"redundant" Operating Channels Patents (Class 318/564)
  • Patent number: 11866154
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an actuator for a control surface of an aircraft includes a processing unit configured for acquiring a set of N values of the same parameter, N being equal to 2×p or to 2×p+1, p being an integer greater than or equal to 2, and determining a voted value of the parameter by a voter (15) with N inputs. The voter with N inputs includes a module for determining two intermediate values from among the values of a subset of 2×p values of the set of N values of the parameter, this module including at least p+1 voters with 2×p?1 inputs, receiving as input distinct subsets of 2×p?1 inputs of the subset of 2×p inputs, two sub-modules for determining a maximum value and a minimum value, respectively, each receiving as input the outputs of the various voters with 2×p?1 inputs and delivering as output the two intermediate values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Operations (S.A.S.)
    Inventors: Philippe Goupil, Hervé Le Berre
  • Patent number: 11821928
    Abstract: A charging apparatus includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a switch unit, a control unit, and a communication unit. The switch unit is turned on or turned off to control whether the first terminal is coupled to the second terminal. The control unit sets a first time from the switch unit receiving a control signal to the switch unit actually being turned on or turned off. The control unit and the electric vehicle mutually transmit a communication signal through the communication unit. The control unit calculates a second time when the current reaches to a zero point based on an abnormal state indicated by the communication signal, and calculates a third time when the switch unit operates at the zero point based on the first time and the second time, and provides the control signal to turn off the switch unit at the third time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventors: Bo-Song Lin, Yu-Ming Hsu
  • Patent number: 11794918
    Abstract: A method of operating an actuator system (1) having a number k, k?, of actuators (2), in particular individual propulsion units of an MAV-VTOL aircraft (10), in particular electrically powered actuators, wherein a desired control command up?m, m?, for controlling the actuator system (1) is allocated to real actuator commands u?k, k?, by using a weighted allocation matrix D (W), from an equation u=D?1(W)up, wherein D?1(W) is an inverse of the weighted allocation matrix, and the real actuator commands u are applied for controlling the actuators (2). The method includes determining a characterizing value u* from the real actuator commands u; determining, at least for some of the actuators (2), preferably for all of the actuators (2), a deviation ei, i=1, 2, . . . , k of a respective actuator command ui, i=1, 2, . . . , k from said characterizing value u*; determining, at least for some of the actuators (2), preferably for all of the actuators (2), a weight wi, i=1, 2, . . .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Volocopter GmbH
    Inventors: Burak Yuksel, Ulrich Schaferlein, Tobias Vermeulen, Johannes Stephan
  • Patent number: 11748183
    Abstract: A flight control computer (FCC) has an index calculation component (ICC) configured to compare a reasonableness of at least a first value of a variable and a second value of the variable. A method of operating a flight control computer (FCC) includes providing an index calculation component (ICC) configured to compare a reasonableness of at least a first value of a variable and a second value of the variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Logies
  • Patent number: 11705850
    Abstract: A rotating electrical machine control system that controls an alternating-current rotating electrical machine having two coil sets of an N phase arranged on the same stator core includes a first inverter, a second inverter, and an inverter control device that individually controls the two inverters such that currents of different phases flow through the two coil sets. The inverter control device stops the second inverter and performs switching control of the first inverter to convert electric power between a direct current and an alternating current of an N phase, or performs switching control of the two inverters to convert electric power between a direct current and alternating currents of 2N phases. Switching devices included in the first inverter have a shorter transition time between an off state and an on state and smaller switching loss than switching devices included in the second inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Subrata Saha, Isao Fujiwara
  • Patent number: 11632111
    Abstract: A control system is provides that includes a logic gate generating an output state signal, and first and second redundant controllers, wherein the first controller is configured to output a first state signal to a first input of the logic gate, and the second controller is configured to output a second state signal to a second input of the logic gate, and wherein the first controller is configured to receive an impedance isolated feedback signal corresponding to the second state signal from the second controller, and the second controller is configured to receive an impedance isolated feedback signal corresponding to the first state signal from the first controller, so that each controller can determine whether both inputs to the logic gate match one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: John A. Dickey
  • Patent number: 11611292
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a power conversion device including a plurality of inverter circuits connected in parallel to a load, the power conversion device being capable of performing control with a smaller number of microcomputers, having high reliability, and being advantageous for miniaturization and cost reduction. Provided are: a plurality of inverter circuits connected in parallel to a load; a microcomputer which controls the plurality of inverter circuits; a plurality of signal selection units which select a drive signal of each of the plurality of inverter circuits; and a first transmission path and a second transmission path which are connected in parallel between the microcomputer and the plurality of signal selection units and transmit the drive signal of each of the plurality of inverter circuits from the microcomputer to each of the plurality of signal selection units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
