Frequency Or Pulsation Control Patents (Class 318/503)
  • Patent number: 11909344
    Abstract: A control device includes a processor configured to control operation of an inverter by a synchronous pulse width modulation control using a pulse width modulation signal. The inverter is coupled to a motor. The pulse width modulation signal is generated by comparison of a carrier signal and a voltage command. In the synchronous pulse width modulation control, on the condition that resonance is caused, in a circuit including the inverter, by a particular harmonic component out of harmonic components to be generated in accordance with the pulse width modulation signal, the processor is configured to change the number of pulses of the carrier signal in one cycle of the voltage command, from the main number of pulses to the sub-number of pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuma Shimojo
  • Patent number: 11843321
    Abstract: A control circuit for controlling a power supply circuit to provide power to a system device which includes a communication circuit includes: a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller configured to switch a transformer of the power supply circuit to generate a first output voltage; and a switched capacitor converter configured to generate a second output voltage according to the first output voltage. The second output voltage provides power to the communication circuit, wherein the communication circuit generates a power saving signal to control the PWM controller and the switched capacitor converter. When the power saving signal is enabled, the first output voltage is decreased and a duty ratio of the switched capacitor converter is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ta-Yung Yang, Wei-Hsu Chang, Yu-Chang Chen, Tsung-Wei Huang, Shui-Mu Lin
  • Patent number: 11799371
    Abstract: A power converter has a pair of series connected switches defining a phase leg, a pair of gate driver circuits that respectively provide power to gates of the series connected switches, a positive rail electrically connected with the phase leg, and a clamping circuit including a clamping switch. The clamping circuit, responsive to one of the gate driver circuits being de-energized, activates the clamping switch with energy from the positive rail to clamp a gate of one of the series connected switches associated with the one of the gate driver circuits to another terminal of the one of the series connected switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yantao Song, Baoming Ge, Lihua Chen, Fan Xu, Serdar Hakki Yonak
  • Patent number: 11750057
    Abstract: A method for controlling a permanent magnet (PM) synchronous motor in an ESP application is provided. A load angle of the PM motor is estimated. A voltage adjustment value is determined for the PM motor based at least on the estimated load angle of the PM motor. A voltage to be applied to the PM motor is determined based on the voltage adjustment value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventors: Goutham Selvaraj, Yao Duan, Yu Liu, Mark Rayner
  • Patent number: 11664703
    Abstract: A hand-held tool that includes a housing. The housing includes a handle. A tool also includes a motor assembly, a battery assembly and a circuit board. The motor assembly includes a motor, the motor including a rotatable motor output shaft, a motor positive terminal and a motor negative terminal. The motor assembly also includes a first rigid conductive electrical connector having a first end fixed to the motor positive terminal and a second end fixed to the circuit board. The battery assembly includes a battery cell with a battery cell positive terminal and a battery cell negative terminal. The battery assembly further includes a second rigid conductive electrical connector having a first end fixed to the battery cell positive terminal and a second end fixed to the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy W. French, Jr., Tyler Knight, David Proudlock, Graham Bone, Jonathan Priestley, Andrew Walker, Shaun Lovelass
  • Patent number: 11496084
    Abstract: A gate voltage control/gate resistance changing circuit (21) is accommodated in the same package (P1) as a switching element (11), and outputs a driving signal to the switching element (11) to control turning on and off of the switching element (11). When an external signal is input from outside of the package (P1) to a terminal (3c) of the package (P1), a changing unit (221) accommodated in the package (P1) changes the switching speed of the switching element (11) based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: DAIKIN INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuya Tsubouchi, Masaki Kono
  • Patent number: 11374526
    Abstract: The present disclosure is related to ensuring a period for detecting a phase current from a DC bus current of an inverter. A motor control circuit of the present disclosure includes: a voltage command generator and a PWM signal generator. The voltage command generator detects a phase current from a DC bus current of an inverter driving an AC motor, and generating three-phase voltage commands. The PWM signal generator generates three-phase PWM signals to the inverter according to a comparison result of the three-phase voltage commands and a triangular wave signal with a predetermined frequency and outputs the three-phase PWM signals to the inverter. The PWM signal generator corrects a maximum or minimum voltage command by synchronizing the maximum or minimum voltage command with an intermediate command in a first period of multiple consecutive PWM periods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Esumi
  • Patent number: 11358476
