Open-loop Stepping Motor Control Systems Patents (Class 318/696)
  • Patent number: 10520898
    Abstract: A driving processor for driving a motor having a rotor and one or more coils for rotating the rotor is configured to generate a detection pulse for detecting whether or not the rotor has rotated; cause the generated detection pulse to be applied to at least one of the one or more coils; receive a signal indicating a detected value of current flowing in the at least one of the one or more coils after the detection pulse has been outputted to the at least one of the one or more coils; and determine whether or not the rotor has rotated to one or more prescribed positions on the basis of the detected value of current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yuta Saito
  • Patent number: 10523145
    Abstract: A motor control circuit (12) capable of performing a high-precision step-out determination under a wide range of conditions. The motor control circuit (12) includes an input voltage measuring unit (125), a temperature measuring unit (128), a back electromotive force measuring unit (126), a determination threshold value setting unit, and a determination unit. The input voltage measuring unit (125) measures an input voltage input to a motor control device (10). The temperature measuring unit (128) measures temperature. The back electromotive force measuring unit (126) measures back electromotive force induced in a coil for which energization is stopped out of the coils of plural phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
    Inventors: Ayaka Shimada, Kazuo Takada, Hidetoshi Hijikata
  • Patent number: 10520897
    Abstract: There is provided an analog timepiece including an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand which are rotated by a unit step operation of a stepping motor. The analog timepiece includes a rotor that rotates the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand, and that has a magnetic polarity, a stator that includes magnetic pole portions disposed around the rotor, coils that excite the magnetic pole portions, and a control unit that controls each unit step of the rotor in accordance with each pulse group by applying a pulse group including a rotary pulse for rotating the rotor and a braking pulse for braking rotation of the rotor, which is applied before the rotary pulse is applied, to the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
    Inventor: Kosuke Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10439532
    Abstract: A driving device for a stepping motor includes a motor driving circuit configured to generate a current waveform representing an electrical angle in synchronization with a mechanical angle of the stepping motor, and excite the stepping motor using the current waveform; a memory configured to store a value of the electrical angle; and a controller configured to: when a power supply to the stepping motor and the motor driving circuit is stopped, store a first value of the electrical angle held by the motor driving circuit in the memory; and when the power supply is resumed, replace a value of the electrical angle of the motor driving circuit with the first value while suppressing a rotational operation of the stepping motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tsutomu Kawamoto
  • Patent number: 10401400
    Abstract: An electricity meter includes a disconnect switch connected to a service transformer, a line-side sense circuit, a load-side sense circuit, and a measurement and control circuit. The disconnect switch is configured to receive a phase voltage and an anti-phase voltage from the service transformer. The line-side sense circuit includes a first sense circuit configured to detect the phase voltage delivered to the electricity meter and a second sense circuit configured to detect the anti-phase voltage delivered to the electricity meter, the first sense circuit and the second sense circuit are each connected to a floating reference node. The load-side sense circuit is configured to detect the existence of a phase load and an anti-phase load at a service entrance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Landis+Gyr LLC
    Inventors: Frank J. Boudreau, Jr., Matthew Eric Kraus
  • Patent number: 10248135
    Abstract: A stepper motor is driven according to step driving modes including a full-step driving mode, a half-step driving mode and micro-stepping modes. The stepper motor may also be driven in an acceleration phase. A method of controlling the stepper motor includes controlling the current step driving mode of the motor by a processing unit. During the acceleration phase of the stepper motor and the stepper motor being in driven in a current step driving mode other than the full-step driving mode, the processing unit tests, after each speed increase, if a remaining computing power of the processing unit is sufficient for control of the stepper motor to remain in the current step driving mode, and if not the processing unit, in presence of a first switching condition, switches control of the stepper motor to the driving mode having the closest coarser step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grand Ouest) SAS
    Inventors: Emmanuel Langouet, Samuel Rousselin
  • Patent number: 10186118
    Abstract: A gaming machine of the present invention stores a bet area on which a bet is placed through a gaming terminal and a game value placed as the bet, determines a resulting symbol from a plurality of symbols, rotates the wheel based on an operation of the lever in one of the plurality of gaming terminals, whose lever has been activated, stops the rotation of the wheel so that the pointer points at a symbol arrangement area with the resulting symbol, and awards a payout based on the resulting symbol and the odds set for the bet area in which the bet is placed through the gaming terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kido, Hiroki Munakata
  • Patent number: 10171701