    Inventors: Shigehisa Aoyagi, Toshiyuki Ajima, Kotaro Shiino
  • Patent number: 11539322
    Abstract: An electric motor system implements a redundant wye-wounded motor that includes first phase leads, second phase leads, first neutral leads, and second neutral leads. The first and second phase leads receive alternating current (AC) power from a power supply. A first phase-lead switch selectively connects the first phase leads to the power supply, and a second phase-lead switch selectively connects the second phase leads to the power supply. A first neutral-lead switch selectively connects the first neutral leads to the redundant wye-wounded motor, and a second neutral-lead switch selectively connects the second neutral leads to the redundant wye-wounded motor. A controller detects a circuit fault among a plurality of different types of circuit faults, and controls the operation of one or both of the primary neutral-lead switch and the second neutral-lead switch based on the circuit fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Kenneth Coldwate, Andreas C. Koenig
  • Patent number: 11472473
    Abstract: A motor control device is provided with a plurality of power converters and a plurality of microcomputers, and controls driving of a motor that has a plurality of sets of windings. The microcomputers perform initial check of components in respective circuits after activation. The microcomputers prohibit driving of the motor by a circuit determined to be abnormal during the initial inspection. When two or more circuits are determined to be normal in the initial check, the microcomputers start driving of the motor by synchronizing the timing between the two or more circuits determined to be normal. When only one circuit is determined to be normal in the initial check, the microcomputers start driving of the motor by the one circuit determined to be normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koichi Nakamura, Nobuyori Nakajima, Masaya Taki
  • Patent number: 11124226
    Abstract: There are provided two sets of control units for driving an electric motor having two sets of independent windings; a power source is supplied through a single power-source connector; a conductive member connected with a terminal of the power-source connector branches into at least two portions in the vicinity of the power-source connector; two sets of power source relays, filters, and inverter circuits are arranged symmetrically with respect to the power-source connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tomohiko Nagashima, Akihiko Mori
  • Patent number: 10992246
    Abstract: To provide a controller for an AC rotary machine capable of performing on/off control of the switching device of the set which does not fail, by considering the state of the AC rotary machine related to the windings of the failed set. A controller for an AC rotary machine, about a set in which the switching device failed, stops dq-axis current control, and turns on, in the case of the short circuit failure, and turns off, in the case of the open circuit failure, at least the respective phase switching devices of the positive electrode side or the negative electrode side which is the same side as the failed switching device; and about a set which does not fail, continues dq-axis current control and changes the current component of the d-axis according to the state of the AC rotary machine related to the windings of the failed set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshimasa Nishijima, Keiichi Enoki, Masutaka Watanabe, Yasukazu Murata, Shingo Harada
  • Patent number: 10651779
    Abstract: In this electric linear motion actuator, a linear motion mechanism and an electric motor are arranged in line along the same axis, which is an axis of a rotation input/output shaft of the linear motion mechanism. The electric motor includes a stator and a rotor which are arranged such that the directions of magnetic poles thereof for generating interlinkage magnetic flux contributing to a torque are parallel to a rotation shaft of a motor. The rotor has torque generating surfaces at both faces in the axial direction thereof. The stator has first and second excitation mechanisms arranged on both sides in the axial direction of the rotor. The first and second excitation mechanisms have independent first and second system coil groups. A power supply system for independently supplying power to the first and second system coil groups is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: NTN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yui Masuda
  • Patent number: 10314758
    Abstract: Systems and processes of controlling a function of a person support apparatus are provided. An example system includes a person support apparatus adapted to support a patient. The person support apparatus comprising a controller adapted to communicatively couple with at least one removable component of the person support apparatus. The controller is adapted to determine the absence or presence of the at least one removable component. In response to the determination, the controller is further adapted to disable at least one movement of the person support apparatus in response to a determination that the at least one removable component is not present or enable the at least one movement in response to a determination that the at least one removable component is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Allen Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip B. Dolliver, Alexander Rojas, Michael Pierce
  • Patent number: 10298165
