Digital Or Numerical Systems Patents (Class 318/600)
  • Patent number: 8547047
    Abstract: In a method and device for monitoring a movement-controlled machine, such as a manipulator, having an electronically commutated drive motor for which a commutation angle is provided based on its detected real position and a control variable, in particular a predetermined desired position, a limit value is determined for a rate of change in particular a time derivative of the real position of the drive motor, and the commutation angle is predetermined such that the rate of change of the commutation angle does not exceed a limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Kuka Laboratories GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Bonin, Josef Hofmann
  • Patent number: 8521373
    Abstract: An industrial truck having height-adjustable load bearing means, lifting height controls in which a plurality of predetermined lifting heights are saved, a lifting height detection system for the load bearing means that detects an actual value of the lifting height and provides it to the lifting height controls, and a control unit that allows the lifting height of the load bearing means to be manually adjusted at different speeds, wherein the lifting height controls move the load bearing means to one of the predetermined lifting heights when the speed for adjusting the load bearing means specified by the control unit falls below a predetermined threshold, wherein the lifting height assumed by the lifting height controls corresponds to the lifting height of the predetermined lifting heights that most closely approximates the actual value of the lifting height in the direction in which the load bearing means is moving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christoph Behncke, Matthias Düwel
  • Patent number: 8494671
    Abstract: The invention relates to a grinding machine for grinding a workpiece, which has been set on a chuck top surface, by moving a rotating grinding wheel in relation to the workpiece. The grinding machine includes: a microscope configured to be vertically movable; a CCD camera configured to take an image viewed through the microscope; and an image processor configured to process the image taken by the CCD camera to measure a vertical distance between a reference plane of the microscope and an object of the microscope. The image processor is adapted to measure the vertical distance between the reference plane of the microscope and the object of the microscope based on sharpness of the image, which corresponds to how clear the microscope is focused.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Toshiba Kakai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takanobu Akiyama, Hiroyuki Kakishima
  • Patent number: 8482240
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a drive having a housing, a stator disposed in the housing, a rotor disposed in the stator, and a programmable logic controller disposed inside, mounted on, or in general proximity to the housing. In another embodiment, a system includes a network, a first motor having a first integral programmable logic controller coupled to the network, and a second motor having a second integral programmable logic controller coupled to the network. In a further embodiment, a system includes a rotary machine having a rotor and a stator disposed concentric with one another, a microprocessor, memory coupled to the microprocessor, a power supply coupled to the microprocessor and the memory, and a machine sensor coupled to the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yehia M. El-Ibiary
  • Patent number: 8456111
    Abstract: A linear drive based on linear motors, for panels, in particular sliding doors, movable along a respective travel path. A linear drive for at least one panel, in particular a sliding door leaf, movable along a travel path, has at least one linear motor for this at least one panel. The linear motor is provided with a stator member and a carriage. Furthermore, the linear drive has a control circuit. The control circuit is adapted to stop the linear motor in the event of failure of power supply to the linear motor, by switching-off the linear motor and operating it as a generator. Thereupon, in terms of its displaceability, this movable panel is enabled by the control circuit. In addition, the linear drive has a switch for switching-off the energy supply to the at least one linear motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Dorma GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Sven Busch
  • Patent number: 8456126
    Abstract: There is provided a motor control system and motor control method which can shorten settling time by restraining vibration and deviation relative to an advancing direction during operation. Moreover, according to the present invention, it is possible to cause a motor to be operated with an ideal track and, since it is possible to always monitor a present position, it is made easy to cause a plurality of axes to be synchronously operated. The motor control system is provided with a unit generating command waveforms from a jerk data which has significant effects on the vibration relative to the advancing direction, and a unit performing a real time real position control of regenerating future command waveforms according to a deviation amount, while always performing jerk-limit, whereby the vibration and the deviation relative to the advancing direction when the motor operates at high speed are restrained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi High-Tech Instruments Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Tate, Yasushi Ishii, Masamichi Kihara
  • Publication number: 20130119916
    Abstract: A control signal for controlling an operation of a motion control system suitable for positioning a load is generated using determining a cost function based on a model of energy consumption of the system and a function of a tracking time; and minimizing the cost function subject to constraints to determine a trajectory of the control signal. The control signal is generated based on the trajectory and a current state of the system, wherein the steps of the method are performed by a processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Yebin Wang, Koichiro Ueda, Scott A. Bortoff
  • Publication number: 20130057191
