H-bridge Patents (Class 318/400.29)
  • Publication number: 20130008618
    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: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: WON-DOOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Duane O. Hall, E. Carl Goodman, W. Michael Coleman, John G. Garrett, III
  • Patent number: 8350501
    Abstract: DC/DC bridge for controlling a direct-current load (M1), which bridge is provided with controllable semiconductor switches (S11-S14, S21-S26) and with a control unit (BC1). The bridge comprises two bridge sections (B11, B12), at least the first bridge section (B11) of which is controlled with pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate the current magnitude, and which bridge comprises a determination of the current of the direct-current load (M1). The second bridge section (B12) conducts direct current when the determined value (2) of the current of the direct-current load differs from zero by more than the limit value (1) of the current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kone Corporation
    Inventor: Esa Putkinen
  • Patent number: 8330406
    Abstract: This invention provides a motor drive circuit, which makes it possible to prevent braking when a power supply voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage while suppressing at a low cost a rise in a voltage on a power supply line when a kickback occurs. The motor drive circuit is formed to include first and second power supply lines connected with and shunted from a power supply, an H-bridge circuit, and a means to control the H-bridge circuit. The means controls the H-bridge circuit so that a regeneration path is not created in the H-bridge circuit when the power supply voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignees: SANYO Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Joji Noie
  • Publication number: 20120306418
    Abstract: A low-cost minimal-loss zero-maintenance flywheel battery, to store electric power from a DC power source by conversion to kinetic energy, and regenerate electric power as needed. Its vertical spin-axis rotor assembly is supported axially by repelling annular permanent magnets, and is centered by ceramic ball bearings which have axial preload that prevents vibration and augments axial rotor support. A regenerative multi-pole permanent-magnet motor, controlled by its 2-phase stator current, and connected by power and signal conductors to power interface electronics, is integrated within the flywheel assembly, in a vacuum enclosure supported by a self-leveling structure. Sinusoidal 2-phase stator currents are controlled by high-frequency pulse-width-modulated H-bridge power electronics that draw and regenerate controlled DC current with minimal ripple, responsive to respective 2-phase rotation angle sensors, the DC power voltage, and other settings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventor: Richard B. Fradella
  • Patent number: 8314577
    Abstract: An energy converter includes magnetic coils of N phases (N is an integer of 3 or more), and a PWM drive circuit for driving the magnetic coils of N phases, wherein the magnetic coil of each phase can be independently controlled by the PWM drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kesatoshi Takeuchi, Kazuyoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8310188
    Abstract: An H-bridge circuit is connected to a coil of the vibration motor that is to be driven. A comparator receives Hall signals indicating position information of a rotor of the vibration motor, and converts to an FG signal. A pulse width modulator generates a pulse-modulated pulse signal specifying energization time of the coil of the vibration motor. The pulse width modulator, in a first mode, after commencing start-up of the vibration motor, sets a duty ratio of the pulse signal to 100%, and after that, switches the duty ratio to a predetermined value in accordance with rotational frequency of the motor. In a second mode, the duty ratio of the pulse signal continues to be set to 100%. In a third mode, frequency and the duty ratio of the pulse signal are set based on a control signal of a pulse form inputted from outside. The control signal is used also in switching mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuji Nakai
  • Patent number: 8294396
    Abstract: A compact field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital motor controller (102), a method, and a design structure are provided. The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) includes a sensor interface (206) configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors (104) and generate conditioned sensor data. The one or more sensors (104) provide position information for a DC brushless motor (108). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a commutation control (210) configured to create switching commands to control commutation for the DC brushless motor (108). The commutation control (210) generates commutation pulses from the conditioned sensor data of the sensor interface (206). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a time inverter (208) configured to receive the commutation pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert P. Wichowski
  • Patent number: 8278857