    Abstract: A rotary electric machine system includes a rotary electric machine, first and second power-supply systems, a sensor, a first abnormality determination section determining whether an abnormality has occurred in a first armature-winding group, the first power-supply system, or the sensor, a second abnormality determination section that, on condition an abnormality has been determined, controls power output depending on a type of the abnormality, increases current flowing from the second power-supply system to a second armature-winding group when output torque due to current flowing to the first armature-winding group decreases, to increase output torque due to the current flowing to the second armature-winding group, and determines whether an abnormality has occurred in one of the first armature-winding group, the first power-supply system, and the sensor, and a prohibition section that, on condition that an abnormality has been determined, prohibits power supply from the first power-supply system to the first
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Suzuki, Yoshitaka Hayashi
  • Patent number: 10208620
    Abstract: The invention relates to an overspeed protection device of an aircraft engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignees: SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE, SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES
    Inventors: Michael Montoya, Nicolas Marti, Stephen Langford, Rafael Samson
  • Patent number: 10133254
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling a valve increases the availability of a control valve assembly used in a control process. A pair of positioners are arranged in a high-availability configuration and individually coupled to a controller. A first positioner includes an output coupled to a switch and a second positioner includes an output coupled to the switch. The operating state of the first positioner is monitored and the output of the first or second positioner allowed to pass through the switch to the control valve is dependent upon the operating status of the first positioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: FISHER CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL LLC
    Inventor: Nicolas Menet
  • Patent number: 9952578
    Abstract: In a method for actuating at least one actuator, two control units and a selection logic are provided, and each of the control units is designed to influence the actuator. Each of the control units performs a self-diagnosis, and each of the control units generates at least one activating signal as a function of the self-diagnosis. The activating signal indicates which of the control units is to be activated. The selection logic activates one of the two control units for influencing the actuator as a function of the activating signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Wilfried Feuchter, Andreas Heyl
  • Patent number: 9762218
    Abstract: An amplifying circuit according to an embodiment includes an input terminal, an output terminal, first and second operational amplifiers, first and second input impedance elements, first to third feedback impedance elements, and an adder. The first (second) operational amplifier includes an inversion input terminal connected to a first (third) node and an output terminal connected to a second (fourth) node. The first (second) input impedance element has one end connected to the input terminal and the other end connected to the first (third) node. The first (second) feedback impedance element has one end connected to the first (third) node and the other end connected to the second (fourth) node. The third feedback impedance element has one end connected to the first node and the other end connected to the fourth node. The adder adds output voltages of the first and second operational amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Junya Matsuno, Masanori Furuta, Tetsuro Itakura
  • Patent number: 9562605
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus controls a rotation of a motor based on a resolver signal that is output from a resolver and is in synchronization with a rotation angle of the motor. The motor control apparatus includes a control hardware block configured to correct the resolver signal; and a memory installed outside the control hardware block and configured to store error data of the resolver signal. The control hardware block includes an access part configured to read corresponding error data corresponding to a predetermined resolver rotation angle at which the resolver signal will be detected in the future from among the error data stored by the memory, a memory area configured to store the corresponding error data that is read by the access part, and a correction part configured to correct the detected resolver signal based on the corresponding error data stored in the data area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eiichiro Shigehara
  • Patent number: 9269204
    Abstract: A vehicle fault determination device includes a relay, a vehicle configuration circuit, and a control section. The relay is connected to a power source. The vehicle configuration circuit is supplied with power from the power source via the relay. The control section determines whether the relay is faulty while controlling the relay and the vehicle configuration circuit. The control section includes first and second ports. The first port outputs a control signal to a coil portion of the relay. The second port is connected to a contact portion of the relay via the vehicle configuration circuit. The second port serves as an input port when the fault determination is made and as an operation port when the vehicle configuration circuit is controlled. Thus, the number of parts is keep to a minimum to increase the number of dedicated ports for determining whether the relay is faulty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takumi Makabe
  • Patent number: 9150308
