| Entries |
| Document | Title | Date |
|---|
| 20080197798 | Stepping motor drive - A stepping motor drive is provided, by which a recoil movement of a driven member upon an initialization action can be reduced. The stepping motor drive includes: a drive signal supply means which supplies a plurality of periodic drive signals having different phases from each other to generate a rotation torque in a stepping motor, one electric cycle being constructed by a plurality of excitation steps; a control means which makes the drive signal supply means supply the drive signal upon a initialization action in which a driven member connected with rotation of the stepping motor is made abut against a stopper; and a first storing means which stores a torque control parameter according to an inversion phase characteristic intrinsic to the stepping motor. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080238353 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An image forming apparatus including a stepper motor, a component attached to the stepper motor, and a controller to control the stepper motor. The controller controls the stepper motor to be accelerated or decelerated, at driving frequencies that do not match a resonant frequency, in order to avoid a resonance between the stepper motor and the component, by selecting a speed control table that has the driving frequencies, which avoid the resonance. Thus, the image forming apparatus can avoid the resonance between the stepper motor and the component, minimize vibration and noise, and prevent malfunctions of the component. The image forming apparatus further comprises a first storage unit to store a resonant frequency of the component and, a second storage unit to store speed control tables having different driving frequencies, which are set according to speed control periods. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080265827 | Step motor driving circuits - A step motor driving circuit is provided. An exemplary step motor driving circuit includes an input voltage source set, a reference voltage source, a voltage level shift unit, a logic unit, a reset voltage source, and an output voltage terminal. The input voltage source set provides an input voltage set. The reference voltage source provides a reference voltage. The voltage level shift unit raises one of the levels of the input voltage set to a level of the reference voltage. The logic unit receives the reference voltage and the input voltage set and outputs a control voltage. The reset voltage source outputs a reset voltage to reset the logic unit. The output voltage terminal receives the control voltage and outputs an output voltage. | 10-30-2008 |
| 20080278107 | MOTOR DRIVE DEVICE, IMAGE READING DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, AND MOTOR DRIVE METHOD - A motor drive device drives a stepping motor having a rotor mounted on a rotating shaft with a capability of making a transition between a plurality of excitation modes. A motor control unit drives the stepping motor by controlling the rotor to move to a position corresponding to an excitation modes. A stop control unit controls, when stopping the stepping motor, a stop of the rotor at a position to which the rotor is moved by the motor control unit common to the excitation modes after the stop of the rotor is issued. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080309280 | Calibrating stepper motor by driving fractional ranges - A stepper motor driving a driven member is calibrated by periodically driving the member from its current operational position to an end stop of the driven member's total travel range; however, the driven member approaches the end stop in a series of ever-shorter travel segments. The first travel segment is less than ⅓ the total travel range to compensate for a possible sudden speed reversal, which can be accidentally triggered by the driven member reaching and “bouncing off” the end stop. Limiting the commanded first travel segment to less than ⅓ the total travel range prevents the driven member from reaching an opposite travel limit should the driven member suddenly reverse direction at three times the normal forward speed, wherein such triple speed is characteristic of reverse-speed situations. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090026996 | PULSE MOTOR CONTROL DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD, CONTROL PROGRAM, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A pulse motor control device includes a drive pulse generator configured to generate a drive pulse in accordance with a set cycle, a pulse motor driver configured to generate an excitation current of a pattern corresponding to the number of division per one step of a pulse motor based on the drive pulse supplied from the drive pulse generator, the number of division being set in the pulse motor driver, the pulse motor driver supplying the excitation current to the pulse motor to thereby drive the pulse motor based on micro-step driving, and a controller configured to set the cycle in the drive pulse generator every time the drive pulse is supplied from the drive pulse generator. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090085509 | STEPPER MOTOR DEVICE WITH COMPENSATING NON-SINUSOIDAL DRIVING VALUES AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE DRIVING VALUES - A stepper motor device uses compensating non-sinusoidal driving values to compensate for operational non-sinusoidal drive characteristics of a motor of the device due to at least design and manufacturing imperfections in the motor. The compensating non-sinusoidal driving values may be derived using back electromagnetic force produced from the motor or using measured rotational positions of the motor when the motor is driven using known driving values. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090091288 | Return-to-zero control method for a stepper motor - In a return-to-zero stepping sequence for a stepper motor that drives the pointer of a gauge, steps that could potentially cause the pointer to flutter are modified. At least the initial potential flutter step of the stepping sequence is divided into sub-steps to progressively attenuate the motor torque, the motor is deactivated during intermediate potential flutter steps, and at least the final potential flutter step of the stepping sequence is divided into sub-steps to progressively re-apply the motor torque. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090153093 | METHOD AND CONTROLLER FOR DETECTING A STALL CONDITION IN A STEPPING MOTOR DURING MICRO-STEPPING - A method is provided for detecting a stall condition in a stepping motor. The stepping motor has two coils and a rotor, and is micro-stepped by substantially continuously driving both of the two coils with out-of-phase time varying voltages. The method includes stepping the stepping motor to a next micro-step. It is then determined when a predetermined motor parameter of a first coil of the two coils is to be sampled. To sample the predetermined motor parameter of, for example, the first coil, the first coil is opened for a predetermined period, wherein the predetermined period is less than or equal to a micro-step. Then the first coil is sampled during the predetermined period and the result of sampling is integrated and used to increment or decrement an accumulated value. If the accumulated value is less than a preset value, then a stall condition exists. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090160390 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STEPPER MOTOR STALL DETECTION - A detector device and a method for detecting a stall condition in a stepper motor, wherein the characteristics of the back EMF are identified directly from a waveform of the back EMF, specifically a first peak of the back EMF, a valley of the back EMF, and a second peak of the rectified integral of the back EMF, to determine a condition of the stepper motor. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090167232 | Drive control device for a stepper motor and drive control method of the stepper motor - A stepper motor control device includes a sensor that detects physical quantities and a control device that operates a stepper motor based on data corresponding to the physical quantities sent from the sensor in which the said control device implements a target rotational angle computation process that calculates a target rotational angle of a drive shaft of the stepper motor based on data corresponding to the physical quantities sent from the sensor, a target rotational angle change computation process that calculates a target rotational angle change which is a difference between a present rotational angle of the drive shaft of the stepper motor and the target rotational angle and a divisional target rotational angle computation process that equally divides the target rotational angle change by a first divisional target rotational angle within a range not exceeding a rotational limit for loss of synchronism of the stepper motor whereby the said control device is a drive control device of the stepper motor that drives the stepper motor by supplying to the stepper motor a second divisional target rotational angle which is a value calculated by the divisional target rotational angle computation process as a rotational angle per one control period. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090206788 | MOTOR DRIVER SUPPLYING DRIVE CURRENT WHILE ADJUSTING DECAY RATE THEREOF - A motor driver that supplies a drive current to a stepping motor includes a decay rate controller configured to mix a first decay rate and a second decay rate smaller than the first decay rate with each other, and set a plurality of mix decay rates, a control logic circuit configured to create magnetization patterns for attenuating the drive current at the mix decay rates, and a drive current output circuit configured to output the drive current to the stepping motor in accordance with the magnetization patterns. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090206789 | DEVICE AND METHOD OF DRIVING STEPPING MOTOR OF ANALOG ELECTRONIC CLOCK - A stepping motor driving apparatus of an analog electronic clock, in which, when the rotation of a rotor is not detected after a pulse is supplied to a coil of a stepping motor, a first switching control section switches the pulse supplied to the coil to a pulse having a larger effective value, and when the rotation of the rotor is detected continuously for a predetermined period or a predetermined number of times, a second switching control section switches the pulse supplied to the coil to a pulse having a smaller effective value, wherein the apparatus further includes a third switching control section that switches a driving pulse to a pulse having a smaller effective value when the rotation of the rotor is not detected for two times continuously, even after the first switching section increases the effective value of the driving pulse for two times continuously. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090251095 | MOTOR DRIVEN ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A driving method of a high speed rotation stepping motor exhibiting good starting performance, its driving circuit, and a vibration motor and a fan motor employing them. The motor driven electronic apparatus comprises a two pole flat stator, a rotor consisting of a two pole permanent magnet coupling magnetically with the two pole flat stator through a gap, stopping with detent torque and secured to the rotor shaft, and a drive coil. The motor driven electronic apparatus is characterized in that at least any one of the reference voltage of an amplifier constituting a rotor position detector and the reference voltage of a comparator constituting the rotor position detector are used more than one. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090256515 | Method of detecting state of synchronization loss in stepping motor - In a method of detecting synchronization loss in a stepping motor, a means for applying either control current or control voltage to a coil of each phase to thereby drive a stepping motor and a means for individually measuring a back EMF voltage induced at the coil of each phase are employed, wherein application of either the control current or the control voltage at the coil of each phase is halted by turns phase by phase for such a short time period as not to affect rotation of a rotor of the stepping motor at a predetermined timing within one step period of the rotor, the back EMF voltage at the coil is measured during the short time period, and the stepping motor is judged to lose synchronization when the measurement result of the back EMF voltage at the coil of at least one phase satisfies a detection criterion. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20100072941 | DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEM OF STEPPING MOTOR AND DRIVE CONTROL METHOD TECHNICAL FIELD - Provided are a stepping motor drive control device and a drive control method capable of suppressing increase of the number of parts and generation of vibration and noise by a stepping motor by using simple control. The drive control device for a stepping motor ( | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100141199 | MOTOR DRIVE CIRCUIT - [PROBLEMS] To provide a motor driving circuit and a motor driving system wherein the circuit occupation area is small and the IC size can be reduced. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100141200 | STEPPING MOTOR CONTROLLING DEVICE, METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A stepping motor controlling device includes first and second clock signal generators, plural drivers, and a controller. The first clock signal generator generates a reference clock signal for rotationally driving of plural stepping motors. The second clock signal generator generates, on the basis of the reference clock signal, for each of the stepping motors, speed control clock signals. The plural drivers are provided respectively for the stepping motors and, on the basis of the speed control clock signals for the respective stepping motors, generate pulse excitation signals and input the pulse excitation signals to the stepping motors to rotationally drive the stepping motors. The controller controls the second clock signal generator to generate the speed control clock signals such that phases of the respective speed control clock signals for the stepping motors differ from one another. | 06-10-2010 |
| 20100164426 | Stepping motor control circuit and analogue electronic watch - A detecting period of a stepping motor is divided into a first segment for detecting an induced signal generated at least in a second quadrant by the rotation of a rotor immediately after the driving of a main driving pulse, a second segment being provided after the first segment for detecting the induced signal in a third quadrant, and a third segment provided after the second segment and the control circuit drives the stepping motor by the predetermined fixed main driving pulse having energy not smaller than the maximum energy when a rotation detecting circuit does not detect the induced signal exceeding a reference threshold voltage in the second segment at the time of the rotational driving by the main driving pulse having the maximum energy. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100244763 | CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR LOAD-DEPENDENT CONTROL OF CURRENT FLOW TIME IN MOTOR WINDINGS OF SELF-TIMED BIPOLAR STEPPER MOTORS - A circuit arrangement for automatic, load-dependent control of at least one winding current of a respective motor winding of a self-timed bipolar stepper motor, includes a first power driver circuit for a first motor winding and a second power driver circuit for a second motor winding. The circuit arrangement includes a first XOR gate and a second XOR gate, and a first resistor connected so as to couple the first XOR gate to an anode of a first diode. A cathode of the first diode is coupled to the comparator input of the first power driver circuit via a second resistor. A third resistor is connected so as to couple the second XOR gate to an anode of a second diode. A cathode of the second diode is coupled to the current-controlling comparator input of the second power driver circuit via a fourth resistor. A current path is configured so that a logic high at the output of the first XOR gate sets the comparator input of the first power driver circuit at a level configured to prevent current from being supplied to the first motor winding through the first power driver circuit. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100270965 | Stepping motor control circuit and analog electronic watch - A stepping motor control circuit includes a rotation detecting means for detecting an induced signal generated by rotation of a rotor of a stepping motor, and detecting a rotation state of the stepping motor according to whether the induced signal exceeds a predetermined reference threshold voltage in a predetermined detection section, and a control means for controlling driving of the stepping motor by using any one of a plurality of main driving pulses having energy different from each other or a correction driving pulse having energy higher than energy of each main driving pulse according to a detection result of the rotation detecting means. The detection section is divided into a first section immediately after driving with the main driving pulse, a second section after the first section, a third section after the second section, and a fourth section after the third section, and the control means lengthens at least one of the first and second sections when the rotation detecting means has detected an induced signal exceeding the reference threshold voltage in the second section. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20100289444 | DRIVER CIRCUIT - A stepping motor includes two coils and has supply currents to the two coils with different phases so that a rotor is rotated by the two coils. During a period where one coil is in a high impedance state, an induced voltage generated at that coil is detected. An output control circuit controls the magnitude of motor drive current supplied to the two coils in accordance with the detected induced voltage state. Then, prior to entering the high impedance state from the drive state, a short-circuit period is provided for short circuiting both terminals of the coil. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100289445 | METHOD AND HARDWARE SYSTEM FOR DRIVING A STEPPER MOTOR IN FEED-FORWARD VOLTAGE MODE - A method of driving a stepper motor in a feed-forward voltage mode may include for a desired speed for the stepper motor setting an amplitude of a sinusoidal phase voltage of the stepper motor to be equal to a sum of an expected back-electromotive force (BEMF) amplitude estimated as a junction of the desired speed, and a product of a desired phase current amplitude and an estimated absolute value of an impedance of the stepper motor. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100295499 | Stepping motor control circuit and analog electronic timepiece - When a reset operation or the driving by a correction drive pulse P | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100320955 | MOTOR DRIVE DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT USES THE SAME - In the motor drive device ( | 12-23-2010 |