    Abstract: An image scanning apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a pulse driving unit and a control unit. The image capturing unit captures an image of an object. The pulse driving unit drives the image capturing unit and the object along a scanning direction to move with respect to each other among multiple pulse nodes, so as to scan the object. The control unit is electrically connected to the pulse driving unit and the image capturing unit, and the control unit controls the image capturing unit to capture multiple images of the object between adjacent pulse nodes, so as to synthesize a scanned image corresponding to the object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: MICROTEK INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventor: Chin-Lai Wu
  • Patent number: 10163280
    Abstract: An example method includes receiving, at a computing system, parameters from a vehicle, wherein the parameters correspond to a set of associated parameter identifiers (PIDs), and determining, by the computing system, one or more thresholds for one or more PIDs of the set of associated PIDs. The example method additionally includes determining, by the computing system, one or more indicators displayable on a first graph of parameters corresponding to a first PID of the set of associated PIDs. For instance, at least one indicator of the one or more indicators represents a parameter corresponding to a second PID of the set of associated PIDs breaching a threshold associated with the second PID. The example method further includes displaying, by the computing system on a graphical user interface, the first graph of parameters corresponding to the first PID and the one or more indicators on the first graph.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Snap-on Incorporated
    Inventor: Joshua C. Covington
  • Patent number: 10121298
    Abstract: An unlocking method and device utilizing the same are provided. The unlocking method is disclosed, including: in response to an input pre-unlocking operation, performing a timing operation; detecting at least one input unlocking operation; determining whether a time interval from the timing operation to the input unlocking operation is equal to a predefined interval, and if the time interval from the timing operation to the input unlocking operation is equal to the predefined interval, unlocking the device, otherwise, not unlocking the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: MEDIATEK SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Zhan-yong Wang
  • Patent number: 9989398
    Abstract: A device for determining a predetermined fill level of a liquid in a container, with a sensor unit, comprising a unit capable of oscillating mechanically, a transmitter unit, and a receiver unit, which is electrically and mechanically coupled to the transmitter unit, and which transduces the oscillation of the unit capable of oscillating into an electrical receiving signal. An electronic unit, comprising a regulating unit, which regulates a phase difference that exists between the electrical transmission signal and electrical receiving signal to a determined value at which the unit capable of oscillating conducts oscillations at a resonant frequency, and which forms an oscillation circuit with the transmitter unit, receiving unit and the unit capable of oscillating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER GMBH + CO. KG
    Inventors: Sascha D'Angelico, Sergej Lopatin, Franco Ferraro
  • Patent number: 9970434
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, a system for managing commands for a pump electric motor for powering a pump for use in a pool and/or a spa is provided. The system includes a user interface for receiving user commands from a user and a pump motor controller for controlling the pump electric motor. The user interface and/or the pump motor controller is adapted to receive first protocol commands utilizing a first protocol from a first input source and adapted to send first input source signals corresponding to the first protocol commands to a portion of the pump motor controller. The user interface and/or the pump motor controller is further adapted to receive second protocol commands utilizing a second protocol from a second input source and adapted to send second input source signals corresponding to the second protocol commands to a portion of the pump motor controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Christopher McKinzie, John Sheldon Wagley
  • Patent number: 9968158
    Abstract: A system assesses activity and displays a unitless activity value. A detector senses activity of a user. A processor reads sensed activity data from the detector. A display displays the unitless activity value. An enclosure houses the detector and the processor. The processor periodically reads the sensed activity data from the detector and processes the data to generate an activity number, the number being used to generate the unitless activity value based upon a maximum number and a display range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Curtis A. Vock, Perry Youngs
  • Patent number: 9923433
    Abstract: Systems are described for converting the angular position of a shaft or an axle of a rotary motor to an analog or a digital code indicative of the angular position. The systems may include a magnetic disk encoded with first magnetic transitions and second magnetic transitions, where the first magnetic transitions are on a first circumference of the magnetic disk, the second magnetic transitions are on a second circumference of the magnetic disk, the first magnetic transitions represent regions on the magnetic disk, and the second magnetic transitions represent locations on the magnetic disk within each of the regions. The systems may include a first sensor to detect a region based on the first magnetic transitions and a second sensor to detect a location based on the second magnetic transitions. The systems may also include a decoder to identify an absolute location on the magnetic disk based on the region detected by the first sensor and the location detected by the second sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventors: Antonio Sangermano, II, Richard O'Day
  • Patent number: 9909809
