A switch actuation detection unit has a switch actuation voltage reception terminal and a logic circuit. The logic circuit includes a first port, a second port, a zener diode, and a signal port. The switch actuation voltage reception terminal receives a switch actuation voltage. The first port is connected to the switch actuation voltage reception terminal. A first terminal of the zener diode is connected to the switch actuation voltage reception terminal while a second terminal of the zener diode is connected to the second port. The signal port provides a plurality of pre-determined switch state signals.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to a remote control with buttons. In particular, the application relates to a steering wheel remote control for a vehicle.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,435 discloses a level indicating device that has a high reliability and long life. The device includes first and second terminals for receiving a signal.
JP 610 93 964 (A) discloses a series circuit with a LED (light emitting diode) and with a zener diode being connected in parallel to another series circuit of another LED and a resistor for displaying an input voltage level in steps.

Adaptable voltage level detection with resistive ladder


An actionable communication resource forming function performs a method for forming an actionable communication resource in a communication system. The method includes receiving, from a resource management system, a plurality of resource identifiers that identify a plurality of resources, wherein each resource is associated with a communication device addressable by a communication system using a communication device identifier; for each resource identifier, determining the communication device identifier for the associated communication device; for each communication device identifier, identifying a communication group to which the corresponding communication device is affiliated, and using the identified communication groups to determine a set of communication groups, wherein each communication group in the set is addressable by the communication system, wherein an actionable communication resource is formed from the set of communication groups to facilitate communications with the communication devices over the communication system using the addressable communication groups.

A resource management system, such as a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, can be used to assign resources in response to an incident, event, or occurrence. Such resources can include agencies, responder units, vehicles, and responders themselves, for example. The resources have one or more communication devices associated therewith that are addressable by a separate communication system (such as a two-way land mobile radio system) to which the communication devices are connected. During the course of the incident, a CAD operator may wish to communicate with all or as many of the assigned responders as possible via their communication devices. Such communications can be facilitated using communication methods including, but not limited to, radio console mechanisms such as Instant Transmit, All Points Bulletin (APB) Transmit, Conference Bridge, Communication Bridge, Audio Bridge, Console Patch, Communication Channel Patch, Communication Group Patch, and the like.
However, known techniques for communicating with the responders assigned to an incident involve a number of manual operations on the part of the CAD dispatch operator, which are cumbersome at best and inaccurate at worst. More particularly, the CAD dispatch operators work on the level of dispatch units and lists of responders addressable by the CAD system. The dispatch operators also communicate with those same responders through the separate radio system, which uses different responder identities, communication group identities and voice enabled device identities.
In addition, the communication groups to which the communication devices (used by responders) are affiliated can change for example depending on whether the responders are on duty or off duty, or based on their current task, assignment or role, what incident they are assigned to, etc. Thus, the dispatch operator today is not always aware of which communication groups each responder is affiliated with, especially in cases of medium to large incidents, requiring restructuring of the communication groups and requiring mutual aid resources from outside agencies, and especially since there is no one-to-one mapping between the CAD resource lists and the responders' communication groups. There is, therefore, no easy way to communicate with all of the responders assigned to the incident. Moreover, the assigned resources and associated communication devices and communication groups may dynamically change during the incident making a manual process that much more difficult.
Thus, there exists a need for a method and system for forming an actionable communication resource to facilitate communications with communication devices that are associated with resources assigned by a resource management system, wherein the method minimizes manual activity by an operator of the resource management system.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of various embodiments. In addition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require the order illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. Apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the various embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.

Method and system for forming an actionable communication resource


A process for producing a leadframe for a semiconductor including (i) providing nickel or nickel-base alloy plating layers on both sides of a base material including an iron-base material or a copper-base material by electroplating or chemical plating so as to have a single layer thickness in the range of from 3 to 20 microns, (ii) applying a photoresist on both sides of the leadframe material produced in step (i) and forming a leadframe pattern by a patterning process and (iii) subjecting the leadframe material patterned in step (ii) to etching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a leadframe material for a semiconductor and a process for producing the same. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with an iron-base or copper-base leadframe having a good etchability, an excellent fine fabricability and a high strength and a process for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Leadframe materials having various qualities and configurations are known as a leadframe material used for mounting of semiconductors. For example, it is a common practice to mold a leadframe base material rolled to a desired sheet thickness into a pattern having a predetermined configuration by etching or stamping and then subject the whole or predetermined positions of the base material to a surface treatment such as gold plating, silver plating, nickel plating or tin-nickel plating.
An iron-nickel-base Alloy 42 (42% Ni-Fe) , an iron-nickel-cobalt-base Kovar (29% Ni-13% Co-Fe) alloy and a copper-base alloy are used as the leadframe material, and the thickness is generally in the range of from 100 to 250 .mu.m.
In recent years, with the advance of high-density mounting of a semiconductor device, there is an ever-increasing tendency towards an increase in the number of pins and a reduction in the size of the pitch. In the case of mass production through the use of the above-described material, the limitation of the inner lead pitch in the etching is up to about 200 .mu.m. As the pitch becomes narrow and the number of the pins increases, it becomes difficult to ensure the inner lead flat width necessary for the wire bonding. Further, in this case, since the amount of the side etching increases, shortcircuiting is liable to occur between leads. In particular, the Alloy 42 which is mainly used in the high pin count leadframe is inferior to the copper alloy in the etchability, so that it is difficult to cope with an extreme increase in the number of pins and an extreme reduction in the size of the pitch.
In the conventional etching, it was necessary to reduce the flat width of a back side (bottom side) of the inner leads for the purpose of ensuring the flat width of a face side (top side). Care should be taken not to excessively reduce the flat width of the reverse face because it becomes difficult to maintain the flatness of the inner lead at the time of wire bonding process.
An increase in the number of pins and a reduction in the size of pitch have been attained through a reduction in the thickness of the leadframe material. In this method, however, the lack of the mechanical strength becomes significant with a reduction in the thickness of the leadframe materials. For this reason, high-strength materials of iron-base alloys or copper-base alloys have been developed. In this case as well, however, an extreme reduction in the thickness of the material is impossible from the viewpoint of the material strength, so that the lower limit of the thickness is considered to be in the range of from 80 to 125 .mu.m.
Further, the Alloy 42 and Kovar commonly used in the art as a leadframe material contain a considerable amount of Ni and Co, so that the unit price of the material is unfavorably high.

Process for producing leadframe material for semiconductor


A ploughing device for mining, with a ploughing tool having a plurality of plough bodies being interconnected by means of detachable coupling members, and with a longwall conveyor forming a plough guiding means, wherein at least one ploughing body is provided with pivotable cutter carriers. In order to have a ploughing device for mining different seam thicknesses in an efficient manner even and with low number of spare parts to be stored, the ploughing tool has three plough bodies, one forming a central ploughing body, at the end of which are connected a first and second lateral ploughing body by means of a first and second coupling members, wherein the coupling members in each case consist of a toggle bolt with toggle shaft and toggle heads being insertable on open-edged toggle pockets on the bodies.

In underground mining, in particular coal mining, coal ploughs have been used for many decades for mining underground coal seams. The most used in this connection are individual ploughs, which are restrictedly guided on a plough guiding means attached on the working face side on a longwall conveyor and have a pivotable cutter carrier for each direction of travel and first cutter columns and secondary cutter columns that are mounted on the ploughing body, where applicable, so as to be vertically adjustable in order to be able to adapt the overall height of the individual plough to the respective conditions of use in the underground longwall and above all to the seam thickness. The secondary cutter columns can also be realized as add-on units which can be placed optionally on the ploughing body.
DE 196 37 789 A1, for example, discloses an individual plough which is guided via a guide rail and a track plate on the plough guiding means attached on the working face side on the trough pans of the longwall conveyor and at the same time engages over the conveyor troughs of the longwall conveyor by way of a support portal so that it is additionally supported on a guide rail on the stowage side. The individual plough has a single carriage-shaped ploughing body and the add-on parts with the secondary cutter columns are connected to the ploughing body by means of chain-link-shaped elements.
DE 10 2005 049 971 A1 makes known an individual ploughing body in the form of a sword plough, where pivotable cutter carriers are coupled in a travel-direction-dependent manner by means of a connecting rod so that, in dependence on the direction of travel, always only one of the two cutter carriers removes material at the working face, whilst the other cutter carrier is situated in a pivot position in which the cutters of said cutter carrier have no contact with the working face.
A plough provided with two plough bodies is known, for example, from DE 25 00 680 A1 and from DE 27 28 178 A1. Both plough bodies are restrictedly guided at a plough guiding means attached on the working face side. The two plough bodies are interconnected by means of a joint connection which consists of individual chain links.

