Actuator with motor and feedback driven by a common power supply
First Claim
1. In an actuator system of the type having a motor with first and second electrical terminals and an output shaft driven by the motor, a potentiometer actuated by the output shaft and having first and second power terminals and a feedback terminal, a common power supply for the motor and the potentiometer, and control means connected to the power supply and the motor and the potentiometer terminals for controlling the power applied thereto so as to alternately move the output shaft and read a signal on the feedback terminal without moving the output shaft.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An actuator system has a motor and an output shaft connected to a potentiometer that provides shaft position information. The motor and potentiometer are electrically connected to a common power supply. A microcomputer controls the application of power to the motor and potentiometer so that feedback signals from the potentiometer, indicative of shaft position, can be read when desired without moving the shaft. The motor is prevented from moving either by setting both motor terminals high during a read, or by applying power pulses during a read which are too short in duration to allow the motor to start moving.
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Citations
17 Claims
- 1. In an actuator system of the type having a motor with first and second electrical terminals and an output shaft driven by the motor, a potentiometer actuated by the output shaft and having first and second power terminals and a feedback terminal, a common power supply for the motor and the potentiometer, and control means connected to the power supply and the motor and the potentiometer terminals for controlling the power applied thereto so as to alternately move the output shaft and read a signal on the feedback terminal without moving the output shaft.
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4. An actuator system, comprising:
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a motor having first and second electrical terminals and an output shaft driven by the motor; a potentiometer actuated by the output shaft and having first and second power terminals and a feedback terminal; a power supply having high and low voltage outputs; first and second motor driver circuits for selectively connecting the high and low voltage outputs of the power supply to the first and second terminals of the motor, and for selectively connecting the high and low voltage outputs to one of the first and second power terminals of the potentiometer, the other power terminal of the potentiometer being connected to ground; a control means connected to the driver circuits and the feedback terminal of the potentiometer for controlling the driver circuits to set one motor terminal high and the other motor terminal low when it is desired to move the output shaft and to set both motor terminals high when it is desired to read a signal on the feedback terminal without moving the output shaft. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. In an actuator system of the type having a motor with first and second electrical terminals and an output shaft driven by the motor, a potentiometer actuated by the output shaft and having first and second power terminals and a feedback terminal, a power supply having high and low outputs, a method of operating the actuator system with a common power supply for the motor and the potentiometer, comprising the steps of:
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electrically connecting one potentiometer power terminal and one of the motor terminals to one another and to the power supply and connecting the other potentiometer power terminal to ground; setting one motor terminal high and the other motor terminal low when it is desired to move the shaft; and setting both motor terminals high and reading the signal on the feedback terminal when it is desired to determine the output shaft position. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. An actuator system, comprising:
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a motor having first and second electrical terminals and an output shaft driven by the motor; a potentiometer actuated by the output shaft and having first and second power terminals and a feedback terminal; a power supply having high and low voltage outputs; a first motor driver circuit for selectively connecting one of the high or low voltage outputs of the power supply to one of the first and second terminals of the motor and to one of the first and second power terminals of the potentiometer; a second motor driver circuit for selectively connecting the other of the high or low voltage outputs to the other terminal of the motor; the other power terminal of the potentiometer being connected to the second-motor driver circuit; a control means connected to the driver circuits and the feedback terminal of the potentiometer for controlling the driver circuits to output power pulses long enough to move the output shaft, and to output readout power pulses short enough to read a signal on the feedback terminal without moving the output shaft. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. In an actuator system of the type having a motor with first and second electrical terminals and an output shaft driven by the motor, a potentiometer actuated by the output shaft and having first and second power terminals and a feedback terminal, a method of operating the actuator system with a common power supply for the motor and the potentiometer, comprising the steps of:
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selectively connecting a high voltage output of the power supply to one of the first and second terminals of the motor and to one of the first and second power terminals of the potentiometer; selectively connecting a low voltage output of the power supply to the other terminal of the motor; connecting the other power terminal of the potentiometer to the low voltage output of the power supply; outputting a motion power pulse long enough to move the output shaft when it is desired to move the shaft; and outputting a readout power pulse short enough to read a feedback signal on the feedback terminal without moving the output shaft when it is desired to determine the output shaft position. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification