With Particular Position Measuring Instruments Patents (Class 318/652)
  • Patent number: 7420348
    Abstract: Optical disc drives designed for reduced power consumption switch the supply voltage in three stages between first, second, and third power supplies. The reduction in power consumption that is possible in the focusing and tracking drive circuits with three stage switching control is limited. This drive apparatus enables further reductions in power consumption. A drive output tracking signal is generated according to the drive conditions of the focusing or tracking drive circuit. The drive output tracking signal is applied to the drive circuit power supply, and the power supply is controlled according to the drive output tracking signal. A power supply change detector detects sudden changes in the drive output tracking signal, and inputs the detection signal to the DSP controlling the entire system. The DSP determines whether to improve the power supply response by comparison with predetermined conditions, and returns the result to the power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shingo Fukamizu, Yasunori Yamamoto, Shuji Tamaoka
  • 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: 7394219
    Abstract: An encoder unit releasably secured to the flange end of a motor with a form-fitting and positive connection comprises an encoder housing with guide grooves for receiving a printed circuit board (PCB), a recess for receiving the motor shaft, and at least one moveable side wall. A timing disc and hub are positioned on the motor shaft within the encoder housing beneath the PCB. The PCB, a sensor unit fixed, and the movable side wall are slid into the guiding grooves to press an abutment against the hub. The pre-assembled encoder housing can be placed onto a base plate at the flange end of the motor. Pressure movement fully insert the PCB into the housing cover so that the sensor unit records the code markings of the timing disc and so that an abutment is removed from a region of contact with the timing disc hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: PWB-Ruhlatec Industrieprodukte GmbH
    Inventors: Vittorio Tenca, Corrado Carradori
  • Publication number: 20080123811
    Abstract: An imaging system that includes a radiation source. An image receptor is located to receive radiation emitted by the radiation source. The imaging system further has a servo system that includes a computer operationally coupled to a motor-load element. The servo system is configured to position the radiation source, the image receptor and the object to be scanned. The servo system is configured to measure at set time intervals in real-time a position of the radiation source, the image receptor, and the object. The measured position is used to predict a native hardware motion parameter value for the servo system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventor: Steven E. Curtis
  • Patent number: 7375487
    Abstract: A motor encoder is mounted on a motor shaft of a geared motor 1, and the origin position is detected by using a Z-phase signal. An absolute value encoder with a precision that allows the number of motor rotations to be determined is mounted on an output shaft 4 of a reduction gear, and the absolute rotational position thereof is detected. When the first Z-phase signal generated in conjunction with the rotation of the motor shaft 2a is obtained at startup and at other times, the mechanical starting point at which the motor shaft and output shaft are both positioned at the origin can be calculated based on the absolute rotational position of the reduction-gear output shaft obtained from the output-side absolute value encoder. Since the mechanical starting point is obtained by rotating the motor shaft a single rotation at most, the time required to calculate the mechanical starting point is short in comparison with conventional examples, and extraneous rotational movements can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Harmonic Drive Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Kunio Miyashita, Junji Koyama, Muneo Mitamura, Yasuo Sawamura
  • Patent number: 7362071
    Abstract: In an electric rotary excavator (construction machine) 1, when earth pressure acts on a rotary body 4 in an opposite direction to an instructed direction of a lever, a control-system changing means 150 of a rotation control device 100 increases a torque output of an electric motor 5 that drives the rotary body 4. Accordingly, the torque output can properly react against the acting earth pressure, thereby preventing the rotary body from continuing to be rotated in the opposite direction. Therefore, even when the earth pressure becomes large, the work will not be affected. In addition, when the rotary body is rotated on a slope, the rotary body can be prevented from being rotated back greatly due to the weights of the boom and the arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Komatsu Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Morinaga, Tadashi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 7355365
    Abstract: A functional unit of a motor vehicle tat has at least one adjustable functional element, a control means for controlling and/or for monitoring the position of the functional element, an angle sensor coupled to the functional element for determining the position thereof, a stator and a rotor that is pivotable relative to the stator around an axis of the angle sensor, the angle sensor producing an output signal which corresponds to a respective position of the rotor relative to the stator and the output signal being supplied to the control means, in which the angle sensor is a magneto-resistance angle sensor, the stator has evaluation electronics and the rotor has a permanent magnet arrangement. The functional element can be such motor vehicle elements as a pivotable rear hatch, a pivotable trunk lid, a pivotable hood and a pivotable or sliding door, a motorized seat adjustment, and a motorized window raiser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: Brose Schliesssysteme GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Andreas Platzkoester
  • Publication number: 20080030160