Ploughing device for mining and plough body for said device


A method of treating a mammalian subject for Parkinson's disease or to provide a central muscle relaxant effect, which comprises the step of administering to the mammalian subject in need of the treatment, a therapeutically effective amount of a compound of the Formula (I) ##STR1## wherein m is 1,2 or 3;. R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each independently stand for hydrogen, C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 straight or branched chain alkyl, C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.5 to C.sub.7 cycloalkyl, or halogen; and PA1 B is a 5- or 6-membered saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic group containing a nitrogen heteroatom, the heterocyclic group being bound through its heterocyclic nitrogen atom to the remainder of the compound, and which can contain one or two additional heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of an oxygen heteroatom, a sulfur heteroatom, and one or two additional nitrogen heteroatoms, which may be as an .dbd.N--, --NH-- or --NR-- group, where R is a C.sub.1 to C.sub.5 alkyl or C.sub.1 to C.sub.5 alkycarbonyl group, the nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group is unsubstituted or substituted on one of its carbon atoms by C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkyl or C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alkoxycarbonyl; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Organosilane-type compounds are commonly known. The types of these compounds described up to the present are very diversified and the number of the specifically characterized compounds is high. Some therapeutical effects or organosilanes have also been published.
Aminoalkylsilanes used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease due to their monoamine oxidase-inhibiting effect are described e.g. in the European patent specification No. 291,781.
N-heterocyclic compounds used for the preparation of pesticides and discussed in the European patent specification No. 224,024, may be considered to be structurally related to the compounds of formula (I).
Fungicidally active nitrogen-containing organosilane derivatives are also known (Latv. PSR Zinat. Akad. Vestis, Kim. Ser. 1978, pp. 343-349).

Organosilane derivatives, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and process for preparing same


The present invention relates to an interconnection system for connecting two electronics cards together, wherein the system includes first and second subassemblies including housings each receiving at least one connector, the first and second subassemblies being configured for fastening to first and second electronics cards respectively; and a coupling, third subassembly including housings receiving connector couplings, said connector couplings being configured to couple the connectors of the first subassembly with the connectors of the second subassembly; the third subassembly being configured to be placed between the first and second subassemblies.

Interconnecting such electronics cards involves taking account of static interdeterminancy. Static interdeterminancy results for example from the method used for interconnecting electronics cards, from the need to provide peripheral shielding around the electronics cards as connected together in this way, from the need for the resulting assembly to be robust, and/or from the large number of interconnections that are to be made.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,352 in the name of the Applicant discloses an interconnection system for connecting electronics cards together, said system comprising a connector arranged between the two cards and rigidly fastened at a first end to one of the cards and possessing tabs at a second end opposite from the first end, which tabs are configured to bear against the second card.
Such a system is limited to providing a coaxial connection between two electronics cards. Unfortunately, new ranges of electronics equipment require compact solutions incorporating a plurality of connectors of different kinds, for example coaxial connectors and signal connectors, in particular radiofrequency (RF) or indeed optoelectronic connectors.
Furthermore, the connector of U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,352 is not completely satisfactory in combating alignment defects that occur when the two electronics cards are interconnected. It can be desirable to have an interconnection system that makes it possible to compensate for alignment defects between one electronics card and the other in two or even three dimensions so as to enable the electronics cards to be interconnected.

Interconnection system for electronics cards


An automated pallet inspection station includes a frame, a transport system carried by the frame for transporting a pallet to be inspected, and at least one pallet feature sensing head adjacent the transport system for inspecting the pallet. The at least one pallet feature sensing head includes a downward looking pallet feature sensing head positioned above the transport system for inspecting a top surface of the pallet, and an upward looking pallet feature sensing head positioned below the transport system for inspecting a bottom surface of the pallet.

Timber pallets may be constructed in two basic styles, the first being made up of three (or more) bearers or stringers, with boards running across the top and bottom of these to make up a deck for supporting products. Boards are generally nailed on to the bearers, but may be screwed on or attached by other methods. The first and last boards on a given side are referred to as lead boards. The second style is similar but has blocks and connector boards in place of the bearers. Pallets of both styles may be constructed in a variety of sizes depending on their use and geographic location. Pallets may also be constructed in other materials, such as plastic, metal, composite materials or a combination of materials.
Pallets (of any style) can be repaired when damaged. This repair traditionally requires manual handling and inspection by an operator, with mechanised systems available for moving the pallet to and from the human operator who completes the repair of the pallet. Additionally, there is sometimes a separate requirement for pallets (of any style) to be inspected against standards and quality criteria to determine that they are fit for use—this is also currently a manual process.

Automated digital inspection and associated methods


A beverage container having a spigot with a faucet for dispensing beverages. The spigot is removably secured within the walls of the beverage container by a hex nut having exterior protuberances or nibs. The faucet is removably secured to the spigot outside of the beverage container by a winged connector backed by a spring clip for removably securing the spigot to the faucet. The winged connector is used as a key for engaging the nibs or protuberances of the securement nut for causing it to turn and be tightened or loosened from the threads of the spigot, thereby allowing the removal of the spigot from the beverage container.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the liquid dispensing art. More particularly, it lies within the field of beverage dispensing from a beverage container through a faucet. The faucet is removably mounted to the beverage container on a spigot to allow for flow of liquid or the beverage from the container through the faucet.
2. The Prior Art
The prior art with regard to liquid dispensers and more particularly, beverage dispensers, incorporated a spigot. The spigot was usually mounted to a lock nut configuration along with other means to hold it to a faucet.
The spigot was caused to be mounted and passed through the walls of a beverage container. The beverage container could be formed of various materials. Oftentimes, the beverage container was formed from rotationally molded high density polyethylene (HDP). The beverage container could also be formed from blow molded or injection molded materials or for that matter, a metal container, such as well known coffee dispensers of the prior art.
Oftentimes, when beverage dispensers are used in a commercial environment, they must be cleaned. In order to clean the beverage dispensers it was oftentimes necessary to clean and wash the entire dispenser, including the faucet, spigot and other means for extracting the beverage from the container.
In order to wash the beverage container and clean it, it was necessary to disassemble the faucet and spigot and remove them from the container. After the faucet and spigot were removed from the container, they were then cleaned in a suitable manner such as by hand or through a dishwasher. The opening to the beverage dispenser was also cleaned, including the interior thereof.
In order to take the spigot and the faucet apart, it was necessary to use a particular wrench. This is due to the fact that the securement means of the spigot passing through the side wall of the container did not lend itself to rotationally unthreading the spigot from the faucet. In order to do this, it was necessary to have a hex nut or other means turned by means of a wrench in order to loosen the entire spigot and faucet combination.
When looking more particularly at the prior art, it can be seen that a hex nut or other nut was generally incorporated on the outside wall of the beverage container. The hex nut was threaded over the spigot which passed through the beverage container walls which seated it tightly within the beverage container walls. Attached to the spigot on the outside of the beverage container was a faucet with a winged securement connector which connected the spigot to the faucet. This was easily enough maintained but in order to withdraw the faucet from the spigot, it was necessary to unthread the hex or other securement nut of the spigot by means of a wrench.
This invention overcomes the foregoing deficiency by providing an integral unthreading means by means of a novel winged connector in combination with a novel securement nut. The winged connector in this particular instance is allowed to be used as a wrench or key in turning the hex or other securement nut attached to the spigot and thereby loosening or tightening it. After complete unthreading, the spigot can be removed from the container. The separate parts of the assembly can then be cleaned. Consequently, this invention stands as a significant advance over the prior art by providing a disassembly and removal of a spigot and faucet from a beverage container without any means of external tools or wrenches in order to disassemble and clean a beverage container and the dispensing means.

Spigot and wrench combination for a beverage dispenser


The present invention provides a tablet core which comprises at least about 95% by weight of an aliphatic amine polymer. The invention also provides a method of producing a tablet core comprising at least about 95% by weight of an aliphatic amine polymer resin. The method comprises the step of compressing the aliphatic amine polymer to form the tablet core. The tablet core can further include one or more excipients. In this embodiment the method of producing the tablet core comprises the steps of: (1) hydrating the aliphatic amine polymer to the desired moisture level; (2) blending the aliphatic amine polymer with the excipients in amounts such that the polymer comprises at least about 95% by weight of the resulting blend; and (3) compressing the blend to form the tablet core. The present invention further relates to a coated tablet comprising an aliphatic amine polymer core wherein the coating is a water based coating.

A number of polymeric materials having useful therapeutic activity have been described for treatment of various conditions such as hyperlipidemia and hyperphosphatemia. Many of these polymeric materials function as non-absorbed ion exchange resins in the digestive tract. Such non-absorbed polymeric materials bind or otherwise sequester a target molecule and facilitate its removal from the body via the gastrointestinal tract. Examples of such resins include: Colestipol and Cholestyramine useful as orally administered cholesterol lowering agents; a variety of aliphatic amine polymers disclosed U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,496,545 and 5,667,775 useful as phosphate binders particularly for removing phosphate from patients suffering from renal failure; and other aliphatic amine polymers disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,624,963, U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,717, WO98/29107 and WO99/22721 useful as cholesterol lowering agents.
Non-absorbed polymer therapeutics have traditionally presented a number of formulation challenges as the dosages are generally very large (gram quantities), and the resins tend to be extremely hydrophilic. The most desirable formulation for oral delivery of a therapeutic is a direct compression tablet formulation. However, not all therapeutics, particularly given the high dose requirements of polymeric ion exchange therapeutics, lend themselves to a tablet formulation. Even if such materials could be rendered into a tablet, it is generally not possible without the significant addition of other materials which assist in the tableting process. Ultimately the addition of any materials other than the active ingredient is undesirable given the dose requirement of the active ingredient. Ideally the tablet should contain as much active ingredient as possible with little else in the way of additional materials such that the tablet is as small as possible and easy to administer to the patient.
In addition, once the polymeric materials are compressed into a tablet, the tablet requires a coating for ease of administration to the patient. It has been discovered that the core polymeric material tends to be very hygroscopic, and thus will swell immediately upon contact with the inside of the mouth. Most coatings contain water, and thus it was believed that coating such tablets with a water-based coating would be impossible because the hygroscopic tablets would swell during the coating process. Thus providing a tablet core comprising a hygroscopic material such that a suitable coating may be used in conjunction with that core, is another significant challenge to providing the polymeric active ingredient in tablet form.
There is a need to provide suitable dosage forms for polymeric ion exchange materials, particularly for hydrophilic aliphatic amine polymers useful as therapeutic agents, which minimize the overall amount of material administered to the patient, which are easy to administer orally, and which are stable upon production and storage.
The present invention provides a tablet core which comprises at least about 95% by weight of an aliphatic amine polymer. In a preferred embodiment, the aliphatic amine polymer resin is a cross-linked polyallylamine resin. The aliphatic amine polymer is preferably hydrated. The hydrated polymer can, for example, comprise from about 5% water by weight or greater.
The invention also provides a method of producing a tablet core comprising at least about 95% by weight of an aliphatic amine polymer resin. The method comprises the step of compressing the aliphatic amine polymer to form the tablet core. The tablet core can further include one or more excipients. In this embodiment, the method of producing the tablet core comprises the steps of: (1) hydrating or drying the aliphatic amine polymer to the desired moisture level; (2) blending the aliphatic amine polymer with the excipients in amounts such that the polymer comprises at least about 95% by weight of the resulting blend; and (3) compressing the blend to form the tablet core. The present invention further relates to a coated tablet wherein the coating comprises a water based coating.


To provide a control circuit or the like of a brush-less motor capable of properly controlling current of motor windings by detecting positions of magnetic poles of a rotor at a rotational frequency of the rotor from low rotation which cannot lock a PLL circuit to steady-state rotation for rotating at high speed. Positions of magnetic poles are detected by a change in a magnetic flux (magnetic flux signal) of motor windings caused by rotating a rotor having the magnetic poles, thereby, a synchronizing signal (ROT signal) in synchronism with rotation of the rotor is generated. When the rotor is rotated at a low rotational frequency which cannot lock a PLL circuit, the rotor is driven by using predetermined two driving voltage vectors among outputable driving voltage vectors and when a rotational frequency capable of locking the PLL circuit is reached, the rotor is driven by successively outputting the outputable driving voltage vectors in synchronism with the positions of the magnetic poles detecting the outputable driving voltage vectors. Further, the magnetic flux signal is provided by using voltage between two phases at which phases and magnitudes of voltage drop caused by inductances of motor windings are equal to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brush-less motor, a control circuit thereof and the like, relates to a constitution used in a vacuum pump of, for example, a vacuum pump of a magnetic bearing type turbo-molecular pump or the like or a magnetic bearing spindle or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, starting a brush-less motor is carried out as follows.
There is a brush-less motor having a rotor having a permanent magnet of two poles and three motor phase windings for generating a magnetic field for rotating the rotor at its surrounding.
In such a brush-less motor, there is a constitution in which as a sensor-less brush-less motor control circuit which is not provided with a sensor for detecting positions of magnetic poles, current for driving the motor is made to flow to two motor windings in three motor windings to thereby rotate a rotor, by rotating the rotor, positions of magnetic poles of the rotor are detected from induced electromotive force produced in a remaining one of the motor windings and based on the positions of the magnetic poles, the current of the motor winding is successively switched.
An explanation will be given of an example of the above-described conventional brush-less motor control circuit in reference to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9.
FIG. 8 is a conceptual view representing a brush-less motor of a three-phase all wave system. A rotor 150 is provided with a permanent magnet of two poles. There are arranged U-phase, V-phase and W-phase motor windings 151U, 151V and 151W around the rotor. Current is made to flow to excite two of the motor windings and the rotor 150 is rotated by attractive force of magnetic force thereof. Excited ones of the motor windings 151U, 151V and 151W are successively switched in accordance with positions of the magnetic poles of the rotor 150 to thereby continue rotating the rotor 150. The positions of the magnetic poles are detected by detecting voltage induced in a remaining one of the motor windings which is not excited.
As shown by FIG. 9, there are six kinds of driving voltage vectors outputted to the motor windings 151U, 15V and 151W of the brush-less motor of the three-phase all wave system.
The driving voltage vector when current is made to flow from the U-phase motor winding to the V-phase motor winding is defined as driving voltage vector 1, the driving voltage vector when current is made to flow from the U-phase motor winding to the W-phase motor winding is defined as driving voltage vector 2, the driving voltage vector when current is made to flow from the V-phase motor winding to the W-phase motor winding is defined as driving voltage vector 3, the driving voltage vector when current is made to flow from the V phase motor winding to the U-phase motor winding is defined as driving voltage vector 4, the driving voltage vector when current is made to flow from the W-phase motor winding to the U-phase motor winding is defined as driving voltage vector 5, the driving voltage vector when current is made to flow from the W-phase motor winding to the V-phase motor winding is defined as driving voltage vector 6 and hereinafter, the driving voltage vectors will be distinguished from each other by the numerals.
The numerals of the driving voltage vectors are indicated by circling the numerals in FIG. 9.
Further, current which is made to flow from the V-phase motor winding to the W-phase motor winding is described as current in Vxe2x86x92W direction and the like.
The control circuit of the motor generates one pulse per rotation of the rotor 150 in synchronism with the rotation of the rotor 150 from detected positions of magnetic poles. The pulse is inputted to a PLL (Phase Lock Loop) circuit, not illustrated, and the PLL circuit generates six pulses each having a period six times as much as rotation of the rotor 150. In synchronism with the six pulses, the above-described six driving voltage vectors are successively switched to thereby continue rotating the rotor 150. That is, the positions of the magnetic poles of the rotor 150 are detected from voltage of the motor winding constituting conductless phase and the voltage vectors outputted to the motor windings 151U, 151V and 151W are switched while carrying out a feedback by the detected values.
Meanwhile, in order to lock (operate) the PLL circuit, at least about 20 Hertz is needed for a frequency of an input signal. That is, unless the rotor 150 is rotated by about 20 times per second, the PLL circuit cannot be operated.
Conventionally, until the motor is started and a rotational number of the rotor 150 is increased to a rotational number capable of locking the PLL circuit, the respective driving voltage vectors are switched by an open loop. That is, the voltage vectors applied to the motor windings 151U, 151V and 151W are initially switched successively at a low speed near to DC (direct current) without carrying out a feedback operation at all, the switching speed is gradually accelerated and the rotor is made to attract and follow thereto to thereby accelerate the rotor to the rotational number capable of locking the PLL circuit.
As a control circuit of a brush-less motor for switching driving voltage vectors by generating pulses synchronized with a multiplied value of a rotational number of a rotor by using a PLL circuit in this way, there is invention of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 47285/1996. According to the invention, positions of magnetic poles are detected by Hall sensors and driving voltage vectors are controlled by a feedback control.
Three Hall sensors are arranged at a surrounding of magnetic poles of a rotor at angular intervals of 120xc2x0, when the rotor is rotated at a low speed by which a PLL circuit cannot be locked in starting a motor, driving voltage vectors are controlled by detected signals by the three Hall sensors, when a rotational number of the rotor reaches a rotational number capable of locking the PLL circuit, the PLL circuit generates multiplied synchronized pulses each having a period three times as much as the rotational number of the rotor from the detected signals of one of the Hall sensors and the driving voltage vectors are switched by the multiplied synchronized pulses.
Further, the technology is applicable also by detecting counter electromotive voltage generated at the motor windings and produced by rotating the rotor without using the Hall sensors. That is, the technology is applicable to a motor drive circuit free of Hall sensors using a PLL circuit.
A conventional sensor-less brush-less motor is controlled by a control circuit operated as follows.
The control circuit of the sensor-less brush-less motor controls currents flowing in motor windings by a feedback control while detecting positions of magnetic poles of a rotor. The positions of the magnetic poles of the rotor are detected by detecting voltage induced in the motor windings by rotating the rotor, that is, induced electromotive force. For example, in the case of a three phase brush-less motor, voltage is applied to the two motor windings and voltage induced in the remaining conduct less phase is detected. Further, based on the positions of the magnetic poles detected by the voltage, the two motor windings to be applied with voltage are determined and voltage is applied thereto. At the occasion, the induced electromotive force of the motor winding constituting the conductless phase is detected and the positions of the magnetic poles are detected thereby. The motor is driven by continuously carrying out the process.
FIG. 20 illustrates diagrams indicating timings of detecting the positions of the magnetic poles of the control circuit in the conventional sensor-less brush-less motor. Waveforms 201a, 201b and 201c are waveform diagrams of voltage induced in a certain motor winding. As mentioned later, FIG. 20(a) shows a case in which a phase of a rotating field produced by current of the motor winding is more advanced than a phase of rotating the rotor, FIG. 20(b) shows a case in which the phases of both coincide with each other and FIG. 20(c) shows a case in which the phase of the rotating field is more advanced than the phase of the rotor.
The positions of the magnetic poles are detected by sampling intersections 203a, 203b and 203c of imaginary neutral point potentials 202a, 202b and 202c and the waveforms 201a, 201b and 201c.
The control circuit is provided with a driving mode of outputting voltage to the motor winding and a sampling mode of not outputting voltage thereto. As shown by FIG. 20, during a time period of ⅔ of a period of rotating the rotor, voltage is outputted to the motor winding in the driving mode and during a remaining time period of ⅓ of the period, voltage is not outputted thereto in the sampling mode. This is for preventing the waveforms 201a, 201b and 201c from being superposed with noise in detecting the positions of the magnetic poles.
The intersections 203a, 203b and 203c are detected in the time period of the sampling mode.
FIG. 20(a) shows the case in which the phase of the rotating field is more advanced than the phase of rotating the rotor and an area surrounded by the waveform 201a and the imaginary neutral potential 202a on the left side of the intersection 201a, becomes smaller than an area surrounded by the waveform 201a and the imaginary neutral potential 202a on the right side of the intersection 201a. FIG. 20(b) shows the case in which the phases of both coincide with each other and the above-described left and right areas become equal to each other. FIG. 20(c) shows the case in which the phase of the rotating field lags behind the phase of the rotor and the area on the left side of the intersection 203c becomes larger than the area on the right side.
The conventional control circuit controls the voltage outputted to the motor winding by a feedback control such that the areas on the left side and the right side of the intersection become always equal to each other as in the intersection 203b.
Further, when the conventional sensor-less brush-less motor is applied to a vacuum pump of a turbo-molecular pump or the like, the following problem is posed.
There is a case that a motor portion of a turbo-molecular pump is constituted by a DC brush-less motor constituted by a rotor shaft having a permanent magnet and a plurality of pieces of electromagnets arranged at a surrounding of the permanent magnet at predetermined intervals.
However, according to the conventional starting method, when the switching speed of the driving voltage vectors of the motor windings 151U, 151V and 151W is rapidly increased or the load of the rotor 150 is rapidly changed, there is a case in which the rotor 150 cannot follow the magnetic field produced by the motor windings 151U, 151V and 151W and is brought out of phase and fails in staring. Further, when the switching speed of the voltage vectors is increased gradually by taking a long period of time, a long period of time is required of the rotor 150 to reach a rotational number (or speed) capable of locking the PLL circuit. Further, when interruption or the like is caused and restarting is needed before the rotor 150 reaches the rotational number capable of locking the PLL circuit after starting the motor, since the positions of the magnetic poles cannot be detected by the control circuit of the conventional sensor-less brush-less motor, it is necessary to stop the rotor 150 once by direct current braking and thereafter start the rotor 150. Particularly, in the case of a turbo-molecular pump, about one minute is required for accelerating the rotational number of the rotor 150 to reach about 20 rotations per second capable of locking the PLL circuit and therefore, loss of time by the above-described cause is enormous.
Meanwhile, according to the control circuit of the conventional sensor-less brush-less motor, the intersections 203a,203b and 203c must be brought into the sampling mode, for example, when a variation of load is caused in the rotor and the intersections 203a, 203b and 203c are deviated from the sampling mode, there is a case in which the positions of the magnetic poles are disturbed and an out-of-phase state is brought about. Further, there is a case in which noise is superposed on voltage of the motor windings in detecting the magnetic pole of the rotor and the positions of the magnetic poles cannot accurately be detected.
Further, in the case in which the rotor of the brush-less motor is axially supported by a magnetic bearing, for example, when the rotor is subjected to direct current braking in starting to thereby set the magnetic poles to predetermined positions, since there is no friction in the magnetic bearing, there poses a problem that the rotor is vibrated centering on the predetermined position and the vibration is not attenuated swiftly. Further, the magnetic field is rotated slowly by an open loop until the rotational number of the rotor shaft reaches a rotational frequency capable of locking the PLL circuit (rotational number of rotor per unit time, about 20 [Hz] in this case) and therefore, time is taken in starting, further, when the rotational number of the rotor shaft is significantly changed in steady-state operation, there is a case in which the positions of the magnetic poles cannot be detected and out-of-phase is brought about.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a control circuit of a motor detecting the positions of the magnetic poles of the rotor 150 without using sensors even in low speed rotation of 20 rotations per second or lower which has been operated by an open loop conventionally and controlling to switch voltage vectors applied to the motor windings by a feedback control by using the detected value.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a control apparatus of a sensor-less brush-less motor capable of properly controlling current of motor windings by accurately detecting positions of magnetic poles of a rotor even when rotational speed of the rotor is significantly changed by a variation of load or the like or noise is superposed on voltage of the motor windings.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a control circuit of a sensor-less brush-less motor, a sensor-less brush-less motor apparatus and a vacuum pump apparatus using the motor capable of controlling to switch a magnetic field by a feedback control by detecting magnetic poles of a rotor even at, low speed rotation of 20 rotations per second or lower and capable of carrying out a feedback control by accurately detecting positions of the magnetic poles even when rotational speed of the rotor is significantly changed or noise is superposed on voltage of motor windings.
In order to achieve the first object, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a control circuit of a brush-less motor wherein comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, a first motor winding comprising at least two motor windings for rotating the rotor, a second motor winding comprising at least one motor winding for detecting a position of the rotor, rotor rotating means for rotating the rotor by making a current flow to the first motor winding, voltage acquiring means for acquiring a voltage induced in the second motor winding, magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring magnetic pole positions of the magnetic poles from the voltage acquired by the voltage acquiring means, and current switching means for switching the current such that a direction of a magnetic field by the first motor winding is changed in accordance with the magnetic pole positions acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means (first constitution).
According to the first constitution, the positions of the magnetic poles are acquired by detecting the voltage induced in the second motor winding in which current for rotating the rotor is not made to flow and therefore, the magnetic field operated to the rotor can be controlled by a feedback control without using sensors for detecting the positions of the magnetic poles.
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the first object, there is provided a control circuit of a brush-less motor comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, a plurality of motor windings for rotating the rotor, rotor rotating means for rotating the rotor by making currents flow to at least two of the plurality of motor windings in which phases and magnitudes of voltage drop caused by inductances of the motor windings are equal to each other, voltage difference acquiring means for acquiring a difference between voltages supplied to the two motor windings having the equal phases and magnitudes of voltage drop, magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring positions of the magnetic poles based on the difference between the voltages acquired by the voltage difference acquiring means, and winding current switching means for switching the currents in accordance with the positions of the magnetic poles acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means (second constitution).
According to the second constitution, the positions of the magnetic poles are acquired by monitoring the voltages of the motor windings outputting driving voltage vectors. When the driving voltage vectors are selected pertinently, the voltage drop by the inductances appearing in the motor windings can be equalized between the two motor windings. By taking the difference therebetween, the voltage drop can be eliminated and the positions of the magnetic poles can be acquired from a signal thereof. Further, the driving voltage vectors can be controlled by a feedback control from the positions of the magnetic poles.
Further, according to other aspects of the invention, in order to achieve the first object, there are provided the control circuit of a brush-less motor further comprising an integrator for removing electric noise superposed on the voltage acquired by the voltage acquiring means of the first constitution (third constitution) and the control circuit of a brush-less motor further comprising an integrator and a direct current cut filter for removing electric noise superposed on the difference between the voltages acquired by the voltage difference acquiring means of the second constitution (fourth constitution).
By weakening the noise by integrating the voltage of the voltage acquiring means in the third constitution and the voltage difference by the voltage difference acquiring means in the fourth constitution by the integrators, signals embedded in the noise can be detected. Further, the direct current cut filter is connected in series with an input side of the integrator for cutting a direct current component of a signal inputted to the integrator and preventing the direct current component of the signal inputted to the integrator from being integrated.