    Abstract: An autopilot actuator includes first and second motors each including a rotatable motor output shaft such that either one or both of the motors can drive an actuator output shaft. An autopilot main unit enclosure is removably mounted to the helicopter proximate to a cyclic control and commonly houses autopilot actuators as well as main autopilot electronics. A cyclic vibration isolator is removably supported by an actuator shaft for co-rotation and coupled to the cyclic control to attenuate a cyclic vibration frequency at the actuator shaft while output rotations of the actuator shaft below a resonant frequency are coupled to the cyclic control. A force limited link includes first and second ends and a variable length between. The force limited link having a relaxed length when less than an unseating force is applied and the variable length changes when an applied force exceeds the unseating force to permit pilot override.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Merlin Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John E. Mercer, Marc Feifel, Mark Marvin, Nicolas Albion
  • Patent number: 9102400
    Abstract: A system for adjusting tactile cues includes a controller having an axis and a cross-axis; an axis tactile cue generated in response to the position of the controller along the axis; a position scaling unit scaling a cross-axis controller position to generate a scaled cross-axis controller position; a force scaling unit scaling a cross-axis controller force to generate a scaled cross-axis controller force; a combiner combining the scaled cross-axis controller position and the scaled cross-axis controller force to generate an adjustment factor; and an adjuster adjusting the axis tactile cue in response to the adjustment factor to generate an adjusted axis tactile cue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Igor Cherepinsky
  • Patent number: 9048713
    Abstract: Provided are an electric power steering system and a method for checking an initial driving thereof, in which no additional redischarging and charging time is required by simultaneously determining a freezing of a safety switch and/or a safety switch off of a sub MCU, which monitors a state of a main MCU, thereby shortening initial driving time of the electric power steering system. The electric power steering system includes: a power supply; a motor configured to generate steering auxiliary power; a safety switch provided between the power supply and the motor and configured to control supply of power; a main MCU configured to control an operation of the safety switch; and a sub MCU configured to monitor a state of the main MCU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tae Wan Byun
  • Publication number: 20150015174
    Abstract: A fault tolerant virtual elliptical electric motor has at least four coil elements constrained in a stator case. A drive plate is supported by a fulcrum for nutating motion and has at least four core segments each associated with a respective one of the at least four coil elements for attraction upon activation. A control processor provides independent current control to each of the at least four coil elements for activation responsive to a received position command and a received wobble angle input, inducing the at least four coil elements to operate in a pure torque sum configuration upon the drive plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Robert Atmur
  • Publication number: 20140368150
    Abstract: Provided is a control device for an AC rotating machine, for controlling the AC rotating machine including a plurality of sets of windings. The control device includes: a plurality of inverters each including, in respective phases, switching elements for controlling voltages to be applied to respective phases of the windings; current control portion for issuing voltage commands corresponding to the voltages to the respective inverters to control currents flowing through the windings; and failure detection portion for detecting at least one of a short-circuit failure or an open-circuit failure in each of the switching elements. The current control portion sets, in accordance with the failure detected by the failure detection portion, the same potential side of the respective phases of a faulty-side inverter in the same state as in the detected failure, and continues control on a normal-side inverter except for the faulty-side inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2012
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Akira Furukawa, Yoshihiko Kimpara, Jiro Okada
  • Patent number: 8820342
    Abstract: A device for controlling an actuator includes an input interface that receives a plurality of input signals including a setpoint command signal and a feedback signal. An output interface provides a drive signal to the actuator. First, second, and third redundant loop controllers processes the setpoint command signal and the feedback signal to generate respective actuator control signals. A primary controller compares the actuator control signals to determine whether at least two are substantially similar. The device outputs the drive signal to the actuator according to an actuator control signals that has been determined by the primary controller to be substantially similar to another. Any one of the redundant loop controllers is hot swappable with a replacement loop controller such that loop controller redundancy is operatively maintained by the device in controlling the actuator while one of the redundant loop controllers is hot swapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Tapco International Corporation
    Inventors: Dan Nguyen Do, Robert Stocker Moreland
  • Patent number: 8718799
    Abstract: A method and system for process control configuration changes are described. In one embodiment, a method for switching from a first control algorithm to a second control algorithm in a continuous process control system is described. The method, in the one embodiment, includes executing the first control algorithm, determining to switch from the first control algorithm to the second control algorithm, and executing the second control algorithm. For at least a first execution of the second control algorithm, at least one state variable used in the second control algorithm is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, Inc.