    Abstract: In a positioning control device based on control of an observer having a disturbance suppression function, a disturbance suppression function according to a head position is added without impairing the control characteristics of the observer. The position control device has an observer having a disturbance suppression function comprising a model of an actuator and a model of disturbance, and a table for storing an estimated gain of the observer according to a position of the head. And an estimated gain is acquired from the table according to the position of the head, and an estimated gain of the observer is changed so as to change the disturbance suppression frequency characteristic. The disturbance suppression characteristic can be optimized according to the position of the head in the radius direction or between disks, and vibration of the head can be prevented even if recording density is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Publication date: February 7, 2008
    Inventor: Kazuhiko Takaishi
  • Patent number: 7323843
    Abstract: It is possible to determine the types and values of stator and rotor errors in magnetic circuits in a synchronous machine by measuring the induced voltage (ui) for the terminals of measurement loops which can capture an image of the induction in the measurement gap, then by treating said signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Xuan Main Tu, Jean-Jacques Simond
  • Publication number: 20080018287
    Abstract: In a machine tool controller (1): a position control unit (12) controls, based on an operational signal input from without during manual operation, a moving body's move-to point and moving speed; a memory (13) stores data modeling the moving body and any potentially interfering machine-tool structure; a travel-area checking unit (17) defines in the modeled structure speed-control regions obtained by displacing the structure's contour, generates, based on the defined speed control regions and on current moving-body position, data modeling the moving body as moved into its current position, to check whether the moving body will travel within a speed control region, and if so, sends to the position control unit a speed limit predefined for that speed control region. The position control unit controls the moving body to travel at speed limit if the operational-signal-directed moving speed exceeds the speed limit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: MORI SEIKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tetsuo Ogawa
  • Publication number: 20080001567
    Abstract: A motor control device detects acceleration of an object driven by a motor through a transmission mechanism, determines a correction command based on the detected acceleration of the driven object, corrects an operation command for the motor by the correction command thus determined, and then controls the motor operation based on the corrected operation command. In the process, a phase shifter combines an operation command signal indicating the operation command with a correction command signal indicating the correction command after adjustably changing the phase of the correction command signal with respect to the vibration of the driven object generated due to the natural vibration of the transmission mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Yasusuke IWASHITA, Tadashi OKITA, Hiroyuki KAWAMURA, Chengbin MA
  • Publication number: 20080001569
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus includes a control circuit configured to control an electric current flowing in a coil for driving a motor for driving a galvanometer mirror. The control circuit includes a PWM signal generating circuit configured to generate a PWM signal having a fundamental frequency equal to or greater than 50 kHz and equal to or less than 1 MHz and an output transistor element configured to perform switching driving of the electric current output based on the PWM signal; and a pulse width of the PWM signal is controlled by a control signal being input to the PWM signal generating circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Inventor: Takumi Ito
  • Publication number: 20070262742
    Abstract: A servo device is provided which includes a drive source made of a brushless motor. A DC motor driving integrated circuit produces output signals and controls the output of a three-phase brushless motor driving integrated circuit to drive the brush less motor. A selection switching section detects information regarding the rotational speed of the brushless motor. The selection switching section extracts the counter electromotive voltage of the brushless motor, feeds the voltage back to the DC motor driving integrated circuit and PWM controls a drive signal output from the three-phase brushless motor driving integrated circuit. This allows the brushless motor to be easily applied to the servo device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Publication date: November 15, 2007
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20070229019
    Abstract: An electric motor control unit (10) comprises: a first position detecting means (31) for detecting a position of a mechanical movable portion (24) driven by an electric motor (20); a second position detecting means (32) for detecting a position of a rotary shaft (21) of the electric motor; a usual operation time movement command outputting means (12) for outputting a usual operation time movement command (Mc) by which the rotary shaft (21) of the electric motor is usually operated, and a stoppage time movement command outputting means (13) for outputting a stoppage time movement command (Mc0) by which the rotary shaft of the electric motor is stopped.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2007
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: FANUC LTD
    Inventors: Yasusuke IWASHITA, Tadashi OKITA, Hiroyuki KAWAMURA, Junichi TEZUKA
  • Patent number: 7268511
    Abstract: A drive arrangement for positioning a positioning element is disclosed that includes an electric servo motor for driving the positioning element, a potentiometer for presetting a setpoint, an actual value sensor disposed at the servo motor, and a motor driver with an integrated evaluation and control unit comparing the setpoint and actual value, whereby a pulse-shaped signal is superposed on the setpoint and the pulse-shaped signal exceeds the motor driver hysteresis in the evaluation and control unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: PREH GmbH