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the first object, there is provided the control circuit of a brush-less motor according to any one of the first constitution through the fourth constitution, wherein further comprising a sensor for detecting the magnetic pole positions of the rotor, rotational number detecting means for detecting a rotational number of the rotor from the magnetic pole positions detected by the sensor, and rotational number determining means for determining whether the rotational number detected by the rotational number detecting means is equal to or larger than a predetermined rotational number, wherein when the rotational number is equal to or larger than the predetermined rotational number, the currents of the plurality of motor windings are switched in accordance with the magnetic pole positions detected by the sensor, and when the rotational number detected by the rotational number detecting means is less than the predetermined rotational number, the currents of the motor windings are switched in accordance with the magnetic pole positions acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means.
According to the control circuit, by the control circuits of constitutions of the first constitution through the fourth constitution, when the rotor is started and the rotational number reaches the predetermined value, the motor can smoothly shift to steady-state operation. Further, when the rotational number is equal to or larger than the predetermined rotational number, the sensor for detecting the positions of the magnetic poles is used and therefore, the circuit constitution becomes simpler than that in the case of operating the motor without a sensor.
Further, according to the invention, when the rotor is axially supported by a magnetic bearing, in sampling a displacement signal of a position of a shaft of the magnetic bearing, noise superposed on a sampling signal can be reduced by cutting the currents of the motor windings or preventing the currents from being switched.
Thereby, an error of a detected position of the shaft of the magnetic bearing can be reduced and abnormal sound or vibration from the magnetic bearing can be restrained from occurring.
Further, when the rotational number of the rotor exceeds the predetermined value, by switching the motor to a motor drive system for generating motor drive pulses by utilizing a PLL circuit, the operation can be switched to the normal operation.
According to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the second object, there is provided a control circuit of a sensor-less brush-less motor wherein comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, a plurality of motor windings for rotating the rotor, current supplying means for supplying currents to the plurality of motor windings, magnetic flux acquiring means for acquiring an interlinking magnetic flux of at least one of the motor windings by the magnetic poles, and magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring positions of the magnetic poles from a change in the interlinking magnetic flux acquired by the magnetic flux acquiring means, wherein the current supplying means switches the currents of the motor windings based on the positions of the magnetic poles acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means (fifth constitution).
Further, as a variation of the fifth constitution, the magnetic flux acquiring means may be constituted to acquire a difference between interlinking magnetic fluxes of two of the motor windings by the magnetic poles.
According to the control circuit of the sensor-less brush-less motor or the aspect or the invention, rotational positions of the magnetic poles of the rotor can be acquired at arbitrary time in operating the motor and therefore, even when the rotational number of the motor is significantly changed by a variation in load of the motor, the currents of the motor windings can properly be controlled.
Further, the magnetic flux acquiring means according to the fifth constitution may comprise first acquiring means for acquiring an inter-cable voltage of predetermined two of the motor windings, second acquiring means for acquiring voltage drop by a synthesized resistance of resistances of the predetermined two motor windings and resistances of cables connecting a power supply apparatus constituting the current supplying means and the motor windings, third acquiring means for acquiring a difference between the currents of the two predetermined motor windings multiplied by values of inductances of the two predetermined motor windings, integrated value acquiring means for subtracting a value acquired by the second acquiring means from a value acquired by the first acquiring means and integrating it, and subtracting means for subtracting a value acquired by the third acquiring means from a value acquired by the integrated value acquiring means (sixth constitution).
Further, as a variation of the sixth constitution, the magnetic flux acquiring means according to the fifth constitution may comprise first integrated value acquiring means for acquiring a value produced by integrating an inter-cable voltage of the predetermined two motor windings overtime, second integrated value acquiring means for acquiring a value produced by integrating over time, voltage drop by a synthetic resistance of the resistances of the predetermined two motor windings and the resistances of cables connecting a power source apparatus constituting the current supplying means to the motor windings, third integrated value acquiring means for acquiring a value produced by integrating over time, voltage drop by inductances of the predetermined two motor windings, and subtracting means for subtracting the value acquired by the second integrated value acquiring means and the value acquired by the third integrated value acquiring means from the value acquired by the first integrated value acquiring means.
According to the sixth constitution and the variation of the sixth constitution, when the integrated values are acquired, the signal is integrated by using the integrators and therefore, noises superposed on the signal are canceled and the signal having small noise can be provided. Therefore, rotation of the motor can be monitored while operating the motor.
Further, a value of the synthesized resistance used in the sixth constitution can be acquired by synthesized resistance value acquiring means including direct current supplying means for supplying a direct current to the two predetermined motor windings; and first calculating means for calculating the value of the synthesized resistance by dividing a value of the inter-cable voltage by a current value of the direct current.
The method is carried out by conducting the direct current to the predetermined two motor windings, for example, before starting the motor.
Further, the inductance used in the sixth constitution can be acquired by inductance acquiring means including high frequency current supplying means for supplying high frequency currents to the two predetermined motor windings, inter-cable voltage value acquiring means for acquiring the value of the inter-cable voltage of the two motor windings when the high frequency currents are supplied thereto, and second calculating means for acquiring a value of the inter-cable voltage value divided by the current values of the high frequency currents, frequencies of the high frequency currents and a predetermined constant.
The method can be carried out by conducting the high frequency current to a degree to which the rotor cannot follow, to the predetermined two motor windings, for example, before starting the motor. The above-described predetermined value is 2xcfx80.
Further, the inductance used in the sixth constitution can be acquired by inductance acquiring means, the inductance acquiring means comprising rotor rotating means for rotating the rotor by switching the currents of the motor windings by an open loop, sampling means for sampling integrated values acquired by the first integrated value acquiring means before and after switching the currents of the motor windings, current peak value acquiring means for acquiring peak values of the values of the currents supplied to the predetermined two motor windings, and third calculating means for dividing an absolute value of a difference between the first integrated values before and after switching the currents acquired by the sampling means by the current peak values acquired by the current peak value acquiring means.
According to the method, the rotor is rotated by the open loop to some degree of rotational number and at that occasion, the inductances are calculated by a magnitude of a stepped difference appearing in a waveform produced by the first integrating means in switching the motor drive current.
Further, the synthesized resistance and the inductances used in the fifth constitution or the sixth constitution can be acquired by providing assumed magnetic flux acquiring means for acquiring interlinking magnetic fluxes of the two predetermined motor windings by using assumed values of the resistance values and assumed values of the inductances and correcting means for correcting the assumed values of the resistance values and the assumed values of the inductances from inter-cable voltage values of the two predetermined motor windings when the rotor is rotated by a predetermined angular speed by the rotor rotating means, inter-cable voltages of the two predetermined motor windings when supply of the currents of motor windings is stopped and the rotor is run freely by the predetermined angular speed, a signal provided by the assumed magnetic flux acquiring means when supply of the currents is stopped, and a phase difference of the signal provided by the assumed magnetic flux acquiring means when the supply of the currents is restarted.
First, the interlinking magnetic fluxes generated in the motor windings are calculated by assumed synthetic resistance value and inductances, thereby, the assumed synthetic resistance value and inductances are corrected. By repeating the process several times, successively corrected synthetic resistance value and inductances approach true values.
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a control circuit of a sensor-less brush-less motor wherein comprising magnetic flux signal acquiring means for acquiring a magnetic flux signal by integrating a voltage difference between predetermined two phases in a plurality of motor windings for rotating a rotor having magnetic poles in which phases and magnitudes of voltage drop by inductances of the motor windings are equal to each other, first drive timing acquiring means for acquiring a drive timing of a driving voltage vector constituting a portion of outputable driving voltage vectors from the magnetic flux signal acquired by the magnetic flux signal acquiring means, first driving voltage vector outputting means for outputting the portion of the driving voltage vector in synchronism with the drive timing acquired by the first drive timing, second drive timing acquiring means for acquiring output timings of the outputable driving voltage vectors by multiplying the timing provided from the magnetic flux signal acquired by the magnetic flux signal acquiring means, second driving voltage vector outputting means for outputting the outputable driving voltage vectors in synchronism with the drive timing acquired by the second drive timing acquiring means, and selecting means for selecting the first driving voltage vector outputting means and the second driving voltage vector outputting means (seventh constitution).
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a control circuit of a sensor-less brush-less motor comprising current supplying means for supplying currents to a plurality of motor windings for rotating a rotor having magnetic poles, inter-cable voltage acquiring means for acquiring an inter-cable voltage of predetermined two motor windings in the plurality of motor windings in which phases and magnitudes of voltage drop by inductances of the motor windings are equal to each other, resistance amount correcting means for correcting a change of a voltage by a synthesized resistance of resistances of the predetermined two motor windings and resistances of connection cables for connecting a power supply apparatus constituting the current supplying means and the motor windings from the inter-cable voltage acquired by the inter-cable voltage acquiring means, magnetic flux signal acquiring means for acquiring a magnetic flux signal by integrating the inter-cable voltage corrected by the resistance amount correcting means, reactance amount correcting means for correcting a change amount by reactances of the predetermined two motor windings among the magnetic flux signal acquired by the magnetic flux signal acquiring means, magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring positions of the magnetic poles from the magnetic flux signal corrected by the reactance amount correcting means, and correction nullifying means for nullifying at least the reactance amount correcting means in the resistance amount correcting means and the reactance amount correcting means to be prevented from correcting the magnetic flux signal, wherein when a rotational number of the rotor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined rotation, at least the reactance amount correcting means is nullified by the correction nullifying means and the current supplying means supplies the currents to the predetermined two motor windings by a first mode switching the currents flowing in the predetermined two motor windings based on the positions of the magnetic poles acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring mean, and wherein when the rotational number of the rotor is larger than the predetermined rotation, the currents are supplied to the motor windings by a second mode of switching the currents of the motor windings based on the positions of the magnetic poles acquired by the magnetic pole position detecting means without using the correction nullifying means (eighth constitution).
In the eighth constitution, there can be constructed a constitution in which the current supplying means makes small currents flow in the plurality of motor windings in accordance with a predetermined order during a predetermined time period when a mode is switched from the first mode to the second mode (ninth constitution).
The seventh constitution or the eighth constitution can be constituted to further comprise direct current cutting means capable of switching a first cutoff frequency and a second cutoff frequency of a frequency larger than the first cutoff frequency for removing a direct current component superposed on the magnetic flux signal, and switching means for switching the first cutoff frequency and the second cutoff frequency of the direct current cutting means (tenth constitution).
In the tenth constitution, there can be constructed a constitution in which the switching means sets the cutoff frequency of the direct current cutting means to the first cutoff frequency during a predetermined time period from when the rotor is started and switches the cutoff frequency of the direct current cutting means to the second frequency when the predetermined time period has elapsed.
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a brush-less motor apparatus characterized by being constructed of a control portion comprising a motor portion comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, a first motor winding comprising at least two motor windings for rotating the rotor, and a second motor winding comprising at least one motor winding for detecting a position of the rotor, rotor rotating means for rotating the rotor by making a current flow in the first motor winding, voltage acquiring means for acquiring a voltage induced in the second motor winding, magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring magnetic pole positions of the magnetic poles from the voltage acquired by the voltage acquiring means, and current switching means for switching the current such that a direction of a magnetic field by the first motor winding is changed in accordance with the magnetic pole positions acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means (eleventh constitution).
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a brush-less motor apparatus characterized by being constructed by a control portion comprising a motor portion comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, and a plurality of motor windings for rotating the rotor, rotor rotating means for rotating the rotor by making currents flow to at least two motor windings in the plurality of motor windings in which phases and magnitudes of voltage drop by inductances of the motor windings are equal to each other, voltage difference acquiring means for acquiring a difference between voltages operated to the two motor windings having the equal phases and equal magnitudes of the voltage drop, magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring positions of the magnetic poles from the difference between the voltages acquired by the voltage difference acquiring means, and winding current switching means for switching the currents in accordance with the positions of the magnetic poles acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means (twelfth constitution).
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a sensor-less brush-less motor apparatus characterized by a control portion comprising a motor portion comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, and a plurality of motor windings for rotating the rotor, current supplying means for supplying currents to the plurality of motor windings, magnetic flux acquiring means for acquiring an interlinking magnetic flux of at least one of the motor windings by the magnetic poles, and magnetic pole position acquiring means for acquiring positions of the magnetic poles from a change in the interlinking magnetic flux acquired by the magnetic flux acquiring means, wherein the current supplying means switches the currents of the motor windings based on the positions of the magnetic poles acquired by the magnetic pole position acquiring means (thirteenth constitution).
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a sensor-less brush-less motor apparatus wherein comprising a rotor having magnetic poles, a plurality of motor windings for rotating the rotor, magnetic flux signal acquiring means for acquiring a magnetic flux signal by integrating a voltage difference between predetermined two phases in the plurality of motor windings in which phases and magnitudes of voltage drop by inductances of the motor windings are equal to each other, first drive timing acquiring means for acquiring a drive timing of a driving voltage vector constituting a portion of outputable driving voltage vectors from the magnetic flux signal acquired by the magnetic flux signal acquiring means, first driving voltage vector outputting means for outputting the portion of the driving voltage vector in synchronism with the drive timing acquired by the first drive timing acquiring means, second drive timing acquiring means for acquiring output timings of the outputable driving voltage vectors by multiplying the timing provided from the magnetic flux signal acquired by the magnetic flux signal acquiring means, second driving voltage vector outputting means for outputting the outputable driving voltage vectors in synchronism with the drive timings acquired by the second drive timing acquiring means, and selecting means for selecting the first driving voltage vector outputting means and the second driving voltage vector outputting means (fourteenth constitution).
Further, according to another aspect of the invention, in order to achieve the third object, there is provided a vacuum pump apparatus wherein comprising an exterior member one end of which is formed with an intake port and other end of which is formed with an exhaust port, a rotor axially supported rotatably by a magnetic bearing or a mechanical type bearing at inside of the exterior member, a motor for rotating the rotor, and a stator arranged at the inside of the exterior member, wherein the motor is constituted by the brush-less motor apparatus according to the eleventh constitution or the twelfth constitution or the sensor-less brush-less motor apparatus according to the thirteenth constitution or the fourteenth constitution.