    Inventor: Keith George McNab
  • Patent number: 8680808
    Abstract: A motor drive apparatus drives a motor by a first motor drive part and a second motor drive part. The first motor drive part includes a first inverter for supplying current to a first winding set. The second motor drive part includes a second inverter for supplying current to a second winding set. A control unit starts to supply currents to the first winding set and the second winding set at the same time after waiting for completion of all failure detection processing with respect to each of the first motor drive part and the second motor drive part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiko Mukai, Nobuhiko Uryu
  • Patent number: 8575879
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems, a machine-readable medium operable in a controller, and apparatus for controlling a multi-phase inverter that drives a multi-phase electric machine. When a sensor fault is detected, a phase current angle is computed based on the feedback stator currents, and used to estimate an angular velocity and an angular position of a rotor of the multi-phase electric machine. When the estimated angular velocity of the multi-phase electric machine is less than a transition angular velocity threshold, an open-circuit response can be applied at the multi-phase inverter by controlling all switches in the multi-phase inverter drive to be open. By contrast, when the estimated angular velocity is greater than the transition angular velocity threshold, a short-circuit response can be applied at the multi-phase inverter by controlling selected switches in the multi-phase inverter drive to connect all phases of the multi-phase inverter to a single bus (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brian A. Welchko, Min Dai
  • Patent number: 8478487
    Abstract: In the control device for vehicles which executes a control of the vehicle by one calculation control device based upon a target control amount generated by another calculation control device connected to the one calculation control device by way of a communication means, the other calculation control device calculates an estimated target control amount by itself to compare it with the target control amount generated by the one calculation control device and input thereto by way of the communication means, or a third calculation control device compares the target control amounts generated by the one and the other calculation control devices and input thereto by way of the communication means, thereby to judge if an abnormality has occurred in the communication means, and to rapidly modify the control to make a counter-measure against the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Kojo, Yoshiaki Tsuchiya, Masato Suzumura, Jun Sakugawa, Kenji Asano
  • Patent number: 8373376
    Abstract: This invention discloses a method for activating a drive system for control surfaces or working systems of an aircraft, wherein the speed of a drive unit of the drive system is regulated, and after a starting operation the maximum driving power available during the further operation for speed regulation of the drive unit is reduced. Likewise, this invention comprises a drive system for control surfaces or working systems of an aircraft, comprising a drive unit with speed regulation and a corresponding control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Hauzenberger, Bernhard Hauber
  • Patent number: 8228011
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a bi-direction driver IC and a method for bi-directionally driving an object. The method comprises: providing a first and a second integrated circuit (IC) chips, coupled with an object to be driven, wherein each of the first and second IC chips is capable of single-directionally driving the object; providing a reverse current path in each of the first and second IC chips; driving the object in a first direction by the first IC chip, wherein current flows through the reverse current path in the second IC chip; and driving the object in a second direction by the second IC chip, wherein current flows through the reverse current path in the first IC chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Chip Goal Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hui-Yen Hsieh
  • Publication number: 20120104295
    Abstract: A device for controlling an actuator includes an input interface that receives a plurality of input signals including a setpoint command signal and a feedback signal. An output interface provides a drive signal to the actuator. First, second, and third redundant loop controllers processes the setpoint command signal and the feedback signal to generate respective actuator control signals. A primary controller compares the actuator control signals to determine whether at least two are substantially similar. The device outputs the drive signal to the actuator according to an actuator control signals that has been determined by the primary controller to be substantially similar to another. Any one of the redundant loop controllers is hot swappable with a replacement loop controller such that loop controller redundancy is operatively maintained by the device in controlling the actuator while one of the redundant loop controllers is hot swapped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Applicant: TapcoEnpro International
    Inventors: Dan Nguyen Do, Robert Stocker Moreland