    Abstract: The heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing chamber which accommodates a processing object; a heating unit which heats the processing object accommodated in the processing chamber; a temperature detecting unit which detects an internal temperature of the processing chamber; and a controller which sets a second setting temperature identical to as a temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit falls below a predetermined first setting temperature due to an external disturbance; controls the heating unit so that a third setting temperature between the second setting temperature and the first setting temperature becomes identical to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit; and controls the heating unit so that the first setting temperature becomes identical to the temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit after the third setting temperature becomes identical to the temperature detected by the temperat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
    Inventors: Goro Takahashi, Takanori Saito, Wenling Wang, Koji Yoshii, Tatsuya Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9871485
    Abstract: The stepper motor driver circuit controls driving of a stepper motor. The stepper motor driver circuit generates a driving current having a pseudo-sinusoidal waveform that varies stepwise every one period of a reference clock signal and makes the waveform of the driving current vary in response to a measurement value of an exciting voltage on a coil of the stepper motor at a time when the driving current is zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideki Kimura, Katsunori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 9785117
    Abstract: A motor drive device includes a driver unit configured to be connected to a stepping motor, and a controller connected to the driver unit. The controller causes the driver unit to output a drive pulse to the stepping motor for causing the stepping motor to rotate stepwise in a prescribed rotation direction. The controller detects, through the driver unit, a current induced by a counter-electromotive force generated in the stepping motor in response to the drive pulse. The controller causes the driver unit to apply a counter pulse having the same electrical polarity as the drive pulse to the stepping motor so as to suppress an amount of the current induced by the counter-electromotive force when the stepping motor is not rotating in response to the drive pulse so that the amount of the induced current detectably differs between when the stepping motor is rotating and not rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yohei Kawaguchi, Fumiaki Ochiai, Yuta Saito
  • Patent number: 9681065
    Abstract: A gimbal system, including components and methods of use, configured to track moving targets. More specifically, the disclosed system may be configured to orient and maintain the line of sight (“los”) of the gimbal system toward a target, as the target and, in some cases, the platform supporting the gimbal system are moving. The system also may be configured to calculate an estimated target velocity based on user input, and to compute subsequent target positions from previous positions by integrating the estimated target velocity over time. A variety of filters and other mechanisms may be used to enable a user to input information regarding a target velocity into a gimbal controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: FLIR Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Stewart W. Evans, Anca G. Williams
  • Patent number: 9660562
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining start of electric machine is disclosed wherein a frequency of a 3-phase current inputted from a motor is estimated to determine whether the motor has started using a difference between the estimated frequency and a frequency of output voltage of inverter configured to drive the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: LSIS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Anno Yoo
  • Patent number: 9647588
    Abstract: A system and method for a decay lock loop for time varying current regulation in electric motors determines if a predetermined electrical current regulation level for an electric motor has been obtained within a tuning control time window. A coarse control loop increases or decreases a fast current decay, in response to a determination that the predetermined electrical current regulation level has not been obtained within the tuning control time window, until the predetermined electrical current regulation level falls within the tuning control time window. A fine control loop increments or decrements an amount of fast current decay during a total decay time, in response to a determination that the predetermined electrical current regulation level has been obtained within the tuning control time window, until a predetermined timing of the predetermined electrical current regulation level has been obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Sudhir Nagaraj, David H. Elwart, II, Rakesh Raja, Anuj Jain
  • Patent number: 9621046
    Abstract: In a power converter, a reference signal generator generates a reference signal with a predetermined period. A current detector detects a current flowing in the converter. When a value of the detected current is larger than a value of a predetermined current command, a reset signal generator generates a reset signal. A driving unit drives a switch. The switch is turned on, and subsequently is turned off: (i) in synchronization with the reference signal when the reset signal is not outputted before the reference signal is outputted; and (ii) in synchronization with the reset signal when the reset signal is outputted before the reference signal is outputted. However, the switch is turned off in synchronization with the reset signal during a predetermined time including a first predetermined time before an output timing of the reference signal and a second predetermined time after the output timing of the reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hirofumi Kinjo, Keiji Shigeoka, Yuji Hayashi, Kimikazu Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9612579
