Phasing Or Angular Or Linear Positional Control Of Movable Element Of The Motor Patents (Class 318/437)
  • Patent number: 8525465
    Abstract: A feedback switching device and a method allow a drive control loop for a servo motor to actively switch the feedback mode in accordance with the rotating speed of the servo motor. When the servo motor is under a high speed operation, a sensorless position estimation feedback technology is used as the feedback mode; on the other hand, when the servo motor is under a low speed operation, the switching mode is automatically switched to a position sensing feedback technology. Therefore, the development needs for multi-function, high performance and low cost in the field of the servo motor control are met, and the conventional problem is solved that, when being applied to a servo driving system having a wide speed range, the single use of the position sensing feedback technology or the sensorless position estimation feedback technology fails to satisfy the application for a wide speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuo-Lin Chiu, Chia-Min Ting, Hsin-Hung Chou
  • Patent number: 8519645
    Abstract: A drive signal generating unit generates a drive signal used to alternately deliver a positive current and a negative current to a coil. The drive signal is such that nonconducting periods are set before and after a positive current conducting period and the nonconducting periods are set before and after a negative current conducting period. A driver unit generates the drive current in response to the drive signal generated by the drive signal generating unit and then supplies the drive current to the coil. The drive signal generating unit sets the width of a nonconducting period such that, after the drive start of the linear vibration motor, the width of a nonconducting period to be set before at least the first conducting period of the drive signal is shorter than the width of a nonconducting period to be set before each conducting period during steady operation of the linear vibration motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Tsutomu Murata
  • Patent number: 8497643
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear scale for obtaining a distance from a reference point. A scale detection mechanism is adapted to output waveform signals of the same phase. Also the scale detection mechanism corresponds to a magnetic flux density generated by magnetic bodies of a scale element. The scale detection mechanism may be sensors. The sensors are arranged at even intervals corresponding to a scale length of the scale element. The sensors are adapted to output sine-wave signals having the same phase to continuously detect the scale element in a movement direction of the scale element. The scale element has opposite ends each has the same polarity and configured such that an output voltage of the single sensor detecting the end of the scale element is reduced to one-half of an output voltage of the single sensor detecting the remaining portion of the scale element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Takagi
  • Patent number: 8487573
    Abstract: A relay is provided in a power supply line from a battery to a motor of a starter in a vehicle. The relay is selectively switched between a contact side state where contacts short-circuit and a resistor side state where the contacts open and a resistor is inserted into the power supply line in series. When an engine is started, an ECU controlling the starter energizes the motor by driving the relay to the resistor side only for a first predetermined time in order to suppress inrush current and voltage fall due to the inrush current. The ECU detects a contact side state fixation abnormality of the relay based on a battery voltage at the time when the motor is energized by driving the relay to the resistor side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Ryouta Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8487579
    Abstract: A method for determining the position of a component, that is able to be moved into at least two end positions with the aid of a drive, especially of a flap for controlling fluid flows in an internal combustion engine, includes the following steps: providing an electric signal that indicates the speed of motion of an element of the drive, determining a change in position of the component by the integration of the electric signal, and determining the absolute position of the component from the change in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alex Grossmann, Mattias Hallor
  • Patent number: 8487569
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric machine that includes exciting a winding of the electric machine in advance of zero-crossings of back emf by a fixed advance time over a range of speeds. Additionally, a control system for an electric machine, and a product incorporating the control system and electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Roger Michael Dawe, Andrew Charlton Clothier
  • Patent number: 8476856
