Constant Motor Current, Load And/or Torque Control Patents (Class 318/432)
  • Patent number: 10310128
    Abstract: Current supplied to electrical submersible pumps in wells is monitored, and signal processing based on wavelet analysis and phase diagram analysis is performed on the data obtained from monitoring. An incipient malfunction of the electrical submersible pump, such as one due to scale build-up in and around the pump, can be detected at an early stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Mohamed Nabil Noui-Mehidi, Ahmed Yasin Bukhamseen
  • Patent number: 10307899
    Abstract: Torsion control device and method for an electric impact power tool are provided. The electric impact power tool includes a motor, and the torsion control device detects an actual rotational speed of the motor to make the electric impact power tool output a preset torsion value accurately. In the torsion control method, a compensating time is calculated according to a difference between the actual rotational speed value of the motor and a preset rotational speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: APEX MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chih-Wei Hu
  • Patent number: 10291167
    Abstract: A controller is configured to, while the step-up converter is being controlled in a state where a duty ratio of an on state of an upper arm that is any one of the two switching elements is set to 100% such that the step-up converter does not perform a step-up operation, when a modulation factor of the inverter in voltage modulation exceeds a predetermined modulation factor lower than a step-up command issuance modulation factor at which a step-up command is issued to the step-up converter or when a target voltage at the side of the inverter based on a target operating point of the electric motor exceeds a predetermined voltage lower than the voltage at the side of the electrical storage device, reduce the duty ratio of the on state of the upper arm from 100%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shintaro Tsujii
  • Patent number: 10277097
    Abstract: A motor assembly is presented. A motor assembly can include at least one motor; a memory to store calibrated parameters related to the at least one motor; and electronics coupled to the memory, the at least one motor, the electronics including interfaces to couple with a clamping device and a system to control the operation of the at least one motor. The calibrated parameters are determined for the at least one motor with a procedure that includes performing an initial calibration of the at least one motor; wearing in the at least one motor; performing a final calibration of the at least one motor; and storing calibration data in the memory. In some embodiments, the at least one motor can include a clamping motor and/or a firing motor. In some embodiments, lifetime parameters are stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Inventors: David W. Weir, Melody Wu, Kevin Durant, Grant Duque
  • Patent number: 10241497
    Abstract: Control that is less likely to cause an overshoot is performed when an actual inertia value is yet to be determined. A development support apparatus sets a ratio of a position proportional gain to a velocity proportional gain to a value smaller than a ratio set when a servo driver has determined an actual inertia value of a load machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Yasumoto Mori, Mamoru Egi, Yasutomo Kawanishi, Yasushi Ono, Shota Miyaguchi
  • Patent number: 10234349
    Abstract: Provided is a sensor system capable of more accurately detecting abnormality. A sensor IC includes a first detector, a second detector, and a communication circuit. The first detector and the second detector output a first digital value and a second digital value according to the strength of a magnetic flux applied thereto, respectively. The communication circuit transmits the first and second digital values received from the first and second detectors to a control device. At this time, the communication circuitplaces the first and second digital values in a plurality of frames to transmit the plurality of frames. The communication circuit forms the plurality of frames such that bit information data of the first and second digital values placed in the frames is arranged in different orders between the first and second digital values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kichise, Yoshitomo Tokumoto, Kazuya Sakai, Yutaro Ishimoto, Kaname Aoki
  • Patent number: 10232506
    Abstract: Production system including a rail extending horizontally, and an articulated robot that is self-travelable along the rail parallel to an extending direction of the rail. The robot includes a carriage having at least one operating shaft configured to be driven by a servomotor and to self-travel along the rail, a slider projecting toward the rail from the carriage and configured to releasably engage with the rail, a robotic arm supported by the carriage and having at least one operating shaft driven by a servomotor and constitutes a joint, an end effector provided to a tip-end of the robotic arm, and a control unit inside the carriage configured to control the operating shafts of the robotic arm and the carriage so a control point defined in the robotic arm or the end effector reaches a target position by a collaboration of the operating shafts of the robotic arm and the carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Takahiro Inada, Kenji Bando, Yoshiaki Tanaka, Junichi Murakami, Satoru Hibino, Yukio Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 10236804