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus includes a position detector to detect a position of a motor. A speed operator calculates a first speed of the motor. A position controller outputs a first speed command. A speed controller acquires a difference between the first speed command and a second speed of the motor to output a first torque/thrust command. A phase compensator includes a lowpass filter to advance a phase of the second speed, and acquires the first speed and the first torque/thrust command to output the second speed. An inertia variation inhibitor includes a disturbance observer estimating a disturbance torque/thrust. The inertia variation inhibitor acquires the first speed and a second torque/thrust command, and adds the disturbance torque/thrust to the first torque/thrust command to output the second torque/thrust command. A torque/thrust controller acquires the second torque/thrust command to control a motor torque/thrust.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2012
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Yasufumi YOSHIURA, Yasuhiko KAKU
  • Patent number: 8334669
    Abstract: In the multi-axis driver control method for transmitting a command from an external device to the drive-axis basis controller of the multi-axis driver to set operation and/or parameters of the drive-axis basis controller, the external device is connected to the multi-axis driver on a one-to-one basis, and the external interface is connected to the drive-axis basis controller via a multi-dropped connecting portion. The drive-axis basis controller determines whether the command is self-addressed or not and, if the command is self-addressed, the drive-axis basis controller executes the command and transmits response data corresponding to the command and a transmission permission flag to the multi-dropped connecting portion. The multi-dropped connecting portion opens a transmission port in response to the transmission permission flag and transmits the response data to the external device, and after transmission is finished, the multi-dropped connecting portion closes the transmission port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: THK Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Nagato
  • Patent number: 8299742
    Abstract: A method for decelerating a motor in a computer numerical controlled machine tool is provided. The method includes calculating a present rate of deceleration DP, for a motor of a motor drive system, based on a present speed SP of the motor, a reference speed SR of the motor, and a reference rate of deceleration DR of the motor. The method also includes decelerating the motor from SP according to DP. The motor drive system comprises a maximum power rating that defines a maximum power, generated by the motor while decelerating, that can be dissipated without overloading the motor drive system. DR is a rate of deceleration such that power, generated by the motor while decelerating from SR according to DR, is equal to the maximum power rating. Power, generated while decelerating the motor from SP according to DP, is equal to or less than the maximum power rating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Haas Automation, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph V. Soliman, German M. Chistokhodov, Barry D. Johnson, Robert M. Weston, Razmik G. Petrossians
  • Patent number: 8294396
    Abstract: A compact field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based digital motor controller (102), a method, and a design structure are provided. The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) includes a sensor interface (206) configured to receive sensor data from one or more sensors (104) and generate conditioned sensor data. The one or more sensors (104) provide position information for a DC brushless motor (108). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a commutation control (210) configured to create switching commands to control commutation for the DC brushless motor (108). The commutation control (210) generates commutation pulses from the conditioned sensor data of the sensor interface (206). The compact FPGA-based digital motor controller (102) also includes a time inverter (208) configured to receive the commutation pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert P. Wichowski
  • Patent number: 8294406
    Abstract: The present invention is a parallel kinematic linkage based micro-positioning system that can provide precise movement at the micron and sub-micron level of a payload that is compatible with an existing automation system. The system has a motor controller, a digital signal processor, a base frame, a first motor, a first cranking arm with a first connecting link and an intermediate stage that mounts a second motor that is attached to a second cranking arm with a second connecting link. There is also an output stage (also called a table) that is precisely moved by the second cranking arm and a first and second optical linear encoder used in combination with the first and second motor and the first and second cranking arm forming a first motor assembly that converts operational data into a plurality of highly precise X-axes and Y-axes payload linear movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Inventor: Bhargav Ishwarlal Gajjar
  • Patent number: 8294405
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for guiding the movement of a moving machine element on a numerically controlled machine, whereby maximum possible track speed, maximum possible track acceleration, and maximum possible track jerk are defined by means of given restrictions on track axes. The local minima for the maximum possible track speed are determined, whereby for each local minimum a corresponding left-sided and right-sided track speed segment is determined, whereby, for track values for the displacement track to the left and right of a given minimum, the resulting track speed is determined by using the maximum possible track jerk and the maximum possible track acceleration until the track speed exceeds the maximum possible track speed to the left and right of the minimum, a track jerk curve for the movement guidance is hence determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Walter Hoffmann, Wolfgang Papiernik, Tomas Sauer
  • Patent number: 8285400