    Abstract: A three-phase AC motor drive control device has a phase command calculation unit. When driving a three-phase AC motor by a three-phase alternating square-wave voltage that is converted in power according to a switching command corresponding to one cycle of the electrical angle obtained from a rotational position of the rotor of the three-phase AC motor, the phase command calculation unit performs a torque feedback calculation based on a torque deviation, obtains, based on this calculation result, a phase command that is the lead or lag angle amount of a phase to be corrected, and stores and updates this obtained phase command. To generate the switching command, the three-phase AC motor drive control device outputs a pulse pattern to an inverter, the pulse pattern being shifted in phase by the amount of the phase command with respect to the basic phase of the three-phase alternating square-wave voltage uniquely determined with respect to the one cycle of the electrical angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shizuo Manabe
  • Patent number: 8471511
    Abstract: A voltage application unit causes switching elements to apply voltage to flow an electric current into corresponding windings to generate a revolving magnetic field. A period derivation unit derives an energization period of the windings. A signal generation unit generates a PWM signal for causing the voltage application unit to activate and deactivate the switching elements, such that a duty ratio decreases gradually in a predetermined time period subsequent to the derived energization period. A period specifying unit specifies a detection period of an electric current, which is supplied from the switching elements presently switched and deactivated, by a predetermined time period between an edge, which is caused when the PWM signal changes in level to deactivate the switching elements, and a time point in advance of the edge in the energization period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: ASMO Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 8446118
    Abstract: A rotary electric machine control device includes a positive/negative determination section that determines whether an output torque of the rotary electric machine is positive or negative; a correction parameter setting section that sets as a correction parameter a phase difference of a sinusoidal ripple correction wave for reducing torque ripple of the rotary electric machine with respect to a magnetic pole position of the rotary electric machine depending on whether the output torque is positive or negative; and a correction wave generation section that generates the ripple correction wave on the basis of the correction parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seiichi Kinugasa, Jin Izawa, Kazuyuki Izawa, Kazuo Aoki
  • Patent number: 8390236
    Abstract: A drive system is disclosed for operating an electric device. The drive system includes an electric motor having a permanent magnet rotor connectable to the electric device for controlling the operation of it by a limited-angle rotation, the electric motor further including a stator winding. The drive system includes a drive circuit connected to the stator winding. The permanent magnet rotor can be arranged to be aligned to a magnetic field created by the stator winding when supplied with current from the drive circuit, so that a maximum torque can be applied to the rotor and thereby to the movable part within an interval of ±25 degrees around a middle position between two end positions of the limited-angle rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: ABB Research Ltd
    Inventors: Magnus Backman, Stefan Valdemarsson
  • Patent number: 8373371
    Abstract: A method of controlling an electric machine that includes sequentially exciting and freewheeling a winding of the electric machine. The winding is excited in advance of zero-crossings of back emf in the winding by an advance angle, and the winding is freewheeled over a freewheel angle. The method then includes varying the advance angle and the freewheel angle in response to changes in the voltage used to excite the winding. Additionally, a control system for an electric machine, and a product incorporating the control system and electric machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventors: Andrew Charlton Clothier, Tuncay Celik
  • Patent number: 8362723
    Abstract: The motor drive circuit 100 supplies a drive current to the motor 2 to drive the motor. Each of the first Hall amplifier HAMP1 to the third Hall amplifier HAMP3 is provided for each phase of the motor 2 and receives a pair of Hall signals from a corresponding phase Hall element to generate each phase sine wave voltage SIN_U, SIN_V and SIN_W by amplifying a difference between the pair of Hall signals. Each of the first PWM comparator PCMP1 to the third PWM comparator PCMP3 is provided for each phase of the motor 2 and compares the corresponding phase sine wave voltage SIN_U, SIN_V and SIN_W, with the periodic voltage Vosc to generate each phase PWM signal PWM_U, PWM_V and PWM_W. The drive unit 10 subjects a phase coil, a target to be driven, to pulse drive by using the pulse modulated signal from the corresponding PWM comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Kuwamura
  • Publication number: 20120306419
    Abstract: A motor speed controller controls a motor speed to generate a phase reference pulse; generates a FG pulse per rotary angle of the motor; detects a difference between the number of phase reference pulses and the number of FG pulses for output as an integer number phase difference; detects and measures a time difference between an edge of the phase-reference pulse and an edge of the FG pulse in units of the reference clock for output as a decimal fraction phase difference; adds the integer number phase difference to the decimal fraction phase difference at a predetermined ratio for output as a phase difference; and controls driving of the motor in accordance with the phase difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Haruyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8310190