    Abstract: The control circuit includes a current detecting part detecting a driving current of the motor, a set duty generating part generating a set duty for outputting the driving control signal based on the speed command information and the actual rotational frequency information, a limit value determining part determining a current limit value based on the set duty and an instructed duty corresponding to the speed command information and a limiting part limiting the driving current of the motor based on the driving current of the motor detected by the current detecting part and the current limit value determined by the limit value determining part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Kaidu, Youhei Serizawa, Masato Aoki, Xiao Zhou
  • Patent number: 10221940
    Abstract: A controller is provided to, in response to a speed of the vehicle exceeding an allowable speed based on a measured grade while the vehicle is running and in neutral or park, actuating a vehicle holding mechanism to stop the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Kenneth Paul Wozniak
  • Patent number: 10215426
    Abstract: An outdoor fan motor driving device and an air conditioner including an outdoor fan motor driving device are provided, which may include an inverter to convert DC power into AC power according to a switching operation and to output the converted AC power to an outdoor fan motor, an output current detector to detect phase currents flowing in the outdoor fan motor, and a controller to control the inverter based on the detected phase currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Eungho Kim, Jinsoo Kim, Gwigeun Park
  • Patent number: 10199980
    Abstract: An electric power control method includes determining whether to change an operation period within which the operating is performed so as to be longer than one cycle of the carrier wave or not; reducing the switching operation of the switching elements in a first half cycle of the carrier wave; changing a slope of the carrier wave in an intermediate period between the first half cycle of the carrier wave and a last half cycle of the carrier wave in the operation period after the change to compare the carrier wave with the duty command value in magnitude; performing the switching operation of the switching elements according to a result of the comparison; and reducing the switching operation of the switching elements in the last half cycle of the carrier wave.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hiromichi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 10171071
    Abstract: A device (442) for producing a dynamic reference signal (UREF) for a control circuit for a power semiconductor switch comprises a reference signal generator (442) for providing a dynamic reference signal (UREF), which has a stationary signal level after elapse of a predefined time following a switching process of the power semiconductor switch, a passive charging circuit (450) which is configured to increase a signal level of the dynamic reference signal in reaction to a switching of a control signal of the power semiconductor switch from an OFF state to ON state for at least one part of the predefined time above the stationary signal level, in order to produce the dynamic reference signal and an output (A) for tapping the dynamic reference signal (UREF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Power Integrations, Inc.
    Inventor: Markus Rätz
  • Patent number: 10138999
    Abstract: A control circuit switches over a shift range by controlling driving of a motor to rotationally drive a detent plate. A current detection circuit detects a current value corresponding to a driving current supplied to drive the motor. A current increase check part performs check processing to check whether the current value detected by the current detection circuit has increased. A motor rotation stop part stops rotation of the motor when the current increase check part determines that the current has increased. A reverse driving part reverses the rotation direction of the motor and rotationally drives the motor after stopping of the motor by the motor rotation stop part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jun Yamada
  • Patent number: 10126150
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a two-stage method for estimating an angle offset of an angle sensor in a system comprising a permanent-magnet synchronous motor. An initial value for the estimated angle offset is first determined with a short circuit test. Next, a torque of the motor may be controlled so that the motor is maintained at a zero speed. Minor adjustments are made to the value of the angle offset to find a minimum magnitude of stator current. A value at which the stator current is at its minimum is used as a final angle offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Antti Piippo, Matti Eskola, Samuli Kallio
  • Patent number: 10116240
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for jointly controlling asynchronous machines (2; 3) of a motor vehicle (1) having a first asynchronous machine (2) and a second asynchronous machine (3) for driving the motor vehicle (1); an inverter (4), which is designed to supply the first asynchronous machine (2) and the second asynchronous machine (3) with a common stator voltage (5) at a common stator frequency (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Ekard Grossmann
  • Patent number: 10103669
    Abstract: A method to control a motor which is electrically excited. The method includes providing a unit capable of learning which is configured to analyze processes in a machinery into which the motor is built so as to learn to optimally control a variable motor flux.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Inventors: Andras Lelkes, Adam Daniel Lelkes
  • Patent number: 10103677