  • Patent number: 8120300
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for fault tolerant cooling in a redundant power system. The apparatus receives power from a common power bus to power one or more power supply fans. The apparatus detects a non-functioning redundant power supply. The apparatus receives a fan control signal within a non-functioning redundant power supply. In addition, the apparatus uses the received fan control signal to synchronize a fan speed of a power supply fan within the non-functioning redundant power supply. The fan speed is synchronized with at least one fan control signal of a power supply fan within a functioning redundant power supply. Thus, the power supply fans of a non-functioning power supply continue to operate and are synchronized with power supply fans in functioning power supplies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: C. Charles Dishman, Ted A. Howard, Randhir S. Malik, Trung M. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8078340
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for supplying haptic feedback to, and for electronically linking, pilot and co-pilot user interfaces. The user interface haptic feedback and linking are implemented using either force or position data. If the force or position data become unavailable, then position or force data, respectively, are used to implement the user interface haptic feedback and linking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew T. Johnson, Casey Hanlon
  • Patent number: 8072172
    Abstract: A redundant electromechanical actuator is provided that includes first and second electric motors, a common output shaft, first and second drive cable drums, first and second driven cable drums, a first cable, and a second cable. The first and second electric motors are each adapted to be controllably energized to supply a drive torque. The common output shaft is coupled to receive the drive torque supplied from one or both of the motors. The first and second drive cable drums are coupled to the common output shaft to receive the drive torque from one or both of the motors. The first and second driven cable drums are each configured, upon being driven, to rotate. The first cable is coupled between the first drive cable drum and the first driven cable drum, and the second cable is coupled between the second drive cable drum and the second driven cable drum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Casey Hanlon, David M. Eschborn
  • Patent number: 7960934
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant position feedback filter may be used in an actuation control system to limit the authority of a first position signal, should the first position signal become erroneous, and thereby prevent a postulated runaway condition of an acuator. The filter includes a difference function, a limited integrator, and a summer. The difference function supplies a first position error signal representative of a mathematical difference between a first position signal and a combined position signal. The limited integrator supplies an integrated position error signal that is limited in magnitude to a predetermined limit. The summer supplies the combined position error signal that is representative of a mathematical sum of the integrated position error signal and the second position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne M. Benson, James Neil Quitmeyer, William Daugherty
  • Publication number: 20110035114
    Abstract: A motor control device includes: a rotation angle detection portion that detects a rotation angle of a motor and outputs a rotation angle signal; an abnormal condition detection portion that detects the presence or absence of an abnormal condition of the rotation angle detection portion; a rotation angle estimation portion that estimates the rotation angle of the motor and outputs an estimate rotation angle signal; and a driving control portion that controls driving of the motor on the basis of the rotation angle signal, which is output from the rotation angle detection portion, when the abnormal condition detection portion does not detect an abnormal condition of the rotation angle detection portion, and controls driving of the motor on the basis of the estimate rotation angle signal, which is output from the rotation angle estimation portion, when the abnormal condition detection portion detects an abnormal condition of the rotation angle detection portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicant: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Atsuhiko Yoneda, Yasuo Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7883059
    Abstract: Actuator systems and associated methods are disclosed herein. One aspect of the disclosure is directed toward an actuator system that includes a first structure and a second structure movable relative to the first structure. The system further includes an actuator apparatus and an actuator device coupled in series between the first structure and the second structure. The system can still further include a controller operably coupled to the actuator apparatus and the actuator device. The controller can be programmed with instructions to automatically actuate the actuator apparatus and the actuator device so that a position of the first structure relative to the second structure after the actuator apparatus and the actuator device have been actuated is at least approximately the same as a position of the first structure relative to the second structure before the actuator apparatus and the actuator device have been actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Insitu, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Kunz