    Inventors: Harald Ment, Markus Peschel
  • Patent number: 7253582
    Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a spindle motor having a plurality of windings including at least a first winding, a second winding, and a third winding. During a spin-up operation, a voltage is applied to the first winding and a first rise time is measured for current flowing through the first winding to reach a predetermined threshold. A voltage is applied to the second winding and a second rise time is measured for current flowing through the second winding to reach a predetermined threshold. A voltage is applied to the third winding and a third rise time is measured for current flowing through the third winding to reach a predetermined threshold. A difference is computed in response to the first rise time, the second rise time, and the third rise time, and an angular position of the spindle motor is estimated by computing an arctangent in response to the difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianghong Ding, Chuanwen Ji, David D. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7227329
    Abstract: A wire-saving optical encoder having servomotor identification information is applied to a wire-saving transmission design to provide a circuit and a method for processing servomotor identification information and encoded feedback control signals. With a microprocessor, a multiplexer and the servomotor identification information stored in the microprocessor, an output device and a driver for the feedback signals of the encoder constitute a wire-saving signal transmitting circuit. The microprocessor and multiplexer switch a signal transmission mode to transmit the servomotor identification information and phase change signal produced by the servomotor control parameters stored in a firmware by a serial output mode, and the same transmitting wire is used to transmit a rotor operating signal after the transmitting mode is switched, so as to save wires and lower costs for transmitting feedback signals and correctly identifying and effectively controlling a servomotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Delta Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Hong-Cheng Sheu, Jian-Da Chen, Meng-Chang Lin, T Cheng-Ping Lin
  • Patent number: 7221116
    Abstract: In an automatic transmission position control by a motor, it is determined whether the present instant belongs to a starting period, that is, the present instant is immediately after resetting of a control unit or application of power to it. If it is the starting period, an actual shift position that is detected from an output of an output shaft sensor for detecting a rotation position of a motor is set as an instructed shift position. With this measure, even if the control unit is reset for a certain reason while the vehicle is running, the instructed shift position is not changed in association with the resetting. This prevents trouble that the shift position is switched contrary to the intention of the driver, whereby the reliability of a position switching control can be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignees: Denso Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakai, Shigeru Kamio, Kenichi Fujiki, Sumiko Amamiya, Keijiro Ohshima, Yasushi Kobiki, Yuji Inoue
  • Patent number: 7221114
    Abstract: A conveyance control apparatus controls an amount of movement of a carrier. A first encoder detects an amount of movement of the carrier and outputting a first signal. A second encoder detects an amount of movement of a drive member driving the carrier. A control part acquires an amount of movement of the carrier by complementing an amount of movement of the carrier acquired from the first signal by an amount of movement of the drive member acquired from the second signal. The control part corrects a value representing a corresponding relationship between the first signal and the second signal based on the complemented amount of movement so as to control the amount of movement of the carrier using the corrected value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kojima
  • Patent number: 7196489
    Abstract: The invention aims to suppress or prevent the vibration that can occur due to the intervention of a low-rigidity part between detector and rotating body. An angular acceleration sensor for detecting the rotational angular acceleration of a rotating body is provided, and an angle/angular speed command value is compensated in accordance with the value of the angular acceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Fanuc Ltd
    Inventors: Mitsuyuki Taniguchi, Keisuke Imai
  • Patent number: 7190138
    Abstract: A failure monitor designed to monitor a failure in operation of a motor drive control system. The system works to drive a motor-driven member through an output shaft and an electric motor and includes an output shaft angular position sensor for determining an angular position of the output shaft and an encoder for determining an angular position of the motor for use in controlling the motor. The system works to discriminate among failures in operation of the output shaft angular position sensor and the encoder and another type of a failure using outputs of the sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2007
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeru Kamio, Yasuhiro Nakai
  • Patent number: 7180257
    Abstract: A system and method is provided for improved monitoring and controlling of mechanically commutated DC motors. The system and method include DC motors, pulse-count driver circuitry for driving the motors, motor position sensing circuitry, and motor control circuitry. The system and method provide for improved motor current waveform sensing that is able to effectively reject false brake pulses, avoid erroneous processing due to fluctuating battery voltage levels, and reduce the sensitivity to variations in motor current signals due to dynamic motor load, manufacturing variation, system aging, temperature, brush bounce, EMI, and other factors. The system and method also include an improved ability to multiplex additional external motor drivers to the motor control circuitry, select between sequential and simultaneous drive modes using an SPI bit, and monitor the system controller for an error condition and simultaneously driver motors in response to the error condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Philip K. Schneider, David D. Moller