    Abstract: Upon determining that the absolute value of an electrical angular speed of a motor-generator is smaller than or equal to a threshold value, a control apparatus compensates a current detected by a U-phase current sensor based on a temperature detected by a U-phase temperature sensor and compensates a current detected by a V-phase current sensor based on an estimated temperature of a V-phase current sensor. On the other hand, upon determining that the absolute value of the electrical angular speed is larger than the threshold value, the control apparatus compensates the currents detected by the U-phase and V-phase current sensors based on temperature detected by the U-phase temperature sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuya Fujishima, Akiyoshi Morii
  • Patent number: 10097116
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes: a unit configured to determine a counter-electromotive voltage in a winding of a motor; a unit configured to determine a rotational position of a rotor of the motor based on the counter-electromotive voltage; a unit configured to determine a first velocity of the rotor, based on change in the rotational position; a correction unit configured to obtain a second velocity by correcting the first velocity based on a harmonic component included in the first velocity; and a driving unit configured to drive the motor based on the second velocity and the rotational position. The correction unit includes a unit configured to obtain the second velocity by reducing error in the first velocity that occurs due to the harmonic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuhei Hamada, Kota Kiyama, Masaaki Naoi, Toru Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 10088043
    Abstract: A PWM control part rotationally drives a motor based on a PWM control value. A rotation speed control part controls a rotation speed of the motor. A rotation angle detection part detects a rotation angle of the motor. A reference position learning part controls the motor to rotate at a constant rotation speed until a detent plate stops at a limit position of a movable range and learns a reference position of the motor. A current detection circuit detects a current value corresponding to a driving current. A current limitation part limits a current supplied to the motor. A PWM control value limitation part controls the PMW control value to be equal to or smaller than a PWM limitation value, which is a predetermined value. A relation check part checks whether a relation between a current value detected by the current detection circuit and the PWM control value is inappropriate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jun Yamada
  • Patent number: 10084379
    Abstract: The present invention minimizes system loss during execution of intermittent boosting. A boost converter control apparatus has: a target value setting device for setting a target value of output voltage that minimizes a loss of a power supply system including a DC power supply, a boost converter, and a loading apparatus; an intermittent controlling device for executing an intermittent process of boost control in such a manner that the output voltage is maintained in a range including the set target value; an average value calculating device for calculating an average value of the output voltage in an execution period of the intermittent process; and a target value correcting device for correcting the set target value to reduce a deviation between the calculated average value and the set target value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu, Hideto Hanada, Kenji Yamada, Kosuke Hirano
  • Patent number: 10079556
    Abstract: An inverter includes: a converter circuitry to convert an alternating-current voltage to a direct-current voltage; an inverter circuitry to convert a direct-current voltage obtained by conversion by the converter circuitry to an alternating-current voltage and to supply the alternating-current voltage obtained by conversion to a load; a current detector to detect an output current of the inverter circuitry; a calculator to calculate an output frequency based on the output current detected by the current detector, and a pulse-signal outputter to output a pulse signal based on the output frequency calculated by the calculator. The inverter circuitry converts the direct-current voltage obtained by conversion by the converter circuitry to the alternating-current voltage based on the pulse signal output from the pulse-signal outputter, so as to obtain a frequency corresponding to the magnitude of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiro Ichikawa, Hiroshi Moroi
  • Patent number: 10079566
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating a position and a speed of a rotor of a Switched Reluctance (SR) machine is provided. The SR machine comprises the rotor, a stator and at least one winding. The method includes generating a diagnostic pulse having a trapezoidal shape. The method further includes injecting a diagnostic pulse into the at least one winding of the SR machine. The method further includes measuring an actual stator current flowing through the at least one winding of the SR machine. The method further includes computing an estimated stator current flowing through the at least one winding using observer-based estimation technique. The estimated stator current is compared with the actual stator current to compute an error signal. At least one of the position and the speed of the rotor is estimated based on the error signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmed Khalil, Seok-Hee Han, Jackson Wai, James Michael Thorne, Jesse Gerdes, Sangameshwar Sonth
  • Patent number: 10056832