  • Patent number: 7868567
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to limit a current flowing in a booster converter circuit for a vehicle within a predetermined range. In the booster converter circuit for a vehicle including a battery that outputs a DC voltage; a switching unit having a switching element to be controlled to ON or OFF; an inductive element unit being connected between the battery and the switching unit and including an inductive element; a switching control unit that controls the switching element, an output voltage measuring unit that measures an output voltage of the booster converter circuit for a vehicle is provided, and the duty ratio determining device obtains a control duty ratio with respect to the switching element on the basis of a measured output voltage value so that a value of a converter current flowing through a path from the battery to the switching unit falls within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Okamura
  • Patent number: 7840316
    Abstract: An aircraft flight control surface actuation control system includes an actuator control unit and a flight control module. The actuator control unit includes at least two independent actuator control channels to generate limited authority flight control surface actuator commands based on pilot inceptor position signals and flight control augmentation data. The flight control module supplies the flight control augmentation data to each of the independent actuator control channels, determines operability of each of the actuator control channels and, based on the determined operability of each independent actuator control channel, selectively prevents one of the independent actuator control channels from supplying the limited authority flight control surface actuator commands. The flight control module may also generate full authority flight control surface actuator commands for supply to flight control surface actuators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Larry J. Yount, Gerald B. Kelley, Kent A. Stange, Welsh C. Pond
  • Publication number: 20100168877
    Abstract: An electronic system with component redundancy includes a first processing unit, connected to a first board, and a second processing unit redundant with respect to the first unit, and connected to a second board redundant with respect to the first board. Each processing unit and each board include a first communication port, the first communication ports of the first unit and of the first board, and, respectively, of the second unit and of the second board, being interconnected by a wired communication link. Each processing unit and each board include a second communication port, the second port of the first board being connected to the second port of the second unit by a wired communication link, and the second port of the second board being connected to the second port of the first unit by a wired communication link, each communication port able to be activated or deactivated by a corresponding software command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: CONVERTEAM LTD
    Inventors: Michel Begey, Jean-Luc Misson
  • Patent number: 7734400
    Abstract: A system and method that provides improved fault detection in turbine engines is disclosed. The fault detection system provides the ability to detect symptoms of engine faults based on a relatively limited number of engine parameters that are sampled relatively infrequently. The fault detection system includes a sensor data processor that receives engine sensor data during operation and augments the sensor data. The augmented data set is passed to a fuzzy logic inference system that determines the likelihood that a fault has occurred. The inference system output can then be passed to a diagnostic system where evaluation of the output may yield a detailed diagnostic result and a prediction horizon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Dennice F. Gayme, Sunil K. Menon, Emmanuel O. Nwadiogbu, Dale W. Mukavetz, Charles M. Ball
  • Publication number: 20100072934
    Abstract: A fault-tolerant position feedback filter may be used in an actuation control system to limit the authority of a first position signal, should the first position signal become erroneous, and thereby prevent a postulated runaway condition of an acuator. The filter includes a difference function, a limited integrator, and a summer The difference function is coupled to receive a first position signal and a combined position error signal and is operable to supply a first position error signal representative of a mathematical difference between the first position signal and the combined position signal. The limited integrator is coupled to receive the first position error signal and operable to supply an integrated position error signal that is limited in magnitude to a predetermined limit. The summer is coupled to receive the integrated position error signal and a second position signal and is operable to supply the combined position error signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Dwayne M. Benson, James Neil Quitmeyer, William Daugherty
  • Publication number: 20090230909