    Abstract: There is provided a digital controller which can reduce a variation in output voltage as compared to the conventional digital controller at the time of abrupt changes in load and in input of a power amplifier. The digital controller is built in the power amplifier for supplying an output voltage vo to a load and is equipped with a manipulated variable calculating unit which detects the output voltage vo to calculate a manipulated variable ?1 and a signal generating unit which converts the manipulated variable ?1 into a signal for making the power amplifier operate. A feedforward function from an equivalent disturbance qy caused by the variation in the load is replaced by a feedback function from the output voltage vo and the manipulated variable ?1, thereby allowing a transfer characteristic from the disturbance qy to the output voltage vo to result in a quadratic differential characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: TDK-Lambda Corporation
    Inventors: Kouji Higuchi, Kazushi Nakano, Tatsuyoshi Kajikawa, Eiji Takegami, Kazushi Watanabe, Satoshi Tomioka
  • Patent number: 8260443
    Abstract: A method for the optimized movement co-ordination of measuring machines or machine tools having redundant axles having at translatory action, wherein the longer partial axles in each case permit a relatively slowly accelerated partial movement over a relatively large measuring or processing space and the shorter partial axles in each case essentially carry out the movement components of a total movement at a substantially altogether constant measuring or processing speed, which require an acceleration beyond a maximum set or stipulated for the respective longer partial axles, wherein, when approaching positions that in an undivided movement would otherwise not be attainable, the base axles correspondingly decelerate and can even come to a complete standstill, wherein by simultaneous displacement of the neutral starting point of the additional axles, the respective movement component of the base axles missing from the total movement is compensated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: TRUMPF Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Ehlerding
  • Publication number: 20120212171
    Abstract: There is provided a motor control system and motor control method which can shorten settling time by restraining vibration and deviation relative to an advancing direction during operation. Moreover, according to the present invention, it is possible to cause a motor to be operated with an ideal track and, since it is possible to always monitor a present position, it is made easy to cause a plurality of axes to be synchronously operated. The motor control system is provided with a unit generating command waveforms from a jerk data which has significant effects on the vibration relative to the advancing direction, and a unit performing a real time real position control of regenerating future command waveforms according to a deviation amount, while always performing jerk-limit, whereby the vibration and the deviation relative to the advancing direction when the motor operates at high speed are restrained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: Hitachi High-Tech Instruments Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki TATE, Yasushi Ishii, Masamichi Kihara
  • Patent number: 8248009
    Abstract: A motor drive is provided that includes a control circuit or board and a one or more functional circuits or option boards coupled to the control board, and a profile that includes a configuration for the option board. A method of operating a motor drive that includes loading a profile for a option board coupled to a control board of the controller, wherein the profile comprises a configuration for the option board. A tangible machine-readable medium implementing the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan J. Campbell, John Howard Stuedemann, Gary A. Kabitzke, Ronald Rudy Hrlevich
  • Publication number: 20120181969
    Abstract: A numerical control for operating a machine tool having a plurality of axes, includes a drive controller for each axis to be actuated, the drive controllers being able to be parameterized via machine parameters and thus adaptable to the most varied applications. Variable control values and machine parameters are selectable via tapping points in the drive controllers in order to be used as arguments or parameters of a user-defined function for calculating an output value, which is used for function-dependent influencing of one of the drive controllers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Inventor: Frieder Kohler
  • Patent number: 8212514
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a motor drive is provided that includes a control board and an option board coupled to the control board via a serial interface, wherein the option board includes a configurable data transfer rate. A method of operating a motor drive that includes configuring a transfer rate of an option board coupled to a control board via a serial interface. A tangible machine-readable medium implementing the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan J. Campbell, John Howard Stuedemann, John Michael Keller
  • Patent number: 8188699
    Abstract: The rotation period of a motor is subdivided by edge interval times and a rate of change between a currently calculated edge interval time and an edge interval time calculated one rotation of the motor previously is calculated at the detection of each edge. Then the rotation period of the motor is calculated by multiplying a set reference period by the calculated rate of change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Tategami, Shumpei Fujii
  • Patent number: 8179076
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a chip structure capable of smoothing slope of signal during conversion. And the chip structure is suitable for a DC motor which is embedded in a portable electronic device. The DC motor is for adjusting the focal distance of a digital camera which is installed within the portable electronic device. The chip structure comprises an input terminal, a first converter, a control unit, a second converter, an amplifier circuit and an output terminal. The input terminal is for receiving a first digital signal. The first converter is for converting the first digital signal into an analog signal. The control unit is for elongating the transform time of the analog signal. The amplifier circuit is for amplifying the elongated analog signal. The second converter is for converting the elongated analog signal into a second digital signal. And the output terminal outputs the second digital signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: dadny, Inc.