    Abstract: A drive device includes a motor, an inverter, an electric power storage device, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to generate a first pulse width modulation (PWM) signal of the switching elements by comparison of a voltage command of each phase according to a torque command of the motor and a carrier wave voltage, as a first PWM control. The electronic control unit is configured to generate a second PWM signal of the switching elements based on a modulation factor and a voltage phase of a voltage according to the torque command and a pulse count per unit cycle of an electric angle of the motor, as a second pulse width modulation control. The electronic control unit is configured to limit execution of the second PWM control when high controllability of the motor is requested rather than when the high controllability is not requested.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Matsubara, Kenji Yamada, Toshihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11325478
    Abstract: A control apparatus controls an inverter which outputs electric power to an electric motor. The control apparatus calculates a magnitude of a drive current at a one-pulse control time based on an electric motor drive torque, a rotation number of the electric motor, and a DC voltage of the electric motor and thereby determines which one of a one-pulse control and a pulse-width modulation control is employed as a control method of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 11316448
    Abstract: The systems and methods disclosed relate to arc resistant medium voltage motor control centers for bypass and synch transfer. A drive control system comprising: a variable frequency drive cabinet comprising a variable frequency drive; a power supply line; at least one motor control cabinet having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the at least one motor control cabinet is arc resistant, wherein the at least one motor control cabinet comprises: a medium voltage fused bypass controller in the top portion; a medium voltage non-fused transfer controller in the bottom portion; a reactor compartment, wherein the reactor compartment is arc resistant; wherein the variable frequency drive is coupled to the power supply line and the non-fused transfer controller, and the fused bypass controller is coupled to the power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventors: John Kleinecke, Walter Campos
  • Patent number: 11264935
    Abstract: A variable speed drive comprises an output for delivering a drive voltage to an electric motor, power inverter, a drive controller, and a current sensor. The drive controller includes a PWM generator, a control law module, and a state variable estimator for estimating a state variable of the electric motor. The module computes a target voltage signal based on state variable estimates provided by the estimator and outputs the target voltage signal to the PWM generator. The generator approximates the target voltage signal with a PWM control signal, controls the inverter using the control signal, computes, based on the deviation between the control signal and the target voltage signal, an estimation support signal, and outputs the estimation support signal to the estimator. The estimator estimates a state variable of the motor based on the estimation support signal and the drive current, and outputs the estimate to the module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Schneider Toshiba Inverter Europe SAS
    Inventors: Pascal Combes, Dilshad Surroop, Philippe Martin, Pierre Rouchon
  • Patent number: 11205980
    Abstract: A motor driving control device has a motor driving unit configured to supply a current to coils of a motor, and a control unit configured to control an operation of the motor driving unit in a vector control mode. The control unit includes a state signal output unit configured to output a pulse signal indicating a predetermined value corresponding to a state of the motor or a control state of the control unit among values generated in a process of calculation processing in the vector control mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Shuhei Nishi, Tomohiro Inoue
  • Patent number: 11183843
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing one or more loads powered by an alternating current power source in order to prevent and mitigate overloads and other abnormal conditions of the power source. The management includes monitoring the amount of power supplied to one or more or all loads by the power source and selectively connecting, disconnecting, limiting and controlling various loads which are powered thereby. The method and apparatus include conveying information by use of AC frequency to controllable loads and load control devices, the frequency relating to the amount of power being supplied by the power source, overloading and other power source conditions. The amount of power consumed by the loads is controllable by the loads and load control devices in response to the frequency of the AC power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Inventor: J. Carl Cooper
  • Patent number: 11156206
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for applying a pitch motor braking torque to a rotor blade. Accordingly, of the pitch control system from a 1st operational mode to an emergency operational mode is initiated. The pitch motor of the pitch control system having an absence of supply current during the transition. A short-circuit is established across the Armature of the pitch motor so as to establish a current flow. The current is generated by the pitch motor in response to rotation of the rotor blade about the pitch axis when the pitch motor has the absence of supply current. In response to the current flow being generated, generating a braking torque in a single direction with the pitch motor so as to allow the rotor blade to move freely to a lesser loaded orientation relative to an original orientation to protect the wind turbine from damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Melius, Michael Lawton Rodin, Fernando Arturo Ramirez Sanchez
  • Patent number: 11070124
