Phase Comparison Patents (Class 318/608)
  • Patent number: 10680621
    Abstract: A frequency multiplier circuit includes a frequency multiplier, a phase detector and a control circuit. The phase detector detects a difference between an input phase of an input to the frequency multiplier and an output phase of an output from the frequency multiplier. The control circuit is configured to maintain the output phase based on the difference detected by the phase detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Reto Zingg, Victor M. Grothen, Wayne Lee Johnson, Lucia Cascio, Hsiang-Yi Chung
  • Patent number: 10587211
    Abstract: A linear compressor and methods of operation, for example, to detect polarity for the linear compressor are provided herein. The method may include supplying an initial time varying voltage to the motor of the linear compressor at an assumed polarity; estimating a first acceleration of the motor of the linear compressor when the motor is at a bottom dead center position; estimating a second acceleration of the motor of the linear compressor when the motor is at a top dead center position; comparing the first acceleration to the second acceleration; and determining whether the assumed polarity is correct based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignees: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc., University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Srujan Kusumba, Gregory William Hahn, Joseph Wilson Latham, Michael Lee McIntyre
  • Patent number: 10581366
    Abstract: A calculation apparatus 100 includes an encoder 101 configured to detect rising edges of PWM signals having at least three or more phases in each of the phases, and a register 103 configured to store, at a timing after the PWM signals having the respective phases rise and after AD conversion of a current value of a drive signal of a motor obtained by the PWM signals, a difference value between the AD-converted current value and a previous AD-converted current value for each phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Reiji Yamasaki, Yoshitaro Kondo
  • Patent number: 10461673
    Abstract: A single phase motor drive circuit for driving a single phase motor, comprising: a timer unit for receiving a sensor signal indicative of an angular position of a rotor, and for providing a timing signal in phase with the sensor signal; a waveform generator for generating an waveform for energizing the motor, the waveform generator being adapted for receiving the timing signal and at least one configurable setting (Soff), and for generating the waveform based thereon; a configuration unit adapted for receiving a first input signal indicative of a desired motor speed and a second input signal (Vbat) indicative of the supply voltage, and for determining the configurable setting based on the input signals, and for providing the setting to the waveform generator to dynamically configure the waveform generator. A method of driving a single phase motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: Melexis Bulgaria Ltd.
    Inventors: Dirk Leman, Petko Nedelev
  • Patent number: 10416301
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a method includes transmitting, by a first node, a first signal with a first frequency. The method includes receiving a second signal with a second frequency by downmixing the second signal to an intermediate frequency. The method includes determining a first value of a first phase for the second frequency. The method includes transmitting a third signal with a third frequency, the first frequency and the third frequency having a frequency difference, and receiving a fourth signal with a fourth frequency, the second frequency and the fourth frequency having the frequency difference. The method includes determining a second value of the first phase for the fourth frequency. The first frequency and the second frequency are spaced apart by an amount of the intermediate frequency, and the third frequency and the fourth frequency are spaced apart by the amount of the intermediate frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Atmel Corporation
    Inventors: Wolfram Kluge, Eric Sachse
  • Patent number: 10389558
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus that includes a baseband processing circuit and a transmitting circuit. The baseband processing circuit is configured to encode a reference signal based on a specific sequence to generate a digital stream. The specific sequence has non-zero values at selected positions, and the number of coincidences of non-zero value positions between the specific sequence and a shifted copy of the specific sequence is smaller than a threshold. The transmitting circuit is configured to transmit wireless signals in response to the digital stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Jiann-Ching Guey, Chun-Hsuan Kuo, Chao-Cheng Su
  • Patent number: 10263559
    Abstract: When a failure of current detection parts occurs while a synchronous machine is operating, the failure of the current detection parts is detected and the operation of the synchronous machine is continued. An open-loop control part for performing control without using the detected current values of the current detection parts and a closed-loop control part for performing control using the detected current values are included, and a failure of the current detection parts is detected while the open-loop control part is operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Daiki Matsuura, Noriyuki Wada
  • Patent number: 9716431
    Abstract: An IGBT/FET-based energy savings device, system and method wherein a predetermined amount of voltage below a nominal line voltage and/or below a nominal appliance voltage is saved, thereby conserving energy. Phase input connections are provided for inputting analog signals into the device and system. A magnetic flux concentrator senses the incoming analog signal and a volts zero crossing point detector determines the zero volts crossing point of the signal. The positive half cycle and negative half cycle of the signal are identified and routed to a digital signal processor for processing the signal. The signal is reduced by pulse width modulation and the reduced amount of energy is outputted, thereby yielding an energy savings for an end user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: The PowerWise Group, Inc.
    Inventor: John L Lumsden
  • Patent number: 9520808
    Abstract: A method and system for a control circuit are provided. The circuit includes an integrating counter coupled to a process wherein the integrating counter is configured to integrate over time a process parameter signal received from the process and to generate a trigger signal when the integrated signal equals a predetermined count. The control circuit also includes a transition controller electrically coupled to a respective control element and configured to receive the trigger signal generated by the integrating counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Allen Michael Ritter, Robert Allen Seymour, Rajib Datta, John Douglas D'Atre
  • Patent number: 9444484
    Abstract: An encoder signal processing circuit is connected to encoder heads outputting an encoder signal in accordance with a relative displacement with respect to a corresponding scale in such a way that signals can be transmitted to and received from the encoder heads, and processes encoder signals from the encoder heads. The circuit includes a processing unit and a processing decision unit. The processing unit generates displacement information from the encoder signal. The processing decision unit decides at least one of content of processing for the encoder heads and content of processing on encoder signals read from the encoder heads after starting to read an encoder signal from one of the encoder heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Tojo, Aiko Sakai
  • Patent number: 9270216
    Abstract: A method and a device process a motor signal of a direct current motor, in particular of an adjustment drive of a motor vehicle. The armature current and the motor voltage of the direct current motor are detected and used for determining the counter induction voltage of the direct current motor, by which a number of control signals having different ripple frequencies for controllable frequency filters are generated. The current ripples that are generated in a frequency dependent manner by the frequency filters, to which a filter input signal derived from the armature current and the motor voltage is applied, are synchronized with each other in the course of the ripple count.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Hallstadt
    Inventor: Jovan Knezevic
  • Patent number: 9190889
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a resolver of an electric machine is provided. A resolver rotor is an adjustable element of the resolver and mounted by friction on a support so that a relative angular position with respect to the support may be adjusted by exerting a torque between the resolver rotor and the support. The method includes steps of: measuring an offset angle of the resolver to be corrected; as long as the offset is not less than an predetermined tolerance, locking the resolver rotor with respect to a resolver stator; launching the correction by energizing a main stator of the electric machine so that the electric machine develops a correction torque causing rotation of the resolver rotor with respect to a shaft of the electric machine by the measured offset; and freeing the resolver rotor. Subsequently the method returns to the measuring step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignees: COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN, MICHELIN RECHERCHE ET TECHNIQUE S.A.
    Inventors: Cédric Savio, Jean-Louis Linda, Bertrand Vedy
  • Patent number: 9013132
    Abstract: Two excitation coils (excitation A coil, excitation B coil) and two detection coils (detection A coil, detection B coil) are provided. The excitation A coil and the excitation B coil are excited at frequencies that are different from each other. The number of turns of the detection A coil and the detection B coil are respectively set with two sine waves using the number ms1 and ms2 of pole pairs. The number ms1 and ms2 of pole pairs, the number mx1 and mx2 of pole pairs of the excitation A coil and the excitation B coil, and the number mr of pole pairs of a rotor are set to have a predetermined relationship. A resolver having redundancy can be realized with small number of coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited
    Inventor: Kenichi Nakazato
  • Patent number: 8933655
    Abstract: An apparatus for measuring an error in a resolver includes a first calculator that perform an inverse Park transform based on voltages Uq and Ud at an output of PI current regulators, and delivers voltage setpoint signals PWMA, PWMB, PWMC to a power stage via a line on which a DC voltage Ubus-dc is available. The power stage generates a three-phase system of voltages UA, UB, UC for energizing an electric machine. The apparatus also includes a signal processor that provides an angle measurement ?m. Based on currents MesIA, MesIB, MesIC of the three phases, and on a rotor angle ?r, a second calculator of the device delivers values MesId, MesIq used by the first calculator. A PI voltage regulator delivers an angle ?c for correcting the error by regulating a setpoint value for the voltage Ud.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: Compagnie Generale des Establissements Michelin, Michelin Recherche et Technique S.A.