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic clock which is capable of finely controlling a driving force of a normal driving pulse and suppresses variation in current consumption without an increase in circuit size. The electronic clock is configured so that while a chopped driving pulse is output and in an interval in which coil terminals have heretofore been short-circuited, a pulse is output (hereinafter referred to as adjustment pulse) for control from a terminal that is different from a terminal of a motor driver from which the normal driving pulse has been output. The output pattern of the adjustment pulse is changed with reference to a driving rank selecting circuit to increase or decrease a motor driving current and hence change the driving force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu Takyo, Masaaki Namekawa
  • Patent number: 9602034
    Abstract: A CPU obtains a difference between a data number at timing when an ENC0 signal or an ENC1 signal changes in a case where there is no follow-up delay of a rotor relative to a voltage signal applied to an A-phase coil and a B-phase coil and a data number at timing when the ENC0 signal or the ENC1 signal changes in a case where there is a follow-up delay of the rotor relative to the voltage signal applied to the A-phase coil and the B-phase coil. Then, the CPU controls the voltage signal applied to the A-phase coil and the B-phase coil based on the obtained difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Mizuo
  • Patent number: 9590480
    Abstract: An electric machine comprises a rotor (200) equipped with permanent magnets (204, 206, 208, 210), and a stator (100) equipped with electromagnetic poles. The electric machine is characterized in that several adjacent electromagnetic poles respectively constitute an electromagnetic pole group in which the adjacent electromagnetic poles are spaced apart at a first electromagnetic pole spacing, that adjacent electromagnetic poles belonging to different electromagnetic pole groups are spaced apart at an electromagnetic pole spacing greater than said first electromagnetic pole spacing, that each electromagnetic pole group has an even number of electromagnetic poles, and that adjacent electromagnetic poles of an electromagnetic pole group are linked to each other so as to generate magnetic fields of opposite direction in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: L-3 COMMUNICATIONS MAGNET-MOTOR GMBH
    Inventors: Roland Hagenlocher, Jens Steffen, Anton Müller, Peter Ehrhart
  • Patent number: 9572924
    Abstract: Devices and methods for powering a medical device for sustained delivery of fluids or continuous monitoring of body analyte. The devices may comprise a pumping mechanism, a driving mechanism for activating the pumping mechanism to dispense fluid, and a power source coupled to the driving mechanism and having an energy storage cell for providing a pulsed power to the driving mechanism. The methods may be implemented by activating the driving mechanism using pulsed energy in the form of at least one pulse train pattern accumulated in and discharged from an energy storage component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Ofer Yodfat, Avihoo P. Keret
  • Patent number: 9515591
    Abstract: A rotary drive mechanism provides a mechanism for driving light dispersing element having a high wavelength-moving speed and a high wavelength-resolving power. The rotary drive mechanism includes a stepper motor as a rotary drive source; an update information setter for setting update information corresponding to the amount of change by which the motor should be rotated at a drive timing indicated by an input signal; a position information updater for holding position information which specifies the rotational position of the motor and for updating the position information based on the update information from the update information setter; a winding excitation state determiner for determining the amount or ratio of electric currents passed through the windings of the motor based on the updated position information provided from the position information updater; and a drive controller for controlling the electric currents based on a control signal from the winding excitation state determiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: SHIMADZU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazumi Yokota
  • Patent number: 9503002
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an engine portion configured to perform image forming, a direct current (DC) motor configured to mechanically operate the engine portion, a driver including a resistor to measure current that flows to the DC motor according to the measured current and configured to provide a predetermined voltage to the DC motor, and a drive controller configured to measure a driving speed of the DC motor based on a voltage value of the resistor and to control the driver to provide a voltage that corresponds to the measured driving speed to the driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hak-young Kim, Hyoung-il Kim, Yong-ho You
  • Patent number: 9503004
    Abstract: A logic circuit controls a bridge circuit connected to a coil of a stepping motor in synchronization with an input pulse, so as to control electric power supplied to the coil of the stepping motor. A back electromotive force detector detects the back electromotive force VBEMF across the coil L. A load angle estimation unit estimates the load angle ? based on the back electromotive force detected in the detection period set in the high-impedance period set for the coil L. A logic circuit is configured to adjust electric power supplied to the coil such that the estimated load angle ? approaches a predetermined target angle ?REF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shigeyuki Inoue
  • Patent number: 9469102