    Abstract: A power conversion device in one embodiment includes power conversion circuitry having a plurality of converter cells connected in series to each other. Each converter cell includes an energy storage device and is configured to be capable of discharging stored energy. A control device is configured to generate a control command for controlling operation of each converter cell. A protection device is configured to generate a protection command for instructing whether to cause each converter cell to operate based on the control command or to stop operation of each converter cell regardless of the control command. A repeating device is configured to generate a control-and-protection command that is a combination of control information based on the control command and protection information based on the protection command, and output the generated control-and-protection command to each converter cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keisuke Ishida
  • Patent number: 11031898
    Abstract: A power converter control device performs PWM control for power converters which respectively supply power to a plurality of winding groups of a multiplex-winding electric motor including the plurality of winding groups, the power converter control device including a PWM control unit which performs control while selectively switching among an asynchronous PWM control mode using a carrier not synchronized with voltage commands for respective winding groups and both or one of a first synchronous PWM control mode in which voltage commands for respective winding groups are subjected to PWM control using a carrier synchronized with a voltage command for a specific winding group, and a second synchronous PWM control mode in which voltage commands for respective winding groups are subjected to PWM control using respective carriers synchronized with the respective voltage commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mitsuru Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 11018546
    Abstract: The systems and methods disclosed relate to arc resistant medium voltage motor control centers. A drive control system comprises a variable frequency drive cabinet comprising a variable frequency drive; a power supply line; and at least one motor control cabinet having a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the at least one motor control cabinet comprises: a medium voltage fused bypass controller in the bottom portion; a medium voltage non-fused transfer controller in the top portion; a first door disposed within the bottom portion; a second door disposed within the top portion; and an air vent, wherein the air vent is disposed in the first door, wherein the first door, the second door, and the air vent are arc resistant; wherein the variable frequency drive is coupled to the power supply line and the non-fused transfer controller and the fused bypass controller is coupled to the power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Toshiba International Corporation
    Inventors: Walter Campos, Enrique Martinez
  • Patent number: 10855202
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose an inverter circuit, an inverter, and a control method and apparatus of an inverter circuit, which are used to solve the problem of direct connection of bridge arms of an inverter circuit. The inverter circuit comprises an inverter module and a filter module that are sequentially connected, wherein the inverter module comprises: a first bridge arm, comprising a first switch tube, a first inductor, a second inductor and a second switch tube that are sequentially connected in series; a second bridge arm, comprising a third switch tube and a first diode that are connected in series; a third bridge arm, comprising a fourth switch tube and a second diode that are connected in series; a first freewheeling branch; and a second freewheeling branch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Vertiv Corporation
    Inventors: Peng Chen, Yang Bing
  • Patent number: 10848088
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a first circuit that determines a d-axis 0th-order current and a q-axis 0th-order current, a second circuit that determines a d-axis 6th-order harmonic current and a q-axis 6th-order harmonic current according to a position of the rotor, and a third circuit that determines, respectively, a value obtained by superposing the d-axis 6th-order harmonic current on the d-axis 0th-order current and a value obtained by superposing the q-axis 6th-order harmonic current on the q-axis 0th-order current as a d-axis current command value and a q-axis current command value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanori Watahiki, Tomonari Mori, Tomoya Ueda
  • Patent number: 10848084
    Abstract: An electrical switch unit for use with an electrical device to control operation of a DC motor of the electrical device, the electrical switch unit comprising: a housing which houses a pair of electrical switching contacts, and, an actuator operably connected with at least one of the pair of electrical switching contacts, the actuator being configured for movement relative to the pair of electrical switching contacts so as to arrange the pair of electrical switching contacts into at least one of a closed configuration wherein power is able to be supplied from the DC power source to the DC motor via the pair of electrical switching contacts, and, an opened configuration wherein power is not able to be supplied from the DC power source to the DC motor via the pair of electrical switching contacts; a signaling module associated with the electrical switch unit comprising signaling circuitry for sensing the movement of the actuator and outputting a signaling module signal indicative of the sensed movement or posit
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignees: Defond Electech Co., Ltd., Defond Components Limited
    Inventors: Cheng Chen Nieh, Wai Man Wong, Ming Leong Kong, Pat On Kwok
  • Patent number: 10727766