| 20110001449 | MOTOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS AND MOTOR CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF - A motor controlling apparatus includes a control unit which sets a motor on standby for a predetermined time if an enable signal is applied and sets the motor to a default state by rotating the motor at least once for the next predetermined time. The apparatus includes a driver unit which generates a drive signal to control the motor and outputs the drive signal to the motor. Accordingly, a stepping out of the motor may be prevented. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110018484 | Stepping motor with a coded pole pattern - The present invention relates to a stepping motor with a magnet pole pattern having a predetermined pattern around the circumference of the stepping motor. In one embodiment, the pattern relates to a code having a unique single maximum autocorrelation peak over the period of the code. Example codes include Barker codes, PN codes, Kasami codes, Golomb ruler codes, and other codes. In one embodiment, the rotor and stator have a matching pole pattern. In one embodiment, the drive is arranged to align the poles in an inline configuration, alternatively, the drive may be arranged to align the poles in a diagonal configuration. In a further embodiment, one or more sets of poles are provided on the stator, each set being offset rotationally by a partial pole spacing. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110025252 | STEPPING MOTOR DRIVE APPARATUS AND STEPPING MOTOR DRIVING METHOD - In order to provide a stepping motor drive apparatus and a stepping motor driving method that attain a constant rotation angle per step at every angular position despite variations in load and that are free of rotational fluctuation, a drive control unit of a stepping motor drive apparatus drives a driving coil of one phase of a stepping motor ( | 02-03-2011 |
| 20110057600 | STEPPING MOTOR DRIVING APPARATUS - A motor driving apparatus for constant-current control of a current of a coil of a motor, including: a detector detecting the current; and a controller for controlling every first cycle to feed the coil until the current reaches a target value, and to decay the current after the current reaches the target value, wherein the controller selects, every second cycle shorter than the first cycle, between decaying the current in a first mode, and decaying the current in a second mode of which a decay rate is lower than the first mode, and wherein the controller decays the current in the first mode when the current is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, and decays the current in the second mode when the current is lower than the predetermined threshold. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110068732 | DRIVER CIRCUIT - A stepping motor includes two coils. A driver circuit drives the stepping motor by setting dissimilar phases of supply currents to these two coils. One terminal of one coil is connected to ground and another terminal is set to a high impedance state, and an induced voltage generated at that coil is detected as a voltage with respect to ground. Then, in accordance with the state of the detected induced voltage, the magnitude of motor drive current supplied to the two coils is controlled. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110080132 | Stepping motor control circuit and analogue electronic watch - The invention is intended to detect whether or not a stepping motor is rotated when being driven immediately after a pulse-down control accurately. A control unit drives the stepping motor with a first main drive pulse after the pulse-down control, and then drives the same with a correction drive pulse. A second detection circuit detects a state of rotation on the basis of a current flowing through the stepping motor when being driven with the correction drive pulse. The control circuit controls a drive pulse selection circuit so as to select the main drive pulse to be used for the next time on the basis of a result of detection of the second detection circuit. The drive pulse selection circuit rotates the stepping motor with the main drive pulse corresponding to a control signal. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110148340 | Driving circuit of stepping motor - A shift register which receives a transmission clock signal, which is shifted according to the transmission clock signal, and which outputs a gate signal a predetermined time after reset; a reset circuit which outputs a reset signal for resetting the shift register when the reset circuit receives an input of a step signal for driving the stepping motor; and a switching element which receives the gate signal of the shift register and which is switched between a blocked state and a conductive state are provided in a driving circuit of a stepping motor. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110156631 | MOTOR DRIVE CIRCUIT FOR ROTATING A ROTOR BY SUPPLYING THE CURRENTS TO TWO COILS - When a driver unit is in a high impedance state as viewed from a first coil or a second coil, an induced voltage detector detects the voltage across the first coil or that across the second coil so as to detect an induced voltage occurring in the first coil or the second coil. The induced voltage detector includes a differential amplifier circuit for differentially amplifying an electric potential across the first coil or that across the second coil, and an analog-to-digital converter circuit for converting an analog value outputted from the differential amplifier circuit into a digital value and outputting the converted digital value to a control unit. The control unit generates a drive signal based on an input signal set externally and adjusts the drive signal in accordance with the induced voltage detected by the induced voltage detector so as to set the adjusted drive signal in the driver unit. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110169442 | DRIVE APPARATUS FOR STEPPING MOTOR - A drive apparatus for a stepping motor, including: a current detecting portion which detects a current value of phase current flowing through a phase winding; a constant-current-controlling portion which constant-current-controls the phase current flowing through the phase winding based on a detection result of the current detecting portion; a zero crossing detecting portion which detects a zero cross of the phase current based on the detection result of the current detecting portion; a phase difference detecting portion which detects a phase difference between the edge of a drive control pulse signal for the stepping motor and the zero cross detected by the zero crossing detecting portion; and a control device which causes the constant-current-controlling portion to perform constant-current control with a current value according to the phase difference detected by the phase difference detecting portion. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110181229 | APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STEPPER MOTOR STALL DETECTION - An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for stepper motor | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110234143 | VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER - A stepper motor driver system includes: a digital signal controller configured to digitally synthesize synthesized analog voltage signals that will induce a desired velocity of a stepper motor when applied to a pair of stepper motor windings; and voltage amplifiers, communicatively coupled to the digital signal controller, configured to amplify the synthesized analog voltage signals to produce amplified analog voltage signals and to output the amplified analog voltage signals; where the digital signal controller is configured to synthesize the analog voltage signals by affecting at least one of a phase or an amplitude of each of the analog voltage signals as a function of the desired velocity of the stepper motor | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110241597 | H-BRIDGE DRIVE CIRCUIT FOR STEP MOTOR CONTROL - A drive circuit for step motors with bifilar windings is provided in which both parallel and series winding configurations for the stator coils are selectable by a motor controller based on the motor speed. For low speeds a series configuration is selected, while for higher speeds a parallel configuration is selected. Dynamic torque is optimized by the selection for more efficient motor operation with less drive current. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110248662 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING A STEPPER MOTOR AS A ROTARY SENSOR - A method and apparatus for driving a stepper motor and using the stepper motor as a rotary sensor when the stepper motor is not being driven. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110291604 | STEPPER MOTOR CONTROLLER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME - A stepper motor controller includes control circuitry with control outputs and individual driver pulse width modulation circuitry. The individual driver pulse width modulation circuitry has individual driver pulse width modulation outputs and modulation control inputs coupled to the respective control outputs. The controller has a group of individual drivers, where each one has an individual driver input coupled to a respective one of the individual driver pulse width modulation outputs, and an individual driver output coupled to an individual driver terminal of the controller. The stepper motor controller has common driver pulse width modulation circuitry having a common driver pulse width modulation output. There is also a common driver having a common driver input coupled to the common driver pulse width modulation output and a common driver output coupled to a common driver terminal of the controller. When there is one or more stepper motor field coils connected between respective driver terminals and the common driver terminal, individual pulse width modulated driver currents are supplied to the stepper motor field coils from the individual driver terminals and a common pulse width modulated driver current is supplied to the stepper motor field coils from the common driver terminal. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110298412 | ACTUATION SYSTEM WITH STEP MOTOR - The actuation system including a control system, an actuator comprising a drive part and a step motor comprising a rotor and a stator with at least one electric phase, an actuated system comprising a controlled element coupled to the drive part, and an elastic part capable of generating an elastic return force on the rotor of the motor or on the drive part. The control system comprises means for measuring an induced electric parameter on the phase of the stator after switching off the current of said at least one phase of the stator to detect a return of the rotor resulting from elastic return force when a mechanical clearance is overtaken. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110309783 | STEPPING MOTOR DRIVE DEVICE - A stepping motor drive device includes: a first pulse generation circuit that generates pulses at rising or falling edges of a first clock signal; a second pulse generation circuit that generates pulses at rising and falling edges of a second clock signal; a first mask circuit that outputs or masks the output of the first pulse generation circuit depending on whether the second clock signal is normal; a second mask circuit that outputs or masks the output of the second pulse generation circuit depending on whether the first clock signal is normal; a logic circuit that logically combines the outputs of the mask circuits; a step position control circuit that determines the step position of a motor according to the output of the logic circuit; and a motor drive section that supplies a current to the motor according to the output of the step position control circuit. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110309784 | COUNTER ELECTRO-MOTORIC FORCE BASED FUNCTIONAL STATUS DETECTION OF AN ELECTRO-MOTOR - The present invention relates to a circuit for detecting a functional status of an electro-motor. Typical electro-motors need additional components to identify the functional status of the motor. This means additional weight for such motors determining the functional status. According to the present invention a circuit is provided using a part of a motor as a sensor for detecting the functional status of the electro-motor. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20120001584 | MOTOR CONTROL DEVICE AND OUT-OF-STEP DETECTING METHOD - A motor control device for a stepping motor including at least two phase coils and a rotor is provided. The motor control device includes a control unit which applies a pulse voltage subjected to pulse width modulation, to each of the at least two phase coils, a back electromotive voltage measuring unit which provides a halt period to temporarily halt the application of the pulse voltage to one of the phase coils when a direction of the coil current flowing in the one phase coil is switched, and which measures a back electromotive voltage induced in the one phase coil during the halt period, an out-of-step detecting unit which detects an out-of-step of the stepping motor if the measured back electromotive voltage satisfies a predetermined criterion, and a voltage control unit which sets a voltage for all phase coils other than the one phase coil to a constant voltage during the halt period. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120001585 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PULSE WIDTH MODULATED ACTIVATION OF AN ELECTRICAL DRIVE MOTOR OF AN ADJUSTMENT ARRANGEMENT - In a method and a device for pulse width modulated (PWM-) activation of an electrical drive motor ( | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120019186 | METHOD OF DETECTING AN OPERATING CONDITION OF AN ELECTRIC STEPPER MOTOR - An electrical stepper motor comprises a magnetical rotor and at least two electromagnetical driving coils for causing rotation of the rotator. A method of detecting an operating condition of the as e.g. a stall state of the electrical stepper motor comprises the steps of connecting one contact pin (P, M) of at least one of the electromagnetical driving coils via a high-impedance resistor (R | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120032628 | Intake Profile For Optimized Utilization Of Motor Characteristics - Systems and methods for operating a stepper motor of a pump at a desired low velocity include memory for storing information corresponding to an intake velocity profile. The intake velocity profile represents an optimized acceleration curve for operating the stepper motor over a range of motor velocities during an intake cycle. A processor of a system controller dynamically accesses the memory during the intake cycle to acquire the information representing the intake velocity profile and issues a series of pulses to the stepper motor based on this information. In response to the pulses, the stepper motor accelerates in accordance with the optimized acceleration curve represented by the intake velocity profile. The optimized acceleration curve is based on the available torque of the stepper motor across a range of motor velocities and enables the motor to operate with greater torque utilization and less margin than traditional linear acceleration profiles. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120056573 | Stepper Motor Controller With Braking Circuit - An apparatus for controlling a stepper motor comprises a driver circuit and a brake circuit each having a motor controller device. The driver circuit, brake circuit and motor are connected in parallel. The driver circuit receives an enabling signal and outputs driver current to the motor accordingly. The brake circuit includes a logic circuit which receives the enabling signal, a brake input signal, and a power supply status signal, and outputs a brake logic signal. The brake circuit motor controller device is coupled to the logic circuit. This motor controller device receives an output of the brake logic circuit and outputs braking current to the motor in accordance therewith. The braking circuit is effective to prevent movement of the motor shaft in accordance with output of the braking current. The motor controller devices are substantially identical. The apparatus is effective to control the motor while avoiding generation of RF noise. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120056574 | Stepping motor driver - In a drive of a stepping motor, an electromotive force is generated on the coil of a motor with a sinusoidal wave having the same period as an energization period by smoothly rotating a rotor with microstep driving, and an induced power is stably detected by detecting the electromotive force at the zero cross of driving current. The detection around the current zero cross makes it possible to shorten a detection section, form a driving waveform with few distortions, and perform driving with a driving waveform as in an ordinary micro step. Thus a circuit is provided which is aimed at reducing noise, vibrations, and loss of synchronization, and increasing current consumption efficiency in the determination of stop. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120104985 | STEPPING MOTOR DRIVE UNIT - In a stepping motor drive unit which drives a stepping motor including coils having a plurality of phases, and has functions of causing both ends of one of the coils having one of the plurality of phases to have high impedance to detect an inductive voltage in the coil, and determining a rotation/stop state of the stepping motor based on a result of the detection, the stepping motor drive unit has a function of temporarily stopping, while causing the both ends of the coil having the one of the plurality of phases to have high impedance, PWM driving of at least one of the other coils to fix an energized state of the coil. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120112682 | METHOD FOR DETECTING BLOCKAGES OF ELECTRICALLY COMMUTATED ELECTRIC MOTORS - The invention relates to a method for detecting blockages of unipolar stepper motors having one or more motor windings by analyzing the motor current supply, comprising the following method steps:
| 05-10-2012 |
| 20120139469 | LEVITATED MICRO-MANIPULATOR SYSTEM - A method of propelling a magnetic manipulator above a circuit substrate includes arranging a magnetic manipulator on a diamagnetic layer on a surface of the circuit substrate, generating drive signals using a controller, and applying the drive signals to at least two conductive traces arranged in the circuit substrate below the diamagnetic layer. A circuit substrate to control movement of a magnetic manipulator has a diamagnetic layer on a surface of the substrate, and conductive traces arranged under the diamagnetic layer, the conductive traces arranged in a parallel line pattern in at least two separate layers. | 06-07-2012 |
