431853 results about "Control theory" patented technology

A tool drive system for transferring rotational power from a rotational tool, such as a drill or ratchet, to at least one input drive shaft which then transfers the power to at least one output drive shaft. The angle of at least one input drive shaft being adjustable relative to at least one output shaft. The tool drive system comprises a round housing with an angle adjuster attached to the input shaft that assists in adjusting and locking the angle of the input shaft relative to the output shaft in an almost circular span. The input and output shafts may be positioned in a user-selected gear ratio from the input to output shafts or vice versa.

An object is to improve accuracy of tightening torque and to shorten time necessary for fastening a screw in an impact type screw fastening device that uses an electric motor as a rotation driving source. A control method for the impact type screw fastening device that uses an electric motor as a rotation driving source includes the steps of driving the motor to rotate by supplying current to the motor intermittently so that torque exerted on a load by rotation of the motor becomes like pulses on the time axis, and controlling the current of every time of each pulse so that an increment of every time of each pulse of the torque after the torque reaches a target approach torque TQN that is a first set value becomes smaller than that before it reaches the target approach torque TQN.

A power supply rail controller operates on an analog component having a signal input, a power input and a signal output. A voltage controller provides a control output responsive to the signal output. A power supply generates a voltage for the power input, where the voltage is responsive to the control output. The voltage is reduced in magnitude to reduce power dissipation and increased in magnitude to avoid signal distortion.

Power tool (11) may include a motor and oil pulse unit (22) that generates an elevated torque. Oil pulse unit (22) may be coupled to the motor and have output shaft (18). When load acting on output shaft (18) is less than a predetermined value, rotating torque generated by the motor is directly transmitted to output shaft (18). When the load acting on output shaft (22) exceeds the predetermined value, an elevated torque is generated by oil pulse unit (22) and applied to output shaft (18). Output shaft (18) may be connected to load shaft (12). A socket may be attached to the distal end of load shaft (12). Power tool (11) may further include detecting device (20) for detecting change in rotational angle of output shaft (18) and the direction of rotation thereof, and a control device. The detecting device (20) may output signals corresponding to a state of output shaft (18) to the control device. The control device may store the state of output shaft (18) at predetermined interval. Preferably, the control device may further determine a generating time, at which oil pulse unit (22) generates the elevated torque, based upon the state of output shaft (18).

A method for controlling an electric motor. A desired speed is identified for the electric motor during operation of the electric motor. A voltage is identified to cause the electric motor to turn at the desired speed. The voltage is applied to the electric motor and actively controlled during operation of the electric motor.

A hydraulic circuit may include a proportional control solenoid valve controlling hydraulic pressure such that an operating hydraulic pressure required by the friction member is supplied to the friction member; a supply hydraulic path connecting the proportional control solenoid valve with the friction member, and adapted to supply hydraulic pressure controlled by the proportional control solenoid valve to the friction member; and a switch valve disposed in the supply hydraulic path so as to selectively open / close the supply hydraulic path.

To improve a surgical machine with a sensorless electric motor comprising a rotor and at least two motor windings, and with a motor controller for controlling and / or regulating the electric motor, so that the electric motor is operable with optimum efficiency at low rotational speeds and a starting of the motor in accordance with the purpose, also under load, is enabled, it is proposed that a space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method for controlling and / or regulating the electric motor, in which all motor windings are able to be simultaneously supplied with electric current, be performable with the motor controller. A method for controlling and / or regulating a surgical machine is also proposed.

A permanent magnet DC brushless motor control assembly permits a user to select the permanent magnet DC brushless motor operating characteristics by selecting appropriate control circuits to interface with the motor. The assembly includes a permanent magnet DC brushless motor, a commutator electrically coupled to the motor, and at least one control module electrically coupled to the commutator, to control operating characteristics of the permanent magnet DC brushless motor.

A surgical stapling apparatus having a housing with an actuator and an elongated member extending from the housing. An end effector is disposed on one end of the elongated member. The end effector houses a plurality of fasteners that are operatively coupled to a plurality of pusher members. An actuation mechanism is operatively coupled to the actuator; the actuation mechanism includes a longitudinally translatable drive member and an actuation sled. The actuation sled is configured for engaging the plurality of pusher members. A pressure responsive element is also disposed in one of the jaws. The pressure responsive element communicates a signal to a controller. The signal is representative of pressure applied to the pressure responsive element. The controller is configured to activate a feedback response.