    Abstract: A load driving control apparatus calculates current slopes in an on-period and an off-period in one PWM cycle period, respectively, by using actual currents at a start time point and an end time point of the PWM cycle period as well as two sets of data, as data including a duty ratio corresponding to the actual current values. The data is so determined that the actual current data value of predetermined one of the start time point and the end time point is within a learning area. The duty ratio is calculated based on a difference between a target current value and the actual current value until calculation of the current slopes and is completed. The duty ratio is calculated based on the current slopes, the actual current value at start time point and a target current value after the calculation of the current slopes is completed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yuta Mizuno
  • Patent number: 10047553
    Abstract: A drive device drives a window glass of a door. A controller, which controls the drive device, executes a step of sensing an amount of load that is generated by contact between a seal member and the window glass after reaching of the window glass to a start position, at which a full closing control operation of the drive device starts. The controller executes a step of determining whether the amount of load reaches a predetermined value that is set to a value to be attained before reaching of the window glass to a mechanical limit position. The controller executes a step of stopping supply of an electric power to the drive device after it is determined that the amount of load reaches the predetermined value. The controller cancels the determining step or changes the predetermined value depending on the amount of voltage of the drive device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Shibata
  • Patent number: 10044315
    Abstract: A system includes a variable-speed drive configured to drive a motor, wherein the variable-speed drive is communicatively coupled to first and second resonant controllers. The system also includes a first transformer coupled to the variable-speed drive and an umbilical cable, wherein the first transformer increases a first voltage output by the variable-speed drive. The system further includes a second transformer coupled to the umbilical cable and the motor, wherein the second transformer decreases a second voltage output by the first transformer. The first resonant controller compensates for a harmonic order of the system by adjusting a magnetizing current used to control an operation of the variable-speed drive based on a modeled resonance frequency of the system. The second resonant controller compensates for the harmonic order of the system by adjusting a torque current used to control the operation of the variable-speed drive based on the modeled resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: ONESUBSEA IP UK LIMITED
    Inventor: Rabah Zaimeddine
  • Patent number: 10038319
    Abstract: This invention relates to a system for protecting rotating electromechanical systems against damages including a coupling configured to connect a moment provider with a load, having first communication means, a first CPU, a first energy providing means and at least one sensor, a control unit having second communication means, second energy providing means, and second CPU, the coupling configured to use the at least one sensor for performing measurements and to communicate with the control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Inventors: Yigal Livne, Joram Csillag, Dan Ellenbogen
  • Patent number: 10030488
    Abstract: A hydrocarbon production facility includes: a hydrocarbon well; a hydrocarbon production line including: in the well, a production tube, and on the surface, an evacuation tube from the production tube; on the surface, a source of pressurized gas; an injection line of pressurized gas in the hydrocarbon production line, linked to the source of pressurized gas; a pump for circulation of hydrocarbon from the well hydrocarbon circulation; a pneumatic motor for supplying power to the pump, fitted on the injection line of the pressurized gas and adapted to be rotated by expansion of the pressurized gas. A corresponding production method and an upgrade method of a facility are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Total SA
    Inventors: Pierre Lemetayer, Jean-Louis Beauquin, Mark Banman
  • Patent number: 10027260
    Abstract: A method of controlling a rotary electric machine, which is configured to supply an electric control amount to a power conversion unit, which is configured to convert a DC voltage from a power source into a drive current to the rotary electric machine in accordance with the electric control amount, the method including: using a conversion map, which is used to calculate the electric control amount based on a rotation speed of the rotary electric machine at a particular DC voltage of the rotary electric machine and a required command value; and calculating the electric control amount in accordance with a ratio between the particular DC voltage and the rotation speed of the rotary electric machine in determining the electric control amount in accordance with the conversion map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Fujii, Daiki Matsuura, Noriyuki Wada
  • Patent number: 10008970
    Abstract: A control apparatus for an AC motor includes an inverter, a voltage-command calculation unit calculating a vector used for giving a command to the inverter, a voltage-waveform specifying unit specifying, as a voltage waveform for operating the inverter based on the vector, a pulse pattern selected from previously stored voltage waveforms, or a voltage waveform of a PWM signal generated by a comparison between a phase voltage and a carrier wave, an amplitude-spectrum extraction unit obtaining a bus current of the inverter to extract an amplitude spectrum of a specific frequency corresponding to a resonance frequency of a circuit through which the bus current flows, and a voltage-amplitude limiting unit limiting an amplitude of the vector so that the amplitude spectrum of the specific frequency becomes less than a threshold, if the amplitude spectrum of the specific frequency correlating with the voltage waveform is the threshold or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hidekazu Takahashi, Koji Irie