    Abstract: A motor control device is electrically connected with a motor. The motor control device includes a controller and a driving circuit. The controller has a default value of time and generates a first driving signal and a second driving signal. The driving circuit includes a first switching element and a second switching element, the first switching element and the second switching element receive the first driving signal and the second driving signal respectively, and the first switching element and the second switching element are switched on or switched off alternately according to the first driving signal and the second driving signal respectively, so as to drive the motor to operate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Liang Lin, Ming-Yen Lin, Chia-Wen Kuo, Kuan-Ting Lee
  • Patent number: 8278852
    Abstract: A motor-driving-circuit comprising: a first to-fourth-transistors; a drive-control-circuit to control a energization-state of a motor coil so as to be a driving-state where either one group of groups of the first-and-fourth-transistors and the second-and-third-transistors is on and the other group is off, or so as to be a regeneration-state where the first-and-third-transistors are off and the second-and-fourth-transistors are on; a set-current-detection-circuit; an overcurrent-detection-circuit; and an overcurrent-protection-circuit to output a regeneration-instruction-signal for shifting the energization-state to the regeneration-state if an overcurrent-state does not occur and output a drive-stop-signal for stopping driving the coil if the overcurrent-state occurs, when a current amount flowing through the coil has reached a set-level in the driving-state, the drive-control-circuit shifting the energization-state to the regeneration-state to be maintained for a predetermined time period and thereafter retu
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshito Motoki, Yuji Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8258734
    Abstract: An energy converter includes magnetic coils of N phases (N is an integer of 3 or more), and a PWM drive circuit for driving the magnetic coils of N phases, wherein the magnetic coil of each phase can be independently controlled by the PWM drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kesatoshi Takeuchi, Kazuyoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8248018
    Abstract: A motor controller controlling a permanent magnet motor including a rotor provided with a plurality of low coercivity permanent magnets having a coercivity low enough to allow modification in amount of magnetization, the motor controller including a position detector including one or more position sensors to detect a rotational position of the rotor; an inverter circuit connected between a direct current voltage supply source and windings of the permanent magnet motor and configured by a plurality of semiconductor switching elements of multiple phases connected thereto; and a magnetization controller that magnetizes the plurality of low coercivity permanent magnets constituting the rotor by energizing the windings of the permanent magnet motor through the inverter circuit such that all of the low coercivity permanent magnets are magnetized to a uniform level of magnetization by energizing the windings twice at same timings specified based on a sensor signal outputted by the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Sari Maekawa, Kazunobu Nagai
  • Patent number: 8248010
    Abstract: A voltage application unit applies voltage to windings of a motor without passing though an inverter unit. A first detection unit detects a short circuit failure in switching elements of the inverter unit based on a terminal voltage between each of the switching elements and a corresponding winding and a power voltage of a power supply. Before rotation of the motor, when no short circuit failure is detected and when a switching unit switches at least one of the high and low potential-side switching elements of the inverter unit on and subsequently switches all the switching elements off, a second failure detection unit determines whether the switching unit is incapable of rendering the switching element non-conductive based on the terminal voltage and the power voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Mukai, Nobuhiko Uryu
  • Publication number: 20120187879
    Abstract: A zero-voltage-transition soft switching converter (14) for converting a DC voltage comprises a load output terminal (13); a main switching bridge comprising at least one main switch (S1; S2) and an auxiliary circuit (15) connected to the main switching bridge. The auxiliary circuit comprises an auxiliary switch (SX1); auxiliary diodes (DX1, DX10) connected to positive and negative DC voltages and to a diode connection point; and a coupled inductor (TX1) having two coupled windings (Lr1; Lr2), connected between the load output terminal and the auxiliary switch and the diode connection point, respectively. The auxiliary circuit is connected to the main switching bridge to block currents in one direction between the main switching bridge and the auxiliary circuit, a residual magnetizing current otherwise freewheeling through a turned-on main switch and an auxiliary diode is reset in each switching cycle and thus no longer accumulated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Cosmin Galea, Huai Yu Lin
  • Patent number: 8228011