A high-speed surgical handpiece (10) suitable for vitreoretinal surgery having a cutter (42) and actuators (36). The cutter (42) is a guillotine-type cutter activated by an array of leveraged piezoelectric actuators (30) that receive a driving signal from a driving controller. The controller can have control and display units with a plurality of input mechanisms receiving input from a user who selects a desired cutting rate and frequency for the cutter. The control unit produces a piezoelectric actuator output signal based on the inputs received. Fast cutting rates with reduced duty cycle as well as a proportional mode of operation are available, allowing slow controlled cutting action, for example proportional to depression of a foot-pedal (74). Low degrees of vibration and noise generation are produced.

Methods and systems for damping vibrations in a surgical system are disclosed herein. The surgical system can include one or several moveable set-up linkages. A damper can be connected with one or several of the set-up linkages. The damper can be a passive, active, or semi-active damper. The damper can mitigate a vibration arising in one of the set-up linkages, and the damper can prevent a vibration arising in one of the linkages from affecting another of the set-up linkages. The active and semi-active dampers can be controlled with a feedback model and a feed-forward model.

A thermal energy controller system useful in medical procedures includes a controller coupled to a probe, and a thermal element to vary probe temperature. The controller includes memory storing a non-continuous algorithm that permits user-selectable settings for various probe types such that controller operation is self-modifying in response to the selected probe setting. Probe output power Pout is constant in one mode to rapidly enable probe temperature to come within a threshold of a target temperature. The controller can then vary Pout dynamically using a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) algorithm Pout=Kp·P+Ki·I+Kd·D, where feedback loop coefficients Kp, Ki, Kd can vary dynamically depending upon magnitude of an error function e(t) representing the difference between a user-set desired target temperature and sensed probe temperature. Advantageously, target temperature can be rapidly attained without overshoot, allowing the probe system to be especially effective in arthroscopic tissue treatment.

A power tool includes a body housing a motor with a first output shaft and an attachment for engagement with the output shaft. The attachment includes an output shaft which transmits rotational motion derived from the rotational motion of the motor and further includes a gear mechanism enabling a gear change in rotational speed between its input and output. A combination of the body and the attachment thereby provides a plurality of serially-coupled gear mechanisms.

An improved apparatus and method is provided for operating devices and systems in a motor vehicle, while at the same time reducing vehicle operator distractions. One or more touch sensitive pads are mounted on the steering wheel of the motor vehicle, and the vehicle operator touches the pads in a pre-specified synchronized pattern, to perform functions such as controlling operation of the radio or adjusting a window. At least some of the touch patterns used to generate different commands may be selected by the vehicle operator. Usefully, the system of touch pad sensors and the signals generated thereby are integrated with speech recognition and / or facial gesture recognition systems, so that commands may be generated by synchronized multi-mode inputs.

An inductive power supply system in which the receiving unit includes a secondary coil and a plurality of resonating circuits with different characteristics. Each of the resonating circuits may include a resonating coil and a resonating capacitor. The resonating coils may be inductively coupled to the secondary coil so that energy may be transferred from one or more of the resonating coils to said receiving unit. The plurality of resonating circuits are configured to provide improved power transfer efficiency or performance at different distances between the primary coil and secondary coil. The present invention may also provide a method for tuning the wireless power system including the general steps of measuring an operating characteristic in the primary unit, measuring an operating characteristic in the receiver unit and tuning one or more of the components in the primary unit and the secondary unit based on a comparison of the two measurements.

A light emitting diode (LED) lighting system includes a controller to control current in one or more LEDs in response to a dimming level input. The LED lighting system implements a dimming strategy having two modes of operation that allow the LED lighting system to dim the LEDs using an active value of an LED current less than a full value LED current while maintaining continuous conduction mode operation. In an active value varying mode of operation, the controller varies an active value of the LED current for a first set of dimming levels. In an active value, duty cycle modulation mode of operation, the controller duty cycle modulates an active value of the LED current for a second set of dimming levels. In at least one embodiment, the active value of the LED current varies from a full active value to an intermediate active value as dimming levels decrease.