Control circuit of brush-less motor, control circuit of sensor-less brush-less motor, brush-less motor apparatus, sensor-less brush-less motor apparatus and vacuum pump apparatus


Embodiments describe an eartip including an eartip body having an attachment end and an interfacing end opposite from the attachment end. The eartip body can include an inner eartip body having a sidewall extending between the interfacing end and the attachment end, the sidewall defining a channel and having a first thickness near the attachment end and a second thickness different from the first thickness at the interfacing end. The eartip can also include an attachment structure coupled to the inner eartip body at the attachment end, the attachment structure having an inner surface and an outer surface. The attachment structure can include an upper region interfacing with the sidewall and defining discrete through-holes, a lower region below the upper region where the inner surface defines a plurality of recesses positioned around the lower region, and a mesh extending across the channel and into the upper region.

Portable listening devices can be used with a wide variety of electronic devices such as portable media players, smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, stereo systems, and other types of devices. Portable listening devices have historically included one or more small speakers configured to be place on, in, or near a user's ear, structural components that hold the speakers in place, and a cable that electrically connects the portable listening device to an audio source. Other portable listening devices can be wireless devices that do not include a cable and instead, wirelessly receive a stream of audio data from a wireless audio source. Such portable listening devices can include, for instance, wireless earbud devices or in-ear hearing devices that operate in pairs (one for each ear) or individually for outputting sound to, and receiving sound from, the user.
While wireless listening devices have many advantages over wired portable listening devices, they also have some potential drawbacks. For example, it may be difficult to achieve high-end acoustic performance from the listening devices due to the limited amount of space available within each listening device. Also, some wireless listening devices that extend into the ear canal to achieve better performance can often have an improper seal between the portable listening device and the ear canal, causing the user to experience lower quality sound. Further, the small size of wireless listening devices often causes a compromise in user interface features, blockage of sensors and/or microphones, and lower overall user experience.

