Rotating Sensor Component Separate From Motor Structure (e.g., Resolver, Magnetically Sensed Rotating Disk, Etc.) Patents (Class 318/400.39)
  • Publication number: 20120031697
    Abstract: A magnetic sensor disposed in an axial direction of a shaft of a motor detects the rotation angle of the rotor by detecting magnetism of the magnet that is disposed on one end of the shaft. A first and second conducting wires extend in parallel with an axis of the shaft, and are equidistantly positioned relative to the axis, on a virtual circle that has a center point on the axis of the shaft. The electric current flowing in the first conducting wire and the electric current flowing in the second conducting wire have the same magnitude and the same flow direction with each other at any time. When the first conducting wire and the second conducting wire are on opposite sides relative to the center point of the virtual circle, the magnetic fields around the conducting wires cancel with each other, thereby enabling accurate detection of the rotation angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kunihiko Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8089233
    Abstract: A first sensor element outputs a first output signal in correspondence to a direction of the magnetic flux lines acting from the outside. A second sensor element outputs a second output signal associated with the first output signal in correspondence to a direction of the magnetic flux lines acting from the outside. A first conversion processing section converts the first output signal output from the first sensor element and the second output signal output from the second sensor element into the second physical quantity. A second conversion processing section converts the first output signal output from the first sensor element and the second output signal output from the second sensor element into a signal representing the rotation angle of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: HItachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuyasu Kanekawa, Masamichi Yamada, Shoji Sasaki, Katsuaki Fukatsu, Kenji Nakabayashi, Daisuke Terada
  • Patent number: 8080956
    Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle including a permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motor is provided. The motor is calibrated such that for each torque command, there are corresponding direct-axis (d-axis) and quadrature axis (q-axis) current commands. The method includes establishing a torque command T*. D-axis and q-axis current commands Id* and Iq*, respectively, corresponding to the torque command T* are determined. The motor is controlled based on Id* and Iq*. D-axis and q-axis currents Id and Iq, respectively, are measured. An output torque is estimated as a sum of the torque command T* and a torque difference. The torque difference is determined as a function of Id*, Iq*, Id, and Iq. The vehicle may be controlled based on the estimated output torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Ji Wu
  • Patent number: 8049446
    Abstract: A motor control device includes a dq-axis current control unit for generating a dq-axis voltage reference based on a dq-axis current reference and a dq-axis current signal, an initial magnetic pole position estimation unit for estimating a magnetic pole position of the motor upon power-on to generate a magnetic pole position signal, and a magnetic pole position estimation precision confirming unit for supplying a current in a d-axis direction after generation of the magnetic pole position signal with the initial magnetic pole position estimation unit, and checking an error of the magnetic pole position signal based on an angle of movement of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventor: Junichi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110181221
    Abstract: A motor includes a sensor magnet having a non-circular contour and a magnet cover fixed to an end portion of a shaft to cover the end portion of the shaft. The magnet cover includes a support portion positioned outside the end surface of the end portion of the shaft. In the support portion, a magnet hole having a non-circular cross section as the sensor magnet and extending in the direction of the rotation axis is provided. The sensor magnet is inserted into the magnet hole and fixed to the magnet hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kyohei Asahi, Eiji Furutachi
  • Patent number: 7986116
    Abstract: The apparatus is for controlling a torque of an electric rotating machine at a command torque by supplying command voltages in accordance with the command torque to a power conversion circuit driving the electrical rotating machine. The apparatus includes a detecting function of detecting an input voltage of the power conversion circuit to be power-converted and thereafter applied to the electric rotating machine as a drive voltage, and a control function of setting a command current corresponding to one of two current components in a 2-phase coordinate system of the electric rotating machine in accordance with a command torque directed from outside, and thereafter determining command voltages corresponding to two voltage components of the 2-phase coordinate system on the basis of the command current and the input voltage of the power conversion circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Imura, Tomoya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7973502