    Abstract: A rotation speed calculation device of a brushless motor includes: a current acquisition unit that acquires magnitude of current flowing through a coil of the brushless motor; a supply voltage acquisition unit that acquires supply voltage supplied to the brushless motor; and a calculation unit that calculates rotation speed of the brushless motor based on the magnitude of the current acquired by the current acquisition unit, the supply voltage acquired by the supply voltage acquisition unit, and a voltage equation calculating the rotation speed based on the magnitude of the current and the supply voltage. The voltage equation is an equation in which a member expressing a voltage drop due to inductance of a winding of the coil of the brushless motor is expressed by a product of a factor proportional to the current and a factor proportional to the rotation speed of the brushless motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: MABUCHI MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shumpei Fujii
  • Patent number: 10707799
    Abstract: In order to reduce the number of current detectors detecting phase current in a power converting device that controls a power converter connected to a motor, thereby achieving a size reduction, the power converting device includes a current detector that detects, of winding groups of multi-phase windings, a total value of values of current flowing into a first switching element connected to a first phase of a first winding group and a second switching element connected to a second phase of a second winding group, and calculates a current value of another phase from current detected by the current detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Mitsuru Ishizuka
  • Patent number: 10664554
    Abstract: A measurement apparatus is used in cooperation with another equivalent measurement apparatus. Each measurement apparatus includes a change amount calculator for calculating a change amount of measured values, an average value generator for generating a first internal average value based on the change amount, and a communication unit for receiving a second internal average value that was generated by at least one other measurement apparatus. The average value generator generates a third internal average value, using a computation result based on at least the first and second internal average values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: DAIHEN Corporation
    Inventors: Akihiro Ohori, Nobuyuki Hattori
  • Patent number: 10651760
    Abstract: For a power supply with a reduced number of semiconductor devices, a phase shifting transformer receives a three-phase primary voltage and steps the three-phase primary voltage one of up and down to a secondary voltage with a plurality of secondary winding sets. There is phase shifting between different secondary winding sets. A plurality of power cell sets each comprise a plurality of power cells cascaded connected, and each power cell receives one of a single phase and a three-phase voltage of a distinct secondary winding set of the phase shifting transformer. Each power cell comprises no more than eight power semiconductor devices organized as a rectifier and an inverter. Each power semiconductor device is one of a diode and an active switch. Each power cell set generates one phase of a three-phase alternating current output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc
    Inventors: Zhong Y. Cheng, Navid R. Zargari, Ye Zhang
  • Patent number: 10622885
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling an inverter to prevent an unnecessary fan trip. The method includes: receiving a fan current; when the fan current is above a high trip level or is below a low trip level, incrementing an error count; when the error count reaches an error count maximum value, incrementing a trip count and initializing the error count; and when the trip count reaches a trip count maximum value, generating a fan trip signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tae-Suk Bae, Deok-Young Lim, Hu-Jin Lee, Chun-Suk Yang
  • Patent number: 10447181
    Abstract: Motor controller of the present invention is used in an automobile including wheel drive motor, wheel drive inverter, and cooling fan being an accessory. Wheel drive inverter drives wheel drive motor by PWM control at a primary carrier frequency. Cooling fan has fan motor being an accessory drive motor. Motor controller includes accessory drive inverter and frequency switch. Accessory drive inverter drives fan motor by PWM control at a secondary carrier frequency. Frequency switch switches a frequency of the secondary carrier frequency based on the primary carrier frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mineaki Isoda, Masahito Hidaka, Koji Kuyama
  • Patent number: 10193432
    Abstract: A method for data transfer of an electric device configuration, the electric device configuration comprising a plurality of converter devices including a first converter device and a second converter device, each of the converter devices comprising a first converter unit having a first power connection and a second power connection, the first power connection arranged to supply direct current power to the first converter unit and the second power connection arranged to supply electric power from the first converter unit, and the first power connections of the first converter units being electrically connected to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: ABB Technology Oy
    Inventors: Petri Maksimainen, Matti Veijanen, Jussi Rantanen
  • Patent number: 10148166