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for detecting a lock error in a sensorless motor are disclosed, where the apparatus includes a multiplexer, a negative booster, a comparator and a timer. The multiplexer can receive a coil voltage from the sensorless motor. The negative booster can receive a neutralizing voltage from the sensorless motor and drop the neutralizing voltage. The comparator can compare the coil voltage with the dropped neutralizing voltage for outputting a zero-crossing signal. The timer can count time duration during the zero-crossing signal maintained at the a logic level and determine the lock error in the sensorless motor when the time duration exceeds a predetermined period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: inergy Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Hsien-Wen Hsu
  • Patent number: 8294396
    Abstract: A compact field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital motor controller (102), a method, and a design structure are provided. The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) includes a sensor interface (206) configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors (104) and generate conditioned sensor data. The one or more sensors (104) provide position information for a DC brushless motor (108). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a commutation control (210) configured to create switching commands to control commutation for the DC brushless motor (108). The commutation control (210) generates commutation pulses from the conditioned sensor data of the sensor interface (206). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a time inverter (208) configured to receive the commutation pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert P. Wichowski
  • Publication number: 20120235618
    Abstract: There is provided an actuator in which an worm is rotationally driven by an electric motor, and in which an angular velocity of the electric motor is repeatedly fluctuated so that the rotation of the worm is carried out as if the worm is oscillated in the rotational direction thereof, to thereby decrease contact friction of the worm against a worm wheel, resulting in an improvement of an efficiency of force transmission of the worm gear mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Applicant: Seibu Electric && Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masakazu Mori, Daisuke Kukita, Seiya Shimada
  • Patent number: 8217604
    Abstract: A method for controlling a motor can suppress an influence of speed variation due to cogging of the motor. The method includes performing a preliminary drive process to output a first driving signal to the motor to move the mechanism, performing the preliminary drive process to output a second driving signal corresponding to a cogging period of the motor to the motor as well as output the first driving signal, to move the mechanism, determining parameters which include an output waveform and output timing of the second driving signal based on a speed of the mechanism in the preliminary drive process, and outputting the second driving signal according to the determined parameters to the motor as well as outputting the first driving signal to the motor in an actual drive process to perform predetermined processing by moving the mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Manabu Tsumoto
  • Patent number: 8217609
    Abstract: Disclosed is a controller circuit, comprising a plurality of sense inputs, an instrumentation amplifier block having inputs coupled to the plurality of sense inputs, a filter block coupled to the instrumentation amplifier block, a sum function coupled to the filter block, and a crossing detector block coupled to the filter block and the sum function. A method of controlling motor signals is further described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Viktor Kremin, Andrey Magarita
  • Patent number: 8217600
    Abstract: A motor control device is configured in such a manner that a current detection circuit and an exciting circuit for a motor resolver share one grounding wire. A microcomputer that serves as a current detector sets a phase of an exciting current in such a manner that values of an excitation noise superimposed on an output voltage of the current detection circuit at respective timings (L1, H1, L2, H2, . . . ), at which the output voltage is acquired in one current detection process, are equal to each other. An electric power steering system is provided with the motor control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Atsuo Sakai
  • Patent number: 8183810
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method of operating a motor connected to a power device having a reduced current rating. The motor can include an increased torque constant and/or an increased back electromagnetic force constant in order to decrease a peak current in relation to the reduced current rating of the power device. The method can include increasing a length of time the motor can operate at the peak current without overheating. A phase angle of the motor can be advanced in order to achieve a continuous operating point with the power device having the reduced current rating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: Hoffman Enclosures, Inc.