    Abstract: A drive unit includes a rotating electrical machine; a rotation sensor that detects a rotational position of a rotor of the rotating electrical machine, and a storage medium. In an inspecting step of measuring a counter electromotive force by mechanically driving the rotating electrical machine after the rotating electrical machine and the rotation sensor are assembled together, positional error information of the rotation sensor obtained based on information of the counter electromotive force and output information from the rotation sensor is stored in the storage medium. The storage medium is integrally provided to the drive unit in such a state that the storage medium is readable upon assembling a control device that controls the rotating electrical machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinari Nakagawa, Tomoo Atarashi, Takafumi Koshida
  • Patent number: 7973500
    Abstract: A normal revolution number calculation unit calculates a normal revolution number of a driving motor generator in every control period, based on a signal from a rotational position sensor. A moving average calculation unit calculates a moving average revolution number of the normal revolution number given in every control period. A predicted revolution number calculation unit determines whether or not the revolution number of the motor generator is in an increasing state, from the locus of the moving average revolution number. Determining that the revolution number of the motor generator is in the increasing state, the predicted revolution number calculation unit calculates a predicted revolution number based on respective moving average revolution numbers in the present and preceding control periods. The calculated predicted revolution number is set to be used as a control revolution number and output to a motor control unit and a torque command calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaishi
    Inventors: Kenji Yamada, Hideaki Saida, Takuo Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20110127940
    Abstract: There is provided a motor. The motor may include a rotor case including a driving magnet formed on an inner circumferential surface thereof and providing a driving force by interacting with a coil of a stator, a low-speed control magnet formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rotor case and generating a frequency allowing for low-speed rotation enabling label printing as the rotor case rotates at a low speed; and a sensing part sensing an analog signal generated from the low-speed control magnet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Kyu Lee, Dae Lyun Kang
  • Patent number: 7885044
    Abstract: A cooling system is provided with a motor drive device, a fan motor, and a Hall element. The motor drive device includes a lock protection circuit and a lock controller. When a control signal instructing rotation of the fan motor that is to be driven instructs stoppage of the motor for a predetermined time-period or longer, the lock controller has the lock protection circuit inactive. At an occasion when the control signal has continued to instruct stoppage of the fan motor for a first time-period or longer, a standby controller starts time measurement, and after a further predetermined second time-period has elapsed, makes at least a part of the motor drive device transition to a standby mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tomofumi Mishima
  • Patent number: 7873851
    Abstract: A method is used in powering disk drive spinup. A disk drive is powered with a primary power source and is temporarily powered with a secondary power source in addition to the primary power source. The secondary power source powers the disk drive when the disk drive is spinning up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas E. Linnell, Phillip J. Roux
  • Patent number: 7872439
    Abstract: A controller for a motor driving apparatus switches a direction of electricity flowing through a first coil according to a first lead angle signal obtained based on a first magnetic pole detecting signal and a second magnetic pole detecting signal. The controller switches a direction of electricity flowing through a second coil according to a second lead angle signal obtained based on the first magnetic pole detecting signal and the second magnetic pole detecting signal. Thus, a motor driving apparatus can be configured such that the angle of the rotation center of the rotor with respect to two magnetically sensitive poles can freely be selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiromu Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7863850
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are provided for simulating outputs of a resolver. One apparatus includes an adjustable sine waveform generator for simulating first and second sine wave signals, and an adjustable cosine waveform generator for simulating first and cosine wave signals. The apparatus also includes an adjustable waveform generator and an adjustable gain circuit coupled to the sine waveform generator and cosine waveform generator. The system includes a device simulating a resolver coupled to a motor controller. The device includes an adjustable sine waveform generator and an adjustable cosine waveform generator coupled to an adjustable waveform generator and an adjustable gain circuit. One method includes transmitting a signal simulating at least one resolver fault condition to a motor controller to determine if the motor controller detects the fault condition(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: David T Fu, Wei D. Wang, Steven E. Schulz
  • Patent number: 7859215