  • Patent number: 7176677
    Abstract: A stationary position detection circuit and a motor drive circuit capable of more properly detecting the rotor position are disclosed. The stationary position detection circuit supplies an alternating current to each phase load of the motor. The time during which the current flows in a first direction and the time during which the current flows in a second direction opposite to the first direction are converted into electrical signals and amplified. In accordance with the value of the electrical signals, the position of the motor rotor in stationary mode is determined. The use of the alternating current, unlike the kickback voltage, makes it possible to improve the detection accuracy by amplifying the electrical signals with an increased number of alternations. An increased number of alternations can amplify the electrical signals without increasing the value of the alternating current, and therefore, unlike in the case of the kickback voltage, the alternating current of a large value is not required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2007
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Satoshi Narumi, Masaharu Hoashi, Toshiya Suzuki, Daisuke Suetsugu, Hikaru Nakamura
  • Patent number: 7138784
    Abstract: Optimized pulse commands are utilized for reducing vibration in a step motor, the optimized commands being created by correcting position, velocity, acceleration, deceleration, and movement distance terms of a basic motion profile with position feedback information generated during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Oriental Motor Boston Technology Group Incorporated
    Inventor: Masayuki Someya
  • Patent number: 7138782
    Abstract: The present invention provides a motor control system and method thereof. The motor control system comprises a motor controller and a compensation device. The motor controller is used for generating a motor control output according to a reference signal and a first signal. The compensation device is used for generating a compensated motor control output according to the motor control output and a second signal. Moreover, the compensation device utilizes the compensated motor control output to reduce the steady-state phase error between the first signal and the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Mediatek, Incorporated
    Inventors: Chao-Lung Tsai, Chang-Long Wu
  • Patent number: 7129665
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a machine that can be operated at high precision in a stable control state is provided by driving a movable body with control parameters suited to the mechanical state. A control parameter calculation circuit is provided to obtain control parameters for a drive apparatus control circuit for driving actuators in accordance with the conditions of actuator rotational velocity, the orientation of the movable body, and the position of the movable body, and a control parameter K for the drive apparatus control circuit is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: OKUMA Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoharu Ando
  • Patent number: 7102318
    Abstract: A servo motor with a built-in drive circuit in which a sensor circuit portion, a drive control circuit portion, and a motor drive circuit are collectively provided on two boards, thereby achieving simplification and a reduction in the size of the circuit configuration. In the servo motor with the built-in drive circuit, the sensor circuit portion and the drive control circuit portion are formed on a sensor circuit board, and the motor drive circuit is formed on a motor drive board, thereby achieving a reduction in size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Tamagawa Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromasa Miura, Toshiyuki Noda
  • Patent number: 7060969
    Abstract: Three rotation sensors circumferentially arranged at 90 degree intervals in a disk code wheel attached to a motor's output shaft respectively output a signal corresponding the rotational speed of the wheel. An error component of one period (one-periodic component) or an error component of two period (two-periodic component) is generated per rotation when the code wheel is eccentric to the output shaft or is elliptically deformed, respectively. Control means averages the signals of the first and second sensors to obtain a first correction signal and subtracts the signal of the third sensor from the signal of the first sensor to obtain a second correction signal while removing the two-periodic component. The control means subtracts or adds the first correction signal relative to the second correction signal upon coinciding these signals in phase and amplitude to calculate a rotation measurement signal from which the periodic components are removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2006
    Assignee: Asmo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruhiko Uchiyama, Hidehiko Natsume
  • Patent number: 7049780
    Abstract: An auto-adjusting electric rear-view mirror includes at least two driving mechanisms for driving the rear-view mirror to deflect. The driving mechanisms are respectively coupled to servo control circuits that are further connected to sensor members. The servo control circuits are also coupled to a master control circuit that is further connected to an external controller. The sensor members can sense a positional variation of the rear-view mirror and send a feedback signal to the servo control circuits. The servo control circuits compare a signal from input ports thereof with the feedback signal, and output a control signal to the driving mechanisms according to the comparison result to drive position or negative rotation of the driving mechanisms, such that the rear-view mirror would automatically adjust its view angle to ensure driving safety.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2006
    Inventor: Chia Jung Chang
  • Patent number: 7042188