    Inventors: Ron Flanary, Martin Piedl, Charles Ford, Troy Anderson
  • Patent number: 8179069
    Abstract: An electric power tool includes a direct current motor, at least one switching device, a trigger switch, a control unit, and a drive unit. The control unit sets a driving duty ratio for PWM controlling the direct current motor so as to increase the driving duty ratio in a stepwise manner in accordance with an operation continuation time of the trigger switch during a period from when an operation of the trigger switch is started until when a predetermined start-up time has elapsed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Makita Corporation
    Inventors: Yutaka Matsunaga, Hirokatsu Yamamoto, Takuya Kusakawa
  • Patent number: 8174220
    Abstract: Apparatus controlling a permanent magnet rotary electric machine. After the apparatus controls a current control portion, when a rotor of the machine rotates at a constant speed, to supply a predetermined current to an armature, the apparatus performs a dq vector control process by determining a predetermined temporarily set value as a magnetic pole position correction quantity while a d-axis current command value and a q-axis current command value in the dq vector control process performed on a dq coordinate system that has a d-axis extending in the direction of a magnetic field of the permanent magnet of the rotor and a q-axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the d-axis. Then, the apparatus obtains the magnetic pole position correction quantity based on a predetermined operation expression using the d-axis voltage command value and the q-axis voltage command value from the dq vector control process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hideki Inoue, Kota Kasaoka, Hisayoshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8164288
    Abstract: To estimate a fluctuation component of the torque generated at the motor accurately, a motor control device (3) which controls a motor with a stator having armature winding and a rotor having a permanent magnet is provided to include a torque fluctuation component estimation unit for estimating a torque fluctuation component generated at the motor based on flux-linkage of the armature winding and an armature current that flows the armature winding. The torque fluctuation component estimation unit estimates the torque fluctuation component (Trp) based on an inner product (Fd·id+Fq·iq) of a flux-linkage vector which is a vectorial representation of the flux-linkage and a current vector which is a vectorial representation of the armature current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Hida, Yoshio Tomigashi, Kenji Ueyama
  • Patent number: 8134322
    Abstract: In an automatic transmission position control by a motor, it is determined whether the present instant belongs to a starting period, that is, the present instant is immediately after resetting of a control unit or application of power to it. If it is the starting period, an actual shift position that is detected from an output of an output shaft sensor for detecting a rotation position of a motor is set as an instructed shift position. With this measure, even if the control unit is reset for a certain reason while the vehicle is running, the instructed shift position is not changed in association with the resetting. This prevents trouble that the shift position is switched contrary to the intention of the driver, whereby the reliability of a position switching control can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Shigeru Kamio
  • Patent number: 8120302
    Abstract: A servo control apparatus capable of suppressing adverse effects of disturbance, load variation and the like, and realizing robust and high-performance speed control. The apparatus includes both of the following observers: a disturbance observer for adding a disturbance compensation torque Tf, calculated from a torque command T* and an electric motor rotational speed ?m, to a torque command basic signal T0*, calculated on the basis of a deviation between a speed command ?* and a feedback speed ?f by a PI control section, thus outputting the torque command T*; and a phase advance compensation observer for generating, from the torque command basic signal T0* and the electric motor rotational speed ?m, an output of a nominal plant serving as an element in which no delay occurs, thus outputting the output as the feedback speed ?f.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Wennong Zhang, Mitsujiro Sawamura, Yasuyuki Takei
  • Patent number: 8030870
    Abstract: A method for reducing the influence of a DC component in a load current of an asynchronous three-phase motor, in which the voltages of two of the three phases are controlled by adjusting firing angles of semiconductor devices of the type turning-off at zero-crossing of the current therethrough comprises the steps carried out for each said controlled phase: detecting turn-off times of the semiconductor devices, calculating a value of a change of firing angle of the semiconductor devices needed for changing the length of the time period between two subsequent turn-off times for compensating for the influence of a DC component, and determining the firing angle of said semiconductor devices in dependence of the result of this calculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: ABB AB
    Inventors: Daniel Kling, Gunnar Johansson
  • Patent number: 8018189