    Abstract: A power converter includes a control unit that generates a modulated wave synchronized with an output voltage command and a carrier wave having a frequency higher than a frequency of the modulated wave, the control unit controlling the power converter by comparing the modulated wave and the carrier wave to output a switching signal for driving a switching element. When a modulation factor in converting DC power into AC power is equal to or higher than a mode switching modulation factor and is lower than ?/4, the power converter converts the DC power into the AC power in an over-modulation mode, in which switching of the switching element is stopped for a period longer than one cycle of the carrier wave, in a first period in which an output voltage command is positive and timing of a positive peak value of the output voltage command is included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshinori Yamashita, Sho Kato, Hisanori Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 10135378
    Abstract: The present invention provides a V/F control method for an induction motor comprising: extracting a reactive current and an active current and performing a differential calculation on them respectively to obtain a differential of the reactive current and a differential of the active current; multiplying the differential of the reactive current and the differential of the active current by a first coefficient and a second coefficient respectively; obtaining the sum of the result of multiplying the differential of the reactive current by the first coefficient and the result of multiplying the differential of the active current by the second coefficient; applying low-pass filtering on the sum to obtain a compensation; and superposing the compensation onto an original given angular frequency to perform V/F control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Lee, Dawei Li, Anbo Yu
  • Patent number: 10075097
    Abstract: To generate a PWM signal, as an on/off signal of a semiconductor switch that constitutes a power conversion main circuit, by comparing a modulation wave command based on an input voltage waveform command of the power conversion main circuit with a carrier wave having changes from a lower limit to an upper limit and from the upper limit to the lower limit for an integral number of times per one cycle of an AC power supply, where the carrier wave has characteristics such that one change time from the lower limit to the upper limit and then returning to the lower limit is constant, and a time ratio between a change time from the lower limit to the upper limit and a change time from the upper limit to the lower limit changes periodically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kotaro Matsuda, Hisanori Yamasaki
  • Patent number: 10050546
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling an LLC converter is provided. The apparatus includes a current controller that determines a first switching frequency control value of a switching element in the LLC converter to cause an output current detection value of the LLC converter to correspond to a predetermined output current command value. Additionally, a feedforward controller determines a second switching frequency control value for operating the switching element by applying a feedforward control value that corresponds to a ripple component included in an input voltage of the LLC converter to the first switching frequency control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Gyu Tae Choi, Hyun Wook Seong, Hyung Bin Ihm, Gi Bong Son, Hui Sung Jang
  • Patent number: 10003188
    Abstract: In an active converter that is connected to an electric machine, in which arresting circuits for activating a voltage arrest beginning at a first point in time are provided, and which is also configured for activating a load shedding reaction only when activation conditions are fulfilled beginning at a second point in time, the activation conditions include determining that the voltage arrest is still activated at the second point in time, that a voltage potential has not yet fallen below the first threshold value, and/or that a value that indicates a current flowing through at least one phase connection is above a third threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SEG Automotive Germany GmbH
    Inventor: Paul Mehringer
  • Patent number: 9933695
    Abstract: A position detection device includes: a sensor that includes a light emission unit and a light reception unit receiving light emitted from the light emission unit; a driving unit; a gear (transmission gear) that is disposed at a position facing the sensor and is rotated by power from the driving unit; and a control unit that drives the driving unit based on an amount of light received by the light reception unit and detected by the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hirofumi Okubo, Kazunori Maeta, Akira Nemura
  • Patent number: 9831760
    Abstract: An electrical converter is interconnected via a filter with an electrical load or an electrical power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Peter Al-Hokayem, Tobias Geyer, Nikolaos Oikonomou
  • Patent number: 9712096
    Abstract: This invention is concerning obtaining a control apparatus and a control method for an AC rotary machine, with which a voltage command can be used up to a saturation voltage in each group of windings even when dimension differences exist between the groups of windings. A voltage saturation determination unit determines whether or not voltage saturation has occurred in a first winding group or a second winding group on the basis of at least one of a voltage and a current relating to the first winding group and the second winding group, and when determination is made that voltage saturation has occurred in either the first winding group or the second winding group, generates a voltage saturation determination signal for reducing a gain of at least one axial direction component on a rotational two-axis coordinate system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Furukawa, Isao Kezobo, Tatsuya Mori
  • Patent number: 9705444