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes: a printing unit that performs printing on a printing medium; a drive unit that causes the printing unit to move; a power supply unit that supplies power to the drive unit; a detection unit that detects the movement of the printing unit; and a controller that controls an initialization operation related to the printing unit based on a detection result of the detection unit. When power supply from the power supply unit to the drive unit is started, the controller acquires the detection result obtained when power is not supplied, performs the initialization operation in a case where a movement of the printing unit is detected in the detection result, and does not perform the initialization operation in a case where a movement of the printing unit is not detected in the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Teruki Kurashina
  • Patent number: 9423787
    Abstract: A programming tool provides an interface between an industrial controller and a motor drive that allows the logic development tool used to program the industrial controller to be used to configure the motor drive and its supported components directly. This allows a programmer to configure the topology for the motor drive and provide configuration data that can be verified directly from within the controller programming software rather than requiring separate programming and diagnostic tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Rockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael R. Keller
  • Patent number: 9400388
    Abstract: A head-up display device which can reduce heat generation and perform efficient control by controlling a drive current of a motor is provided. After a combiner is held in a display position, a microcomputer controls duty of drive pulse supplied to the motor so that the motor is operated by low torque drive of torque 50% when adjusting an angle of the combiner according to the operation of a forward/backward tilting switch. Furthermore, the microcomputer controls duty of drive pulse supplied to the motor so that the motor is operated by normal torque drive of torque 100% when moving the combiner from a storage position to a display position and from the display position to the storage position according to up-and-down operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihisa Yamada
  • Patent number: 9366193
    Abstract: An example power management arrangement includes a motor controller configured to communicate power to a motor drive bridge to drive a motor. The motor controller is configurable to selectively receive power from each of a first power supply and a second power supply. The voltage of the power from the first power supply is different than a voltage of the power from the second power supply. An example power adjusting method includes receiving power at a motor controller, adjusting a voltage of the received power using the motor controller, communicating the power with the adjusted voltage from the motor controller to a motor drive bridge to drive a motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Inventor: Les F. Nelson
  • Patent number: 9337918
    Abstract: A digital payload for processing a sub-band spectrum received on an uplink beam at a communications satellite includes a digital channelizer, a digital switch matrix and a digital combiner. The digital channelizer divides the sub-band spectrum into a plurality of frequency slices that can be routed by the digital switch matrix to any of a number of receiving ports. A digital combiner receives the frequency slices and re-assembles them to form one or more output sub-bands for transmission on an output beam of the communications satellite. The digital payload may also include an embeddable digital regeneration module configured to demodulate some or all of the sub-band spectrum to extract a digital bitstream therefrom. The digital bitstream may be processed to implement code-based multiplexing, switching, access control, and other features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Douglas T. Bell, Brian A. Clebowicz
  • Patent number: 9287745
    Abstract: There is provided a single motor which performs plural driving characteristics and can expand output range thereof. Three coils are wounded around each of the stator teeth A to F, and provided to each stator tooth A to F are switches for providing a concentrated winding state by connecting the three coils in series in each stator tooth A to F, and switches for providing a distributed winding state by connecting in series the coils of any one of units through the stator teeth A to F Depending on the rotating speed, the torque or the like, the coils are changed between the concentrated winding state and the distributed winding state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: SHIBAURA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Kan Akatsu, Hiroki Hijikata
  • Patent number: 9281771
    Abstract: A drive controller includes a stepping motor capable of performing micro-step drive of a predetermined number of divisions by using an excitation current having a sine waveform, and a control unit configured to calculate a first drive pulse of the stepping motor to perform the micro-step drive, and the control unit is configured to change the first drive pulse to a second drive pulse depending on a ratio of a step phase of a predetermined phase region included in a range of the micro-step drive when performing the micro-step drive with the first drive pulse in a wobbling operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Koji Sato
  • Patent number: 9273745
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a damping force adjustment mechanism having a flow passage that allows the fluid from a cylinder, a valve seat, a valve body, and a stepper motor that adjusts a flow passage area by driving the valve body. A valve body position in which step-out may occur in the stepper motor if the valve body is moved further toward the valve seat therefrom is set as a step-out boundary position, a zone between a seated position in which the valve body is seated on the valve seat and the step-out boundary position is set as a step-out zone, and when the valve body is to be moved to the seated position through the step-out zone, the stepper motor is energized to move the valve body by a distance that is at least twice a distance to the seated position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: KYB CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahisa Mochizuki, Yuuki Amano