    Abstract: The present invention provides a motor drive apparatus which improves a trade-off relation between a stable position detection and noise at its driving. A sensorless drive operation circuit calculates by operation a zero cross point (point p) of a voltage of a position detection phase at the next interval, using time information measured based on an output signal from a comparison circuit at the previous interval and the present interval. After the point p has been calculated, points a and b are detected by interrupting a predetermined time drive current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Narumi, Masaaki Kato, Masaharu Hoashi, Toshiya Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8013563
    Abstract: In an automatic transmission position control by a motor, it is determined whether the present instant belongs to a starting period, that is, the present instant is immediately after resetting of a control unit or application of power to it. If it is the starting period, an actual shift position that is detected from an output of an output shaft sensor for detecting a rotation position of a motor is set as an instructed shift position. With this measure, even if the control unit is reset for a certain reason while the vehicle is running, the instructed shift position is not changed in association with the resetting. This prevents trouble that the shift position is switched contrary to the intention of the driver, whereby the reliability of a position switching control can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Shigeru Kamio
  • Patent number: 8004223
    Abstract: An electric bike includes a wheel driving apparatus. The wheel driving apparatus includes an electric wheel drive motor which drives a wheel, a gap changer which changes a gap length in the wheel drive motor, and a motor control unit which controls the wheel drive motor and the gap changer. The motor control unit calculates a target gap length for the gap changing motor in the gap changer based on an accelerator opening-degree signal, a rotation speed, a q-axis electric-current command value, a power source voltage, and a voltage utilization rate. Then, a feedback control is provided to the gap changer based on a difference value between the target gap length and the actual gap-length. A good vehicle characteristic is obtained without being affected by individual variability or operating environment of the electric motor through efficient drive of the electric motor from a low-speed range through a high-speed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroaki Yagi, Hideki Matsueda, Mikio Saitou
  • Patent number: 7969109
    Abstract: An electric actuator includes a motion conversion mechanism and a position detector. The motion conversion mechanism converts rotation of a rotary shaft of a motor into linear motion of an output shaft. The position detector detects a permanent magnet M, which moves integrally with the output shaft. A motor control portion controls the motor based on commands from a host command unit. A control program for controlling the motor includes, as control modes, six fluid pressure cylinder modes, according to which the motor is controlled. Specifically, each of the control modes corresponds to one of the cases where the fluid pressure cylinder is controlled by three solenoid valves, or a two-position single solenoid valve, a two-position double solenoid valve, and a three-position double solenoid valve. The motor is controlled according to the selected control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: CKD Corporation
    Inventors: Shuzo Masuo, Tsuyoshi Kanada
  • Patent number: 7859206
    Abstract: A microcomputer includes a calculating section calculating a d-axis electric current command value and a q-axis electric current command value and a signal generating section. The signal generating section generates a motor control signal through feedback control in a d-q coordinate system based on the d-axis electric current command value and the q-axis electric current command value. The microcomputer also has an anomaly determining section, which detects an anomaly if a failure of electric current flow has occurred in any one of phases of a motor. If the anomaly is detected, the microcomputer produces a motor control signal instructing to use, as electric current flowing phases, two phases other than the phase with the failed electric current flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7843153
    Abstract: A control system for controlling an adjustment device which is operated by electric motor in a motor vehicle includes an indirect anti-trapping system for detecting a trapping situation between an adjustment element, which is moved by the adjustment device in an adjustment movement along an adjustment path, and a vehicle element. The anti-trapping system stops or reverses the adjustment movement of the adjustment element if a defined threshold value for a mechanical running parameter—which results from the adjustment movement is exceeded. The anti-trapping system operates with an analysis unit for analyzing the adjustment movement of the adjustment element, wherein the control system is configured and embodied in such a way that by means of the analysis unit, in an analysis mode, the running parameters of the adjustment device can be checked for mechanical functional faults of the adjustment device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co KG, Coburg
    Inventors: Jochen Held, Roland Kalb, Markus Schlesiger, Rene Zellmer, Jürgen Buhlheller
  • Patent number: 7821217
