By Pulse Width Or Duty Cycle Modification Patents (Class 388/829)
  • Patent number: 5857061
    Abstract: A system for enabling a vehicle operator to control the speed or rate of raising and lowering of a powered lift window. The actuator or switch includes a pressure responsive variable impedance device comprising a variable resistance in one embodiment and a variable capacitance in another embodiment. Increasing force directly on the variable impedance device by the user's finger or an actuator decreases the impedance which is sensed by a voltage divider which outputs a voltage which increases with increasing force. This latter voltage is compared with the output of a triangle wave oscillator and the output of the comparator is a pulse width modulated signal with pulse-width proportional to applied force. The pulses are applied to a power device (Mosfet) which modulates the duty cycle (%) of the current to the window lift mechanism drive motor to give variable motor speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 5, 1999
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: Albert Y. Chang, Michael G. Taranowski, Brian T. Pier, James E. Hansen, Ruth E. Hubbell, Lewis J. Gohde, Edward J. Hummelt, Richard A. Baumann, Peter J. McGinnis, Arlene M. Klumb
  • Patent number: 5771475
    Abstract: A control apparatus by which a duty ratio in consideration of how energy stored in storage cells is consumed is set to ensure a steady traveling feeling, a regeneration brake which can produce stable braking forces regardless of how storage cells are consumed, and a protective device by which a plurality of operation stop levels are set to be able to cancel the stop operation effected for the first time and to ensure reliable alarming, are provided. In the first and second embodiments, a chopper duty ratio is compensated depending on how storage cells are consumed, to provide a steady agreeable traveling feeling. In the third embodiment, regenerated electric power is consumed by a motor driving circuit to stabilize operation of a regeneration brake regardless of how storage cells are consumed, and improve performance thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo R&D Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kunio Tabata, Minoru Kozaki
  • Patent number: 5754732
    Abstract: A distributed power supply for a motor controller including electronic control circuits for controlling IGBT power transistor stages. The power supplies for the power transistors and gate drivers therefor are isolated from the power supplies for the electronic control circuits. Each of the gate drivers for the IGBT power transistor is supplied through a separate floating supply. Power supplies for the digital components and the analog components have separate ground return paths and are tied together at the supplies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 19, 1998
    Assignee: Kollmorgen Corporation
    Inventor: Saso P. Vlahu
  • Patent number: 5657417
    Abstract: A tool with a battery, an electrical motor, and a control system. The control system has a trigger control that connects the battery to a timer and a voltage monitor. The trigger control has a user actuated switch and a timer actuated switch. At the end of a tool operational cycle, when the user is not actuating the user actuated switch, the timer actuated switch can supply electricity to the control system. After a predetermined period of time, the timer actuated switch can then automatically electrically disconnect the control system from the battery to conserve battery power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: Burndy Corporation
    Inventor: Gary W. Di Troia
  • Patent number: 5627758
    Abstract: A vector control board for an electric vehicle propulsion system motor controller comprising a microcontroller for generating torque requests, a digital signal processor for receiving the torque requests from the microcontroller and for generating phase voltage signals in accordance with the torque requests, and a digital gate array for receiving the phase voltage signals from the digital signal processor and for generating gate drive signals from the phase voltage signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 6, 1997
    Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey B. Lansberry, James L. Munro
  • Patent number: 5528721
    Abstract: A DC motor control system reduces power demands imposed upon a DC power source energizing a utilizing device by varying the time during which power application occurs, but not the magnitude of the power which remains constant. The DC motor control system includes a transducer/resistor network, a trigger pulse circuit, a control signal circuit, a driver circuit, and a switch network. The control signal circuit outputs a duty cycle control signal as regulated by the transducer/resistor network and the trigger pulse circuit. The transducer/resistor network permits an operator to determine the duration of the duty cycle control signal, which varies from 0% to 100%, while the trigger pulse circuit establishes the frequency of the duty cycle control signal. The driver circuit receives and amplifies each duty cycle control signal outputted by the control signal circuit. The driver circuit inputs each amplified duty cycle control signal into the switch network to activate it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1994
    Date of Patent: June 18, 1996
    Assignee: John Svoboda
    Inventors: John V. Searcy, II, James D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 5506484
    Abstract: A pulse width modulator (PWM) circuit for generating pulses to enable a driver control unit to drive a pair of switching circuits for an electric motor including an input section for receiving an N bit digitized input signal to be modulated and a PWM counter for continuously counting up from zero to a predetermined number and back down to zero, the PWM counter generating a digitized triangular waveform having N bits of resolution corresponding to the predetermined number. A compare unit receives and compares the digitized input signal and the digitized triangular waveform to produce an output pulse and a dead-time generator unit produces a first pulse and a second pulse from the output pulse produced from the compare unit. The first and second pulses each drives a corresponding one of the switching circuits and the first and second pulses have different transition times relative to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp.