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a bi-direction driver IC and a method for bi-directionally driving an object. The method comprises: providing a first and a second integrated circuit (IC) chips, coupled with an object to be driven, wherein each of the first and second IC chips is capable of single-directionally driving the object; providing a reverse current path in each of the first and second IC chips; driving the object in a first direction by the first IC chip, wherein current flows through the reverse current path in the second IC chip; and driving the object in a second direction by the second IC chip, wherein current flows through the reverse current path in the first IC chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Chip Goal Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hui-Yen Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8222846
    Abstract: A power transistor is arranged between an output terminal and a power supply terminal. A pre-driver includes a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor connected in series between the power supply terminal and a second terminal, and the ON/OFF operations of which are controlled in a complementary manner according to a control signal. The electric potential at a connection node between the two transistors is output to a control terminal of the power transistor. A constant voltage circuit stabilizes the second terminal to a predetermined voltage. An output transistor for the constant voltage circuit is provided between the second terminal and the ground terminal. A differential amplifier adjusts the voltage applied to the control terminal of the output transistor such that the electric potential at the second terminal approaches a predetermined target value. A feedback capacitor is provided between the second terminal and the control terminal of the output transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hisashi Sugie
  • Publication number: 20120169263
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems and apparatus for controlling operation of a multi-phase machine in a vector controlled motor drive system when the multi-phase machine operates in an overmodulation region. The disclosed embodiments provide a mechanism for adjusting a duty cycle of PWM waveforms so that the correct phase voltage command signals are applied at the angle transitions. This can reduce variations/errors in the phase voltage command signals applied to the multi-phase machine so that phase current may be properly regulated thus reducing current/torque oscillation, which can in turn improve machine efficiency and performance, as well as utilization of the DC voltage source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: GABRIEL GALLEGOS-LOPEZ, MICHAEL H. KINOSHITA, RAY M. RANSOM, MILUN PERISIC
  • Patent number: 8207695
    Abstract: A control circuit for a full-bridge-stage to drive an electric load includes PWM generation circuitry for generating first and second PWM signals so that a difference between duty-cycles of the PWM signals represents an amplitude of a drive current. A logic XOR gate is input with the first and second PWM signals and generates a logic XOR signal. A logic sampling circuit generates a logic driving command of a half-bridge stage, a logic value of which corresponds to a sign of the drive current, by sampling one of the first and second PWM signals based upon active switching edges of the logic XOR signal. A second XOR gate generates a third PWM driving signal of the other half-bridge of the full-bridge stage, a duty-cycle of which corresponds to the amplitude of the drive current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventor: Ezio Galbiati
  • Patent number: 8188696
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit includes an H-bridge circuit, voltage difference detection circuit, calibration circuit, back electromotive voltage detection circuit, control circuit, and calibration value acquisition circuit. The H-bridge circuit is connected to a DC motor. The voltage difference detection circuit outputs terminal voltage according to voltage difference occurring between both terminals of the DC motor. The calibration circuit outputs calibration voltage according to the resistance component. The back electromotive voltage detection circuit outputs voltage according to the difference between the terminal voltage and the calibration voltage, as detection voltage indicating back electromotive voltage. The control circuit drives the H-bridge circuit by pulse width modulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuro Shimizu
  • Patent number: 8183803
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a control technology of a three-phase DC motor. In order to resolve a problem in the prior art that the good current closed-loop control has not been realized on a three-phase square-wave brushless DC motor, the present invention provides a brushless DC motor control system, wherein cathodes of freewheel diodes D1, D3 and D5 are independent of input terminals of their respective switch tubes and connected in parallel to a sampling coil L1, and anodes of freewheel diodes D4, D6 and D2 are independent of output terminals of their respective switch tubes and connected in parallel to a sampling coil L2. The present invention can use a single resultant current sensor to completely and continuously sample the three-phase current existing during the motor is on and performs current freewheel, and perform the continuous closed-loop control on the three-phase current with a single current closed-loop regulator, thereby increasing dynamic and static indexes of the motor significantly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Shenzhen Academy of Aerospace Technology
    Inventors: Tiecai Li, Zhaoyong Zhou, Yamei Qi, Xiang Kong, Shuang Wang, Pinghua Tang
  • Patent number: 8159167