    Abstract: A servo motor with a built-in drive circuit is provided in which, when power is off, positional data including multiple-rotation counting values is stored in a nonvolatile memory to thereby eliminate battery back-up, and in which the CPU of a drive control circuit portion is in charge of the multiple-rotation counting itself to thereby eliminate the circuit for multiple-rotation counting. Due to a reduction in the number of lines involved and an elimination of battery back-up, a reduction in size is achieved. The servo motor with a built-in drive circuit includes an absolute encoder for detecting rotation of a servo motor portion and an electromagnetic mechanical brake, in which, when the power is off, the positional data at that time is stored in a nonvolatile memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Tamagawa Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiromasa Miura, Toshiyuki Noda
  • Patent number: 7038422
    Abstract: In a vehicle air conditioner with an electrical actuator system, a transmission mechanism transmits a rotation force of an electrical motor to an air mixing door when first and second pulse signals are generated from first and second brushes in a door operation region of a pattern plate. In contrast, the transmission mechanism stops the transmission of the rotation force to the air mixing door, when the first and second pulse signals are generated in the first and second brushes in an initialization region. Therefore, in the initialization region, the detection position of the air mixing door is the same regardless of a rotation direction of the electrical motor. As a result, even when the initialization region is arranged at a middle position in the door operation region, the rotation position of the air mixing door can be accurately detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: DENSO Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Nakajima
  • Patent number: 7030581
    Abstract: This invention relates to a motor controller for driving an object to be controlled by torque from a motor responding to a computed torque command, the object being provided with the motor and a mechanical load. The motor controller includes: a feedback computation unit into which is inputted a positional command signal or a speed command signal, and a motor rotational signal which is a detected value of the motor's rotational angle or speed, the feedback computation unit being for computing the torque command by a computation in which the transfer function for a feedback loop from the motor rotational signal to the torque command includes a pole or a zero point; a response parameter input unit for inputting a response parameter; and a ratio parameter input unit for inputting a ratio parameter. A loop gain which is the gain of the feedback loop is determined based on the response parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2006
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hidetoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 6984954
    Abstract: A strategy to control and diagnose the operation of an electric motor using a sensorless control system augmented by feedback from a position and speed sensor is disclosed. The strategy can improve the robustness of operation and diagnose potential faults in electric motors. The present invention includes a method for diagnosing operation of an electric motor and a method and system for controlling an electric motor. In the diagnostic method, a sensorless system and a sensor based system are checked against each other to determine if either of the systems is faulted. In the control method, the sensor based control system is used when the motor speed is below a predetermined threshold and the sensorless system is used when the motor speed is above the predetermined threshold. The position sensor can be a low resolution position sensor, an engine crankshaft sensor, an engine camshaft sensor, or a transmission sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Franco Leonardi, Henry Heping Huang, John Michael Miller, Michael W. Degner
  • Patent number: 6940248
    Abstract: Motion controlling includes a combining network having an acceleration input for receiving an acceleration signal representative of acceleration of a movable element and a position input for receiving a position signal representative of position of the movable element and an output for providing an inferred position signal representative of an inferred position of the movable element. The network includes a first signal processor for processing the acceleration signal to provide modified acceleration signal, a second signal processor for processing the position signal to provide a modified position signal and a combiner for combining the modified acceleration signal with the modified position signal to provide the inferred position signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Maresca, Thomas Aho
  • Patent number: 6922035
    Abstract: A force-applying input device has a controller which calculates a torque component of an actuator drive signal corresponding to a current position by multiplying the sum of the current position and the product of a current speed and a coefficient by an elastic modulus. In addition, the controller also calculates a torque component of the actuator drive signal corresponding to the current speed by multiplying the current speed by a coefficient of viscous friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2005
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoshi Hayasaka
  • Patent number: 6911799
    Abstract: A control system for a weld motor for a strapping machine is based upon the number of rotations of the weld motor. The system is used in a strapping machine of the type having a body, an anvil mounted to and movable relative to the body, a sealing member disposed for oscillating movement relative to the anvil and a motor operably connected to the sealing member to provide oscillating movement to the sealing member. Movement of the sealing member seals overlying courses of strapping material to one another. The control system includes a sensed element located on a rotating portion of the motor, a sensor for generating a signal at each instance of sensing the sensed element, a counter operably connected to the sensor for counting the instances of the sensed element and a controller for controlling operation of the motor based upon the counting of the instances of the sensed element. A method for controlling a motor is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2005
    Assignee: Illinois Tool Works, Inc.