    Inventors: James L. Munro, Geoffrey B. Lansberry, Beth A. Herman
  • Patent number: 5479557
    Abstract: Circuit arrangement for supplying power to a fan and/or battery from solar energy generator in a motor vehicle. A DC voltage converter using impedance matching between the solar energy generator and the fan or the battery includes a switch that is alternately opened and closed by a pulse-width-modulated operating signal, and is part of the circuit arrangement. To generate the operating signal, a microprocessor, a frequency generator and a pulse width modulator, which is acted on by the output signal of the frequency generator and a control signal of the microprocessor, are provided. These components also are used as components of an actuating device to displace a movable part of a sun roof, a changeover signal switching between use for charging a battery and/or powering a fan and use operating the sun roof. Thus, the circuit arrangement is able to fulfill multiple functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 26, 1995
    Assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Ganz, Robert Watzlewick
  • Patent number: 5450521
    Abstract: An electrical circuit and method for generating a continuous train of width modulated pulses. A square wave is generated and a delay circuit provides a delayed analog of the square wave. A controllable duration one-shot multivibrator generates a modulating pulse having a duration proportional to the sum of the absolute value of the modulating signal and a constant offset. The constant offset is chosen so that, in the absence of a modulating signal, the offset provides the largest control signal to the one-shot multivibrator which causes an output modulating pulse from the multivibrator equal in duration to the minimum duration which the multivibrator intrinsically is capable of obtaining. The polarity of the modulating signal is detected, a logical OR operation is performed upon the delayed square wave and the modulating pulse and an EXCLUSIVE OR operation is performed upon the combination of the result of the OR operation and the polarity detector output logic level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 12, 1995
    Assignee: Sunpower, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert W. Redlich
  • Patent number: 5416395
    Abstract: The invention relates to a recording apparatus for effecting recording on a recording material. The recording apparatus comprises a stepping motor, a recording head capable of reciprocating along the recorded material by a drive force of the stepping motor to effect recording on the recording material, an angular position detector for detecting a rotated angular position of a rotor of the stepping motor, a controller for controlling drive of the stepping motor in a closed-loop manner dependent on the detected result of the detector, a controller for operating the stepping motor in a mode of stepwise motor drive, a movement position detector for detecting a movement position of the recording head, and switching circuitry for switching over between the closed-loop control and the stepwise motor drive dependent on the detected value of the movement position detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Soichi Hiramatsu, Takao Aichi
  • Patent number: 5414792
    Abstract: A solid state, electric motor control circuit is provided in conjunction with a solid state throttle and vehicle sensor circuit that together incorporate; a Hall Effect throttle position sensor circuit, a throttle position signal amplifier circuit, a vehicle reverse condition circuit, a vehicle operation inhibit circuit, a pulse width modulation circuit, and inverting MOSFET driver circuit, a plurality of power MOSFET devices, a voltage regulator circuit, and a current delivery circuit associated with an external DC electric motor. These circuit elements combine to translate a mechanical throttle position into a voltage level signal that can be converted by pulse width modulation circuitry into a pulsed wave form signal that suitably drives a bank of MOSFET, solid state switches so as to control the flow of current through a DC electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: DAX Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: James L. Shorey
  • Patent number: 5387856
    Abstract: In a speed control arrangement for an induction motor or an a.c. permanent magnet motor in which any one of a number of power frequencies may be selected for application to the motor, there is provided circuitry to control the rate of change of frequency from one selected power frequency to another to control the acceleration or deceleration of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Assignee: Plessey SemiConductors Limited
    Inventor: David P. Gilbert
  • Patent number: 5331258