    Inventor: Lu-Yueh Hsu
  • Patent number: 8169178
    Abstract: A method of detecting an angular position of a rotor of a motor includes detecting switching ripple peaks and armature current disturbance peaks using a peak detector configured to generate a square wave having edges coinciding with detected peaks. The method further includes filtering the square wave in a time domain by generating an integration ramp, toward a set value, of an estimated ripple frequency for an interval of time based on the estimated ripple frequency. An enablement range is established to reset the integration ramp by setting a threshold below and above the set value and a time window centered on an end time of each period of the estimated ripple frequency. The method further includes resetting the integration ramp, and updating the estimated ripple frequency based upon a period determined by a time of the resetting, if an edge of the square wave is within the time window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Romeo Letor, Francesco Giuffré
  • Patent number: 8115440
    Abstract: A machine part, such as a laser, is moved along at least one axis of movement relative to a workpiece. Position pulses are generated by means of an incremental encoder, with the number of position pulses in a position pulse train being representative of the movement position of the machine part. A trigger signal for the machine part is generated when the current number of position pulses corresponds to a predefined number of pulses. In a preferred embodiment, the current number of position pulses and the defined number of pulses are compared remote from a higher-level drive control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Industrielle Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Friedrich Schoerg, Ernst Stumpp, Guenter Grupp, Otto Ruck
  • Patent number: 8099199
    Abstract: There is provided a digital controller which can generate no oscillation even if sensing a load side and enables control of supplying a desired voltage to the load. In an power amplifier which supplies an output voltage vo to the load connected via a load connecting line, a load voltage vL and the output voltage vo are periodically sampled to calculate a manipulating variable ?1 from the output voltage vo, the load voltage vL and an arbitrary target value r. Based on the manipulating variable ?1 calculated, a control signal is output to the power amplifier. As a result, when connecting an LC filter with a load device 9 of the power amplifier intended for a control target and besides the load connecting line is long, a robust digital controller without generating oscillation even if sensing the load side is performed can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2012
    Assignee: TDK-Lameda Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Takegami, Kazushi Watanabe, Satoshi Tomioka, Kouji Higuchi, Kazushi Nakano, Tatsuyoshi Kajikawa
  • Patent number: 8089229
    Abstract: A motor driving system includes a storage unit, a driver, and a controller. The driver includes a first programmable logic device (PLD). The controller includes a second PLD. The storage unit stores a control program. The controller generates a first transmission data to the first PLD and a second transmission data to the second PLD according to the control program. The first PLD generates a first message packet including the first transmission data. The second PLC generates a second message packet including the second transmission data. The first and second PLDs communicate with each other using a full duplex transmission mode or a half duplex transmission mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Foxnum Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hsing-Chang Liu, Chien-Chung Wu
  • Patent number: 8080965
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a motor drive is provided that includes a control board and one or more option boards coupled to the control board via one or more serial interfaces such that data from the one or more option boards is communicated via one or more synchronous interrupts on the one or more serial interfaces. A method of operating a motor drive that includes transmitting one or more signals from an option board to a control board via one or more synchronous interrupts, wherein the option board is coupled to the control board via a serial interface. A tangible machine-readable medium implementing the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan J. Campbell, John Howard Stuedemann, John Michael Keller, Calvin C. Steinweg, Paul Thomas Krause, Peter John Halpin
  • Patent number: 8072174
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a motor drive is provided that includes a control board and a plurality of option boards configured to communicate with the control board via one or more serial interfaces, wherein the one or more serial interfaces are configured to transfer one or more synchronized signals from each option board. A method of operating a motor drive that includes transferring data between a control board and a plurality of option boards over one or more serial interfaces, wherein the transfer of data from each option board is synchronized with the plurality of option boards. A tangible machine-readable medium implementing the method is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan J. Campbell, John Howard Stuedemann