| 20120153886 | METHOD AND CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR SENSORLESS ENGINE LOAD DETECTION AND FOR CONTROLLING THE MOTOR CURRENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOAD VALUE IN STEPPER MOTORS - A method and a circuit arrangement are provided which enable a mechanical load applied to the motor shaft of a stepper motor (M) or a load angle of the stepper motor to be detected in a sensorless manner. A method and circuit arrangement are also provided which enable the motor current(s) of a stepper motor to be controlled in accordance with the load value such that the load angle is as high as possible without risking step losses, in order to maintain the current consumption of the motor as low as possible. This is achieved according by evaluating the temporal duration of the ON- and the FD-phases during the chopper control of the motor. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120200249 | TWO-PHASE PERMANENT MAGNET STEP MOTOR FOR MOTION CONTROL - A two-phase permanent magnet step motor comprises a permanent magnet rotor having an equal number Nr of magnetic north and south poles defining a fundamental step angle θ=90°/Nr, such that a number of steps per revolution of the rotor is 360°/θ, and a toothless hybrid stator with windings defining a number Ns of stator poles, with Ns being divisible by four and a ratio Nr/Ns=n/4, n being an odd integer. The permanent magnet rotor may comprise a set of rare-earth magnets. Preferably, Nr is at most 10 (i.e., not more than 20 rotor poles). A method of driving the step motor continuously applies successive current phases to the windings with the motor speed being controllable simply by the step pulse rate. The motor can be micro-stepped at low speeds for smooth operation. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120274261 | METHOD AND CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING CURRENT IN MOTORS - A method and circuit arrangement for controlling the motor current in an electric motor, in particular a stepper motor, by a chopper method is provided. In the method/circuit arrangement, the motor is operated with a coil current that follows a target coil current substantially more accurately at least at the zero crossing of the coil current. The method/circuit arrangement provides a good symmetry of the sinusoidal wave shape of the coil current with respect to the zero crossing of the coil current. The method is achieved in particular by the active control of the coil current both in the direction of a predefined target coil current and opposite the direction of the predefined target coil current with respect to upper or lower desired current values and a lowering or increasing of the upper or lower desired current values. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20130009588 | DRIVE CONTROLLING APPARATUS AND DRIVE CONTROLLING METHOD FOR STEPPING MOTOR, DRIVE CONTROLLING SYSTEM, AND OPTICAL APPARATUS - A drive controlling apparatus includes a driver configured to apply driving signals configured to excite a plurality of windings in a stepping motor, and a controller configured to acquire a detection result of excitation currents in the windings, and to provide a feedback control over the driving signals so that a difference can be reduced between a first time difference and a second time difference, the first time difference being a period from a first reference time set in an excitation current waveform of the winding corresponding to a first drive channel to a time at which a set current value is provided, and the second time difference being a period from a second reference time corresponding to the first reference time and set in the excitation current waveform of the winding corresponding to the second drive channel to a time at which the set current value is provided. | 01-10-2013 |
| 20130015804 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, MOTOR CONTROLLING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MOTORAANM KIM; Gun-hoAACI SeoulAACO KRAAGP KIM; Gun-ho Seoul KRAANM Lee; Duk-youngAACI Suwon-siAACO KRAAGP Lee; Duk-young Suwon-si KR - An image forming apparatus includes an engine unit which is used to perform an image forming job; a controller which controls an operation of the engine unit; a step motor which operates the engine unit; a storage unit which stores an acceleration table including pulse per second (PPS) information of each of driving speeds of the step motor; and a driving controller which generates a driving signal of the step motor according to a control command of the step motor which is received from the controller. The driving controller generates the driving signal by using PPS information corresponding to a speed change section of the acceleration table corresponding to the control command. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130043822 | Method and apparatus for misstep detection and recovery in a stepper motor - A stepper motor system and apparatus use a position-feedback device, which may have a resolution capability as low as 200 counts per motor shaft revolution, for misstep detection and motor step recovery. In use of the system, position deviation is computed periodically and cyclically, by subtracting the feedback position from the corresponding commanded position, to determine the load angle, implicitly, and the operating status of the motor. If the load angle is within an established allowable range of values, normal stepper operation along the programmed trajectory is maintained, without adjustment. A load angle that exceeds the limits of that range however indicates that a misstep has occurred, and the system controller initiates immediate action to recover lost motor steps, to reestablish synchronism, and to then continue toward the final target position, with minimal loss of time. | 02-21-2013 |
| 20130076291 | REDUNDANT INTERFACE FOR A STEPPER MOTOR - A multi-channel stepper motor controller has at least a first and second stepper motor control channel. Each of the control channels has a solid state switching circuit operable to connect the control channel to a stepper motor. | 03-28-2013 |
| 20130082635 | System and Method for Controlling a Step Motor - In an embodiment, a method of controlling a step motor system includes operating the step motor system in a normal mode. In the normal mode, the step motor is advanced upon receipt of a step pulse. If a failure event is detected, the step motor is operated in a failure mode. In the failure mode, a failure counter is incremented upon receipt of the step pulse, and the step motor is not advanced. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130119917 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING STEPPING MOTOR - 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. | 05-16-2013 |
| 20130162191 | MICRO-STEP DRIVING CONTROL APPARATUS FOR STEPPING MOTOR - A micro-step driving control apparatus for a stepping motor in which torque fluctuations caused by influence of detent torque can be reduced without performing preliminary driving, including: a phase difference estimator calculating, based on detected motor current and a command value, an estimated phase difference between the command value and the current; low-speed and high-speed motor rotational angle estimators calculating an estimated motor rotational angle at a low speed rotation and an estimated motor rotational angle at a high speed rotation; an addition unit calculating, based on the command value, an estimated motor rotational angle by mixing the estimated motor rotational angles at an appropriate rate; a detent torque estimator calculating, based on the mixed estimated motor rotational angle, estimated detent torque; and a compensation signal generator generating a compensation signal based on the estimated detent torque and the mixed estimated motor rotational angle. | 06-27-2013 |
| 20130193902 | DRIVING APPARATUS, PRINTING APPARATUS HAVING DRIVING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING DRIVING APPARATUS - A driving apparatus including: a stepping motor configuring a drive source; an operating portion configured to reciprocate corresponding to forward and reverse rotations of the stepping motor; a home position detecting unit configured to detect a home position which corresponds to an outward movement starting position and a homeward movement terminating position of the operating portion; a homeward movement detecting unit configured to detect the driving amount of the stepping motor in a homeward movement of the operating portion from a start of the homeward movement of the operating portion driven by the stepping motor until a detection of the home position by the home position detecting unit; and an operation determining unit configured to determine that the operating portion is not operated normally when the driving amount detected by the homeward movement detecting unit is smaller than a predetermined driving amount. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130221893 | RESET-TO-ZERO AND RETURN PROCESSING METHOD AND DEVICE FOR STEPPING MOTOR - A movable member is movable in a movable range in response to a command issued to a stepping motor such that a given position of the movable member or a given angle of the movable member is changed. An operating method and/or apparatus may select a stopper member origin position from among a plurality of stopper member positions based on which of the plurality of stopper member positions is closer to a first position or a first angle of the movable member that has been calculated based at least in part on a command issued to the stepping motor; perform reset-to-zero processing by moving the movable member into a second position or a second angle relative to the stopper member origin position; and performing return processing by moving the movable member from the second position or the second angle to the first position or the first angle that has been calculated based at least in part on the command issued to the stepping motor before performing said reset-to-zero processing. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130221894 | METHOD AND CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR DETECTING MOTOR LOAD WITHOUT SENSORS AND FOR CONTROLLING MOTOR CURRENT ACCORDING TO LOAD FOR A STEPPER MOTOR - A method and a circuit arrangement are provided in which a mechanical load applied to the motor shaft or a load angle of the motor can be detected without sensors in a stepper motor. This is achieved substantially based on the fact that the load or the load angle creates a mutually induced voltage (back EMF) in the motor coils and the load or the load angle is detected by determining the phase shift of the motor voltage at at least one of the motor coil relative to the coil current at said motor coil connection, the phase shift being caused by the mutually induced voltage. A method and a circuit arrangement are also provided wherein the motor current of a stepper motor can be controlled according to load angle in such a way that the current consumption of the motor is relatively low | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130229139 | MOTOR CONTROL DEVICE AND OUT-OF-STEP DETECTING METHOD OF STEPPING MOTOR - There is provided a motor control device configured to control an energization state of a coil of each phase for driving a stepping motor having multiple phase coils. The motor control device includes a measuring unit configured to measure a back electromotive voltage induced at a coil of a phase for which energization is stopped, among the multiple phase coils, an acquiring unit configured to acquire temperature information on temperature of the stepping motor or on temperature corresponding to the temperature of the stepping motor, and a detecting unit configured to detect whether the stepping motor is out of step or not based on a result obtained by the measuring unit and the temperature information acquired by the acquiring unit. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130293180 | DRIVE CIRCUIT AND METHOD - A stepping motor includes two coils. A driver circuit drives the stepping motor by setting dissimilar phases of supply currents to these two coils. One terminal of one coil is connected to ground and another terminal is set to a high impedance state, and an induced voltage generated at that coil is detected as a voltage with respect to ground. Then, in accordance with the state of the detected induced voltage, the magnitude of motor drive current supplied to the two coils is controlled. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130307460 | Drive Circuit of Stepping Motor, Integrated Circuit Thereof, and Electronic Equipment Including Same, and Method for Controlling Drive Circuit of Stepping Motor - A drive circuit of a stepping motor includes a D/A converter, a current controller having a comparing unit, and an abnormality detecting unit. The DAC generates a target voltage indicating a target value for an excitation current determined based on a reference voltage indicating an upper limit value of the excitation current flowing into the stepping motor. The current controller controls the excitation current based on this target voltage. The comparing unit compares a voltage corresponding to the excitation current and the target voltage. The abnormality detecting unit detects an abnormality of the wire between the drive circuit and the stepping motor based on an output signal from the comparing unit and a control signal indicating a polarity of the excitation current. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20140077747 | MOTOR SPEED ENHANCEMENT - Embodiments are directed to commanding, by a controller, a step in connection with a stepper motor, discharging a current in a coil of the stepper motor by transferring the current to a capacitor coupled to the coil responsive to the commanded step, and driving a current in the coil by using charge stored on the capacitor during the discharging of the current in the coil. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140077748 | STEPPER MOTOR PHASE FAILURE DETECTION - Embodiments are directed to a stepper motor, and a controller configured to: measure a parameter associated with a current of the stepper motor prior to commanding a step in connection with the stepper motor, command the step in connection with the stepper motor, measure the parameter subsequent to commanding the step, compare the measurements of the parameter, and determine whether a fault exists with respect to the stepper motor based on the comparison of the measurements. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140077749 | Method and Apparatus to Convert a Minimally Controlled Pulse Stream into a Proper Mechatronic Trajectory - An apparatus or method which accepts a burst of pulses at a frequency which may not be tightly controlled and converts this into a trajectory command that is a suitable motion profile for an incremental motor control application. The output of the invention can be a pulse stream that can be fed to an existing incremental pulse input motor drive or the invention can be embedded into a motor drive where its output is a numerical sequence that defines a physically realizable trajectory to be fed to the control circuits and software within the motor drive. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140139173 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND MOTOR STATE DETECTOR - 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. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140176039 | MOTOR CONTROL DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF STEPPING MOTOR - There is provided a motor control device controlling an energizing state of a coil of each phase for driving a stepping motor having multiple phase coils. The motor control device includes a detecting unit configured to detect whether the stepping motor is out of step, and a reverse rotating unit configured, when the detecting unit detects that the stepping motor is out of step, to rotate the stepping motor in a second rotation direction reverse to a first rotation direction, which is a rotation direction of the stepping motor before detecting out-of-step, by a number of steps with which a stress received by the stepping motor is alleviated, before the stepping motor spontaneously rotates in the second direction. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140239872 | PULSED-MOTOR DRIVING APPARATUS AND PULSED-MOTOR DRIVING METHOD - The inventive apparatus includes a driving clock generating section generating a driving clock having a driving frequency and driving a pulsed motor based on an inputted base clock having a base frequency; wherein in a predetermined period. The driving clock generating section operates in a through-output mode in which the base clock is outputted as the driving clock and in an idle mode in which during an idle period a stationary signal not including any pulse is outputted as the driving clock. The idle period is configured such that an average frequency of the driving clock during the predetermined period is equal to the driving frequency. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140239873 | PULSED-MOTOR DRIVING APPARATUS AND PULSED-MOTOR DRIVING METHOD - A frequency-divided clock generating section | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140239874 | MOTOR DRIVING CIRCUIT, ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME, AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A motor driving circuit for driving a step motor includes a logical circuit synchronized with a step pulse signal to control a bridge circuit connected to a coil of the step motor and control electric power supplied to the coil of the step motor, a counter electromotive force detecting unit configured to detect a counter electromotive force generated between both ends of the coil, and a step-out predicting unit configured to assert a detection signal indicating a sign of step-out of the step motor, when the counter electromotive force detected at a detection time after the lapse of a time calculated by multiplying a predetermined coefficient to a length of a high impedance period of the coil since transition to the high impedance period is lower than a predetermined threshold voltage. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140265992 | MOTOR DRIVE APPARATUS FOR DRIVING STEPPING MOTOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - A motor drive apparatus capable of detecting a rotor rotation position of a stepping motor, without causing a substantial cost increase. A CPU of the motor drive apparatus determines a difference between a data number, which corresponds to a timing at which an ENC0 or ENC1 signal changes in level when there is no follow-up delay of a rotor relative to voltage signals applied to A- and B-phase coils, and a data number, which corresponds to a timing at which the ENC0 or ENC1 signal changes in level when there is a follow-up delay of the rotor relative to the voltage signals, and corrects the follow-up delay of the rotor based on the determined difference. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140265993 | MOTOR CONTROL APPARATUS, MOTOR CONTROL SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A motor control apparatus controls driving a direct current motor according to a drive condition set by a stepping motor control unit. The motor control apparatus includes a storage unit in which the drive condition is written by the stepping motor control unit; and a direct current motor control unit that reads the drive condition from the storage unit and controls driving the direct current motor based on the drive condition. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140292252 | CIRCUIT AND METHOD FOR SPEED MONITORING OF AN ELECTRIC MOTOR - A method for determining a phase angle between voltage applied to a winding of the electric motor and an electric current flowing through the winding may include receiving a signal from the electric motor, including a value of a voltage applied to a winding of the electric motor. The method may also include determining a value of an electric current flowing through the winding and determining a phase angle between the voltage applied to the winding and the electric current flowing through the winding. The method may also include determining a speed or a stall state of the electric motor. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140327385 | MOTOR DRIVE APPARATUS FOR DRIVING STEPPING MOTOR AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - 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. | 11-06-2014 |
| 20140333250 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, MOTOR CONTROL APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING A MOTOR - An image forming apparatus may include an engine portion used to perform an image forming job, a step motor configured to start the engine portion, a driver including a resistor that measures current that flows to a coil of the step motor and is configured to provide a predetermined constant current to the step motor, and a drive controller configured to measure a load level of the step motor based on a voltage value of the resistor and to control the driver to provide the constant current that corresponds to the measured load level. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140375244 | STEPPING MOTOR DRIVE DEVICE - In a stepping motor drive device, it is possible to prevent malfunction due to negative current from a stepping motor of a plurality of power MOSFETs that apply drive voltage in a complementary way to paired coils of the stepping motor. A fall delay circuit delays the timing of the fall of input pulse signals applied in a complementary way to the gate of each of a plurality of MOSFETs that apply drive voltage in a complementary way to paired coils of a stepping motor by a time Td, wherein Td>Trise−Tfall, in accordance with a rise time Trise when turning on, and a fall time Tfall when turning off, the relevant MOSFET, and after one MOSFET is turned on, another MOSFET is turned off. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20150008862 | INTAKE PROFILE FOR OPTIMIZED UTILIZATION OF MOTOR CHARACTERISTICS - Systems and methods for operating a stepper motor of a pump at a desired low velocity include memory for storing information corresponding to an intake velocity profile. The intake velocity profile represents an optimized acceleration curve for operating the stepper motor over a range of motor velocities during an intake cycle. A processor of a system controller dynamically accesses the memory during the intake cycle to acquire the information representing the intake velocity profile and issues a series of pulses to the stepper motor based on this information. In response to the pulses, the stepper motor accelerates in accordance with the optimized acceleration curve represented by the intake velocity profile. The optimized acceleration curve is based on the available torque of the stepper motor across a range of motor velocities and enables the motor to operate with greater torque utilization and less margin than traditional linear acceleration profiles. | 01-08-2015 |
| 20150015176 | DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG SINUSOIDAL DRIVER APPARATUS, SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Input codes are sequenced at a lower-resolution linear DAC and the output is converted to a linear current waveform. A first of two interconnected analog current multipliers multiplies the linear current by itself and by the inverse of a first constant current source to create a quadratic current output. A second current multiplier multiplies the quadratic output current by the linear current and by the inverse of a second constant current source to generate a cubic current output. The quadratic and cubic currents are subtracted from the linear current to generate an approximation of the first 180 degrees of a sine wave current. Alternate (pi to 2*pi) positive-going one-half sine waves may be polarity reversed to create a complete positive-going and negative-going sine-shaped electrical current of higher resolution than is available from a sine DAC of resolution equivalent to that of the lower-resolution linear DAC. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150015177 | DYNAMIC MIXED-MODE CURRENT DECAY APPARATUS AND METHODS - Stepper motor winding current regulation methods and apparatus continuously and bi-directionally sense winding current to determine both the magnitude of the winding current and the slope of a waveform representing the winding current. The magnitude and slope information is used to more precisely control periods of current rise and characteristics of fast and slow current decay during pulse-width modulation (“PWM”) regulation cycles. Winding current rise and decay shaping is based upon the sensed magnitude of the winding current, the magnitude of the winding current regulation set-point ITRIP, whether the sensed winding current is greater than or less than ITRIP at a selected sampling time, whether the sensed winding current is increasing or decreasing when a waveform of the sensed winding current crosses over ITRIP, and whether or not the magnitude of ITRIP changes during a PWM cycle in response to a receipt of a subsequent DAC code. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150022139 | STEPPING MOTOR CONTROL DEVICE, OPTICAL APPARATUS, STEPPING MOTOR CONTROL METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - A stepping motor control device includes a position detection sensor configured to detect a rotation position of a stepping motor, a voltage controller configured to drive the stepping motor, an advance angle controller configured to control an advance angle that is a phase difference between an excitation current applied to a coil of the stepping motor and the rotation position of the stepping motor, and a speed controller configured to control a drive speed of the stepping motor. The speed controller controls the drive speed using, in combination, voltage control by the voltage controller and advance angle control by the advance angle controller. | 01-22-2015 |
| 20150028790 | CURRENT REGULATION BLANKING TIME APPARATUS AND METHODS - Stepper motor winding current regulation methods and apparatus adapt a maximum blanking period to generate an adapted blanking period that is proportional to a currently-selected current regulation set-point. Sensed winding current feedback is ignored at a current regulation controller during the adapted blanking period or during a minimum blanking period, whichever longer, to avoid attempting to track noise imposed upon a sensed winding current feedback signal at an initiation of rapid current changes di/dt. Doing so may decrease ripple in the motor winding current waveform and reduce zero-crossing distortion by decreasing overshoot of the current regulation set-point by the sensed winding current. | 01-29-2015 |
| 20150028791 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - An image forming apparatus drives and rotates at least one of a photosensitive drum and a transport roller with use of a stepping motor in a multi-phase excitation mode. The image forming apparatus includes: a constant-voltage control unit controlling the stepping motor by applying a constant voltage for each phase; a constant-current control unit controlling the stepping motor by regulating an amount of current for each phase by a chopping control; a measuring unit measuring a chopping count of each phase on a per-step basis; a chopping count determination unit determining whether the chopping count of each phase is less than or equal to a predetermined count; and a control switching unit causing the constant-voltage control unit to control the stepping motor when the chopping count determination unit determines affirmatively, and causing the constant-current control unit to control the stepping motor when the chopping count determination unit determines negatively. | 01-29-2015 |
| 20150042258 | CONTROL DEVICE FOR STEPPING MOTOR AND CONTROL METHOD FOR STEPPING MOTOR - There is provided a control device for a stepping motor, configured to apply an excitation current to multiple coils to rotate a rotor. The control device includes a drive unit configured to apply a drive voltage to the coils, and a control unit configured to control the drive voltage applied by the drive unit, wherein the control unit includes a stop control unit configured to perform, during a hold period of a stop period of the stepping motor, a stop control which gradually decreases a magnitude of the excitation current flowing in the coils such that the rotor moves to a predetermined stop position, and wherein the stop control unit is configured to perform the stop control such that a variation amount of the excitation current per unit time becomes a predetermined threshold value for the stop period or less. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150077033 | STEPPING MOTOR AND SYSTEM THEREOF - A stepping motor includes a housing, a stator assembly, a rotor, and a sensor portion. The stator assembly is disposed inside the housing. The rotor is rotatably disposed inside the stator assembly and includes a rotation shaft, and opposite ends of the rotation shaft are supported by the housing. The sensor portion is disposed inside the housing and detects a magnetic field of the rotor. | 03-19-2015 |