    Inventors: Cédric Savio, Jean-Louis Linda, Bertrand Vedy
  • Patent number: 8829830
    Abstract: A control command generator that generates an armature interlinkage flux command and a torque current command by a torque command, a rotation speed, and an operation target command, includes a first flux command generator generating a first flux command by the toque command or the torque current command, a second flux generator generating a second flux command by the torque command or the torque current command and the rotation speed of the synchronous machine, a command allocation setting unit setting an allocation coefficient equivalent to an allocation ratio of the two first and second flux commands by the operation target command, a flux command adjuster outputting an armature interlinkage flux command by the two flux commands and the allocation coefficient, and a torque current command generator generating the torque current command by the torque command and the armature interlinkage flux command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takahiko Kobayashi, Kiyoharu Anzai, Noriyuki Wada, Daiki Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8664902
    Abstract: Provided is an AC motor in a three-phase unbalanced state such as a claw-teeth type AC motor (108), which is reduced in magnetic flux pulsations and torque pulsations. Among the current command values of individual phases to be intrinsically given to an inverter (106) for feeding three-phase alternating currents of variable voltages/frequencies to the electric motor, a current command of an intermediate phase (a V-phase) having a smaller magnetic resistance of a stator core than those of other phases is subjected to a reducing correction by a correction unit (102) on the basis of the correction amount calculated by a current correction amount calculating unit (103), and the unbalanced three-phase alternating currents are fed to the AC motor (108), so that magnetic flux pulsations of a secondary electric angle and torque pulsations of the same order are reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihisa Iwasaki, Junnosuke Nakatsugawa, Yoshitaka Iwaji
  • Patent number: 8587247
    Abstract: A synchronous control apparatus to synchronously control a plurality of motors with respect to a control subject includes a command device and a plurality of motor control devices. The control subject includes the motors, a plurality of position detectors configured to detect a plurality of position information of the motors respectively, and at least one coupler connecting movable axes of the motors. The command device includes a first position controller which is configured to compute a work position based on the position information detected by the position detectors and which is configured to compute, based on a difference between a position command and the work position, a new position command. Each of the motor control devices includes a second position controller configured to compute commands to drive the plurality of motors based on a difference between the new position command and the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Yasufumi Yoshiura, Yasuhiko Kaku
  • Patent number: 8212503
    Abstract: The invention provides a driving circuit for a voice coil motor. In one embodiment, the driving circuit includes a logic circuit, a digital-to-analog converter, and an output circuit. The logic circuit generates a series of samples of a digital output signal according to a digital input signal, wherein the samples of the digital output signal sequentially alter from a first input value of the digital input value to a second input value of the digital input signal according to an alteration pattern determined by a mode selection signal. The digital-to-analog converter converts the digital output signal to an analog output signal. The output circuit generates a driving current signal according to the analog output signal for driving the voice coil motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Fu-Rung Kuo
  • Patent number: 8171776
    Abstract: A torque measuring device for determining properties such as viscosity, shearing force or concentration in liquids or suspensions. The device comprises two elastically connected concentric axles in the form of one external hollow axle through which an inner measuring axle extends, and an element responsive to the measured medium located on a distal end of the measuring axle. The axles are individually propelled by electrical motors. The motors are operated such that the axles rotate at generally constant speed and, simultaneously, the phase between the two are controlled irrespective of applied speed and torque. The torque is measured through the degree of load of the motor propelling the inner axle, which is provided as an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: BTG Pulp & Paper Sensors AB
    Inventors: Niclas Andersson, Joakim Kullander, Peter Lundberg, Peter Adrian
  • Patent number: 8159173
    Abstract: A control device for a travel motor mounted to a vehicle has a resolver which works as a rotation-angle sensor. The control device has a RDC which calculates a rotation-angle output value ? based on rotation detection signals Sa, Sb transferred from the resolver. The control device supplies electric power to the travel motor based on the rotation angle output value ?. The RDC calculates “sin(???)” as an error deviation ? based on the signals Sa and Sb and the rotation-angle output value ?. The RDC calculates an angular acceleration by multiplying the error deviation ? with a gain (=Ka·Kb), and integrates the angular acceleration two times in order to obtain a next rotation-angle output value. A gain control part of the RDC decreases the gain when the judgment means judges that the travel motor rotates at a constant rotation speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Shigenori Mori, Eiichiro Kawakami
  • Patent number: 8120302
    Abstract: A servo control apparatus capable of suppressing adverse effects of disturbance, load variation and the like, and realizing robust and high-performance speed control. The apparatus includes both of the following observers: a disturbance observer for adding a disturbance compensation torque Tf, calculated from a torque command T* and an electric motor rotational speed ?m, to a torque command basic signal T0*, calculated on the basis of a deviation between a speed command ?* and a feedback speed ?f by a PI control section, thus outputting the torque command T*; and a phase advance compensation observer for generating, from the torque command basic signal T0* and the electric motor rotational speed ?m, an output of a nominal plant serving as an element in which no delay occurs, thus outputting the output as the feedback speed ?f.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Wennong Zhang, Mitsujiro Sawamura, Yasuyuki Takei
  • Patent number: 8072171
    Abstract: A method of controlling a current of a three-phase electric motor with a three-phase controller. The firing angles are adjusted so as to leave a range of firing angles in which DC components appear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: ABB AB
    Inventors: Daniel Kling, Gunnar Johansson
  • Patent number: 8030864
    Abstract: A motor drive circuit includes a first amplifier circuit to amplify a difference between first and second position detection signals with a gain becoming smaller according to drop in power supply voltage, to output a first amplification signal, the first and second position detection signals being signals indicating a rotational position of a rotor in a motor, having a frequency corresponding to a rotation speed of the motor, and being opposite in phase to each other; a second amplifier circuit to amplify the difference between the first and second position detection signals with the gain, to output a second amplification signal opposite in phase to the first amplification signal; and a drive circuit to amplify the difference between the first amplification signal and the second amplification signal with a predetermined gain to be saturated at the power supply voltage, to output a driving voltage for driving the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignees: Sanyo Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Imai, Takahiro Iida, Joji Noie
  • Publication number: 20110211277
    Abstract: A detecting circuit, which can detect plural types of servo signals, including a cosine/sine value detector for sampling a servo signal supplied from an inspected object and thereby obtaining a cosine value and a sine value, an amplitude/phase detector for obtaining at least amplitude information and phase information on the basis of the cosine value and the sine value obtained by the cosine/sine value detector, and a servo selector/position detector for selecting a servo scheme of the inspected object and detecting a position of the inspected object on the basis of the amplitude information and the phase information obtained by the amplitude/phase detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Takuma NISHIMOTO, Masami Makuuchi, Yoshihiro Sakurai, Kunihito Higa
  • Patent number: 7973502
    Abstract: A drive unit includes a rotating electrical machine; a rotation sensor that detects a rotational position of a rotor of the rotating electrical machine, and a storage medium. In an inspecting step of measuring a counter electromotive force by mechanically driving the rotating electrical machine after the rotating electrical machine and the rotation sensor are assembled together, positional error information of the rotation sensor obtained based on information of the counter electromotive force and output information from the rotation sensor is stored in the storage medium. The storage medium is integrally provided to the drive unit in such a state that the storage medium is readable upon assembling a control device that controls the rotating electrical machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinari Nakagawa, Tomoo Atarashi, Takafumi Koshida
  • Patent number: 7960927
    Abstract: An electric motor control device includes a power supply unit that supplies power to a three-phase electric motor; a three-phase current sensor that individually detects three respective phase currents of the three-phase electric motor; a summing unit that calculates a three-phase sum by adding the three phase currents detected by the three-phase current sensor; a detected current correction unit that calculates correction amounts for at least two of the three phase currents based on a phase and an amplitude of the three-phase sum and then corrects phase current detection values by the calculated correction amounts; and a motor control unit that controls a power supply by the power supply unit to the three-phase electric motor by feedback control based on the three phase currents after correction by the detected current correction unit and on target currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Aisin AW Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhiqian Chen
  • Patent number: 7952318
