MOTION CONTROL SYSTEM WITH DIGITAL PROCESSING LINK
First Claim
1. A motion control system for regulating vibrations comprisinga plurality of sensors for acquiring information about the vibrations,an actuator for counteracting the vibrations,a controller for processing the information acquired from the sensors and for controlling the actuator to counteract the vibrations,a digital processing link between the plurality of sensors and the controller comprisinga transfer station including a multiplexer/demultiplexer for combining signals from the sensors into a collective signal and a communication node for transmitting the collective signal under a communications protocol,a base station including another communication node for receiving the collective signal under the communications protocol and a demultiplexer/multiplexer for dividing the collective signal into a plurality of separately processable digital signals, anddata transmit and receive lines interconnecting the transfer and base stations, andthe controller being arranged for processing the digital signals from the base station and outputting a control signal for controlling the actuator for regulating vibrations.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A digital processing link for a vibration control system collects sensor signals at a transfer station and combines the sensor signals into a collective signal that is transmitted under a digital communications protocol to a base station. The sensor signals are separated at the base station and individually processed to produce one or more output control signals to actuators for counteracting the measured vibration.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A motion control system for regulating vibrations comprising
a plurality of sensors for acquiring information about the vibrations, an actuator for counteracting the vibrations, a controller for processing the information acquired from the sensors and for controlling the actuator to counteract the vibrations, a digital processing link between the plurality of sensors and the controller comprising a transfer station including a multiplexer/demultiplexer for combining signals from the sensors into a collective signal and a communication node for transmitting the collective signal under a communications protocol, a base station including another communication node for receiving the collective signal under the communications protocol and a demultiplexer/multiplexer for dividing the collective signal into a plurality of separately processable digital signals, and data transmit and receive lines interconnecting the transfer and base stations, and the controller being arranged for processing the digital signals from the base station and outputting a control signal for controlling the actuator for regulating vibrations.
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20. An active balancer for a rotatable shaft comprising
one or more eccentric masses positionable with respect to a rotational axis of the rotatable shaft, a driver for repositioning the one or more eccentric masses with respect to the rotational axis of the rotatable shaft, a plurality of sensors including one or more rotation sensors together with one or more vibration sensors for monitoring performance characteristics of the rotatable shaft, a controller for processing the information acquired from the sensors and for controlling the operation of the driver to reduce vibrations in the rotatable shaft, a transfer station collecting information from the sensors and a base station connected to the controller, and a communications protocol for sending and receiving data between the transfer and base stations in a prescribed format for monitoring and resending errant transmissions.
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27. An active vibration control system for minimizing vibrations in a structure that supports a member for rotation comprising
a plurality of sensors mounted with the structure for monitoring vibration, one or more actuators that drive a movable mass at tuned frequencies, a controller that receives information from the plurality of sensors and controls operation of the one or more actuators for cancelling sensed vibrations within the structure, a transfer station collecting information from the sensors and a base station connected to the controller and a communications protocol for sending and receiving data between the transfer and base stations in a prescribed format for monitoring and resending errant transmissions.
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33. A method of counteracting vibration comprising steps of
monitoring vibrations using a plurality of sensors, outputting signals from the plurality of sensors for conveying information about the vibrations, combining the signals from the sensors at a transfer station into a collective signal, transmitting the collective signal over data transmit and receive lines under a communications protocol in a prescribed format for monitoring and resending errant transmissions, receiving the collective signal under the communications protocol at a base station associated with a controller, transmitting power from a power source associated with the base station over the data transmit and receive lines to the transfer station, distributing the power from the transfer station to one or more of the sensors, dividing the collective signal received at the base station into a plurality of processable digital signals, and processing the digital signals within the controller, and outputting a signal from the controller to an actuator for counteracting the monitored vibrations.
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39. A method of making a vibration control system for regulating vibrations, said method comprising steps of
arranging a plurality of sensors for acquiring information about the vibrations, providing an actuator for counteracting the vibrations, providing a controller for processing the information acquired from the sensors and for controlling the actuator to counteract the vibrations, establishing a digital processing link between the plurality of sensors and the controller including the steps of combining signals from the sensors into a collective signal at a transfer station and transmitting the collective signal from the transfer station under a communications protocol, and receiving the collective signal at a base station under the communications protocol and dividing the collective signal into a plurality of separately processable digital signals, and processing the digital signals from the base station with the controller and outputting a control signal for controlling the actuator to regulate the vibrations.
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45. A method of controlling machine vibrations, said method comprising steps of
operating an active balancer for a machine rotatable shaft having one or more eccentric masses positionable with respect to a rotational axis of the machine rotatable shaft, monitoring vibration characteristics of the machine rotatable shaft using a plurality of sensors including one or more rotation sensors together with one or more vibration sensors, collecting information from the sensors at a transfer station and transmitting the collected information through a base station to a controller and sending and receiving data under a communications protocol between the transfer and base stations in a prescribed format for monitoring and resending errant transmissions, processing the information acquired from the sensors with the controller and for outputting from the controller a control signal for the active balancer, and repositioning the one or more eccentric masses of the active balancer with respect to the rotational axis of the machine rotatable shaft in response to the control signal for reducing vibrations in the machine rotatable shaft.
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46. A method of controlling a plurality of vibrations in an aircraft structure, said method including steps of
monitoring vibration in the aircraft structure using a plurality of sensors mounted with the structure, and collecting information from the sensors at a transfer station and transmitting the collected information to a base station connected to a controller and sending and receiving data under a communications protocol between the transfer and base stations in a prescribed format for monitoring and resending errant transmissions, processing the information from the plurality of sensors with the controller and outputting a control signal to one or more actuators that drive a movable mass at tuned frequencies, and operating the one or more actuators at the tuned frequencies for cancelling sensed vibrations within the structure, wherein the vibrations in the aircraft structure are regulated.
Specification