Methods for reducing power consumption of at least partially resonant actuator systems and systems thereof

• US 8,304,960 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: New Scale Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ams AG (Ams-Osram AG), New Scale Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Sattler, Stefan, Guidarelli, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US12/589,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20110101894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 310/314, 31031601-31603, 310317-319
• US Class Current: 310/317
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/0075 Electrical details, e.g. drive or control circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/0095 producing combined linear and rotary motion, e.g. multi-direction positioners
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/02 producing linear motion, e.g. actuators; Linear positioners ; Linear motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/06 Drive circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/14 Drive circuits; Control arrangements or methods

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium, and a system for reducing power consumption of an at least partially resonant actuator system includes adjusting a driving system with an actuator controller computing device configured to provide a driving signal including a delay interval during a transition in the driving signal. The driving system provides the driving signal with the delay interval to an at least one partially resonant actuator device.

Claims

1. A method for reducing power consumption of an at least partially resonant actuator system, the method comprising:

adjusting a driving system with an actuator controller computing device configured to provide a driving signal including a delay interval during a transition in the driving signal; and

providing with the driving system the driving signal with the delay interval to at least one partially resonant actuator device wherein the adjusting the driving signal comprises varying the delay interval while maintaining a substantially constant output velocity of the at least one partially resonant actuator device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the delay interval is about 2% to 10% of a time period of the driving signal.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2 wherein the delay interval is about 6% of the time period of the driving signal.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the delay interval is inserted substantially at a halfway point during the transition.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein a duration of time for which the delay interval is applied is programmable.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the driving system is a full bridge driver.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the adjusting comprises:

inserting, during the transition, an intermediate switching state corresponding to the delay interval between a first and a second switching state of the full bridge driver;

holding the intermediate switching state for a period of time; and

switching to the first or the second switching state after the period of time is over.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the determining with the actuator controller computing device when the transition in the driving signal occurs, wherein the adjusting is based on the determined transition.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the driving signal to include the delay interval for a first period of time during the transition from a low side of the driving signal with respect to a baseline to a high side of the driving signal with respect to the baseline, and wherein the low side corresponds to a first switching state and the high side corresponds to a second switching state of the driving system.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the driving signal to include the delay interval for a second period of time during the transition from a high side of the driving signal with respect to a baseline to a low side of the driving signal with respect to the baseline, and wherein the low side corresponds to a first switching state and the high side corresponds to a second switching state of the driving system.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising repeating the adjusting and the providing for successive cycles of the driving signal.

12. An at least partially resonant actuator system comprising:

an actuator controller computing device that adjusts a driving system based upon a driving signal including a delay interval during a transition in the driving signal; and

at least one partially resonant actuator device that receives the driving signal with the delay interval from the adjusted driving system wherein the adjusting the driving signal comprises varying the delay interval while maintaining a substantially constant output velocity of the at least one partially resonant actuator device.

13. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the delay interval is about 2% to 10% of a time period of the driving signal.

14. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 13 wherein the delay interval is about 6% of the time period of the driving signal.

15. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the delay interval is inserted substantially at a halfway point during the transition.

16. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein a duration of time for which the delay interval is applied is programmable.

17. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the driving system is a full bridge driver.

18. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the actuator controller computing device that adjusts a driving system based upon a driving signal inserts, during the transition, an intermediate switching state corresponding to the delay interval between a first and a second switching state of the full bridge driver, holds the intermediate switching state for a period of time, and switches to the first or the second switching state after the period of time is over.

19. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the actuator controller computing device is configured to determine when the transition in the driving signal occurs, wherein the adjusting is based on the determined transition.

20. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the actuator controller computing device further adjusts the driving signal to include the delay interval for a first period of time during the transition from a low side of the driving signal with respect to a baseline to a high side of the driving signal with respect to the baseline, and wherein the low side corresponds to a first switching state and the high side corresponds to a second switching state of the driving system.

21. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the actuator controller computing device further adjusts the driving signal to include the delay interval for a second period of time during the transition from a high side of the driving signal with respect to a baseline to a low side of the driving signal with respect to the baseline, and wherein the low side corresponds to a first switching state and the high side corresponds to a second switching state of the driving system.

22. The at least partially resonant actuator system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the actuator controller computing device is further configured to repeat the adjusting of the driving signal and provides the adjusted driving signal to the at least one partially resonant actuator device for successive cycles of the driving signal.