    Inventor: Roy J. Jensen
  • Patent number: 6909256
    Abstract: The present invention provides a control device of a position control motor for preventing step out of the position control motor, wherein the heat generated by the position control motor is small and the energy efficiency is good.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Oriental Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanari Itabashi
  • Patent number: 6900610
    Abstract: The invention is a system for controlling the position of a movable member moved by a prime mover by monitoring the position of the movable member; generating position information based upon this monitoring; and controlling the prime mover based upon the position information by providing a counter force to the movable member substantially equal to an opposing force opposing the movement of the movable member. The invention may include a movable member, such as a ram used for fastening a terminal to a wire; a spring; a DC planetary gear motor for providing a force to the movable member opposing the spring; a position detector, such as an linear voltage displacement transducer, to detect the position of the movable member and generate position information; and a controller, which may include a logic board or microprocessor and memory, for controlling the force from the motor in response to the position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2005
    Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Deck, Douglas S. Pfautz, Keith L. Nicholas
  • Patent number: 6888335
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling vehicle door position in improved reliability of a vehicle door electromechanical positioning components. The vehicle door control system includes an abnormality detector for detecting abnormal operation of the vehicle door by a deviation of expected door position and/or velocity. If abnormal operation is detected, operation of the electrical motor driving the door is ceased for a predetermined time period. Operation is then resumed if the abnormal condition has been removed. The control system may include a counter for counting a number of attempts to resume operation and further attempts to resume may be ceased if the counter exceeds a predetermined count value. The motor or door positioning system may include a locking device that locks the vehicle door at various positions and the control system use indications of a locked position indicator to determine whether or not to resume operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Fuji Electric Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Sato, Hiroshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6873148
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a position detecting apparatus that can adequately perform gain adjustment and offset adjustment and can suppress deterioration in position detection accuracy. The position detecting apparatus according to the present invention includes a position sensor outputting at least two phases of position detecting signals according to the movement of an object, and a signal adjusting unit performing the gain and offset adjustment of each position detecting signal by using adjustment data. In addition, the position detecting apparatus includes a counter that counts a wave number from a reference position, and a memory circuit that stores adjustment data corresponding to the wave number. Then, the signal adjusting unit adjusts gains and offsets of the position detecting signals on the basis of the adjustment data that corresponds to the counted wave number and is stored in the memory circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yosuke Morimoto
  • Patent number: 6871120
    Abstract: A device (22, 24) for actuating a seat element comprises an actuator (26, 28) equipped with a transducer designed to supply a crude measurement value representing the current position of the actuator. The actuator provides for calculation of a corrected value of the current position of the actuator, from each crude measurement value supplied by the transducer, and calculation of a refining correction function. The device also provides for processing the corrected value of the current position of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2005
    Assignee: Labinal
    Inventor: Laurent Nivet
  • Publication number: 20040251868
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling vehicle door position in improved reliability of a vehicle door electromechanical positioning components. The vehicle door control system includes an abnormality detector for detecting abnormal operation of the vehicle door by a deviation of expected door position and/or velocity. If abnormal operation is detected, operation of the electrical motor driving the door is ceased for a predetermined time period. Operation is then resumed if the abnormal condition has been removed. The control system may include a counter for counting a number of attempts to resume operation and further attempts to resume may be ceased if the counter exceeds a predetermined count value. The motor or door positioning system may include a locking device that locks the vehicle door at various positions and the control system use indications of a locked position indicator to determine whether or not to resume operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2004
    Publication date: December 16, 2004
    Inventors: Yoshinobu Sato, Hiroshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 6831438
    Abstract: Controlling a direct current motor driving an object by determining, if the object does not reach a target position, a reference velocity corresponding to a point of time from a predetermined velocity trajectory, obtaining a position of the object, calculating a current velocity of the object, and calculating a difference between the reference velocity and the current velocity. If the calculated difference is greater than a velocity error limit value, informing a user that an error has occurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-do Jung