  • Patent number: 10000233
    Abstract: Technical solutions are described for mitigating braking torque in a motor of a steering system caused by a FET short. For example, an example mitigation system includes a mitigation module that adjusts a motor torque in response to a FET short. The mitigation system further includes a mitigation-enable module that selectively enables and disables the mitigation module based on a handwheel torque signal. Further, the mitigation system includes a damping module that reduces the motor torque based on a motor velocity signal for the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dennis B. Skellenger, Ashok Chandy
  • Patent number: 9998043
    Abstract: An estimation unit estimates a q-axis induced-voltage estimation value and estimation torque of a PM motor. An adder adds a torque command and a first command together. The first command is calculated at a first command generation unit based on the estimation torque. A further adder adds a q-axis voltage command and a second command together. The second command is calculated at a second command generation unit based on the q-axis induced-voltage estimation value. The first and second command generation units compensate a control delay in a current control system including a current control unit and an estimation delay in the estimation unit for the estimation torque and an estimation induced voltage of the PM motor, and thereby a lack of the q-axis voltage command in a high frequency range is compensated, reducing a torque ripple effectively over a wide range of speed up to a high speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Hozuki, Hisanori Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 9998042
    Abstract: A circuit may be configured to adjust a correction signal for each phase of an electric motor based on a rotational position of a spindle of the electric motor, generate a distorted waveform based on the correction signal, and drive the electric motor in response to the distorted waveform. In some examples, back electromotive force (BEMF) may be determined in order to adjust a motor drive waveform, which may reduce or eliminate motor vibrations. A motor drive signal may be pre-warped (i.e. distorted) such that when the correctional signal and drive signals are combined, there is a reduction in acoustic emissions or motor vibrations. Other parameters, such as cogging torque, may be measured to reduce motor vibration and acoustic emissions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Matthew McLeod Chadsey, John Charles Purkett
  • Patent number: 9990590
    Abstract: A machine learning apparatus includes: a state observation unit that observes a state variable composed of at least one of data relating to the number of errors that is an error between a position command relative to a rotor of a motor which is drive-controlled by the motor control apparatus and an actual position of a feed mechanism unit, an operation program of the motor control apparatus, any command of the position command, a speed command, or a current command in the motor control apparatus, data relating to a workpiece machining condition in a machine tool including the motor control apparatus, and data relating to a state of the machine tool including the motor control apparatus; and a learning unit that learns a condition associated with the number of corrections used to correct the above-mentioned command in accordance with a training data set constituted by the state variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuo Kawai, Kaname Matsumoto, Tatsuya Senoo
  • Patent number: 9981683
    Abstract: A device for controlling restoration of a motor driven power steering (MDPS) system may include a controller configured to control an MDPS system model to output a target steering column speed command corresponding to a restoration control torque command based on a received error between a target steering column speed and an actual steering column speed, and a disturbance observer configured to compensate for a disturbance included in an output of the MDPS system model to provide the disturbance to an output of the controller, in which the output of the MDPS system model may be fed back to an input of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Jong Ho Lee, Wooje Sung, Min Woo Han
  • Patent number: 9973116
    Abstract: A power supply converter controller in an injection molding machine continuously operates a power supply converter in a continuous operation interval, operates the power supply converter in a step-up interval to increase a voltage of an electric storage unit up to a step-up voltage, and intermittently operates the power supply converter in an intermittent operation interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junpei Maruyama, Masakazu Niwa
  • Patent number: 9966893
    Abstract: A motor controller for providing a three-phase alternating current (AC) signal to a three-phase motor. The motor controller uses current feedback from a single shunt to monitor or control the three phase AC signal. The motor controller may include a three-phase DC to AC power inverter, a single-shunt current sensor, and a processor. During individual duty cycles when two or more phase signals are too close to each other, the processor may shift one of the phase signals in time so that its leading or trailing edges are a predetermined conflict time away from each other. Then, the processor may sample current from the single-shunt current sensor to determine currents of two of the three phase signals and then calculate current of a remaining one of the three phase signals. Sample times may depend on pulse widths and shifting of the phase signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher D. Schock, Prakash B. Shahi