    Abstract: An electronically commutated motor (20) has a rotor (28) and a rotor position sensor (30), which sensor, during operation, furnishes a rotational position signal (34). A stator interacts with the rotor (28). The stator has a stator winding strand (26) in an H bridge (22), and a control apparatus (36) which, during operation, performs the steps of: (A) controlling the H bridge (22) so that current pulses (+i1, ?i1) flow through the stator winding strand (26), in alternate directions, each pulse starting at a first point in time (t1); (B) at the beginning of each commutation, starting from a second point in time (t2), operating in short circuit the winding strand (26), in order to cause a decreasing loop current (I*) through the stator winding strand (26), which loop current (I*) reaches zero at a third point in time (t3); and (C) stepwise modifying, toward a minimum, the time interval (TCC) between the first and third points in time (t1, t3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: EBM-Papst St. Georgen GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Benjamin Haas, Frank Heller
  • Publication number: 20120068648
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit includes: a first H-bridge circuit including a first source transistor and a first sink transistor connected in series and a second source transistor and a second sink transistor connected in series; a second H-bridge circuit including a third source transistor and a third sink transistor connected in series and a fourth source transistor and a fourth sink transistor connected in series; and a first control circuit to turn on or off the first and second source transistors and the third and fourth sink transistors in a synchronized manner, turn on or off the third and fourth source transistors and the first and second sink transistors in a synchronized manner, and further turn on or off the first and second source transistors and the third and fourth sink transistors in a complementary manner to the third and fourth source transistors and the first and second sink transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: ON SEMICONDUCTOR TRADING, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kawakami
  • Publication number: 20120068647
    Abstract: A motor-drive circuit includes: H-bridge circuits in a pair each including first-source and first-sink transistors, and second-source and second-sink transistors, wherein a motor coil connected between a connection point of the first-source and first-sink transistors and a connection point of the second-source and second-sink transistors; a current-detection circuit to detect a current flowing through the motor coil of each of the H-bridge circuits; an oscillation circuit; and a control circuit to control the H-bridge circuits so as to turn on the first-source and second-sink transistors of each of the H-bridge circuits at intervals of a predetermined period based on an oscillation signal, and turn off the second-sink transistor of each of the H-bridge circuits after a value of a current flowing through the motor coil of each of the circuits reaches a predetermined value, based on a detection result of the current-detection circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: ON SEMICONDUCTOR TRADING, LTD.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8138705
    Abstract: A circuit arrangement for controlling an electrical load is provided with a bridge circuit which comprises four electronic switches with the load arranged in a transverse leg of the bridge circuit. A control circuit has respective control terminals for the four electronic switches. The control terminal for the first electronic switch is connected to the control terminal for the fourth electronic switch by means of a series connection consisting of a first capacitor and a first resistance, and the control terminal for the third electronic switch is connected to the control terminal for the second electronic switch by means of a series connection consisting of a second capacitor and a second resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Braun GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Klemm, Ingo Vetter
  • Patent number: 8125173
    Abstract: A control system for a lifting device in which a load moves up or down or maintains its position by a rope that is wound up or down by the rotation of a servo motor. It includes a device for measuring a force, a first controller, a second controller and a switching device. A total force that is applied at the lower part of the rope caused by a force for controlling, the mass of the load, and the acceleration of the load is measured. The first controller, based on the measured force computes the direction and the speed of the servo motor, and outputs a signal to it. The second controller determines a stable condition using Popov's stability criterion. The switching device replaces the first controller with the second controller when the value that is measured by the measuring device becomes less than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignees: Sintokogio, Ltd., National University Corporation Toyohashi University of Technology
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Terashima, Takanori Miyoshi, Hiroyasu Makino
  • Patent number: 8125179