    Abstract: A system and method for determining stator winding resistance in an AC motor is disclosed. The system includes a circuit having an input connectable to an AC source and an output connectable to an input terminal of an AC motor. The circuit includes at least one contactor and at least one switch to control current flow and terminal voltages in the AC motor. The system also includes a controller connected to the circuit and configured to modify a switching time of the at least one switch to create a DC component in an output of the system corresponding to an input to the AC motor and determine a stator winding resistance of the AC motor based on the injected DC component of the voltage and current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Bin Lu, Thomas G. Habetler, Pinjia Zhang, Peter J. Theisen
  • Patent number: 7550941
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system of controlling a piston in a linear compressor, a method of controlling a piston in a linear compressor, as well as a linear compressor, particularly applicable to cooling systems that may include, for instance, refrigerators, air-conditioning systems and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Empresa Brasileira de Compressores S.A.- EMBRACO
    Inventors: Paulo Sérgio Dainez, Dietmar Erich Bernhard Lilie
  • Patent number: 7528565
    Abstract: A signal processing device processes a position information signal (A sin?, A cos?) output from a sensor in accordance with a driving position of a motor and detects a driving speed of the motor. The signal processing device includes a position information signal processor (410) that processes the position information signal and calculates driving speed information of the motor, and an internal position information generator (460) that reflects a latest driving speed information (?n) calculated by the position information signal processor (410) and generates a latest presumed position of the motor as internal position information. The position information signal processor (410) calculates driving speed information (?n) of the motor based on a difference between the position information signal (A sin?, A cos?) from the sensor and the internal position information (A sin?n, A cos?n) generated by the internal position information generator (460).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Jun Fujita, Takamichi Ito
  • Patent number: 7501782
    Abstract: A method and a controller for controlling a magnetic bearing device, in which a rotor is suspended for rotation around a shaft, are disclosed. Sensor signals are transformed to yield tilt displacement signals (S?x, S?y) which correspond to tilting displacements of the shaft in predetermined directions (x, y). From the tilt displacement signals (S?x, S?y), tilt control signals A?x, A?y) are derived; these are transformed to yield actuator control signals for driving electromagnetic actuators in the magnetic bearing device. According to the invention, tilting displacements for which the tilt vector rotates about the device axis (z) with a first predetermined sense of rotation are controlled separately from tilting displacements for which the tilt direction vector rotates about the device axis (z) with a second sense of rotation opposite to the first predetermined sense of rotation. In this way, control of nutation and precession can be achieved without influence from blade vibrations or shaft bending modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: Mecos Traxler AG
    Inventors: Philipp Bühler, René Larsonneur
  • Publication number: 20080224645
    Abstract: A control system for a synchronous electric motor controls the synchronous motor so that the phase of a current determined based on a magnetic pole position of a moving element of the motor may shift to a phase where maximum torque may be obtained. A magnetic pole position correcting section determines a magnetic pole position correction to be added to a relative magnetic pole position. In connection with a polarity change determining section which determines whether or not a polarity of an acceleration difference changes, a basic correction adjusting section switches computation between an incremental operation of incrementing a basic correction and a decremental operation of decrementing the basic correction by a correction increment/decrement. When the correction increment/decrement becomes a predetermined lower limit value B or less, the basic correction adjusting section stops the computation. The basic correction at that point is determined as a finally-determined magnetic pole position correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: SANYO DENKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuuji Ide
  • Patent number: 7397212
    Abstract: A DC motor phase estimation algorithm that estimates a speed-related harmonic frequency of a DC motor current under dynamic load conditions having known geometry parameters. The algorithm estimates the phase and magnitude of a complex coefficient in a complex single frequency adaptive filter that receives a primary signal from the motor current and estimates a reference signal using an incident frequency by adapting the complex coefficient to match the magnitude and phase of the speed-related harmonic component of the primary signal. The rate of change of the phase of the complex coefficient is determined by a phase-lock loop coupled to the adaptive filter to adapt a dynamic incident frequency corresponding to a single frequency component of interest in the primary signal. The incident frequency is extracted, and the motor speed is estimated using the extracted incident frequency and the known motor geometry parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Square D Company
    Inventor: Larry A. Turner
  • Patent number: 7391174