  • Patent number: 9266311
    Abstract: There is provided the manufacturing method of a laminated magnet film end product, including the steps of: a first step of preparing magnet films, each of the magnet films having a thickness of 40 ?m to 300 ?m, and having a nanocrystalline structure which is magnetically isotropic; a second step of applying a self-bonding resin composition with film formability on each of the magnet films so as to prepare a plurality of self-bonding magnet films, each being composed of a magnet film and a self-bonding layer; a third step of mechanically processing each of the plurality of the self-bonding magnet films so as to be solid or hollow disc; a fourth step of preparing a laminated magnet film by laminating the plurality of self-bonding magnetic films; a fifth step of melting each self-bonding layer of the laminated magnet film and then cooling and solidifying each self-bonding layer so as to integrally rigidify the laminated magnet film; and a sixth step of magnetizing the rigidified laminated magnet film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumitoshi Yamashita, Shinsaku Nishimura, Noboru Menjo
  • Patent number: 9268203
    Abstract: A system may magnetically attach to a surface, such as a ceiling, wall, table, or other surface within an environment. For instance, a ceiling within an environment may include a magnet and a housing of the system may comprise a ferromagnetic material. Therefore, the system may magnetically couple to the ceiling for use. The system may be configured to move across the surface while remaining magnetically coupled to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Timothy T. List
  • Patent number: 9261204
    Abstract: The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for controlling gas flow via a gas shut-off valve assembly. In at least one embodiment, the assembly is configured to drive its shut-off valve from an open position to a closed position, in response to detecting a valve closure condition. The assembly in one or more embodiments operates as an intelligent node in an AMR network, and it interprets a received closure command as a closure condition. Additionally, or alternatively, the assembly detects abnormal operating conditions as the closure condition. Advantageously, the assembly performs initial closure verification, based on detecting movement of the valve into the closed position, and performs subsequent closure verification, based on monitoring downstream gas pressure. In the same or other embodiments, the assembly provides enhanced stand-alone reliability and safety by incorporating one or more valve clearing/cleaning routines into its operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: SENSUS USA INC.
    Inventors: Tim Scott, Dirk Steckmann, Daniel W. Peace, Doug Vargas
  • Patent number: 9257927
    Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for controlling a stepping motor in a digital photographing apparatus, the apparatus including: a temperature measuring unit for measuring a temperature; and a digital signal processor (DSP) for determining a measured temperature driving value of the stepping motor in correspondence with the measured temperature, changing the determined driving value based on a target position to which the stepping motor is supposed to move, and outputting the changed driving value to the stepping motor. Accordingly, power consumption of image capturing apparatuses may be eventually reduced by reducing power consumption of a stepping motor by driving the stepping motor with different driving values depending on temperatures and positions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tae-yun Kim, Jae-chung Lim
  • Patent number: 9234931
    Abstract: A fault detection system for a machine having a plurality of electrical conducting elements insulated from a frame ground of the machine is disclosed. The fault detection system may include a high voltage DC power source, a positive high voltage bus connected to a positive terminal of the high voltage DC power source and providing high voltage electrical power to the plurality of electrical conducting elements, and a negative high voltage bus connected to a negative terminal of the high voltage DC power source and returning high voltage electrical power from the plurality of electrical conducting elements. At least one of the positive and negative high voltage buses may be selectively connected through a plurality of switches to plural zones of the electrical conducting elements, with each of the plural zones being electrically connected in parallel, and selectively connected to the high voltage DC power source by one of the plurality of switches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Robert W. Lindsey, Daniel D. Podany, Sangameshwar Sonth, Thomas M. Sopko, Richard G. Auch, Jason Miller
  • Patent number: 9225276
    Abstract: An image forming apparatus, a control method for the same, and a motor state detector are provided. An aspect is to detect out-of-step of a motor using only an electric circuit configuration without additional mechanical devices, such as an encoder, a light-emitting device, and a light-receiving device, and to predict and prevent out-of-step of the motor. To this end, the image forming apparatus includes a motor state detector that acquires a current detection signal by detecting phase current of a motor and that generates an output signal in which a duty ratio in a current chopping section of the current detection signal is involved, and a controller that judges a normal state, out-of-step entry, and an out-of-step state of the motor based on the output signal of the motor state detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yong Ho You
  • Patent number: 9219436