    Abstract: A power tool may include an electronically commutated motor such as, for example, a brushless DC permanent magnet motor with a rotor having internally mounted magnets and/or cavities filled with air or other non-magnetic materials. A control system may be used to control the motor in a manner that implements field weakening when the speed of the motor increases beyond its rated motor speed, or when the torque demands on the motor continue to increase after the maximum power output of the motor is reached. The field weakening may offset the growing back EMF and may enable a constant power and constant efficiency to be achieved by the motor over a wide speed range, rather than at just a single predetermined operating speed. Pulse width modulation control of the motor may be used up until the motor reaches its maximum power output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Mehdi Abolhassani, Shailesh P. Waikar, Ren H. Wang, Uday S. Deshpande
  • Patent number: 7818111
    Abstract: This motor control apparatus is provided with: a reduced energy calculation device that calculates a reduced energy that is produced when a drive mode of a hybrid vehicle is shifted from a drive mode driven by a motor to a drive mode driven by an internal combustion engine and if the phase of the motor is changed from the present phase to the arbitrary required phase; a displacement energy calculation device that calculates a displacement energy that is produced when the present phase is changed to the arbitrary required phase; and a phase change permission device that compares the reduced energy and the displacement energy, and permits changing from the present phase to the required phase when it is determined that the reduced energy is greater than the displacement energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoki Fujishiro, Hirofumi Atarashi, Masashi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7808200
    Abstract: A technique can recover from motor stalls caused by misalignment of motor position sensors such as Hall-effect sensors. In a normal operating mode, a motor controller provides motor drive current to the motor windings based on the sensor signals according to a normal commutation sequence, and monitors for occurrence of a motor stall condition. Upon detecting the motor stall condition, the motor controller first momentarily drives the windings according to one of an advanced commutation state and a delayed commutation state each adjacent to the given commutation state in the normal commutation sequence, and determines whether the motor stall condition persists. If the stall condition persists, then the motor controller next momentarily drives the windings according to the other of the advanced commutation state and the delayed commutation state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Woodward HRT, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond Y. Liu, Estella C. Chung, William K. Morita, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7804264
    Abstract: Present invention belongs to the field of inventers, motor controllers and pulse modulated waveform generation methods and circuits. More specifically it belongs to such methods and circuits utilizing fundamental vectors. This invention features better and more efficient fundamental vectors. The proposed method offers reduced losses, increased efficiency and longer life time of inverters and motor controllers. Better approximation of a three-phase voltage waveform approaching the ideal one is a significant advantage of the proposed method. Another advantage is an easy decomposition of any point of an ideal sinusoidal voltage waveform into the fundamental vectors. This invention is particularly useful for a vector control of asynchronous AC motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Inventors: Sergey Antonov, Alexei I Antonov
  • Patent number: 7768221
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for power factor control of a motor. A phase detector uses a line voltage of a power supply and a motor terminal voltage of a motor. The output of the phase detector is synchronized to a zero crossing of the motor current of the motor and a zero crossing of the line voltage. A digital microprocessor connected between the output of the phase detector and a rectifier driver senses a first time at which a phase of the motor voltage is crossing zero volts and a second time at which a phase of the motor current is crossing zero current. The digital microprocessor calculates the difference in time between the first and second times and uses the difference in time to calculate a phase lag of the motor. The digital microprocessor uses the phase lag to calculate a firing time of a rectifier to command power efficiently to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Power Efficiency Corporation
    Inventors: George I. Boyadjieff, John J. Hurst
  • Patent number: 7755314
    Abstract: An electric-motor-equipped vehicle of the present invention includes an electric motor which receives a power supply from a storage apparatus and drives the vehicle, or assists a driving of the vehicle by an internal combustion engine. The electric motor includes: an inner circumference side rotor and an outer circumference side rotor which are each provided with magnet pieces, and rotation axes of which are coaxially arranged; a stator which is arranged on an outer circumferential side or an inner circumferential side of the inner circumference side rotor and the outer circumference side rotor; and a phase modification device capable of modifying a relative phase between the inner circumference side rotor and the outer circumference side rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Atarashi, Hiroyuki Isegawa, Hiromitsu Sato, Masaaki Kaizuka, Shoei Abe