    Abstract: A motor control circuit (MC) comprising input terminals (IT1, IT2) to receive a rectified input voltage (Vrm), and output terminals (OT1, OT2) to supply a motor drive signal (Vm). A switching circuit (1) is alternately in an on-state (Ton) and an off-state (Toff) for intermittently coupling the input terminals (IT1, IT2) to the output terminals (OT1, OT2). A controller (2) controls the switching circuit (1) to be (i) in the on-state (Ton) during a first period in time (T1) when an amount of magnetic saturation of the motor is smaller than a predetermined value, and (ii) alternately in the on-state (Ton) and the off-state (Toff) to obtain a pulse width control of the motor drive signal (Vm) during a second period in time (T2) when the amount of magnetic saturation of the motor is larger than the predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventors: Wessel Adolf Otten, Wilhelmus Ettes
  • Patent number: 8106611
    Abstract: A switching regulation circuit for a dual-winding motor apparatus is provided. The switching regulation circuit comprises a gate-controlled device and a driving circuit. When one of the two windings generates an induced voltage signal greater than a threshold value, the driving circuit generates an output signal for turning on the gate-controlled transistor. Thereby, a parasitic diode of the gate-controlled device will not be turned on and damage the entire circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Feeling Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hsuan-Chuan Chen, Teng-Tsai Lin
  • Patent number: 8106613
    Abstract: A drive circuit for a motor having a plurality of phases, comprising an input for a DC signal and a plurality of phase outputs, the circuit being arranged to provide at each of the phase outputs, in use, current to one phase of the motor, in which there is provided a converter for each phase output, each converter being arranged to take as an input a DC signal and output an signal having an AC component with a higher voltage magnitude than that of the DC signal input to the converter. Typically, the converters comprise ?uk converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: TRW Limited
    Inventors: Andrew McLean, John Anthony Bolton
  • Patent number: 8098033
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprising: a triangle wave generation circuit configured to charge/discharge a capacitor with a charging/discharging current having a current amount corresponding to an amplitude control voltage for controlling an amplitude of an oscillation voltage that varies in a triangle wave shape, and to output a charging voltage of the capacitor as the oscillation voltage; a pulse signal generation circuit configured to generate a pulse signal having a duty ratio corresponding to a level of a speed control voltage for controlling a rotational speed of a motor, based on a comparison result between the speed control voltage and the oscillation voltage output from the triangle wave generation circuit; and a drive circuit configured to intermittently drive a motor coil based on the pulse signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC, Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Imai
  • Publication number: 20110316462
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electric device for driving mechanical equipment comprising an alternating current motor and an inverter, the said inverter comprising, for each phase of the said motor, an H bridge structure comprising four switching elements distributed over two branches connecting two terminals of the said H bridge structure and intended to supply the winding of the said at least one phase of the motor, the said winding being a winding with a mid point and the said electric device being characterized in that it also comprises, for each phase of the said motor, an energy storage unit, in particular a supercondenser, connected, on the one hand, to the mid point of the winding of the concerned phase of the motor and, on the other hand, to a terminal of the H bridge structure supplying the said winding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: VALEO SYSTEMES DE CONTROLE MOTEUR
    Inventors: Boris Bouchez, Luis De Sousa
  • Publication number: 20110316461
    Abstract: An integrated motor drive and battery recharge apparatus includes a battery, an electric motor having N separate motor windings each having a first and a second leg, a contactor having a plurality M of poles, each pole having a first side and a second side, the inverter having 2N switching poles and a capacitor each coupled in parallel with the battery, and PWM control circuitry configured to control the state of each switching pole. Each leg of each motor winding is coupled to a phase node of a corresponding inverter switching pole, at least two of the motor winding legs (or taps thereof) are coupled to the corresponding first sides of the contactor poles, a power source/sink is coupled to the corresponding second sides of the contactor poles, and in one aspect a capacitor is coupled between each pair of contactor poles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: AC PROPULSION, INC.
    Inventor: Wally E. Rippel
  • Patent number: 8080959
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit includes at least one set of switching elements, each set of switching elements being two switching elements connected in series to each other, and a diode connected in parallel with one of the two switching elements connected on a power source side, a terminal of a motor to be driven being connected to a junction point between the two switching elements. A voltage transfer element is provided for transferring, from the junction point between the two switching elements, a voltage of a counter electromotive force generated at the motor, to an input end of the other of the two switching elements connected on a ground side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi-LG Data Storage, Inc.