    Abstract: A driving control device of a motor includes: a motor driving unit, which drives a motor in response to a driving control signal; and a control unit, which determines an energization pattern applied to an armature coil based on a detected rotational position of the rotor, wherein the control unit starts rotation control by a preset first energization pattern when activating of the motor, wherein when a predetermined time period has elapsed, the control unit adjusts energizing timing to be a timing, at which a short of each phase is not caused at switching of the energization pattern, and then outputs the driving control signal to the motor driving unit so that the rotation control is switched to rotation control of a second energization pattern, which has a predetermined advanced angle amount with respect to the first energization pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masato Aoki
  • Patent number: 9181057
    Abstract: A stepping motor control device includes a driving IC driving a stepping motor by PWM control, and a setting circuit for setting PWM frequency of the driving IC. The setting circuit sets the driving IC such that in stepping motor accelerating and decelerating periods, the PWM frequency of the driving IC becomes higher than the PWM frequency of the driving IC in a constant-speed period of the stepping motor. Thus, power loss of the driving IC in the stepping motor accelerating and decelerating periods can be reduced, and ripple current can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tamaki Mashiba
  • Patent number: 9174466
    Abstract: A printer includes a feeding portion configured to feed a printing medium, a printing portion including a plurality of heating elements configured to perform printing of one line at a time on the printing medium, and a processor configured to specify numbers of ON dots for at least a first specified block and a second specified block, specify first speeds that respectively correspond to at least the first specified block and the second specified block based on the numbers of ON dots, set a second speed for the second specified block based on the first speeds that respectively correspond to the first specified block and the second specified block, such that the printing medium is fed at the first speed for the first specified block when the printing of the first specified block is performed, and control the feeding portion and the printing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshihiko Sugimura
  • Patent number: 9154066
    Abstract: A drive control apparatus includes a stepping motor, a position detection unit configured to detect a rotational position of a rotor of the stepping motor, a feedback drive unit configured to drive the stepping motor by a feedback control based on an output from the position detection unit, an open loop drive unit configured to drive the stepping motor by an open loop control, and a switching unit configured to switch the driving of the stepping motor between the driving of the stepping motor by the feedback control and the driving of the stepping motor by the open loop control, wherein the feedback drive unit and the open loop drive unit are both configured to drive the stepping motor by microstep driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Junki Yoshimuta
  • Patent number: 9132978
    Abstract: A stepping motor control device includes a driving IC driving a stepping motor by PWM control, and a setting circuit for setting PWM frequency of the driving IC. The setting circuit sets the driving IC such that in stepping motor accelerating and decelerating periods, the PWM frequency of the driving IC becomes higher than the PWM frequency of the driving IC in a constant-speed period of the stepping motor. Thus, power loss of the driving IC in the stepping motor accelerating and decelerating periods can be reduced, and ripple current can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tamaki Mashiba
  • Patent number: 9135946
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a PM (Pulse-Width Modulation) type step motor used for conveying an optical pickup lens of media devices or a mobile camera lens. In detail, the present invention relates to a step motor that is composed of a stator, a rotor rotating by interacting with the stator, a lead screw combined with the rotor and rotating with the rotation of the rotor, and a bearing supporting the lead screw and which can perform precise conveying because it can perform fine adjustment and of which the operation state can be precisely sensed by having a position correcting unit that moves the lead screw to a desired position by finely moving it while contracting and stretching and a rotation sensing unit that is disposed at a side of the rotor or a rotary member rotating with the rotor and senses rotation of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Inventors: Hyun-Ki Yang, Seong-Kwan Oh, Hyok-Sang Ahn, Se-Hee Park
  • Patent number: 9121216
    Abstract: A method for operating a building closure is disclosed. The building closure may be in the shape of a sectional door or a garage door. The position of the building closure and a motor current of a drive device is monitored by a control apparatus. When the building closure stands still, an electrical drive device arrests the building enclosure by providing an electrically conducting connection between winding of the drive device to ground. The position detection device continues to monitor a signal change such that in response to the signal change, the arresting is suspended and the electrical drive device is at least partially energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Inventors: Willi Ressel, Christian Dietz
  • Patent number: RE45880
    Abstract: A multiphase current sensing method wherein the sum of the phase currents is zero including: sensing a.c. and/or d.c. currents in first and second phases; sensing a.c. current in a predetermined a.c. frequency range in a third phase; and combining the current sensed in the first and third phases and the second and third phases and determining a gain correction factor to be applied to the currents sensed in the first and second phases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Inventor: Beat J Arnet