    Abstract: A device for controlling an electric motor is provided. The device includes: an inverter supplying a current to an electric motor; a current sensor sensing a current supplied from the inverter to the electric motor; and a control unit enabling the current to be supplied from the inverter to the electric motor, obtaining first and second offset values sensed from the current sensor at a plurality of times, comparing the plurality of offset values obtained, and updating the first offset value to the second offset value according to a result of comparing the offset values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Gi Young Choi
  • Patent number: 9680407
    Abstract: An electric motor control device drives a power converter (30) by two-phase modulation drive based on calculation of a driving method setting and element loss calculation section (16) when an electric motor (4) is equal to or less than a predetermined rotational speed; and switches switching signals from a switching signal generation section (14) to switch a switching operation of the switching elements when a loss integrated value of a first switching element with a large switching loss or a second switching element exceeds a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohisa Shoda, Yasufumi Ogawa, Yoshimasa Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9562940
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for monitoring a half bridge branch (38) in a half bridge (32), said half bridge branch (38) being connected in series with another half bridge branch (36) in the half bridge (32) via a center tap (30), including the steps of: —applying an electric supply potential (24) opposite the center tap (30) at the other half bridge branch (36) to the center tap (30) according to a predefined time curve (50); and —monitoring the half bridge branch (38) on the basis of a comparison (70) of the predefined time curve (50) and an electrical output potential (52) at the center tap (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Fischer, Matthias Jacob, Georg Schulze-Icking-Konert
  • Patent number: 9520809
    Abstract: A rotary electric machine driving device including: an inverter that is electrically interposed between a direct-current power supply and the rotary electric machine, and converts electric power between a direct current and an alternating current; a smoothing capacitor that is electrically interposed between the direct-current power supply and the inverter, and is connected between a positive pole and a negative pole on a direct-current side of the inverter; an inverter control unit that controls switching of a switching element of the inverter according to a predetermined switching frequency; and an inductance control unit that switches a direct-current side inductance between a positive pole of the direct-current power supply and a positive pole of the smoothing capacitor, according to the switching frequency, between a predefined standard inductance and a high inductance that is higher than the standard inductance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Hirohisa Totani
  • Patent number: 9346487
    Abstract: The apparatus herein provided includes a plurality of systems including driving circuits (20a, 20b) for driving motor coils (3a, 3b) corresponding thereto, and a control unit (10) for controlling control values of the driving circuits (20a, 20b), wherein, when a fault occurs in at least one of the plurality of systems including the motor coils (3a, 3b), the control unit (10) decreases a control value of a system(s) in which the fault occurs from an ordinary time control value or stops the drive by the system(s) in which the fault occurs, and also increases a control value of another system(s) in which the fault does not occur to more than an ordinary time control value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kimpara, Akihiko Mori, Masaki Matsushita, Jiro Okada
  • Patent number: 9314900
    Abstract: A handheld grinder comprising a housing; a grinding disk; a motor; an output shaft connected to the grinding disk and the motor to impart rotary motion thereto; and a circuit board residing in the housing and having thereon a rectifier that receives an alternating current and converts the alternating current to a direct current, a switching arrangement having a plurality of motor switches connected electrically between the rectifier and the motor and operates to deliver the direct current from the rectifier to the motor, a capacitor connected electrically between the rectifier and the switching arrangement, wherein the capacitor is coupled in parallel across the rectifier, a driver circuit interfaced with the motor switches and operable to control switching operation of the motor switches, and a power switch connected electrically between the rectifier and the driver circuit and operable to selectively energize the driver circuit and power on the grinder disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: John C. Vanko, Michael K. Forster, Matthew J. Velderman, John Howson
  • Patent number: 9154009
    Abstract: A control unit for controlling commutation of a brushless direct current (BLDC) motor provided. The control unit controls high-side and low-side switches arranged between a power source and the motor and configured as a three-phase bridge to commutate the motor. The control unit is configured to provide drive signals to drive each of the high-side and low-side switches to control, for each phase of the bridge, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) of one of the high-side or low-side switches. For each phase of the bridge, immediately following a first cycle ending with a falling edge of the drive signal for one of the high-side or low-side switches, the control unit introduces a special commutation edge pulse in the drive signal of the other of the high-side or low-side switches to shunt the current from the motor before turning both the high-side and the low-side switches off during a second cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Redeat G. Alemu
  • Patent number: 9071185