    Abstract: The invention relates to a brushless DC motor control apparatus controlling the number of revolutions of a brushless DC motor having a rotor with n poles (where n is a natural number) that rotates due to a supply current with m phases (where m is a natural number) supplied to a stator, comprising: a rotation detector part, which counts the number of revolution pulses from the brushless DC motor caused by the rotation of the rotor, a revolution requirement amount input part, which receives the number of revolutions of the brushless DC motor as input and converts it to a corresponding revolution requirement amount, a comparison part, which compares the number of revolution pulses and the revolution requirement amount, and a current controller part, which controls the supply current supplied to the brushless DC motor according to comparison results from the comparison part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yeon-ho Son
  • Patent number: 7382295
    Abstract: Since an abnormality is judged by executing a square calculating process with respect to sin ? and cos ? for detecting an abnormality in an angular resolver, a processing time is elongated, and a burden to a CPU is great. Since the invention prepares a map which can judge whether the combination of sin ? and cos ? is normal or abnormal, and judges by mapping the combination of the detected sin ? and cos ?, a process can be easily executed, a processing speed is high, and a burden to the CPU can be reduced. Further, an assist can be maintained by controlling a motor by a rectangular wave current by detecting a rotation angle signal at low resolution level, such as Hall sensors arranged around the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignees: NSK Ltd., NSK Steering Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Otsuka, Atsushi Horikoshi, Yuho Aoki
  • Patent number: 7345443
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a motor control apparatus capable of ensuring a control function even for a large inertia moment ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
    Inventors: Yasufumi Yoshiura, Yasuhiko Kaku, Keisei Inoki, Wennong Zhang
  • Patent number: 7317294
    Abstract: A pulse generator and method thereof. The pulse generator may include a first switching unit receiving a plurality of receiving a plurality of time interval indicators and a first selection signal. The first switching unit may select one of the plurality of time interval indicators in accordance with the first selection signal and may output the selected time interval indicator. The pulse generator may further include a second switching unit receiving a plurality of pulse states and a second selection signal. The second switching unit may select one of the plurality of pulse states in accordance with the second selection signal and may output the selected pulse state for a first time interval, where the first time interval may be determined by the selected time interval indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Eck-sang Ko
  • Patent number: 7317293
    Abstract: Provided is a motor control circuit in which the circuit structure is not complicated, which has a favorable response to the phase difference signal, and in which the signal variation caused by heat is small. This rotation control circuit of a motor includes: a PWM control circuit of the motor; a rotational speed sensor of the motor; a reference signal generation circuit 10; a phase comparing circuit; and a divider for dividing the detected rotational speed signal of the motor; wherein the phase difference between the signal from the divider and the signal based on the reference signal is sought with the phase comparing unit, and this phase difference signal is supplied to the PWM control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kesatoshi Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 7274161
    Abstract: A Motor driving apparatus adjusts activation start timing of high-side activation control signals UU, VU, WU and the low-side activation control signals UL, VL, and WL with a state determination signal SJ in an activation controller 40, in the period from starting to the time when rotor rotating speed reaches a predetermined value, sets the activation start timing earlier than in normal times to perform leading phase activation control, and in normal times when the rotor rotating speed is a predetermined value or more, controls activation start timing in efficient and optimum phase. Hence, the motor driving apparatus can carry out stable PWM sensorless starting without any starting failure such as oscillation, loss of synchronism and reverse rotation and shorten starting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideaki Mori, Shinichi Kuroshima
  • Patent number: 7187152
    Abstract: An AC servo drive without current sensor includes a PI (proportional integration) controller, at least two first-order controllers (polar point and zero point), a decoupling compensator, a coordinate converter, a pulse width modulator, a counter and a speed estimator. The AC servo drive is connected with a servomotor to form an AC servo module. The servomotor comprises an encoder receiving a current command signal from the servo module to function as input current command signal or the d, q axes PI controller and the decoupling compensator. The voltage command signal generated by the d, q axes PI controller and the signal generated by the decoupling compensator form a control signal and input to the coordinate converter. The signal output from the coordinate converter is processed by PWM controller to control the servomotor. Therefore, the deterioration of servo motor control caused by temperature drift and cost can be solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Electronic Inc.
