a high voltage direct current from a high voltage power source to a drive circuit for driving an AC motor for the electric vehicle. In one case, the present invention provides a method of detecting an IGBT short circuit failure or an IGBT open circuit failure during electric vehicle key ON and charging conditions. The method includes the steps of: a) receiving information that a vehicle key has been turned on; b) detecting whether there is an IGBT short circuit failure; c) initiating vehicle failure action if an IGBT short circuit failure is detected, but detecting whether there is an IGBT open circuit failure if IGBT short failure is not detected; d) determining that the vehicle is ready to drive if IGBT short failure was not detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Phoenix Motorcars LLC
    Inventor: Will Hamada
  • Patent number: 10574165
    Abstract: A method of determining angular position (?) of a rotor of an N-phase permanent magnet motor (PMM). A processor having an associated stored angular position determination (APD) algorithm is programmed to implement the algorithm to cause an associated motor controller to execute steps including forcing one vector at a time a phase vector set of current or voltage vectors to stator terminals of windings for the N-phases a positive and negative magnitude vector, wherein the vector magnitude is sufficiently small to not move the rotor, and a time duration for the forcing current or voltage vectors is essentially constant. The resulting stator current or voltage levels are measured for each current or voltage vector. An N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is generated from superposition of the resulting stator current levels or resulting stator voltage levels. The N-dimension current vector or voltage vector is used to determine angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Eric James Thomas, David Patrick Magee
  • Patent number: 10544967
    Abstract: Provided herein is a domestic appliance for washing goods that may include a washing compartment for receiving goods to be washed, and a heat pump arrangement, adapted to heat washing liquid to be used in the washing compartment. The heat pump arrangement may include an evaporator arranged to collect heat from ambient air, and a condenser arranged to dissipate heat to the washing liquid to thereby heat the washing liquid. The heat pump arrangement may further include a variable speed fan arranged to force the ambient air through the evaporator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Electrolux Appliances Aktiebolaget
    Inventor: Giuseppe Dreossi
  • Patent number: 10543868
    Abstract: When an AC rotary machine having a rotor structure for generating saliency, and including first three-phase windings and second three-phase windings is controlled, a first position estimation command to be superimposed on a voltage command or a current command directed to each of the first three-phase windings and a second position estimation command to be superimposed on a voltage command or a current command directed to each of the second three-phase windings are set to have the same frequency, and caused to have a phase difference, thereby increasing an estimation accuracy of a rotation position of the AC rotary machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tatsuya Mori, Shunsuke Nakajima, Isao Kezobo
  • Patent number: 10530289
    Abstract: A mechatronic assembly drives a member intended to be linked to a DC electrical power source and to an ECU control unit. The ECU includes a computer for executing a feedback control algorithm delivering an item of direction and torque information. The assembly includes an actuator formed by a brushless polyphase electric motor having N phases, binary detection probes for detecting the position of the rotor of the motor, an electronic circuit comprising a power bridge for powering the N phases of the motor. It further includes an onboard electronic control circuit without a microcontroller, computer and memory of which the input receives the item of direction and torque information from the ECU and of which the output controls the power bridge directly modulating the current of the DC electrical power source applied to each of the phases of the motor, and the torque and direction information provided by the ECU is separate from the power signal delivered only by the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: MMT SA
    Inventors: Gaël Andrieux, Eric Rondot
  • Patent number: 10518644
    Abstract: A control apparatus comprises a time predictor configured to count a clock signal as a second count value when a timer unit has an abnormality, to stop counting the clock signal when any sub-process is performed by a sub-processor, and to predict time using the second count value; and a processing time storage unit configured to correlate each sub-process to a specified processing time of the sub-process and to store the correlation as a processing time list. When the timer unit has an abnormality, a main controller periodically performs a main process by using the time predicted by the time predictor. The time predictor predicts the time using a time corresponding to the second count value and a specified processing time of a sub-process performed by the sub-processor in the processing time list.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiro Yasuda
  • Patent number: 10498268
    Abstract: A method of determining the angular position (?) of a rotor of an N-phase permanent magnet motor (PMM) includes providing a processor having an associated memory, wherein the memory stores an angular position determination (APD) equation or hardware is included implementing the APD equation. The APD equation determines the angular position from N-phase measurements obtained from the stator windings associated with each of the N-phases. A voltage or a current is forced upon the stator terminals of the stator windings for each of the N-phases, a resulting stator current or stator voltage is sensed to provide the N-phase measurements responsive to the forcing of the voltage or current, and the APD equation is used to determine the angular position from the N-phase measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: David Patrick Magee, Eric James Thomas
  • Patent number: 10493976
    Abstract: A charging device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a battery adapted and configured to store a DC voltage, first and second motors adapted and configured to operate as a motor or a generator, first and second inverters adapted and configured to operate the first and second motors, a voltage transformer adapted and configured to boost the DC voltage of the battery to supply it to the first and second inverters and boosts the DC voltage of the inverter to supply it to the battery, and a charging controller adapted and configured to operate the first and second inverters as a booster or operate the voltage transformer as a buck booster according to a voltage that is input through a neutral point of the first and second motors and the voltage of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignees: Hyndai Motor Company, Research & Business Foundation Sungkyunkwan University, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Seong Yeop Lim, Gu Bae Kang, Jeongbin Yim, Byungsoon Min, Byoung-Kuk Lee, Seung-Min Shin, Dong-Hee Kim, Dong-Gyun Woo
  • Patent number: 10469004
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus includes: a stage determination part that determines a position of the rotor based on a combination of states of a plurality of the output signals; and a power distribution timing determination part which determines that a power distribution timing when power is distributed to the coil is a timing obtained by advancing an angle by an amount that corresponds to a predetermined electric angle in a startup time of the motor, wherein, when a rotation speed of the motor becomes a predetermined rotation speed or more, the power distribution timing determination part determines that a timing when a predetermined period of time elapses since a position of the rotor arrives at a position of an electric angle that corresponds to a displacement amount of an electric angle which is arbitrarily advanced with respect to a predetermined electric angle that is advanced in the startup time is a power distribution timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Naoki Kojima, Tomofumi Kobayashi, Atsushi Kawasaki
  • Patent number: 10439528
    Abstract: An actuation system is proposed for an optical system, comprising a voice coil motor for actuating the optical system, the voice coil motor comprising a magnet and an electric coil, a position measuring unit for measuring the position of the electric coil and providing a position feedback signal, and a control unit for closed loop control of the position of the optical system based on a target position and the position feedback signal, used for generating a drive signal for the electric coil. According to the disclosure, a ferromagnetic element is arranged in proximity to the electric coil so that the inductance of the electric coil depends on its position. Further, the position-measuring unit measures the inductance of the electric coil and determines the position of the electric coil based on the determined inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor (UK) Limited
    Inventors: Horst Knoedgen, Horst Schleifer
  • Patent number: 10432079
    Abstract: A brushless direct current (BLDC) motor that generates electrical energy (AC voltage) while operating as a motor. The motor is configured with a dual purpose stator assembly wherein one segment of the stator assembly includes coil windings to produce the rotary force (torque) in the rotor and the other segment of the stator assembly includes coil windings to generate electrical energy. The stator windings for producing torque are electrically connected through commutation control circuitry to a DC supply source, and the stator windings for generating electrical energy are connected to a load or to an energy storage system. Thus, the embodiment offers a novel means for generating electrical energy in the conventional BLDC motors. Because the motor can generate electrical energy while operating as a motor, it can effectively serve as a powertrain in electric vehicles, whereby the electrical energy it generates can be used to extend the vehicles' drive range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Inventor: Thou M. Ny
  • Patent number: 10432114
    Abstract: A brushless direct current electric motor for a wiping system. The brushless direct current electric motor includes a rotor, a stator, a Hall effect sensor to detect control magnet angular position of the rotor, and a control unit to determine rotor angular positions in relation to the stator from the signals Hall effect sensor signals and to generate control signals to electromagnetic excitation coils of the rotor as a function of the determined angular position of the rotor. The control unit includes a clock configured to: estimate the angular position of the rotor at predetermined instants lying between two changes of state of the Hall effect sensor, determine values of the control voltages associated with the angular positions of the rotor estimated for the predetermined instants, and generate a substantially sinusoidal control signal from the determined voltage values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Valeo Systèmes d'Essuyage
    Inventor: Jose-Luis Herrada
  • Patent number: 10399452
    Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle having one or more controllers, voltage-current sensors, and batteries, which are configured to generate and respond to power signals that communicate vehicle operating and start-up conditions, among other parameters and data. The components also are enabled to detect vehicle and battery conditions that include an open circuit voltage (OCV), current, differentiated current (DFC), and near zero current (NZC). The controller(s) are further configured to generate a predicted battery state of charge (SoC) from a combination of the OCV, current, DFC, NZC, and other parameters, which are calibrated according to respective magnitudes and noise calibration factors, which enables the controller(s) to charge and discharge the battery according to the predicted SoC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Xu Wang
  • Patent number: 10368902
    Abstract: A tissue-removing catheter includes a sensor configured to detect a parameter of the catheter during the cutting operation of the catheter when a tissue-removing element is in a tissue-removing position. A locking control circuit is in electrical communication with the sensor and a locking device. During an operational control function, the locking control circuit receives a signal from the sensor based at least in part on the parameter of the catheter detected during the cutting operation of the catheter. The locking control circuit determines whether the received signal is indicative of a tissue-removing element engaging a non-tissue obstruction. The locking control circuit configures the locking device in its locked configuration to inhibit movement of the tissue-removing element from its tissue-removing position to its neutral position if the received signal is indicative of the tissue-removing element engaging a non-tissue obstruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Covidien LP
    Inventors: Jason Kessler, Benjamin Fruland, Bryan Ladd, Cassandra Nigh
  • Patent number: 10348232
