H-bridge Patents (Class 318/400.29)
  • Patent number: 7863841
    Abstract: A method for driving a load by using an output stage amplifier in full bridge configuration whose supply is modulated by means of a fast switching power converter, controlled in order to maintain the stage's output common mode at its minimum voltage, is presented. The modulation of the switching power converter output is obtained by a feedback control system regulating directly the voltage of the bridge output stage terminals. This bridge unipolar class H stage allows driving the load with high accuracy and improved efficiency without introducing switching noise and EMI at the load terminals typical of PWM driving. This method can be applied with the same benefits to class AB, pseudo class AB or to class A output stages. When this method is associated with an imposed current driving approach and with a current oversampling digital to analog converter the resulting advantages are very significant for accurate motor control applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Inventors: Paolo Menegoli, Carl Sawtell
  • Patent number: 7843674
    Abstract: A motor-drive circuit comprising: a current-passage-control circuit to perform ON/OFF control of a drive transistor connected to a motor coil to pass current through the motor coil; an overcurrent-state-detection circuit to detect whether current passing through the drive transistor is in an overcurrent state where the current exceeds a predetermined threshold value; a charging and discharging circuit to start charging a capacitor in response to detecting the overcurrent state by the overcurrent-state-detection circuit and subsequently discharge the capacitor in response to not detecting the overcurrent state; and an overcurrent-protection-control circuit to stop the ON/OFF control to turn off the drive transistor, for an elapsed charging period for a charging voltage of the capacitor at a predetermined voltage to exceed a threshold voltage, and determine whether to perform such an overcurrent-protection-control as to turn off the drive transistor by detection of the overcurrent state, after the charging peri
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignees: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100289441
    Abstract: A bi-power motor controlling apparatus, which is electrically connected with a motor, includes a driver IC having a first pin and a second pin. The first and second pins are used to receive a first power and a second power, respectively, from outside. The second power is supplied to the driver IC, and the first power is supplied to the motor for controlling the rotational speed of the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventors: Ming-Lung Liu, Chun-Chia Lu, Chia-Feng Wu, Chun-Lung Chiu
  • Patent number: 7834569
    Abstract: This invention discloses a type of stepper motor driver integrated circuit, comprising of a control logic circuit module and a connected stepper motor driver circuit module. The outputs, in groups of two, of the stepper motor driver circuit module are connected to the two ends of coil windings in the stepper motor. Its characteristic is that it is equipped with an I2C serial bus connection which allows the main controller of I2C bus to directly connect to the control logic circuit module via the SDA, SCL, and GND lines resulting in duplex data transmission. With fewer number of signal ports, more driver integrated circuits can also be connected to the same I2C bus. Each driver integrated circuit can directly drive a stepper motor and it can also drive different numbers of stepper motors using different channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: BYD Company Limited
    Inventors: Li Li, Deqin Wu
  • Publication number: 20100244756
    Abstract: A high voltage integrated circuit contains a freewheeling diode embedded in a transistor. It further includes a control block controlling a high voltage transistor and a power block—including the high voltage transistor—isolated from the control block by a device isolation region. The high voltage transistor includes a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, a epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type on the semiconductor substrate, a buried layer of the second conductivity type between the semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer, a collector region of the second conductivity type on the buried layer, a base region of the first conductivity type on the epitaxial layer, and an emitter region of the second conductivity type formed in the base region. The power block further includes a deep impurity region of the first conductivity type near the collector region to form a PN junction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2010
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventors: Taeg-hyun Kang, Sung-son Yun
  • Publication number: 20100237816
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a brushless motor driving circuit capable of clamping an output voltage at a proper voltage, even when a power source voltage changes. Namely, a pre-driver circuit generates a voltage for driving a brushless motor from a source voltage by turning on/off first and second PMOS transistors and first and second NMOS transistors in an H bridge circuit of a drive voltage generating circuit, and applies the voltage to a coil of the brushless motor. A first clamp circuit turns on/off the first NMOS transistor on the ground side so that the output voltage at a first output terminal becomes equal to or lower than the source voltage. A second clamp circuit turns on/off the second NMOS transistor on the ground side so that output voltage at a second output terminal becomes equal to or lower than the source voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2010
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Inventors: Kunio Seki, Kazutaka Inoue, Hiroyuki Kikuta, Yuichi Ohkubo
  • Publication number: 20100225261
    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: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kesatoshi TAKEUCHI, Kazuyoshi NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20100219783