    Inventor: Chin-Shiong Tsai
  • Patent number: 7180255
    Abstract: A method for controlling the release of a brush motor which has applied a load includes several steps. One step includes applying a release current to the brush motor to rotate the brush motor in a direction toward releasing the applied load of the brush motor. Another step includes sensing the commutator bar ripple current of the brush motor. Another step includes determining when to remove the release current using at least the sensed commutator bar ripple current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary C. Fulks, Douglas E. Poole
  • Patent number: 7170249
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for compensating for the asymmetrical phases of a spindle motor in a disc drive are provided. With the apparatus and method, compensation values are learned by sampling speed data during a period of operation of the disc drive where the speed is stable and only one control operation is performed per revolution of the disc. The sampled speed data is used to generate the compensation values for each of the phases of the spindle motor. The compensation values are stored in a compensation mechanism which is used by the spindle motor speed controller to provide compensation for the asymmetrical phases of the spindle motor. During Normal operation, the actual speed output of the spindle motor is measured and is subtracted from a reference speed to generate a difference speed value. Based on the corresponding electrical phase, the correct compensation value is fetched and is subtracted from the difference speed value to obtain a compensated difference speed value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2007
    Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: June Christian Ang, KianKeong Ooi, WingKong Chiang, MingZhong Ding
  • Patent number: 7084603
    Abstract: A motor control device that can reduce electrical noise is provided. A motor control device includes an inverter, a current controller, a high frequency wave superpositioner, and a high frequency wave setter. An inverter applies a current to the motor. A current controller outputs a voltage to the inverter according to a current applied to the motor from the inverter. A high frequency wave superpositioner applies a high frequency wave to the voltage from the current controller as a superpositioned wave to infer a position of a rotor in the motor. A high frequency wave setter varies at least one characteristic of the superpositioned wave applied by the high frequency wave superpositioner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hitoshi Taguchi, Takeshi Kitahata, Yosuke Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 7049778
    Abstract: An interrupt signal is generated at each of rising timings of PWM signals which are produced on the basis of phase-shifted triangular wave carrier signals for phases, and voltage command values for the phases. At timings of the interrupt signals, A/D conversion of motor currents of the phases detected by a shunt is started. Interrupt signals are also produced at timings of valleys of the triangular wave carrier signals. Additionally, peak interrupt signals and valley interrupt signals are respectively produced at timings of peaks and valleys of triangular wave carrier signals for phases. Based on each of the peak interrupt signals, normality/abnormality of a switching element of an upper side of the phase corresponding to the interrupt signal is checked, and, based on each of the valley interrupt signals, normality/abnormality of a switching element of a lower side of the phase corresponding to the interrupt signal is checked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Assignee: Nippon Yusoki Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ikuya Katanaya
  • Patent number: 7005822
    Abstract: A system and method for reducing torque ripple in a motor controller includes a step (60) of measuring an output voltage at each phase of the motor controller. A next step (61) includes determining a voltage mismatch between the phases. A next step (62) includes phase grounding one phase of the motor. A next step (63) includes calculating a voltage gain for the phases to compensate for voltage mismatches therebetween. The compensating gain can include a gain and/or offset, which are applied as a function of motor angle and is used to generate a PWM signal for driving the motor with reduced torque ripple.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick A. O'Gorman, Scott W. Repplinger, Dennis L. Stephens
  • Patent number: 7000848
    Abstract: A fan regulation circuit configuration includes an input receiving an input voltage (proportional to fan current and forms a first comparison voltage), a low-pass filter (filters input voltage and a filter output voltage is tapped off as second comparison voltage), a first comparison device for commutation identification (outputs signal indicating a commutation if value of one of the comparison voltages multiplied by first factor is greater than the other comparison voltage), and a regulator (outputs a control voltage dependent upon identified commutation pulses). The circuit has self-adjusting sensitivity adaptation and a second comparison device outputting a signal if the value of one of the comparison voltages multiplied by a second factor is greater than the other comparison voltage, the second factor being less than the first factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Busch