  • Patent number: 7733046
    Abstract: A motor controller including a position control section that generates a speed command based on a position command and a motor position, a speed control section that generates a torque command based on the speed command and a motor speed, and a motor driving section that generates a motor current based on the torque command. The motor controller has a speed feed forward command generating section that generates a speed feed forward command by differentiating the position command. A model control section generates a model torque command based on the speed feed forward command and a model speed. An inertia identifying section identifies inertia based on the ratio of an integrated value of a motor torque command obtained by time-integrating the motor torque command in a prescribed section to an integrated value of the model torque command obtained by time-integrating the model torque command in a prescribed section, from a prescribed position command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Eri Yamanaka, Nobuhiro Umeda, Ken-ichi Murata
  • Patent number: 7679303
    Abstract: An evaluation device for a rotary drive that evaluates periodic velocity fluctuation of the rotary drive is provided. The evaluation device includes a rotational velocity fluctuation detector, a reference signal generator, and a multiplier-accumulator. The rotational velocity fluctuation detector detects rotational velocity fluctuation relative to a reference velocity of the rotary drive. The reference signal generator generates a reference signal, in which the reference signal has a period and a phase angle. The multiplier-accumulator performs a multiply-accumulate operation between the rotational velocity fluctuation detected by the rotational velocity fluctuation detector and the reference signal generated by the reference signal generator, so as to detect a fluctuation intensity at the phase angle of a component having the period, in which the component is included in the rotational velocity fluctuation detected by the rotational velocity fluctuation detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazushige Muroi, Kohei Terada
  • Patent number: 7609012
    Abstract: In an automatic transmission position control by a motor, it is determined whether the present instant belongs to a starting period, that is, the present instant is immediately after resetting of a control unit or application of power to it. If it is the starting period, an actual shift position that is detected from an output of an output shaft sensor for detecting a rotation position of a motor is set as an instructed shift position. With this measure, even if the control unit is reset for a certain reason while the vehicle is running, the instructed shift position is not changed in association with the resetting. This prevents trouble that the shift position is switched contrary to the intention of the driver, whereby the reliability of a position switching control can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignees: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigeru Kamio, Kenichi Fujiki, Sumiko Amamiya, Keijiro Ohshima, Yasushi Kobiki, Yuji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7592771
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for operating a two-phase rotary current controller. In order to optimize the operation of a two-phase rotary current controller, magnitudes of a parameter that can be varied in both controllable phases of a two-phase rotary current controller is matched in these phases. In particular, the existing principle of phase-symmetric control with a uniform ignition delay in both controlled outer conductors is abandoned, and a separate ignition delay is stipulated for each of the two controlled outer conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Andreas Fritsch, Gerd Griepentrog, Diethard Runggaldier
  • Publication number: 20090212728
    Abstract: An electric bike includes a wheel driving apparatus. The wheel driving apparatus includes an electric wheel drive motor which drives a wheel, a gap changer which changes a gap length in the wheel drive motor, and a motor control unit which controls the wheel drive motor and the gap changer. The motor control unit calculates a target gap length for the gap changing motor in the gap changer based on an accelerator opening-degree signal, a rotation speed, a q-axis electric-current command value, a power source voltage, and a voltage utilization rate. Then, a feedback control is provided to the gap changer based on a difference value between the target gap length and the actual gap-length. A good vehicle characteristic is obtained without being affected by individual variability or operating environment of the electric motor through efficient drive of the electric motor from a low-speed range through a high-speed range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2009
    Publication date: August 27, 2009
    Applicant: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroaki Yagi, Hideki Matsueda, Mikio Saitou
  • Patent number: 7557530
    Abstract: A system, method and article for detecting a polarity of a rotor in a motor and/or a generator. In one embodiment, a rotor polarity detection signal is applied and a response thereto is evaluated to determine whether an estimated position of the rotor is correct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc.