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Fukuda, Junichi Iida
  • Patent number: 8054021
    Abstract: A system comprises host logic and a programmable motor drive coupled to the host logic and configured to drive a motor. The programmable motor drive comprises a plurality of H-bridge circuits and the programmable motor drive is programmable to cause any two or more H-bridge circuits to be operated in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Paul D. Bliley, Steve P. Stemple, David Branson
  • Patent number: 8044623
    Abstract: The drive control circuit for an electric motor is provided. The drive control circuit includes: an original drive signal generator that generates an original drive signal; an excitation interval setter that is able, for each half cycle of respective length ? in each 2? excitation cycle of the original drive signal, to arbitrarily set excitation intervals during which to excite coils of the electric motor to any one of a plurality of intervals which include at least either one of a symmetrical interval centered on a center of each half-cycle and an unsymmetrical interval; and a drive signal shaping circuit that generates a drive signal for driving the electric motor, by validating the original drive signal during the excitation intervals and invalidating the original drive signal during non-excitation intervals other than the excitation interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kesatoshi Takeuchi, Isamu Sejimo, Takafumi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8030866
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprising: first and second transistors connected in series, a voltage of a connection-point therebetween being a drive-voltage applied to one end of a motor coil; an operational amplifier for controlling the transistors such that the drive-voltage is a voltage according to a difference between first and second control voltages; a switch circuit for driving the transistors such that the motor coil is in an undriven state regardless of control by the operational amplifier when a pulse-signal is at one logic level, and driving the transistors based on the control when the pulse-signal is at the other logic level; and an auxiliary drive circuit for driving the transistors to increase the drive-voltage for a predetermined time period shorter than a time period of the pulse signal being at the other level regardless of the control, when the pulse-signal changes from the one level to the other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignees: Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Toshiyuki Imai
  • Publication number: 20110227522
    Abstract: Provided is an alternating-current direct-current converter capable of controlling a harmonic current and improving a power factor at reduced costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yosuke Shinomoto, Takuya Shimomugi, Mitsuo Kashima, Makoto Tanikawa
  • Patent number: 8022648
    Abstract: A motor driving circuit for full-wave single-phase driving a motor includes a position detection unit, a turn-on signal generation unit, and switching devices that define an H-bridge circuit. The turn-on signal generation unit includes a differential amplifier arranged to produce a trapezoid wave signal, and a square wave generation circuit arranged to produce a square wave signal, wherein the trapezoid and the square wave signals are respectively supplied to control terminals of lower switching devices in the H-bridge circuit. Further, one of the lower switching devices is turned on and off according to a voltage level of the square wave signal, and the remaining lower switching device is turned on and off when a voltage of the trapezoid wave signal becomes higher than an operation voltage of the remaining lower switching device, wherein a non-conducting interval is provided for the motor coil according to the operation voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Servo Corporation
    Inventors: Hideaki Ito, Kenji Sugaya, Kazufumi Yamashita, Toshio Maehara, Shoji Oiwa
  • Patent number: 8018186
    Abstract: An electronic system for controlling a fan motor includes a microcontroller and a drive circuit. The microcontroller draws power from a first voltage source and generates control signals for sending drive current to stator coils of a fan motor via the drive circuit. The electronic system further includes a second voltage source to provide the microcontroller with an amount of energy sufficient to operate for a short period of time when the voltage of the first voltage source drops below a predetermined level. The microcontroller is configured to detect when the voltage level of the first voltage source drops below a given level and generates control signals for the drive circuit to discharge energy in the stator coils of the fan motor to quickly stop operation of the fan motor within a short period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Scott Frankel, Christopher Best
  • Patent number: 7994750