  • Patent number: 8054028
    Abstract: A table containing correspondence between “n” and “m” is set in a control circuit of a servo control system so that the current command data in the m-th (m=1, 2, 3 . . . ) current command register is assigned to the n-th (n=1, 2, 3 . . . ) servo amplifier. When data is specified in this table to satisfy “n=m”, the current command data in the n-th current command register is passed to the n-th servo amplifier. When “m=1” is set for “n=1” and “m=1” is set for “n=2” in this table, the current command data stored in the first current command register is passed to the first and second servo amplifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: FANUC Ltd
    Inventors: Kazunari Aoyama, Kunitaka Komaki, Yasuharu Aizawa
  • Patent number: 8026682
    Abstract: The invention specifies a circuit arrangement (1, 20) for controlling a brushless electric motor (37) with a control chip (2), particularly a microcontroller, which has a number of PWM contacts (8), which can be used to output a PWM signal, and a number of commutation contacts (5,5?, 6,6?, 7,7?), which can be used to output a commutation signal. In this case, provision is made for at least one commutation contact (5,5?, 6,6?, 7,7?) to be alternately controllable as an input and an output, for the at least one commutation contact (5,5?, 6,6?, 7,7?) to have its output electrically connected to a PWM contact (8), and for the commutation contact (5,5?, 6,6?, 7,7?) connected in this manner to be able to be contacted for the purpose of tapping off a control signal. Such a circuit arrangement (1,20) increases the control options for a given control chip (2). The number of PWM sources required is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Würzburg
    Inventor: Johannes Schwarzkopf
  • Patent number: 7986119
    Abstract: A motor control system includes an MMI (man machine interface), an upper-controller, and a motor driver connected in that order. The upper-controller includes a motherboard, a communication control module, and a servo driven control card connected in that order. The motherboard is connected to the MMI and includes a processor. The communication control module includes a plurality of control cards. A control signal is inputted into the MMI and sequentially processed by the processor, the communication control module, and the servo driven control card. A driven signal is outputted from the servo driven control card to the motor driver to drive a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Foxnum Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hsing-Chang Liu
  • Patent number: 7977908
    Abstract: While a numerical controller is operating, an abnormality of a numerical control section is detected. In response to an abnormality detection signal, a motor deceleration stop control circuit of a servo section is actuated to perform speed control with a speed command “0”, thereby stopping a motor. If an actual speed of the motor becomes not higher than a preset speed, an off command signal for turning off a DO signal is delivered to a PMC section. In response to this off command signal, the PMC section turns off a brake control DO or all DO signals. Thus, a brake device that is attached to the motor is activated to brake the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Tsutomu Hamabata, Hiroshige Ando
  • Patent number: 7973501
    Abstract: A fan system includes a control device and a fan device. The control device has a first node, a rotation speed signal generation circuit and a rotation speed reading circuit. The fan device has a second node, a signal transforming circuit, a motor driving circuit, a motor and a fan. The first node is electrically connected with the second node to set up a transmission route between the control device and the fan device. The rotation speed control signal and the motor rotation speed signal are transmitted via the two-way transmission route, and the control device controls the fan device via a wired or wireless transmission route. A motor control device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Chia-Pin Wei, Wei-Shuo Tseng
  • Patent number: 7956566
    Abstract: An automotive drive system for a high voltage electric motor comprises a microcontroller and ECU powered by a low voltage (12 volt) bus net which controls the drives of a high voltage inverter powered by a 100 volt or higher source, which, in turn, drives the motor. To provide good electrical insulation between the low voltage and high voltage systems, the low voltage control signals are produced by a low voltage signal transmitter chip which has a small integral antenna which wirelessly communicates with the antenna of a high voltage driver IC which drives the power devices of the high voltage inverter. The two IC chips are separated by a suitable isolation distance and may be bare chips, individually packaged chips or co-packed chips. Plural control IC chips and driver IC chips can communicate with one another for adverse control functions, including “smart” functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Henning M. Hauenstein
  • Patent number: 7932689