    Inventors: Tod R. Tesch, Roy I. Davis
  • Patent number: 7550941
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system of controlling a piston in a linear compressor, a method of controlling a piston in a linear compressor, as well as a linear compressor, particularly applicable to cooling systems that may include, for instance, refrigerators, air-conditioning systems and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Empresa Brasileira de Compressores S.A.- EMBRACO
    Inventors: Paulo Sérgio Dainez, Dietmar Erich Bernhard Lilie
  • Patent number: 7538514
    Abstract: A system and a method for controlling torque of a motor are provided. The method includes modifying a phase advance angle based on an identified phase coil that has a faulted condition, a type of fault condition, and a polarity of a commanded torque to obtain a desired output torque from a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Sayeed A. Mir
  • Patent number: 7511444
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus controls a motor that drives an output shaft through a rotation transmission system. The difference between a newly established output shaft target rotation angle and a detected output shaft rotation angle is obtained, a target rotation angle for the motor is derived based on that difference, and the motor is driven accordingly. When it is determined, based on the detected output shaft rotation angle, that motor rotation has at least proceeded to a point whereby backlash in the transmission system is nullified, the target motor rotation angle is updated based on the current value of the aforementioned difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Shigeru Kamio
  • Patent number: 7508155
    Abstract: A controller includes a first data acquiring portion for acquiring a time constant of a position control circuit based on a position command value to a drive source and an actual position value, during operation of a controlled object; a second data acquiring portion for acquiring a rigidity value for the controlled object and a workpiece based on a force data obtained when the controlled object is brought into contact with the workpiece; and an automatic gain calculating portion for calculating a force control gain of a force control circuit from the time constant of the position control circuit acquired by the first data acquiring portion and the rigidity value acquired by the second data acquiring portion, under conditions where a time constant of the force control circuit is larger than the time constant of the position control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Takashi Sato, Kokoro Hatanaka
  • Patent number: 7474070
    Abstract: A torque detection portion includes a first arm having a detection coil L1 and a resistor R1, and a second arm having a detection coil L2 and a resistor R2. When a test mode is set, a reference voltage Vref having an abnormal value is outputted to a monitoring portion 13. An abnormal condition is intentionally caused in the monitoring portion 13. A main torque signal Vtm is compared with a sub torque signal Vts in the monitoring portion 13. When the reference voltage Vref set in the monitoring portion 13 has the abnormal value, a sub torque signal Vts having a level of 0 (Vts=0) is forcibly outputted in a normal condition. Then the signal Vtm is equal to the signal Vts, the monitoring portion 13 determines that a shortcircuit occurs between a main torque signal line and a sub torque signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: NSK Ltd.
    Inventors: Yasushi Miyazawa, Keiji Sato
  • Publication number: 20090001914
    Abstract: An electric-motor-equipped vehicle of the present invention includes an electric motor which receives a power supply from a storage apparatus and drives the vehicle, or assists a driving of the vehicle by an internal combustion engine. The electric motor includes: an inner circumference side rotor and an outer circumference side rotor which are each provided with magnet pieces, and rotation axes of which are coaxially arranged; a stator which is arranged on an outer circumferential side or an inner circumferential side of the inner circumference side rotor and the outer circumference side rotor; and a phase modification device capable of modifying a relative phase between the inner circumference side rotor and the outer circumference side rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 1, 2009
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Atarashi, Hiroyuki Isegawa, Hiromitsu Sato, Masaaki Kaizuka, Shoei Abe