Eartips for coupling via wireform attachment mechanisms


An object may be identified with a camera that is sensitive to both visible and invisible light. The camera receives a target of invisible light, either from an invisible light illuminator attached to the object, or via radiation from the object itself. The system processes the invisible light to position and size a halo with respect to the location of the object. The type of halo used may be determined by user selection. The system then modifies the visible component of the video signal from the camera to obscure the portion that lies outside the halo, thereby concealing the surroundings of the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of video communication. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and method for automatically obscuring a portion of a video signal during videoconferencing.
2. Description of Related Background Art
Videoconferencing is rapidly becoming the communication method-of-choice for remote parties who wish to approximate face-to-face contact without the time and expense of travel. As bandwidth limitations cease to become a concern, a greater number of traditionally face-to-face events, such as business meetings, family discussions, and shopping, may be expected to take place through videoconferencing.
Unfortunately, despite the convenience, many people are still hesitant to participate in videoconferencing because they have little or no control over what the other party sees. A user may wish to hide his or her environment, other people, or even a portion of his or her own body from the other person.
In response to such a need, schemes for background removal and replacement have been developed. Known techniques typically use chromakeying (e.g., blue-screening or green-screening), background subtraction, motion analysis, or other similar computational methods to display a person while hiding the remainder of the scene. Unfortunately, such methods are problematic in a number of ways.
Often, known background alteration schemes are computationally intensive. Hence, exceptionally powerful computing hardware is often required to avoid a noticeable delay between signal capture and signal transmission. Furthermore, such schemes often require the use of additional equipment, such as colored screens, additional cameras, specialized lighting, and other devices that are cumbersome, expensive, and generally ill-suited to a home environment.
Even with the necessary equipment, such systems are often subject to unpredictable results. For example, in a typical chromakeying system, if the user is wearing an item of clothing that is the same color as the matte background, the clothing will be altered together with the background. Background subtraction systems may provide similar results if the person is wearing a similar color and/or pattern to that of the background image. Motion sensitive systems may improperly key on extraneous motion within the frame, and may even alter the image of a user that moves too little during videoconferencing.
Additionally, known systems often provide too little user control. For example, a user may wish to include a portion of the background within the image to show other people or objects. Conversely, the user may wish to exclude a portion of themselves from the image, particularly if the user is not fully dressed or is engaged in activities, such as wrapping gifts, that they wish to hide from the other party. Known systems typically lack such control; the user is unable to show more or less than the portion of the image selected by the applied computational method.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for reliably and consistently obscuring a portion of a video signal. Such a system and method should be usable in videoconferencing applications, and should not require the use of expensive, cumbersome, or inconvenient equipment. Furthermore, such a system and method should provide the user with at least a general level of control over what is obscured.

System and method for selectively obscuring a video signal


The air conditioning system for cupboards for receiving control and automation systems as well as for the network technique, in particular for switch cupboards with a cooling device, is characterized in that warm air (WL) is sucked from the inside (22) of the switch cupboard (20) by means of a fan (31) and is supplied to one or at least two evaporators (35, 135), preferably placed in the surface plane of the fan (31), whereby cold air (KL) is conducted into the inside (22) of the switch cupboard (20), whereby a condenser (45) is placed below the evaporators (35, 135) in such a way that the evaporators (35, 135) come to rest with a section or with their front areas (35a, 135a) above the condenser (45) so that condensate delivered by the evaporators (35, 135) drops onto the condenser (45) and evaporates or volatilizes, whereby ambient air (UL) is delivered to the condenser (45), whereby the cold air delivery sections to the inside (22) of the switch cupboard (20) are constant in their lengths or changeable in length.

This invention relates to an air conditioning system for cupboards for receiving control and automation systems as well for the network technique, in particular for switch cupbards, with a cooling device.
For components placed in a casing which produce waste heat correspondingly, it is necessary to dissipate the waste heat out of the casing and to control a temperature in the casing by more or less strong blowing-in of ambient air into the casing inner space by means of a ventilator. It is known that such casings are provided with a filter ventilator which either continuously runs or which is connected and disconnected by a control depending on a temperature in the casing. The filter ventilator is placed in a recess of a wall of the casing of the switch cupboard and fixed for example by means of a screwed connection. Simultaneously, corresponding air outlet slits are provided at another place of the housing for an air outlet.
Furthermore, it is known to provide switch cupboards with cooling devices which are placed on the outside or in the inside of a switch cupboard. Sucked warm air is conducted by means of this cooling device from the inside of the switch cupboard over a cooling set and the thus produced cold air is conducted again into the inside of the switch cupboard.
The aim of this invention is to create an air conditioning system with a cooling device according to the above mentioned type which can be used as a top or inside or socle air conditioning appliance, in particular in switch cupboards, whereby arising condensate is delivered to an evaporating device. Moreover, the cooling device should have the smallest dimensions and furthermore be adaptable to any switch cupboard width.
This aim is achieved by an air conditioning system with the characteristics of claim 1 and the characteristics of claim 2.
The air conditioning system according to the invention, in particular for switch cupboards, consists in that warm air is sucked from the inside of the switch cupboard by means of a fan and is supplied to one or several evaporators, preferably two, preferably in the surface plane of the fan, whereby cold air is conducted into the inside of the switch cupboard, whereby a condenser is placed below the evaporators in such a way that the evaporators come to rest with a section above the condenser so that condensate delivered by the evaporators drops onto the condenser and evaporates or volatilizes, whereby ambient air is delivered to the condenser, whereby the cold air delivery sections to the inside of the switch cupboard are changeable in length.
The cooling device according to the invention for this air conditioning system consists of an upper carrier plate, of a lower carrier plate and of a box-shaped hood type covering housing covering both carrier plates. A fan, such as for example a radial ventilator, is placed on the upper carrier plate with a central or eccentric opening and an evaporator is placed respectively on each of the two sides of the fan at a distance from each other. The lower carrier plate is provided at the center or off-center with a supply muff running into the opening in the upper carrier plate and connected with the inside of the switch cupboard for the supply of the warm air from the inside of the switch cupboard to the two evaporators. Furthermore, the lower carrier plate carries a condenser, to which a condenser fan for example an axial condenser, is associated on the back wall provided on the lower carrier plate, whereby the condenser is placed transversely to the two evaporators. Moreover, ambient air is fed to the condenser by means of the condenser fan and is carried off from this condenser fan. The upper carrier plate is placed above the lower carrier plate in such a way that the two evaporators for the condensate evaporation come to lie with their two front areas above the condenser, whereby the upper carrier plate is dimensioned with respect to the lower carrier plate in such a way that the front areas of the two evaporators are situated above the condenser. The two superimposed carrier plates are covered by means of the hood-shaped covering casing and are resting with their bottom-sided edges on the lower carrier plate. For the supply of the cold air to the inside of the switch cupboard, air passage slits are provided in the walls of the hood-shaped covering casing turned to the two evaporators or in the lower carrier plate adjacent to the front sides of the condenser. Depending on the arrangement of the cooling device, the supply of the cold air into the inside of the switch cupboard can take place directly or over supplying ducts.
Due to the arrangement and allocation of the two evaporators for evaporating in two different horizontal surface planes, not only a compact construction is obtained but also simultaneously for an evaporation of the arising condensate in that the condensate produced by the evaporators arrives directly onto the heated condenser, evaporates there or in case of high volume of condensate, there can be additionally a drainage of non evaporated condensate over an overflow or in a collecting cuvette. Since the cold air supply sections from the evaporators to the inside of the switch cupboard are changeable in length, an adaptation of the cooling device being used as a top appliance to different switch cupboard widths is possible. The technical configuration consists in that the cold air supply sections are configured as cap-shaped hoods which run into openings in the upper covering plate of the switch cupboard, whereby the cap type or hood type configured cold air supply ducts are changeable in length. The condensate discharge takes place from the evaporators situated above to the condenser, the condenser being irrigated with condensate. Due to the adaptation of the pressure ratio, a controlled condensate seal from the inner circuit is guaranteed and thus a minimization of the leakage flow from the ambience into the switch cupboard. Besides the use of the cooling device as a top appliance, the cooling device can also be placed in the inside of the switch cupboard. Then, the cooling device is preferably configured as a drawer-type subassembly so that it is possible to place one or several cooling devices in the inside of the switch cupboard, namely depending on the respective inside size, and namely at the places respectively desired between the individual components which are placed in the switch cupboard.
Preferable configurations of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

Air conditioning system, in particular for switch cupboards


A controlling circuit for outputting a square wave circuit to control a fan rotating speed is disclosed, where an output unit continuously outputs the square wave signal and the output unit is electrically connected to a time-delaying adjustment circuit, so that a duty-ratio formed not equal to 50% is outputted to control the fan rotating speed, whereby a particular duty-ratio is provided to control the fan rotating speed after a control chip for fan rotating speed is pulled out.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a controlling circuit, and particularly to a controlling circuit for outputting a square wave signal to control a fan rotating speed.
2. Related Art
Recent years, with wide prevalence and vigorous development of semiconductor technology, various electronic devices have boomed on market. Since some waste heat may generate in operation, a fan is typically provided to exhaust the heat.
Generally, a conventional fan is controlled by controlling a drive signal so that the fan exhausts the heat at a full speed. However, the waste heat generated from the electronic device varies with different loads. If the fan operates at the full speed, not only lifetime of the fan reduces, unnecessary waste of electricity source may be unavoidable, the issue of incapability of fan rotating speed control arises correspondingly.
In response, there has been a manner of transmitting a pulse width modulation by using a control chip proposed. However, in the case where the control chip for transmitting the pulse width modulation is pulled out or damaged, the fan may stop operating or cannot continue to adjust a duty-ratio of a square wave signal as desired to control the fan rotating speed.
In view of the above, it may be known that there has been the issue in the prior art that the duty-ratio of the square wave signal may not be adjusted as desired. Therefore, there is quite a need to set forth an improvement means to settle down this problem.