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for powering a load are provided. In one embodiment, a method may include providing a power converter comprising electrical circuitry comprising at least a first leg and a second leg, supplying an input power signal to the power converter, supplying at least a first gating control signal to the first leg, supplying at least a second gating control signal to the second leg, and outputting at least one output power signal to the load responsive at least in part to the first and the second gating control signals supplied. According to this example embodiment, the first gating signal and the second gating signal may each comprise a waveform comprising a notch, and the second gating control signal may be phase shifted relative to the first gating control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Robert Gregory Wagoner, Allen Ritter
  • Publication number: 20110187302
    Abstract: Multiple pads are provided to a semiconductor chip of a semiconductor device. A first pad is arranged on a path for a first signal set to a voltage that corresponds to a first level in the active state. The first signal is input to the semiconductor chip from outside the semiconductor device, or is output to outside the semiconductor device from the semiconductor chip. A second pad is provided in order to receive a setting voltage. A first pin is connected to a first pad via a connection member, and receives the first signal from outside the semiconductor device, or from the semiconductor chip via the first pad. A second pin receives, from outside, a second signal set to a voltage that corresponds to the first level or a second level which is the complement of the first level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hisashi SUGIE
  • Publication number: 20110181219
    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: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicants: MESSIER-BUGATTI, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, INSTITUT NATIONAL POLYTECHNIQUE DE LORRAINE - INPL
    Inventors: Pierre-Yves Liegeois, François-Noël Leynaert, Farid Meibody-Tabar, Serge Lionel Pierfederici, Babak Nahid Mobarakeh
  • Patent number: 7969039
    Abstract: A controller is capable of executing direct couple control that directly couples a first power device and a second power device without causing a DC/DC converter to convert voltage. During the direct couple control, a drive signal that causes no voltage conversion is intermittently output to at least one of a plurality of switching devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoyuki Mimatsu, Yasushi Kojima, Seigo Murashige, Yutaka Asano
  • Patent number: 7969108
    Abstract: A control circuit (120, 140) for a brushless direct current (DC) motor (160) includes a current drive circuit (140), a current loop regulator (122), and a commutation loop regulator (124, 126). The current drive circuit (140) is adapted to drive the brushless DC motor (160) in a first polarity or a second polarity selectively in response to a control signal, and senses a current through the brushless DC motor (160) to provide a current sense signal. The current loop regulator (122) varies a duty cycle of the control signal to regulate the current in response to the current sense signal, and regulates the polarity of the current based on a state of a polarity signal. The commutation loop regulator (124, 126) regulates a transition of said polarity signal in response to a comparison of a pre-commutation duty cycle value and a post-commutation duty cycle value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Sam J. B. W. Vermeir
  • Patent number: 7956559
    Abstract: The invention discloses a motor driving device for generating at least one driving signal according to a clock signal corresponding to the output signal of a hall sensor. The motor driving device also controls rotation of a motor via at least one driving signal, wherein the at least one driving signal includes a first driving signal and a second driving signal and the motor driving device controls the rotation of the motor according to the first driving signal and the second driving signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Che-Wei Hsu, Chi-Lin Hsu
  • Patent number: 7948193
    Abstract: An inexpensive, productivity-enhanced single-phase AC synchronous motor in which stabilized synchronous pull-in can be carried out by suppressing generation of counter torque during a starting operation. Starting operation is performed while the energizing range of motor current is suppressed such that the energizing direction of motor current waveform lagging in a phase behind the output waveform from a detection sensor (17) is switched at at least the zero cross point of the output waveform from the sensor when the number of revolutions of a permanent magnet rotor (1) reaches a predetermined number of revolutions in the vicinity of the synchronous number of revolutions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignees: Yugen Kaisha K. R & D, Yugen Kaisha Dijianet
    Inventors: Fumito Komatsu, Hideaki Osada, Akira Tooyama, Makoto Murakami
  • Patent number: 7940017
    Abstract: The present invention is intended to, when rotation of a mirror rotation unit in a power-folding mirror is mechanically locked and its drive motor is thereby locked, make it possible to correctly detect this locked state. A motor 10 for a power-folding mirror is reversibly driven by an H-bridge drive circuit 12 formed of FETs 1 to 4. When the motor 10 is driven in normal rotation by turning the FETs 1 and 4 on and turning the FETs 2 and 3 off, the FET 1 is periodically turned off to detect a voltage of a terminal 10a of the motor 10 by means of a voltage detection circuit 14. When the FET 1 is turned off and the motor 10 is not locked, the motor 10 generates power by means of its inertial rotation, and when locked, the motor 10 generates no power, so the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit 14 changes according to whether or not the motor 10 is locked. A CPU 20 determines whether or not the motor 10 is locked according to the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Murakami Corporation
    Inventor: Noriyuki Takemasa
  • Patent number: 7940059
    Abstract: A method for measuring an on resistance in an H-bridge including first and second transistors connected to a first output terminal, third and fourth transistors connected to a second output terminal, and a measurement switch connected to the first and second output terminals. The first and third transistors are connected to a first power supply terminal. The second and fourth transistors are connected to a second power supply terminal. The method includes supplying the first transistor with measurement current during a first period, measuring a first voltage at the first power supply terminal via the third transistor using the second output terminal during the first period, measuring a second voltage at the first output terminal via the measurement switch using the second output terminal during the first period, and determining the on resistance of the first transistor based on the measurement current, first voltage, and second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Akihiro Takahashi, Hidetaka Fukazawa
  • Patent number: 7923955
    Abstract: A control circuit for an active engine mount is provided, including an electrical bridge circuit, and a pulse-width modulation (‘PWM’) circuit. The PWM circuit receives an input signal from a controller, and generates first and second PWM output signals. The first PWM signal, derived from the input signal, controls first and third switches of the electrical bridge circuit. The second PWM signal comprises a digitally inverted signal of the first PWM signal, and controls second and fourth switches of the electrical bridge circuit. First and second outputs of the bridge circuit are connectable to first and second terminals of the mount device. The controller receives an input signal from crank and cam sensors, as part of the control scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Kwang-Keun Shin, David J. Verbrugge, Robert W. Leschuk
  • Publication number: 20110043148
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a phase sensing circuit, a current sensing circuit, a controller and a driving circuit. The driving circuit receives a first driving signal and then controls a phase switching state of the magnetic pole of the motor so as to drive the motor in accordance with the first driving signal. The phase sensing circuit detects the phase switching state of the magnetic pole to generate and output a phase switching signal to the controller during the motor is operating. The current sensing circuit detects a current flowing through the motor to generate and output a current phase signal to the controller. The controller compares a phase difference between the phase switching signal and the current phase signal to generate and output a second driving signal to the driving circuit. The driving circuit controls the phase switching state of the magnetic pole for driving the motor in accordance with the second driving signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2010
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Chien-Sheng LIN, Zong-Hong TANG, Wen-Chuan MA
  • Publication number: 20110031918
    Abstract: A power transistor is arranged between an output terminal and a power supply terminal. A pre-driver includes a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor connected in series between the power supply terminal and a second terminal, and the ON/OFF operations of which are controlled in a complementary manner according to a control signal. The electric potential at a connection node between the two transistors is output to a control terminal of the power transistor. A constant voltage circuit stabilizes the second terminal to a predetermined voltage. An output transistor for the constant voltage circuit is provided between the second terminal and the ground terminal. A differential amplifier adjusts the voltage applied to the control terminal of the output transistor such that the electric potential at the second terminal approaches a predetermined target value. A feedback capacitor is provided between the second terminal and the control terminal of the output transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hisashi SUGIE
  • Patent number: 7884564
    Abstract: A control circuit of a sensorless motor includes a first coil, a second coil, a first switch circuit, a second switch circuit and an auxiliary switch circuit. The first switch circuit is electrically connected to the first coil and controls a direction of a current flowing through the first coil. The second switch circuit is electrically connected to the second coil and controls a direction of a current flowing through the second coil. The auxiliary switch circuit is electrically connected to and between the first coil and the second coil and controls the directions of the currents flowing through the first coil and the second coil by cooperating with the first switch circuit and the second switch circuit. A control method of a sensorless motor is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheng-Hu Huang, Chun-Lung Chiu