    Abstract: A motor drive system is provided with a plurality of axis control parts for outputting PWM commands using a position command, a plurality of current supply parts which supply current to the respective windings based on the PWM commands of the respective axis control parts, and which are connected to the respective windings, a motor position detector for outputting a signal of a rotor position of the motor, a first signal supply part for supplying the output signal to one current supply part of the plurality of current supply parts, and a second signal supply part for supplying the signal supplied through the first signal supply part to an axis control part corresponding to one current supply part, and the corresponding axis control part outputs a PWM command based on the signal supplied from the one current supply part through the second signal supply part to the corresponding axis control part and the position command, and the remaining axis control part outputs the PWM command based on the signal supplied f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Tadashi Okita, Yukio Toyozawa, Kazuomi Maeda
  • Patent number: 7911171
    Abstract: In a device, such as measuring or control signal transmitter, generating an analog current or voltage output signal, absolute values of output variables are continuously measured and regulated to ensure the correctness of the signal. The actual current or voltage value of an analog output signal is measured and digitized (206), a difference (e) between the digitized actual current or voltage value and the desired current or voltage value is defined (300), and the generation (200, 202, 204, 205) of the analog output signal is controlled (304) by means of a digital control signal (Enable, Direction) so as to decrease the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Abb Oy
    Inventor: Erkki Miettinen
  • Publication number: 20110006719
    Abstract: A press machine controller (10) for controlling a press machine (30) having a servo motor (41) to drive a slide (38) via a reduction mechanism (37) changed in reduction ratio in accordance with the position of the slide (38) is disclosed. The device includes a command generator (20) for generating at least one of a position command, a speed command and a torque command for the servo motor (41); a vibration command generator (13) for generating a vibration command based on a parameter preset for the press machine controller (10); a slide position detector (12) for detecting the position of the slide (38); and a vibration command adding portion (21, 22, 23) for adding the vibration command to any one of the position command, the speed command and the torque command for the servo motor (41) in the case where the slide position is in a predetermined range. The press machine, even if stopped with the slide at the bottom dead center, can be restarted with a small torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Tadashi OKITA, Hiroyuki KAWAMURA, Kouki KAMETA
  • Patent number: 7863849
    Abstract: A fan driver circuit for powering a fan with a linear voltage may be designed using digital design techniques, resulting in a testable, accurate circuit on a smaller die size. The fan driver circuit may be configured to receive a digital control signal, which may be a sequence of numeric values, e.g. multiple-bit binary numbers, each indicative of a desired present rotational speed of the fan. The fan driver circuit may be implemented using a digital modulator, e.g. a delta-sigma modulator, with a simple low-pass filter, e.g. an RC-filter at the output, and may use oversampling based on a system clock, to shift in-band noise to out-of-band frequencies, and digital interpolation to filter out unwanted images from the upsampled digital control signal. The delta-sigma modulator may be constructed as a first-order delta-sigma modulator using an error-feedback structure to reduce die size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Standard Microsystems Corporation
    Inventors: Scott C. McLeod, Chao-Ming Tsai
  • Patent number: 7852032
    Abstract: A selector selects an analog signal group to be used for PWM control out of a plurality of analog signals output by a PWM controlled load. An AD converter AD converts the analog signal group and generates a digital signal group that becomes control data for duty ratio setting in a duty ratio setting register to provide the generated digital signal group to a control unit for controlling a PWM circuit. A duty ratio comparison circuit compares duty ratios set by the plurality of duty ratio setting registers. An AD conversion channel selection circuit controls an analog signal group selecting operation by the selector based on a comparison result of the duty ratio comparison circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Katsuji Azuma
  • Patent number: 7847509
    Abstract: System and methods of controlling a plurality of motors based on a motor motion attribute, such as rotor position, velocity, or acceleration, which simulate the properties of a mechanical differential, including a pure differential, a limited slip differential, and/or a locking differential. The method may be employed in a number of applications, including, without limitation, a paper handling system, such as an inserter, to control the nips of a pinless cutter of an inserter, and in a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Sussmeier, Boris Rozenfeld, Arthur H. DePoi, Anthony E. Yap
  • Patent number: 7843152