    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: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicants: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., SANYO Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joji NOIE
  • Patent number: 7786688
    Abstract: A drive signal generation circuit generates drive signals that control ON and OFF states of transistors of a H-bridge circuit, in accordance with a target value of torque. A driver circuit alternatively turns ON and OFF high side transistors, and low side transistors of the H-bridge circuit, based on the drive signals outputted from the drive signal generation circuit. The driver circuit immediately turns OFF the high side transistors, when an instruction is issued to stop a motor, and after a predetermined delay time ?d has elapsed, turns OFF the low side transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Hayashi, Toshikazu Satake
  • Patent number: 7781998
    Abstract: A fan system comprising a first switch, a second switch, a coil, and a drive device. The drive device comprises a third switch and a fourth switch. The third switch, the fourth switch, the first switch, the second switch and the coil form a bridge connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Delta Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Lung Liu, Yi-Chieh Cho, Chia-Feng Wu, Yueh-Lung Huang
  • Patent number: 7782007
    Abstract: An electrodynamic machine has a winding and a switching arrangement effectively dividing the winding into individually controllable portions. During a first operating condition, current flows through the entire winding in a manner controlled by the switching arrangement. In a second condition, the switching arrangement restricts current flow to only a portion of the winding. The second condition effectively reduces the inductive capacity of the winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: David G. Halsey
  • Patent number: 7777437
    Abstract: The present invention inexpensively controls a turn-on and turn-off switching speed for MOS transistors made in accordance with various specifications. According to the present invention, during an output voltage rise period for a turn-on operation of the MOS transistor, a fixed current determined by a first clip circuit and a resistor is input to a gate terminal of the MOS transistor to obtain a linear rise slew rate. During an output voltage drop period for a turn-off operation of the MOS transistor, a fixed current determined by a second clip circuit 38 and a resistor is input to the gate terminal of the MOS transistor to obtain a linear drop slew rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Kuroda, Ken Maruyama
  • Patent number: 7759888
    Abstract: There is provided an AC motor controller capable of detecting an abnormal state of a motor cable while an AC motor is operating without using a special circuit but using a processor. The AC motor controller includes an AC motor; an inverter for driving the AC motor with a motor current through a motor cable; and a motor current detector for detecting the motor current flowing in the motor cable of the AC motor, in which a processor detects an abnormal state of the motor cable such as an inter-phase short circuit and an open circuit based on the motor current detected by the motor current detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Matsui, Takefumi Sawada, Shigeyuki Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 7759889
    Abstract: A motor drive device of the present invention includes: an output circuit provided with a switch element connected to a motor; a PWM signal generating circuit for generating a PWM signal having a duty corresponding to a ratio between a power supply voltage applied to the motor and a predetermined control voltage; a control circuit for performing on/off control of the switch element according to the PWM signal; and a control voltage generating circuit for generating the control voltage such that the back electromotive voltage of the motor is maintained at a desired value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Hirata
  • Publication number: 20100176758
    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 a 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 re
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicants: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshito Motoki, Yuji Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 7755312
    Abstract: A motor drive device comprising an H-bridge circuit having four switching elements connected in an H bridge form to a motor coil L, a control circuit for on-off controlling each switching element, and a PWM signal generating circuit for generating a PWM signal having a duty according to a ration between a power supply voltage Vcc and a control voltage Vref, wherein the control circuit is so constituted as to select a switching element to be turned on according to an operation mode control signal FIN, RIN and control its on-duty according to the PWM signal. This constitution can variably control easily and over a wide range a drive voltage applied to one end of the motor coil L according to an externally input control voltage Vref.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Hirata
  • Patent number: 7750585
    Abstract: A particularly high level of performance in a sensorless, electronically commutated multiphase electric motor can be achieved, wherein for one full cycle at least, one motor phase is controlled in an asymmetrical manner relative to a further motor phase by controlling a commutation angle of one motor phase by reduction relative to a corresponding commutation angle of the other motor phase. Alternatively or in addition, according to the aforementioned method, at least one motor phase is asymmetrically controlled by reduction by self-reference for a full cycle, a commutation angle being controlled by reduction relative to a preceding or subsequent commutation angle or the size of the intermediate angles between two commutation angles being varied, the reduced commutation angle always being preceded or followed by a measurement angle within which the relevant motor phase is switched at zero current for detecting the rotor position by measuring the counter-electromotive force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventor: Johannes Schwarzkopf
  • Patent number: 7747146
    Abstract: In one aspect, a control circuit to control a speed of a motor includes a control logic circuit connected to a multifunction port. The control logic circuit is configured to receive a control signal provided at the multifunction port and to provide response signals based on the control signal to place the motor in at least two of a sleep mode, a brake mode and a pulse-width modulation (PWM) mode. The motor control circuit also includes an H-bridge circuit configured to control the motor based on the response signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Allegro Microsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaun D. Milano, Alejandro G. Milesi, Nevenka Kozomora
  • Patent number: 7741794
    Abstract: A load drive control circuit for controlling a load that includes connection terminals. The load drive control circuit includes bridge circuits respectively connected to the connection terminals of the load. Each bridge circuit includes two semiconductor elements, which are connected between a power supply and ground, and an output terminal. The semiconductor elements are each controlled to be switched between activated and deactivated states. The output terminal of each bridge circuit generates a bridge output that varies in accordance with a combination of the activated and deactivated states of the semiconductor elements in the bridge circuit. A detection circuit detects whether a short circuit is occurring in the connection terminals. A control circuit switches the bridge circuits to electrically disconnect the load from the power supply when a short circuit is occurring during a period in which the load is in a suspended state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
    Inventors: Yasushi Nishibe, Hiroki Kishi
  • Publication number: 20100007296
    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: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Che-Wei HSU, Chi-Lin Hsu
  • Publication number: 20090302792
    Abstract: In an AC rotating machine, a stator is provided with N-phase stator windings and located relative to the rotor. The N is an integer equal to or greater than 3, and the N-phase stator windings are arranged to be electrically isolated from each other. An inverter circuit is provided with first to N-th full-bridge inverters. Each of the first to N-th full-bridge inverters includes a first pair of series-connected switching elements and a second pair of series-connected switching elements. The first pair of series-connected switching elements and the second pair of series-connected switching elements are connected in parallel to each other. Each of the first to N-th full-bridge inverters is configured to individually apply a single-phase AC voltage to a corresponding one of the N-phase stator windings to thereby create a torque that rotates the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 10, 2009
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masahiko Osada, Shigeyuki Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7629761
    Abstract: A circuit enables current to be measured in at least two motor leads of a three-phase motor being supplied by a power source generating a chopped sinusoidal waveform for the motor leads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: David L. Knierim
  • Patent number: 7612512
    Abstract: In order to control an electromotive drive, a control unit has control modules for controlling half-bridge end power stages. Two of the control modules are pre-configured for alternatively controlling a commutator motor or a brushless electric motor via two half-bridge end power stages. A third control module can be subsequently configured to control a third half-bridge end power stage or two individual switching elements. An electromotive drive ideally can be configured with the stated control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens VDO Automotive AG
    Inventors: Josef Loibl, Thomas Maier
  • Publication number: 20090261764
    Abstract: A motor drive device (2) comprising an H-bridge circuit (21) having four switching elements (QH, QH2, DL1, DL2) connected in an H bridge form to a motor coil L, a control circuit (22) for on-off controlling each switching element, and a PWM signal generating circuit (23) for generating a PWM signal having a duty according to a ration between a power supply voltage Vcc and a control voltage Vref, wherein the control circuit (22) is so constituted as to select a switching element to be turned on according to an operation mode control signal FIN, RIN and control its on-duty according to the PWM signal. This constitution can variably control easily and over a wide range a drive voltage applied to one end of the motor coil L according to an externally input control voltage Vref.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shigeru Hirata
  • Publication number: 20090251088
    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: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Inventors: Hirotoshi Fukuda, Junichi Iida
  • Patent number: 7567053
    Abstract: The power switches of an inverter are mechanically integrated with an electric motor of a vehicle and are mounted on the end plate of the motor and employ short connections between the motor a-c terminals and the inverter a-c output terminals. Bond wireless modules are employed. The electronic controls for the inverter are mounted on a main control board which is positioned remotely from the inverter and is not subject to the heat and EMI produced by the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Henning Hauenstein
  • Patent number: 7550937
    Abstract: A method for detecting initial magnetic pole position in permanent-magnet motor first determines a PWM pulse width Dt applied to stator, where the PWM pulse width Dt depends on motor parameters. Six voltage vectors are then successively applied to the stators and the associated current rising time are calculated. The position of rotor is determined based on the shortest current rising time. The voltage vectors are again successively applied to the stators to recalculate the position of rotor. The position of rotor can be precisely determined when the two calculations are consistent. When the two calculations are not consistent, the voltage vectors are again successively applied to the stators to recalculate the position of rotor until the calculations are consistent. The set current level can be larger than the motor rated current, for example, 160% motor rated current, to facilitate the determination of current rising time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Chen-Yeh Lee
  • Publication number: 20090146595
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for supplying a plurality of multiphase electric loads, wherein the device includes at least one multilevel pulse-controlled inverter which comprises at least one decided and at least one multiple semiconductor switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventor: Thomas Immler
  • Patent number: 7535189
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit comprises a first power line; a second power line; an H-bridge circuit that includes a first source transistor and a first sink transistor connected serially, a second source transistor and a second sink transistor connected serially, a motor coil connected at a connection point between the first source transistor and the first sink transistor, and first to fourth regenerative diodes disposed respectively on the first and second source transistors and the first and second sink transistors, the H-bridge circuit being connected between the first power line and the ground, the first source transistor and the second sink transistor being switched complementarily to the second source transistor and the first sink transistor; and a voltage constraint circuit connected between the second power line and control electrodes of the first and second source transistors, the voltage constraint circuit constraining increase in the voltage of the control electrodes of the first and second source transis
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joji Noie
  • Publication number: 20090072776
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a hybrid motor, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling a hybrid motor, which uses a permanent magnet instead of a field coil for a rotor, winds a coil round a stator in a multi-phase independent parallel manner, fixes a rectifying type encoder to the rotor and connects a sensor to a driving circuit to smoothly start and rotate the hybrid motor, simplifies the configuration of the hybrid motor and reduce the manufacturing cost of the hybrid motor The apparatus for controlling a hybrid motor having a multi-phase independent parallel stator coil comprises: an encoder attached to a rotor of the hybrid motor and operated in cooperation with a sensor in order to sense the pole of the rotor; the sensor for outputting a sensor signal indicating the polo of the rotor, sensed by the encoder; a speed input unit for generating a speed instruction signal for driving the motor; a power switching circuit for generating signal
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: ENI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong-Ryul Shin, Pyeong-Hun Cho
  • Publication number: 20080258661
    Abstract: An inverter is provided for controlling application of voltage from a power source to a motor having a plurality of windings. The inverter includes a first set of one or more switching elements and a second set of one or more switching elements. The first and second sets of one or more switching elements are connected between a high voltage side and a low voltage side of the power source. Each of the first set of one or more switching elements is connected to one of a first set of nodes, where each of the first set of nodes is connected to a first winding end of one of the plurality of windings of the motor. Each of the second set of one or more switching elements is connected to one of a second set of nodes and each of the second set of nodes is connected to a second winding end of one of the plurality of windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: James M. Nagashima, Brian A Welchko, Peter J. Savagian
  • Publication number: 20080258660
    Abstract: A method for detecting initial magnetic pole position in permanent-magnet motor first determines a PWM pulse width Dt applied to stator, where the PWM pulse width Dt depends on motor parameters. Six voltage vectors are then successively applied to the stators and the associated current rising time are calculated. The position of rotor is determined based on the shortest current rising time. The voltage vectors are again successively applied to the stators to recalculate the position of rotor. The position of rotor can be precisely determined when the two calculations are consistent. When the two calculations are not consistent, the voltage vectors are again successively applied to the stators to recalculate the position of rotor until the calculations are consistent. The set current level can be larger than the motor rated current, for example, 160% motor rated current, to facilitate the determination of current rising time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventor: Chen-Yeh Lee
  • Publication number: 20080203952
    Abstract: In order to control an electromotive drive, a control unit has control modules for controlling half-bridge end power stages. Two of the control modules are pre-configured for alternatively controlling a commutator motor or a brushless electric motor via two half-bridge end power stages. A third control module can be subsequently configured to control a third half-bridge end power stage or two individual switching elements. An electromotive drive ideally can be configured with the stated control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2006
    Publication date: August 28, 2008
    Applicant: SIEMENS VDO AUTOMOTIVE AG
    Inventors: Josef Loibl, Thomas Maier