    Abstract: There are provided a constant voltage circuit that outputs a stable constant voltage for an analog electronic clock, and an analog electronic clock featuring low current consumption and prolonged battery life. The constant voltage circuit has a first voltage holding circuit connected between the gate of an output transistor and an output terminal and a second voltage holding circuit connected between the gate of the output transistor and a ground terminal, and carries out control such that the second voltage holding circuit is enabled when the motor is operated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventors: Kotaro Watanabe, Makoto Mitani
  • Publication number: 20150145462
    Abstract: Parallel converter current imbalance control apparatus and methods in which individual converter AC currents are measured for each phase, and the AC voltage control modulation indices associated with the converters having the highest and lowest AC currents for a given phase are adjusted to counteract current imbalance between the converters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James A. Ulrich, Lixiang Wei, Jerome D. Rabe, Joseph D. Riley
  • Publication number: 20150145463
    Abstract: A filter for reducing radiated emissions in switching power converters such as a motor drive is disclosed. The switching power converter modulates a DC voltage input to generate a desired AC voltage output. Capacitors are connected in parallel between each output phase and a common connection, which may be a ground connection. The magnitude and layout of the capacitors are selected to minimize current conducted by the capacitors. The capacitors may be surface mount technology located proximate to the switching devices or the capacitors may be incorporated in the circuit board on which the switching devices are mounted. The filter may be applied to any of the switching elements in a motor drive, such as the inverter section, an active rectifier section, or a switched mode power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2015
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Zoran Vrankovic, Craig Winterhalter, Gary Skibinski
  • Publication number: 20150145456
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a control system for an electric motor, wherein an operating mode with predetermined value assignments is selected for a parameter set for controlling an electric motor and the pulse frequency of a control signal for the electric motor is set in accordance with the selected operating mode in order thereby to signal to the electric motor the selected value assignments for the parameter set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Christian Jelenowski, Martin Wucherer
  • Patent number: 9041333
    Abstract: There are provided a motor driving control apparatus, a motor driving control method, and a motor using the same. The motor driving control apparatus includes a controller, a duty ratio calculation unit, and a driving signal generation unit. The controller generates a speed control signal by using at least one of a speed signal of a motor device and a speed command signal input from the outside. The duty ratio calculation unit calculates a duty ratio of the speed control signal. The driving signal generation unit generates a driving control signal for controlling driving of the motor device by using the duty ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joo Yul Ko
  • Patent number: 9030146
    Abstract: A digital filter is configured to convert, into a digital value, the duty ratio of a control signal subjected to pulse width modulation according to a target toque to be set for a fan motor to be driven. A sampling circuit is configured to perform sampling of the output value of the digital filter at a sampling timing that is asynchronous with respect to the cycle of the control signal, so as to generate a torque instruction value. A driving circuit is configured to drive the fan motor according to the torque instruction value thus generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiya Suzuki, Shinsuke Sano
  • Publication number: 20150121929
    Abstract: A motor incorporating a power converter including a printed board on which a semiconductor module (an inverter IC), which converts a voltage of an external power supply into a high-frequency voltage and supplies the high-frequency voltage to a stator, is mounted, wherein a high-voltage circuit ground, which is a power ground of a high-voltage main circuit system of the inverter IC, and a low-voltage circuit ground, which is a ground of a control circuit system, which is a low-voltage circuit, of the semiconductor module, are provided on the board, and the high-voltage circuit ground and the low-voltage circuit ground are connected at one point via a resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Michio Yamada, Yosuke Shinomoto, Hiroki Aso, Hiroyuki Ishii, Junichiro Oya
  • Patent number: 9024563
    Abstract: A pitch drive circuit that operates in an emergency mode, for a wind or water power plant. The circuit has at least one rectifier unit, at least one DC intermediate circuit, two inverter units and a pitch rotary current motor with motor trains that can be contacted on both sides. A first contact side of the motor trains is connected to a first inverter unit and a second contact side of the motor trains is connected to a second inverter unit. At least one switching element is connected to at least one contact side of the motor trains. In a normal operating mode of a first switching state of the switching element the motor trains can be energized via both inverter units, and in an emergency operating mode of a second switching state of the switching element, the motor trains can be energized via a single inverter unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: LTi REEnergy GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Bünte, Harald Wertz, Christian Kleinen, Harry Gill