    Abstract: A motor controller includes a reference signal generator; an A/D converter performing A/D conversion of the cosine and the sine signals outputted from a resolver; a first amplitude calculator calculating cosine and sine signal amplitudes based on twice-A/D converted cosine and sine signals respectively; a second amplitude calculator calculating averages of the cosine and the sine signals, and that calculates the amplitude of the cosine signal from a difference between the cosine signal average and a latest A/D converted cosine signal, and that calculates the amplitude of the sine signal from a difference between the sine signal average and a latest A/D converted sine signal; a synthesizer synthesizing the cosine and sine signal amplitudes obtained by the first and the second amplitude calculators respectively; a rotational angle calculator calculating a rotational angle based on the synthesized cosine and sine signal amplitudes; and a PWM controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Kazunobu Nagai, Sari Maekawa
  • Patent number: 7834576
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for diagnosing faults in multiple, associated motor-resolver systems. One apparatus includes a swapping circuit coupling a first resolver to a first or second decoder, and a swapping circuit coupling a second resolver to the first or second decoder. One method includes applying a signal from a resolver to a first decoder to determine that the first decoder is malfunctioning if the first decoder continues to generate a fault signal, and applying a signal from a different resolver to a second decoder to determine that a motor associated with the first decoder is malfunctioning if the second decoder generates a fault signal. Another method includes transmitting a signal from a resolver to first and second decoders, transmitting a signal from a different resolver to the first and second decoders, and determining if the first decoder, second decoder, a first motor, or a second motor is malfunctioning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: David T Fu, Wei D. Wang
  • Patent number: 7759887
    Abstract: A motor driving device includes an amplifying unit, a noise removing unit, an analog-to-digital converter, a calculating unit, and a motor driving unit. The amplifying unit amplifies an analog frequency signal corresponding to a rotation speed of a direct-current brushless motor. The noise removing unit removes noise from the analog frequency signal after amplification. The analog-to-digital converter converts the analog frequency signal from which noise is removed to a digital frequency signal. The calculating unit calculates a current control amount with respect to each phase of the direct-current brushless motor based on the digital frequency signal. The motor driving unit drives the direct-current brushless motor at a specified speed based on the current control amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Kiryu
  • Patent number: 7733044
    Abstract: An IPM (Interior Permanent Magnet) motor system is provided with an IPM motor provided with a stator having slots and a rotor having poles, and a control unit which controls the rotor to the stator. An estimation precision of an initial angle position of the rotor to the stator is selected such that it is substantially the same as an angle unit precision of stable positions of the rotor to the stator which is based on a combination of the number of poles and the number of slots. In this way, the cheap IPM motor system with a high drive efficiency and a control method of the IPM motor system are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsugu Nakamura, Shinichi Isobe, Takao Sakurai, Takaya Shirasu
  • Publication number: 20100090633
    Abstract: An integrated brushless DC motor and controller including a brushless DC motor having a rotating shaft with a 2 pole permanent magnet affixed to the shaft for rotation thereby in a plane orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the shaft. An X-Y Hall Effect Sensor is carried by a controller mounted on a circuit board attached to the motor and the Hall Effect Sensor is positioned proximate the magnet with the Hall Effect Sensor producing the Sine and Cosine components of the magnetic field as the magnet is rotated by the motor shaft. The electronic controller includes software for determining the motor angle and commutation logic from the Sine and Cosine components generated by the Hall Effect Sensor response to the rotating magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2008
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Inventors: Robert W. Deller, Robert C. Heagey
  • Publication number: 20080272723
    Abstract: An electric motor (10) has: a stator (12) and a rotor (14) having a shaft (87). The rotor (14) has a sensor magnet (82) having a number SP of sensor poles (71, 72, 73, 74) for generating a predetermined distribution of the magnetic flux density, such that SP=2, 4, 6, 8, etc. The motor also has at least two rotor position sensors (450, 455, 460, 465) for generating rotor position signals (B_S1, B_S2) characterizing the magnetic flux density, the rotor position sensors (450, 455, 460, 465) being arranged in the region (30) of the circumference of the sensor magnet (82). The motor also has an evaluation apparatus (32) that ascertains, from the rotor position signals (B_S1, B_S2), an absolute value (phi_el, phi_mech) for the rotational position of the rotor (14). A method of generating an absolute value for the rotational position of an electric motor is likewise described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Publication date: November 6, 2008
    Inventors: Christian Rudel, Jorg Hornberger, Michael Schauble, Michael Kisch