  • Patent number: 9966891
    Abstract: An electric motor is controlled using a feedback signal that includes an error between the measured current and the estimated current determined using the measured current, the measured voltage, and a model of the motor. A feedback gain is determined as an error function of a feedback signal and a speed of the motor is estimated using a product of the feedback gain and the feedback signal. The voltage of the motor is determined using a difference between the estimated speed of the motor and a reference speed of the motor and the motor us controlled using the determined voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Yebin Wang, Lei Zhou
  • Patent number: 9944482
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: an electric-current detection unit configured to detect an electric current that flows through a motor at a time when the motor is not to be driven; a voltage-polarity determining unit configured to determine polarity of a voltage corresponding to the detected electric current; and an operating-state management unit configured to perform control of stopping the motor depending on the polarity of the voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Asano, Shingo Nagatsuka, Takuya Murata, Kentaroh Kurosu, Motoharu Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9937950
    Abstract: In a CPU (10) for calculating a control amount of an electric power steering control apparatus including a motor for assisting a steering force of a steering wheel generated by a driver of a vehicle, a filter section (18) subjects a value of a motor rotation speed calculating section (17) for calculating an rotation speed of a motor (4) to filter processing, to thereby output the resultant value to a target d-axis current value setting section (11b). With this configuration, in a high-torque and high-motor-rotation speed region, responsiveness of a target d-axis current value with respect to the motor rotation speed is decreased, to thereby suppress vibrations and noise when the steering wheel is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Mamoru Shiraki, Katsuya Ikemoto
  • Patent number: 9932964
    Abstract: Wind turbine comprising a nacelle with a generator and wind turbine blades for driving the generator, a tower supporting the nacelle wherein the nacelle is rotatable about a vertical axis an azimuth drive for rotating the nacelle around the axis, said azimuth drive comprising a plurality of asynchronous yaw motors and an azimuth controller with a frequency unit for controlling the plurality of asynchronous yaw motors, wherein the azimuth controller is arranged to connect all of the plurality of asynchronous yaw motors to the one frequency unit in a rotating mode and to connect only a subset of the plurality of asynchronous yaw motors from the one frequency unit in a locking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: LELY PATENT N.V.
    Inventors: Gerriet Thomas Janβen, Andre Uwe Schlink
  • Patent number: 9929687
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a motor; an inverter; and a control device. The control device includes: a detection device detecting a rotational position and a revolution speed of the motor; a positioning control device for a rotor; a deceleration device for the motor; and a determination device for the revolution speed of the motor. When the revolution speed is higher than or equal to the first predetermined revolution speed, the motor control device starts controlling the motor to rotate at the target speed, according to the rotational position, without executing the positioning control. When the revolution speed is lower than the first predetermined revolution speed and higher than or equal to the second predetermined revolution speed, the deceleration device decelerates the motor. When the revolution speed is lower than the second predetermined revolution speed, the positioning control device starts executing the positioning control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroko Yoneshima
  • Patent number: 9899916
    Abstract: The present invention prevent a shortage of the output when an intermittent boost is executed. A control apparatus for controlling a boost converter that can boost power supply voltage by boost control has: an intermittent controlling device for executing the intermittent boosting in such a manner that output voltage is maintained in a voltage variation allowable range including a target value on the basis of the detected output voltage of the boost converter; an average value calculating device for calculating an average value of the output voltage in an execution period of the intermittent boosting; and a target value correcting device for correcting the set target value to increase it when the calculated average value is less than the target value and is less than a required voltage value of a loading apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masaki Okamura, Naoyoshi Takamatsu, Hideto Hanada, Kenji Yamada, Kosuke Hirano
  • Patent number: 9893657
    Abstract: A vehicle includes one or more inverter-fed electric machines such as permanent magnet synchronous motors. A controller operates an inverter in either six-step mode or PWM mode depending upon motor speed, motor torque, and the inverter input voltage. A method of selecting the operating mode may determine a transition threshold based on the ratio of rotor speed to inverter input voltage, reducing the approximation error associated with multi-dimensional lookup tables. When the speed and voltage vary while maintaining a constant ratio and constant torque, the transition threshold does not change. Consequently, the controller remains in the same mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Daniel Luedtke
  • Patent number: 9873451
    Abstract: A method of operating an electric motor of an electric power assisted steering system comprising performing the following steps when the motor is in a defined fault mode: A) monitoring the position of the motor rotor, B) identifying the presence of a condition in which the rotor is within a predefined angular range of a known angular position, the rotor moving towards that position by turning of the steering wheel, and a torque is demanded from the motor which tends to move the rotor closer to that angular position as the wheel continues to move in the identified direction of movement; C) if the condition is identified varying currents applied to the motor to cause the rotor to move away from the known angular position; and D) subsequently varying the torque demanded from the motor to cause the rotor to move back in a direction towards the known angular position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: TRW Limited
    Inventors: Peter Geoffrey Scotson, Hui Jiang
  • Patent number: 9866128
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a first filter, a second filter, a first comparison circuit, a second comparison circuit and an AND circuit. The first filter generates a first output signal by performing first filtering processing on an input signal of the semiconductor device, the first filter having a first time constant. The second filter generates a second output signal by performing second filtering processing on the first output signal, the second filter having a second time constant different from the first time constant. The first comparison circuit compares the first output signal with a first threshold voltage, to thereby output a first level signal. The second comparison circuit compares the second output signal with a second threshold voltage, to thereby output a second level signal. The AND circuit performs an AND operation on the first and second level signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jian Chen
  • Patent number: 9855060
    Abstract: Provided herein is an adaptor for modifying the operation of a surgical bone-tool, comprising: a housing having a distal end and a proximal end coupled between a chuck and an operating bit of said tool, such that force generated by a motor of the tool is delivered to the operating bit through the adaptor; a clutch, contained in the housing, having an engaged and a disengaged configurations, respectively interconnecting and disconnecting the chuck to the operating bit; the clutch automatically disengages in response to an electric current, causing a cutoff of the force delivery; wherein the housing comprises a proximal fastener, sized and shaped to connect with the operating bit and a distal fastener, sized and shaped to connect with the chuck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: OrthoDrill Medical Ltd.
    Inventors: Ehud Ardel, Shlomo David
  • Patent number: 9832574
    Abstract: A method and apparatus reduce feedback in a hearing aid. The method involves a first transfer function, which includes a feedback path, being estimated for a first section of a signal response. A power of a feedback signal from a second transfer function of the feedback path is estimated for a second section of the signal response, and a parameter of the signal processing device and/or of the feedback suppression unit is adjusted on the basis of the estimated power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tobias Daniel Rosenkranz, Tobias Wurzbacher
  • Patent number: 9815678
    Abstract: An in-line drink dispensing system (1,16,17) for dispensing liquid such as water or other beverage. The system comprises a pump (6) in fluid connection with the system so that the pump can create a flow in the system and based on the current that the pump uses during operation a value can be determined and used for analyzing one or more statuses of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
    Inventors: Richard Furberg, Andreas Aschan, Daniel L. Johansson, Ilan Cohen, Marco Coan
  • Patent number: 9819234
    Abstract: Disclosed therein is a method of operating a variable magnetic flux motor. The method of operating the variable magnetic flux motor, which includes a rotor and a stator located inside the rotor, the rotor including first magnets and second magnets having a coercive force weaker than that of the first magnets, includes: a first step of operating the motor in an initially magnetized state of the second magnets; and a second step of operating the motor in an inversedly magnetized state of the second magnets by applying a magnetomotive force to the second magnets in the opposite direction to the magnetization direction of the second magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: NEW MOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jeong Cheol Jang, Je Hyung Seo, Woon Pil Jung, Jin Seok Jang, Byung Taek Kim
  • Patent number: 9804584
    Abstract: A disturbance suppressing system is incorporated in a servo control apparatus. In the disturbance suppressing system, a component e introduced in an output of a target plant due to a disturbance estimate error is amplified in a disturbance suppressing controller having a frequency characteristic corresponding to a magnitude of a plant error, which is a difference in transfer characteristics between the target plant and the plant model, and the amplified component e is fed back to a control input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: OKUMA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Eguchi