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus comprises a control processing unit (3) creating a motor drive command, power supply processing units (2A to 2D) supplying a driving voltage to a motor, and a signal relay processing unit (4) supplying the motor drive command received from unit (3) to power supply processing units (2A to 2D). Control processing unit (3) transmits a preparation request flag to power supply processing units (2A to 2D) via signal relay processing unit (4), which includes a preparation complete flag register storing preparation complete flags each transmitted from each of power supply processing units (2A to 2D) to indicate the completion of preparation for supplying power to the motor, and transmits a preparation complete flag enabled state to control processing unit (3) if contents of the preparation complete flag register indicate that the preparation is completed in all units (2A to 2D).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Yasusuke Iwashita, Tadashi Okita, Hiroyuki Kawamura, Satoshi Ikai
  • Patent number: 7839110
    Abstract: A motor control system includes a first-type amplifier that receives a PWM instruction, a second-type amplifier that receives a positional instruction, a numerical control device, and a serial bus. The numerical control device includes a first processor that calculates a positional instruction of a motor, a DSP that calculates a PWM instruction of the first-type amplifier from the positional instruction, and a serial bus control circuit that outputs the PWM instruction of the first-type amplifier and the positional instruction of the second-type amplifier to the serial bus. The first-type amplifier generates a drive current signal of a motor directly from the received PWM instruction. The second-type amplifier includes a third processor that calculates a PWM instruction from the received positional instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Kazunari Aoyama, Kunitaka Komaki, Yasuharu Aizawa
  • Patent number: 7834575
    Abstract: An automotive drive system for a high voltage electric motor comprises a microcontroller and ECU powered by a low voltage (12 volt) bus net which controls the drives of a high voltage inverter powered by a 100 volt or higher source, which, in turn, drives the motor. To provide good electrical insulation between the low voltage and high voltage systems, the low voltage control signals are produced by a low voltage signal input chip which has a bottom electrode which produces a control potential responsive to the ECU output and a high voltage driver IC which drives the power devices of the high voltage inverter. The high voltage driver IC has a top electrode which drives the high voltage IC function. The bottom electrode of the LV input chip is coupled to the top electrode of the high voltage driver IC through an insulation layer, defining a capacitive coupler which defines an isolation barrier between the low voltage net and the high voltage system insulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: International Rectifier Corporation
    Inventor: Henning M Hauenstein
  • Patent number: 7821220
    Abstract: A system, in one embodiment, includes a drive having a housing, a stator disposed in the housing, a rotor disposed in the stator, and a programmable logic controller disposed inside, mounted on, or in general proximity to the housing. In another embodiment, a system includes a network, a first motor having a first integral programmable logic controller coupled to the network, and a second motor having a second integral programmable logic controller coupled to the network. In a further embodiment, a system includes a rotary machine having a rotor and a stator disposed concentric with one another, a microprocessor, memory coupled to the microprocessor, a power supply coupled to the microprocessor and the memory, and a machine sensor coupled to the microprocessor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yehia M. El-Ibiary
  • Publication number: 20100259209
    Abstract: Provided is a multi-axis driver control method that enables communications with drive-axis basis controllers of a multi-axis driver with use of a single general-purpose external interface. In the multi-axis driver control method for transmitting a command from an external device to the drive-axis basis controller of the multi-axis driver to set operation and/or parameters of the drive-axis basis controller, the external device is connected to the multi-axis driver on a one-to-one basis, and the external interface is connected to the drive-axis basis controller via a multi-dropped connecting portion. The drive-axis basis controller determines whether the command is self-addressed or not and, if the command is self-addressed, the drive-axis basis controller executes the command and transmits response data corresponding to the command and a transmission permission flag to the multi-dropped connecting portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: THK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yoshifumi Nagato
  • Patent number: 7804267