  • Publication number: 20040232871
    Abstract: The invention is a system for controlling the position of a movable member moved by a prime mover by monitoring the position of the movable member; generating position information based upon this monitoring; and controlling the prime mover based upon the position information by providing a counter force to the movable member substantially equal to an opposing force opposing the movement of the movable member. The invention may include a movable member, such as a ram used for fastening a terminal to a wire; a spring; a DC planetary gear motor for providing a force to the movable member opposing the spring; a position detector, such as an linear voltage displacement transducer, to detect the position of the movable member and generate position information; and a controller, which may include a logic board or microprocessor and memory, for controlling the force from the motor in response to the position information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Applicant: Tyco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Gary L. Deck, Douglas S. Pfautz, Keith L. Nicholas
  • Publication number: 20040232872
    Abstract: In a servomotor controller, when a comparing circuit (70) detects that a position of an object to be controlled has been achieved to a target position, an operation inhibiting signal generating section (71) supplies an operation inhibiting signal (71a) to an operation permitting/inhibiting signal-processing section (66), and obtains an operation stopped state of an H bridge-driving processing section (67) for controlling driving of a motor. A LIN communication processing section (61) receives information to a self address supplied from a superordiante device, and outputs a forced operation (recovery) request (61R) in the received information. The operation state of the H bridge-driving processing section (67) is obtained through an operation permitting trigger signal generating section (65) and the operation permitting/inhibiting signal-processing section (66) through the H bridge-driving processing section (67).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Hideki Sunaga, Futoshi Araki, Kaoru Tanaka
  • Patent number: 6809489
    Abstract: There is provided a print control unit capable of transferring and stopping an object to be controlled at a target position when unexpected load is applied to the object. A print control unit includes: a selection control part, operating at a predetermined timing, to select and set the control parameters in accordance with the target speed, to judge as to whether the object is located within a target range, based on the output of the position detecting part, if located, the selection control part selecting and operating the third control part, while if the object is not located within the target range, the selection control part selecting and operating the first or the second control part based on the physical value corresponding to the speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Yoshida, Hitoshi Igarashi
  • Patent number: 6799079
    Abstract: There is provided a finite type rolling guide deviation correcting method and system capable of detecting the deviation in relative position between a rolling guide and a movable body if the deviation in relative position increases, and automatically carrying out a correcting operation for returning the deviation in relative position to a normal positional relationship. The finite type rolling guide deviation correcting method corrects a relative positional relationship between a finite type rolling guide for guiding a reciprocating motion of a movable body and the movable body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2004
    Assignee: Toshiba Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yukio Serizawa, Katsuji Gakuhari, Kazushi Kawatsu
  • Publication number: 20040174132
    Abstract: Time-based servopositioning systems, methods, formats, and data recording media used in association with the same, employing bands of signals that differ from each other in the polarity of the servo signal, or the orientation of the servo signal, or the pattern width of the servo signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Applicant: Imation Corp
    Inventors: Douglas W. Johnson, Yung Yip
  • Publication number: 20040174133
    Abstract: Disclosed is a servo motor with a built-in drive circuit in which a sensor circuit portion, a drive control circuit portion, and a motor drive circuit are collectively provided on two boards, thereby achieving simplification and a reduction in size of circuit configuration. In the servo motor with the built-in drive circuit according to the present invention, the sensor circuit portion and the drive control circuit portion are formed on a sensor circuit board, and the motor drive circuit is formed on a motor drive board, thereby achieving a reduction in size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Hiromasa Miura, Toshiyuki Noda
  • Publication number: 20040169483
    Abstract: Simulated textures whose parameters are held with object model data in a data store 5 are modified in accordance with data held in a data store 6 which data defines a Gamma correction factor 73 previously determined for each identified user. The gamma correction factor is determined by outputting to a Haptic Output interface a texture simulation comprising spaced grooves or ridges. By correlating user response to the perceived “feel” of the texture (rough, medium or smooth scale for example) the user's perceptual factors can be determined. Subsequently applying the perceptual factors to effect a mathematical adjustment (power) of texture in simulation algorithms allows output simulations to be adapted so that each user has a corresponding perception of the simulated objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2004
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventor: Andrew J Hardwick