    Abstract: A motor system with a current sensorless control includes a motor, a drive module, and a motor control module. The motor control module controls the motor to rotate through the drive module. The motor control module includes a command generation module, a command conversion module, and an angle generation module. The command generation module generates speed information and transmits the speed information to the angle generation module, and the command generation module generates a voltage command and transmits the voltage command to the command conversion module. The angle generation module generates an electrical angle. The command conversion module converts the voltage command and the electrical angle into a control signal. The motor control module adjusts a phase of a motor input voltage to meet a phase of a motor input current according to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chih-Hung Hsiao, Yu-Wei Lee, Wei-Shuo Tseng
  • Patent number: 10333398
    Abstract: There is a disadvantage that a loss generated in a charging apparatus becomes large. It is determined whether a link voltage Vo is equal to or higher than a predetermined value Va. If the link voltage Vo is less than the predetermined value Va, a control unit activates a DC-DC converter in a boosting operation. That is, by turning on/off the switching element, the voltage boosted from the storage battery is supplied to the link voltage Vo. The control unit determines whether the link voltage Vo is equal to or higher than the predetermined value Va. If the link voltage Vo is less than the predetermined value Va, the operation is continued. When the link voltage Vo rises due to the boosting operation of the DC-DC converter and becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value Va, the boosting operation of the DC-DC converter is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoya Takahashi, Hiroyuki Shoji, Takae Shimada
  • Patent number: 10236813
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for detecting a control method of an inverter (11) for supplying current to an electric machine (1), in particular a synchronous machine, having N phases. The method comprises sensing a control signal (CU, DU, CV, DV, CW, DW), which is fed to the inverter and which is clocked with a periodic cycle, over a specified number of periodic cycles of the control signal; determining a duty cycle frequency for the sensed control signal over the specified number of periodic cycles; and detecting the control method on the basis of the determined duty cycle frequency. The invention further relates to a device (5) designed to perform the method. In addition, the invention further relates a use of the method or of the device to monitor a torque of the electric machine and in particular to estimate an operating-point-dependent power loss of the electric machine according to the detected control method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Sevan Tatiyosyan
  • Patent number: 10196085
    Abstract: In an electric power steering device assisted by a brushless motor, an induced voltage from a brushless motor is detected when a main power supply is off. The motor is determined to be in a high rpm state when the induced voltage is in a first transient state from a voltage?a high rpm detection threshold Th1 to a voltage?Th1, thereby setting an intermittent excitation cycle of a revolution angle sensor connected to the motor to a short cycle. The motor is determined to be in a low rpm state when the induced voltage becomes a voltage?a high rpm detection threshold Th2 after a wait period corresponding to an electrical angle between peaks or valleys of an output voltage has elapsed in a second transient state from a voltage?Th1 to a voltage?Th2, thereby setting the cycle to a long cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Iida, Hiroshi Gokan, Kenji Ogawa
  • Patent number: 10158312
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes: a booster circuit electrically connected to a battery; and an inverter electrically connected to the booster circuit at one end and electrically connected to a motor at another end. The motor control apparatus is provided with a controller configured to control the inverter to output square wave voltage to the motor, thereby driving the motor. The controller is configured to control the inverter to temporarily invert voltage polarity associated with the square wave voltage, on the basis of a phase difference between a voltage command associated with the motor and an electric current associated with the motor, on condition that an operating point of the motor is in a resonance region, which is an operation area in which resonance is generated in the booster circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Wanleng Ang, Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 10158315
    Abstract: This invention is concerning a controller for an AC rotating machine, this controller having an estimated sum current computing unit configured to output, as estimated sum current, a sum of current of a first winding and current of a second winding when it is determined that the current of the first winding can be detected, and maintain the estimated sum current which has been outputted as a previous value when it is determined that the current of the first winding cannot be detected. When it is determined that the current of the first winding cannot be detected, a first voltage command for the first winding is computed based on an estimated current value of the first winding, which has been calculated by subtracting the current of the second winding detected by the second current detector, from the estimated sum current output from the estimated sum current computing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Furukawa, Tatsuya Mori
  • Patent number: 10148209
    Abstract: A method, implemented in one or more controllers in a vehicle, includes, in a presence of a propulsive demand of the vehicle that is driven by an engine and an electric machine, holding electric machine current at a predetermined magnitude and sweeping an angle, defined between a reference current and a reference Iq component, through a predetermined range. The method further includes operating the electric machine thereafter according to a resolver offset derived from a value of the angle corresponding to an Iq component crossing zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: William David Treharne, Jonathan Andrew Butcher, Xuemei Sun
  • Patent number: 10148210
    Abstract: Methods and systems of optimizing efficiency of a motor drive or generator are provided. The methods include measuring data corresponding to input power and output power of a motor drive or generator at a control parameter and different load values. The methods include generating a three-dimensional surface model based on the measured data. The three-dimensional surface model can estimate an efficiency of the motor drive or generator at the control parameter and at unmeasured load values. The methods can include determining optimal efficiency of the motor drive or generator at the different load values and the unmeasured load values based on the three-dimensional surface model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: University of Connecticut
    Inventors: Ali Bazzi, Artur Ulatowski, Yiqi Liu