    Abstract: In a correction method for a microprocessor-controlled digital regulation of a drive motor, wherein the measurement arrangement used for the regulation of the motor is simplified. recognizing that the real value surveying cannot always be implemented periodically by the microprocessor at the requested point in time, making sporadic measurement errors of a simplified measurement arrangement ineffectual, in accordance with the method individual measurement values with a sudden change are read out and correction values are used instead of these for the regulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Francotyp-Postalia GmbH
    Inventor: Ralf Müller
  • Patent number: 7804268
    Abstract: An apparatus and method of controlling injection in an electric injection molding machine including a motor and a screw. The apparatus has an encoder detecting a current position of the screw and outputting the detected position as an encoding signal, a memory storing reference positions of the screw according to a drive of the motor by the passage of time, and a current controller checking an elapse of time that the screw moves from a previous position to a current position through receiving the encoding signal from the encoder, reading out a section of time corresponding to the checked elapse of time from the memory, and controlling a current value applied to the motor based on a difference between a reference position of the screw corresponding to the read-out section of time and a current position of the screw.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: LS Mtron Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyong-ho Park, Jong-min Lee
  • Patent number: 7759895
    Abstract: A conveyer for transporting a box and a conveyer for transporting a bottle are driven along a follow-up target axis and a follow-up axis, respectively. The follow-up axis is accelerated from a synchronization start position, and, when the follow-up axis velocity catches up with the conveyer, performs the constant velocity operation. An advanced operation, performed by an asynchronous axis (moving the bottle closer to the box), is started before synchronization completes, and is completed when synchronization completes, then immediately an operation by a synchronous axis (follow-up target axis or follow-up axis) is started (insertion operation). The point of time when the advanced operation is started is determined by processing of the numerical controller, as a point of time when the time required for the follow-up axis in the current status to reach the synchronization completion status becomes the same as the time required for the advanced operation (preset).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Tetsuo Hishikawa, Noboru Hirose
  • Publication number: 20100164414
    Abstract: A motor driving system includes a storage unit, a driver, and a controller. The driver includes a first programmable logic device (PLD). The controller includes a second PLD. The storage unit stores a control program. The controller generates a first transmission data to the first PLD and a second transmission data to the second PLD according to the control program. The first PLD generates a first message packet including the first transmission data. The second PLC generates a second message packet including the second transmission data. The first and second PLDs communicate with each other using a full duplex transmission mode or a half duplex transmission mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Applicant: FOXNUM TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: HSING-CHANG LIU, CHIEN-CHUNG WU
  • Patent number: 7723941
    Abstract: A system and method of command signal conditioning in high response systems is disclosed. The system includes a central digital controller having a digital controller frame rate, a motor, a motor controller in communication with the digital controller and the motor, the motor controller having a motor controller frame rate higher than the digital controller frame rate, and a signal conditioner adapted to condition the command signal to produce a modified command signal at the motor controller frame rate. The signal conditioner is preferably implemented in software. In one embodiment, the signal conditioner is adapted to calculate a moving average at the frame rate of the motor controller. In another embodiment, the signal conditioner comprises a first order hold and a filter in communication therewith. A method of command signal conditioning in accordance with the foregoing is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2010
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey M. Roach, Steven H. Degroote
  • Patent number: RE42113
    Abstract: An integrated control and power driving system moves a read/write head carrying arm over the surface of a disk. The integrated control and power driving system is applicable to a spindle motor, a mass storage disk drive and a voice-coil motor, for example, and includes a first chip and a second chip. The first chip integrates the output power stages driving the motors, and has an interface for outputting feedback signals representing functioning conditions of the voice-coil motor and of the spindle motor, and for receiving digital control signals of the output power stages. The second chip integrates logic drive and control circuitries of the power stages and an interface for receiving the feedback signals output by the first chip, and for transmitting to the first chip the digital control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuseppe Maiocchi, Michele Boscolo, Roberto Bardelli