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for discharging a direct current (DC) bus providing power to a motor control circuit in an electric motor system. The method includes the steps of detecting a predetermined discharge signal and generating operational control signals comprising phase currents for dissipating energy from the DC bus through a passive load in response to detecting the predetermined discharge signal, wherein the passive load includes motor windings of an electric motor of the electric motor system. The method also includes the step of providing the operational control signals to the motor control circuit for discharging the DC bus through the motor control circuit and the motor windings of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: SILVA HITI, DAVID TANG, BRIAN A. WELCHKO, MILUN PERISIC, CONSTANTIN C. STANCU
  • Patent number: 7538453
    Abstract: A fan power supply system having a pair of voltage supplies, one producing a higher voltage than the other. A switch selects one of the voltage supplies in response to a control signal. A DC/DC converter is connected to the selected one of the voltage supplies for producing a current greater than current fed to the DC/DC converter by the selected one of the voltage supplies. A fan is fed by the current produced by the DC/DC converter. The fan produces a train of pulses representative of the rotational speed of the fan. A microcontroller encodes the train of pulses produced by the fan as a function of whether the selected one of the pair of voltages has the higher voltage or the lower voltage. A decoder produces the control signal in accordance with the encoding by the microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Phillip Roux, Robert M. Beauchamp, Kenneth Fife
  • Patent number: 7424642
    Abstract: A system and method for reintegration of a redundant controller after occurrence of a fault is provided, comprising synchronizing outputs of a primary controller with outputs of secondary controllers. The controller is placed in a different mode of operation in which its output is not used in system control. A meta-controller is activated to drive the primary controller to the same states at which the secondary or redundant controllers operate. A voting mechanism is used to determine a fault in an output to a controlled device. Control of the device using the secondary outputs is effected. The primary controller recalculates the primary output, based upon the primary output; a feedback signal; and, the secondary outputs. Control using the primary output is permitted when the primary output is within an allowable range of the secondary outputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark N. Howell, Pradyumna K. Mishra
  • Patent number: 7400104
    Abstract: A control device detects whether or not an up-converter fails, based on a DC voltage from a voltage sensor, an output voltage from a voltage sensor, and a duty ratio in controlling switching of NPN transistors. If a failure in the up-converter is detected, the control device then controls an inverter and an AC motor such that regenerative electric power generation in the AC motor is prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Eiji Sato
  • Publication number: 20080157705
    Abstract: In the magnetic absolute encoder, an ordinary operating circuit and an ordinary/backup operating circuit are actuated during ordinary operation in which power is supplied from the ordinary operating power supply; the single-rotation absolute value (1) and single-rotation absolute value (2) detected by these circuits are compared by the abnormality diagnosis circuit, and the presence or absence of an abnormality is automatically judged During backup in which the ordinary operating power supply is interrupted, only the low-power-consumption ordinary/backup operating circuit is actuated, and the multiple-rotation value (2) is detected At the point in time at which the system is returned to ordinary operation, the multiple-rotation value setting circuit sets the multiple-rotation value (2) as the multiple-rotation value (1) of the ordinary operating circuit. As a result, the calculation operation of the multiple-rotation value (1) can be restarted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2007
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: HARMONIC DRIVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventors: Kozo Sasaki, Toshiki Maruyama, Toshiyuki Abe, Muneo Mitamura
  • Patent number: RE42200
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a multi-phase inverter, a fault detector to indicate a detection of a fault, a sensor to provide a speed signal indicative of whether a speed of a PM motor is greater than a transition speed, and a controller. The controller is operable to apply either an open-circuit response or a short-circuit response to the multi-phase inverter. The open-circuit response is applied when the speed of the PM motor is greater less than the transition speed and a fault is detected. The short-circuit response is applied when the speed of the PM motor is less greater than the transition speed and the fault is detected. The transition speed is either a fixed predetermined speed or an adjusted predetermined speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Brian Welchko, Jonathan B. Huse, Silva Hiti, Brendan M. Conlon, Constantin C. Stancu, Khwaja M. Rahman, David Tang, William R. Cawthorne