    Abstract: A MOSFET control topology and a physical structure for a motor control which provide a more efficient and economic DC motor control are disclosed. The control topology introduces a synchronous-rectification technique wherein free-wheel diodes are replaced with MOSFET devices that are switched on and off by a logic circuit so that they are conductive for commuting motor current during periods that the motor current supply is switched off. The physical structure and method of assembling a DC motor control eliminate time consuming assembly techniques while ensuring effective waste heat exchange between electronic components and a heat sink of the control by providing quick-install spring retainers for urging the components into heat sink conducting contact with the heat sink. The physical structure also provides for high density packing of electronic components in a controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 19, 1994
    Assignee: Solaria Research Enterprises, Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Lankin, Andrew E. Lankin, Richard J. Hellinga
  • Patent number: 5317669
    Abstract: The present invention is a two unit electronic control system to reduce power demands imposed upon direct current power sources. The present invention comprises a contact/resistor network, a trigger generator, a pulse generator, a waveform stabilization circuit, a driver circuit, a voltage regulation circuit, a noise suppression circuit, a transient suppression circuit, a field effect transistor network and primary and secondary on/off control circuits. The input can be resistance, voltage, current or capacitance which is varied in response to an external stimulus. The chosen input is conditioned and applied to vary the duty cycle of a repeating pulse signal. That pulse signal is conditioned and applied to a switching device which controls the current from the DC power source to the load. The number of switching devices comprising the network will vary from one to many dependent upon the current carrying demand of the load and the current handling capability of the switching device utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: John Svoboda
    Inventors: James D. Anderson, John V. Searcy, II
  • Patent number: 5307439
    Abstract: A driving circuit for a motor such as a spindle motor used in a floppy disc driver, a hard disc driver, etc. includes an output stage driver which supplies a driving current to a motor to rotate at a constant rotation speed. The driving current is supplied to the motor in an off-and-on way in which the power loss is small at a starting state, while the driving current is supplied thereto in changing linearly in which there generates little noise at a stationary state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Enami
  • Patent number: 5065078
    Abstract: A control circuit for a DC motor which drives a radio controlled toy. The control circuit receives a signal whose pulse width contains information relating to the desired speed and direction in which the motor is to turn. If the pulse width is greater than a predetermined value, the control signal will be generated which causes the motor to turn in a forward direction, and if the pulse width is less than the predetermined value a control signal will be generated which causes the motor to turn in a reverse direction. The pulse width is also converted to a voltage level which is compared to a ramp wave with a frequency which is higher than the frequency of the received signal. The output of the comparator is a signal with a frequency which is higher than that of the received signal, allowing precise control of the motor in overcoming inertial forces applied against it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuji Nao, Koichi Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 4871952
    Abstract: A motor speed control apparatus includes a ladder resistor circuit, a reference signal generator, and a comparator. The ladder resistor circuit selectively receives a voltage signal having a predetermined amplitude at a plurality of nodes. The ladder resistor circuit arranged to change an output voltage value thereof in accordance with a voltage application position. The level of the reference signal generator is periodically changed. The comparator compares a voltage value of the reference signal with an output voltage value of the ladder resistor circuit and outputs a pulse output having a variable pulse width on the basis of a comparison result. A motor speed is controlled on the basis of the pulse output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 3, 1989
    Assignee: Jidosha Kiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouichi Ishizaka, Akimitsu Ebina
  • Patent number: 4841165
    Abstract: A DC power controller for controlling the rate at which direct current is furnished to a load. A signal generator provides a periodic signal having a first value during a first portion of each period and a second value during a second portion of the period. A switch such as a power MOSFET enables direct current from the source to flow through the load during the time the signal has one of said values and prevents the current from flowing during the time the signal has the other value. A control is manually operable to vary the relative durations of the first and second portions of each period and thereby control the rate at which electric power is furnished to the load. A plurality of MOSFETS may be arranged in parallel if the load draws more current than one MOSFET can safely switch. Surge and back EMF protection are provided for inductive or variable resistance loads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Wesley H. Heinmiller
    Inventor: Gary L. Bowles