  • Patent number: 6972534
    Abstract: A control system for an electric machine having a rotor position sensor that generates a rotor position signal, a velocity module that generates an electric angular velocity value based on the rotor position signal, a random pulse width modulation module that generates a switching period and a delay for a current cycle, and a phase angle compensation module that sums a sample rate, one half of the switching period, and the delay of a previous cycle and that outputs a delay time. The phase angle compensation module further multiplies the delay time and the electric angular velocity value and generates a compensating angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Steven E. Schulz, Daniel L. Kowalewski
  • Patent number: 6870346
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling acceleration and velocity of a stepper motor in which a phase offset is selected depending on motor velocity. The optimal phase offset indicates the position of the winding which generates the maximal driving moment. The increase of the driving force and the extension of the range of steady-state movement is achieved for advanced motor coils commutation with constant frequency using velocity feed back and gradual step-wise phase shift where the phase offset is selected depending on rotor velocity. The invention may be effectively applied to servomotors, stepper motors, motors having certain limitations on movement parameters, such as limitations on acceleration and other types of motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Acuid Corporation (Guernsey) Limited
    Inventor: Vladimir Nikolayevich Davidov
  • Patent number: 6839653
    Abstract: A method for determining the position of an element driven by the drive shaft of a commutated direct current (DC) motor includes counting current ripples detected in an armature current signal as the motor rotatably drives the shaft. A frequency spectral analysis of the armature current signal is performed to determine frequency components of the armature current signal. The frequency components are analyzed to determine which of the frequency components is indicative of the current ripple frequency. The current ripple frequency is monitored for changes over time while the motor drives the shaft. The number of counted ripples is modified upon a change in the current ripple frequency in a time interval if the current ripple frequency change deviates from the current ripple frequency more than a threshold deviation for the time interval. The rotational position of the shaft is determined based on the modified number of counted ripples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Tobias Gerlach
  • Patent number: 6822414
    Abstract: A motor controller capable of obtaining information on offsets, amplitudes and a phase difference of analog feedback signals from encoders without using special measuring device. The analog feedback signals from the encoders are A/D converted and the offsets, the amplitudes and the phase difference of A-phase and B-phase analog feedback signals are obtained based on the converted digital signals by an arithmetic section. The obtained offsets, amplitudes and phase difference are displayed by a display section of the motor controller and/or a display section of a numerical controller as a host controller. Further, the obtained offsets and amplitudes are compared with respective reference values for determining acceptability of the feedback signals from the encoders and the results of the comparison is displayed by the display section and/or the display section of the numerical controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2004
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuuki Morita, Shinichi Kono, Takahiro Akiyama
  • Patent number: 6803740
    Abstract: A method for determining phase current for each of a plurality of individual phase coils of a switched reluctance machine (SRM) is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method includes determining the current passing through a first resistive element and a second resistive element in an SRM drive circuit. A conduction mode of the SRM drive circuit is determined, the conduction mode being based upon an ON/OFF state of each of a pair of switching transistors controlling current through each of the plurality of individual phase coils. The phase current through each of the plurality of individual phase coils is then calculated, based upon the conduction mode and the determined current passing through said first and second resistive elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2004
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Sayeed A. Mir, Tomy Sebastian