| 20150084573 | STEPPING MOTOR AND TIMEPIECE PROVIDED WITH STEPPING MOTOR - Disclosed is a stepping motor including a rotor including a cylindrical rotor magnet having an M number of magnetization, M being an even number, in a radial direction, and a stator including a stator body and a coil, the stator body having a rotor accommodating space which accommodates the rotor and an N number of magnetic poles, N being an odd number, disposed along an outer periphery of the rotor, and the coil being magnetically coupled with the stator body. Further including rotor stoppers disposed at every predetermined rotation angle which is smaller than an angle obtained by dividing one rotation by a product of the N and the M and a driving pulse supplying circuit which applies driving pulses to rotate the rotor by the predetermined rotation angle to the coil. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150123590 | METHOD AND CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY FOR DRIVING A STEPPER MOTOR - A method and a circuit assembly for driving a 2, 3- or more phase stepper motor by predetermined courses of current curves, especially for a microstep operation, is disclosed. For minimizing the memory capacity needed for storing supporting points of the course of the current curve by which the microsteps are realized, the course of the current curve is divided into a number of segments to which each a basic or main gradient between adjacent supporting points is assigned, so that for each of the supporting points only a deviation of the gradient at this supporting point from the related basic or main gradient has to be stored. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150123591 | MOTOR DRIVING CIRCUIT - 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 V | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150302706 | POWER MANAGEMENT FOR AN AUTOMATED BANKING MACHINE - An automatic banking machine operates responsive to data read from data bearing records corresponding to authorized user or financial account data. The machine includes a card reader for reading data from user cards. The automated banking machine causes financial transfers related to financial accounts that correspond to data read from user cards. The automated banking machine also includes devices that control the supply of power to included devices to avoid exceeding power supply capacity. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150303850 | CURRENT REGULATION IN MOTORS - A motor controller that includes a processing device and a drive circuit. The drive circuit may include a plurality of switches, a motor winding, and a current sensor coupled together in an H-bridge configuration. The processing device is configured to cause a drive current to drive through the motor winding for a minimum amount of time. The processing device is also configured to compare the current through the current sensor to a threshold value at the minimum amount of time. The processing device is also configured to, based on the current being at or above the threshold value at the minimum amount of time, stop the drive current for an off period of time and cause a first decay of the current for a first percentage of the off period of time and a first slow decay for a second percentage of the off period of time. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150349686 | Sensorless BEMF measurement in current-controlled brushless motors - A method for determining a reserve torque in an electronically-switched drive mechanism, specifically a pulse motor for a headlamp beam adjustment system, based upon a parameter in an essentially linear relationship to a back electromotive force of the drive mechanism. Whereby, for the determination of the back electromotive force-related parameter, the variation in the drive current is determined in relation to a change interval. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20160006382 | STEPPER MOTOR CONTROL AND FIRE DETECTION SYSTEM - Controlling a stepper motor. A stepper motor is driven towards an index position. An attempt is made to stop the stepper motor on the index position in a fashion that would ordinarily cause the stepper motor to ring at the index position. Characteristics of one or more subsequent pulses that would counteract the ringing are determined. The one or more determined subsequent pulses are issued to the stepper motor. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160013743 | METHOD AND ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT FOR MOTOR STALL DETECTION | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160036362 | STEPPING MOTOR DRIVING DEVICE AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - A stepping motor driving device includes a table, a driving pulse control part, an interpolation number indicating part and a driving part. The table stores thinned data which is thinned from original data and designates a pulse width of a driving pulse relating to a slow-up control or a slow-down control of a stepping motor. The driving pulse control part sequentially reads the thinned data from the table at predetermined intervals, to interpolate the thinned data in accordance with a given interpolation number so as to generate interpolated data and to output the driving pulse with the pulse width designated by the thinned data or the interpolated data by sequentially using the thinned data and the interpolated date at predetermined intervals. The interpolation number indicating part indicates the interpolation number to the driving pulse control part. The driving part drives the stepping motor in accordance with the driving pulse. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160056743 | MOTOR DRIVE CONTROL APPARATUS AND MOTOR DRIVE CONTROL METHOD - A motor drive control apparatus supplies drive currents including orthogonal alternating current components to armature coils of a motor so that a magnetized rotor is rotated. The motor drive control apparatus includes a high frequency generator that generates a high frequency signal which is superimposed on one of the drive currents, a position estimator that receives position information indicating an estimated position of the rotor based on a response signal to the high frequency signal, and an amplitude controller that controls amplitudes of the drive currents according to the position information. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160065208 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC APPLIANCE - An H-bridge pre-driver is configured as two blocks so as to suit the width of an H-bridge driver Tr. The two blocks are line-symmetrically placed with a bias circuit interposed therebetween. One of the pre-driver blocks is laid out as a rectangle that is long in one direction and is short in a direction perpendicular to that direction. With this configuration, the pre-driver layout area can be reduced, and the cost of IC can be reduced. Furthermore, the symmetric placement enables matching of the impedance of interconnect from the pre-driver to the driver and stabilization of properties to be achieved. | 03-03-2016 |
| 20160079839 | STEP MOTOR AND SYSTEM FOR DRIVING STEP MOTOR - A step motor includes a plurality of stator cores. Each of the stator cores have a coil unit coiled therearound. The step motor includes a rotor that includes a rotation shaft and a plurality of permanent magnets and is configured to rotate by magnetic interaction between the stator cores and the permanent magnets. The step motor also includes a plurality of conducting parts on one cross-sectional surface of the rotor. The step motor further includes a printed circuit board (PCB) including electric elements that are arranged at certain positions and are disposed to face the conducting parts. The conducting parts and the electric elements are configured to electrically or magnetically interact as the rotor rotates to change electrical signals generated by the electric elements. | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160079897 | MOTOR DRIVE CONTROL DEVICE, MOTOR DRIVE CONTROL METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM - A motor drive control device includes: a deceleration start position calculating unit that calculates a deceleration start position indicating an address at which a pulse period is stored, the pulse period being equal to or larger than a pulse period at the time of forced stopping and closest to the pulse period at the time of forced stopping among the pulse periods included in a driving information; a stop pulse number calculating unit that calculates the number of pulses required for stopping the motor at an exciting position; and a driving control unit that outputs a total number of pulses of a counted number of pulses and the number of pulses from the deceleration start position until the motor is stopped in forcibly stopping the motor, and outputs a shortage of the number of pulses required for stopping the motor calculated by the stop pulse number calculating unit. | 03-17-2016 |
| 20160141985 | AUTOMATIC ACTUATOR CALIBRATION USING BACK EMF - A self-calibrating linear actuator is configured to control a spring return valve with variable stroke. The actuator includes a motor, a spindle coupled to an output of the motor, a motor controller coupled to the motor, a microcontroller coupled to the motor controller, and a back electromotive force (BEMF) circuit, coupled to the motor, configured to provide to the microcontroller a BEMF value for each motor step. The microcontroller is configured to determine a difference of a number of motor steps during operation of the actuator and to store the difference as a calibrated touch point for the actuator. | 05-19-2016 |
| 20160254767 | Decay Lock Loop for Time Varying Current Regulation in Electric Motors | 09-01-2016 |
| 20160380566 | LINEAR ACTUATOR AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - The present invention provides a linear actuator including a motor; a linear driving unit coupled to the motor and including a magnet; a sensor unit configured to sense a change amount of magnetic flux depending on a position of the magnet and convert the sensed change amount of magnetic flux into measured voltage data; a data unit in which reference voltage data corresponding to the change amount of magnetic flux depending on a position of the magnet is stored; and a judging unit configured to compare the reference voltage data with the measured voltage data at the corresponding position of the magnet. The present invention is advantageous in that, by compensation-controlling a position of the motor, feedback control may be performed in the step motor to secure performance of the product to which the present invention is applied | 12-29-2016 |
| 20190145149 | OPENING-CLOSING BODY CONTROL SYSTEM AND OPENING-CLOSING BODY CONTROL METHOD | 05-16-2019 |