Controlling circuit for outputting a square wave signal to control a fan rotating speed

INVENTEC (PUDONG) TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION


An image forming apparatus includes: a developer container to contain a developer therein and a developer supply port; an image forming unit to form an image with the developer from the developer container and including a developer intake port; an openable/closable upper cover configured to cover an upper part of the developer container in a closed state and take out the developer container in an open state; an openable/closable retention cover to hold the developer container and configured to allow the image forming unit to be removed when the retention cover is opened; a coupling device to secure a coupled state of the developer supply port of the developer container with the developer intake port of the image forming unit when the upper cover is in a closed state; and a disconnection preventer to prevent the developer container from disconnecting from the retention cover when the upper cover is opened.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction apparatus having one or more capabilities of the above devices.
2. Related Art
In an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic method, such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction apparatus having one or more capabilities of the above devices, an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoreceptor or a photoreceptor drum as an image carrier is supplied with toner by a developing means to render the latent image visible and the thus-formed visible image is transferred to a recording medium, for example, a sheet of paper.
A processor part of the image forming apparatus is divided into two parts due to a difference in lifetime: one is a process cartridge including a developing means and used as a developer receiving cartridge; and another is a toner cartridge to supply toner as a developer replenishing cartridge. The toner cartridge includes a toner outlet serving as an opening through which the developer is discharged. The process cartridge includes a toner intake port serving as an opening through which the developer is taken in. The toner outlet and the toner intake port are communicated with each other so that the process cartridge is replenished with toner.
Thus, because the parts with a different lifetime are separately formed, consumable parts may be replaced effectively. However, because the process cartridge and the toner cartridge are separately formed and therefore are positioned separately, a problem of scattering of toner occurs.
To cope with this problem, JP-2001-222160-A discloses a technique in which a shutter mechanism is disposed between the process cartridge and the toner cartridge. The process cartridge includes a toner intake port shutter disposed at the toner intake port and the toner cartridge includes a toner outlet shutter disposed at the toner outlet. The toner intake port shutter of the process cartridge opens the intake port when the process cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus and closes the intake port when the process cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus. As to the toner outlet shutter disposed at the toner outlet of the toner cartridge, the toner outlet shutter opens the outlet when the toner cartridge is mounted to the image forming apparatus and closes the outlet when the toner cartridge is removed from the image forming apparatus.
The same JP-2001-222160-A describes that the disposition of a seal member for preventing the toner from scattering is recommended. Specifically, the seal member formed of urethane foam or felt is sandwiched between the intake port shutter and an intake port shutter cover or between the outlet shutter and an outlet shutter support member, for example.
However, the seal member of JP-2001-222160-A does not include a pressing means to press the toner cartridge, and therefore, when the toner cartridge is installed, the toner cartridge may float at a joint portion with the process cartridge due to the seal member disposed for preventing the toner from scattering or due to a resistance from the shutter mechanism. In such a case, when the external cover is closed without the joint portion being appropriately sealed, there occurs a problem that parts or components are damaged or that the toner scatters.


In a control circuit for a light-emitting device, a reference voltage generation circuit detects a full-wave rectified voltage and generates a first voltage as well as generating a second voltage by converting the rectified voltage into a DC voltage. A voltage corresponding to a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage or a voltage corresponding to a ratio of the first voltage to the second voltage is generated as a reference voltage by a subtraction circuit or by a division circuit, respectively. As a result, a change in amplitude of the reference voltage can be suppressed when amplitude of the rectified voltage is varied due to a variation in an AC input voltage supplied from an AC power supply.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a control circuit for a light-emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a light-emitting diode (LED) has come into widespread use as a light-emitting device for lighting to replace an incandescent electric lamp from a standpoint of energy saving and the like.
FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a conventional control circuit 200 for a light emitting device directed toward improving a power factor. The control circuit 200 includes a rectification circuit 50, a reference voltage generation circuit 51, a comparator 52, an RS flip-flop 53, a choke coil 54, a regeneration diode 55, a switching device 56 and a resistor R0 for current detection.
When an alternating current (AC) input voltage Vin is applied to input terminals of the rectification circuit 50, the input voltage Vin is full-wave rectified by the rectification circuit 50. A full-wave rectified voltage Vrc is supplied to an anode of an LED 60 as a drive voltage. A cathode of the LED 60 is connected to a ground through the choke coil 54, the switching device 56 and the resistor R0. A terminal voltage of the resistor R0 is applied to a non-inverting input terminal (+) of the comparator 52 as a comparison voltage Vcmp.
The reference voltage generation circuit 51 is composed of resistors R1 and R2 connected in series between an output terminal of the rectification circuit 50 and the ground, and generates a reference voltage Vref by dividing the full-wave rectified voltage Vrc. The reference voltage Vref is applied to an inverting input terminal (−) of the comparator 52. Waveforms of the AC input voltage Vin, the rectified voltage Vrc and the reference voltage Vref are shown in FIG. 8.
The comparator 52 compares the comparison voltage Vcmp with the reference voltage Vref. A comparison output voltage Vcout from the comparator 52 is at an H level when the comparison voltage Vcmp is larger than the reference voltage Vref, and at an L level when the comparison voltage Vcmp is smaller than the reference voltage Vref. The comparison output voltage Vcout is applied to a reset terminal R of the RS flip-flop 53.
A trigger pulse Vtr is periodically inputted to a set terminal S of the RS flip-flop 53. The RS flip-flop 53 outputs a flip-flop output voltage Vfout from its output terminal Q. The flip-flop output voltage Vfout is applied to a gate of an N-channel type MOS transistor that makes the switching device 56.
The RS flip-flop 53 is set in response to the trigger pulse Vtr, and is reset in response to the comparison output voltage Vcout from the comparator 52, as shown in FIG. 9.
When the RS flip-flop 53 is set in response to the trigger pulse Vtr, the flip-flop output voltage Vfout is turned to the H level and the switching device 56 is turned on. As a result, the LED 60 is provided with a current flowing through the choke coil 53, the switching device 56 and the resistor R0, and the LED 60 is turned on. The current flows through the resistor R0 at that time, and the comparison voltage Vcmp that is the terminal voltage of the resistor R0 is raised as a result. When the comparison voltage Vcmp becomes larger than the reference voltage Vref, the comparison output voltage Vcout is turned to the H level to reset the RS flip-flop 53. At that time, since a change in the current flowing through the choke coil 54 is proportional to an electric potential difference between both ends of the choke coil 54, there is required a certain period of time after the switching device 56 is turned on and before the comparison voltage Vcmp becomes larger than the reference voltage Vref.
When the RS flip-flop 53 is reset, the flip-flop output voltage Vfout is turned to the L level and the switching device 56 is turned off. As a result, the current provided to the LED 60 through the switching device 56 is cutoff. When the switching device 56 is turned off, the comparison voltage Vcmp is lowered because no current flows through the resistor R0. Then, the comparison output voltage Vcout from the comparator 52 returns to the L level when the comparison voltage Vcmp becomes smaller than the reference voltage Vref.
The control circuit 200 can control average intensity of light emission of the LED 60 by controlling the current flowing through the LED 60 as described above. A regeneration diode 55 is connected in parallel with the LED 60 and the choke coil 54 so that energy stored in the choke coil 54 is returned to the LED 60 when the switching device 56 is turned off.
This kind of control circuit for the light-emitting device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-245421.
A voltage of AC power supply for households differs from area to area or country to country, and varies in a range between 100V and 200V, for example. As a result, there is a problem with the conventional control circuit 200 that when amplitude of the AC input voltage Vin increases from 100V to 200V, for example, amplitude of the reference voltage Vref increases accordingly to increase the current provided to the LED 60, as shown in FIG. 10.
That is, when the amplitude of the AC input voltage Vin is increased, the amplitude (peak voltage) of the reference voltage Vref is also increased accordingly, since the reference voltage Vref is a divided voltage of the rectified voltage Vrc that is generated by full-wave rectifying the AC input voltage Vin.
As a result, the period of time after the switching device 56 is turned on and before the comparison voltage Vcmp becomes larger than the reference voltage Vref is increased. Therefore, a period of time after the RS flip-flop 53 is set by the trigger pulse Vtr and before the RS flip-flop 53 is reset by the comparison output voltage Vcout from the comparator 52 is also increased and a period of time during which the LED 60 is provided with the current flowing through the switching device 56 is increased accordingly. (Refer to the flip-flop output voltage Vfout and the comparison output voltage Vcout indicated by dashed lines in FIG. 9.)

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC