Wang Laboratories, Inc.

Barrett Technology, Inc.

Vessel Inc

Helen of Troy Limited

Virtual I/o, Inc.

Donald E Drumm

William T Townsend

Brian Zenowich

Duane B Smith

Stefane E Barbeau

Amy A Blank

David Wilkinson

Claude F Valle, Iv

Thomas Nadovich

Christopher Woodall

James Patton

Arvind Ananthanarayanan

Alexander Jenko

Julian Leland

Michael Schiess

Stéfane Barbeau

Marc De Groot

Michael A Perry

Mark D Pesce

Claude Valle

Peter Botticelli

Michael Morin

Darren Landino

Michael J Donahue

Duane Smith

A motor controller for controlling the operation of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is characterized by three phases A, B, C, and further wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is driven by regulating three phase currents i, iand ifor the three phases A, B, C, respectively, the motor controller comprising: a three-phase power supply for supplying the three phase currents i, iand i; a first sensor for sensing the phase current i; a second sensor for sensing across the phase currents iand i; and a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce the three phase currents i, iand ineeded to operate the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the microcontroller reads the outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor and adjusts operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce phase currents i, iand iwhich produce the desired torque in the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

High performance current sensing architecture for brushless motors

A robotic device for operation in association with an appendage of a user, wherein the appendage of the user has an endpoint, the robotic device comprising: a base; and a robotic arm attached to the base and having an end-point, the robotic arm having at least two active degrees of freedom relative to the base and being configured so that when the base is appropriately positioned relative to a user, the reference frame of the robotic device is oriented generally similarly to the reference frame of the user and motions of the endpoint of the appendage of the user are mimicked by motions of the endpoint of the robotic arm.

Multi-active-axis, non-exoskeletal rehabilitation device

A motor controller for controlling the operation of a three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is characterized by three phases A, B, C, and further wherein the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor is driven by regulating three phase currents i, iand ifor the three phases A, B, C, respectively, the motor controller comprising: a three-phase power supply for supplying the three phase currents i, iand ia first sensor for sensing the phase current i; a second sensor for sensing across the phase currents iand i; and a microcontroller for controlling the operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce the three phase currents i, iand ineeded to operate the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, wherein the microcontroller reads the outputs of the first sensor and the second sensor and adjusts operation of the three-phase power supply so as to produce phase currents i, iand iwhich produce the desired torque in the three-phase permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.

Apparatus for connecting a motor controller to an electrical motor, said apparatus comprising:

Method and apparatus for connecting an ultracompact, high-performance motor controller to an ultracompact, high-performance brushless DC motor

An autoilluminating rechargeable lamp system includes a set of one or more self-standing rechargeable lighting fixtures (luminaries) removably supported on a recharging and support member. The luminaries each include a light diffusor that may resemble a candle that turn on when removed from the recharging and support member. The luminaries may also turn on when power to the recharging and support member is turned off, turning the luminaries on automatically as during a power failure. The luminaries may each be inductively coupled to the recharging and support member, which enables to provide an aesthetically pleasing interface free of electrical contacts.

Autoilluminating lamp system

A rechargeable lamp system includes a set of one or more self-standing rechargeable lighting fixtures (luminaries) removably received on a recharging platter. The luminaries each include a light diffusor resembling a candle that turn on when removed from the charging platter. The luminaries also turn on when power to the charging platter is turned off, which allows the set to be used as a table lamp, and has the added benefit of turning the luminaries on automatically during a power failure. The luminaries are each inductively coupled to the recharging platter, which enables to provide an aesthetically pleasing interface free of electrical contacts.

Autoilluminating rechargeable lamp system

A sourceless orientation sensor having an azimuthal sensor which determines the azimuthal orientation relative to a planetary magnetic field, and a tilt sensor which determines the direction and magnitude of the displacement from vertical using the planetary gravitational field. The tilt sensor includes a transparent gas and a transparent viscous fluid in a spherical shell, a light emitting diode (LED) mounted at the top of the shell, and four photodetectors mounted at the bottom of the shell. As the tilt sensor is rotated the path of the light cone emanating from the LED and refracting at the gas/fluid interface is altered, thereby altering the intensity of light incident on the photodetectors. The magnitude of the light incident on the photodetectors is processed to provide the tilt angles. A thin transparent disk floats at the gas/fluid interface to damp surface waves caused by reorientation of the device. A time sequence of orientations of the sensor may be interpreted to provided a gesture sensing device.

Sourceless orientation sensor

A computer system is provided which allows keyboard access in a hands-free environment. An orientation sensor is mounted on a headset and provides a cartesian positional input to an interface. The device functions in either a cursor control mode or a keyboard simulation mode. In keyboard simulation mode, positional inputs are converted to keyboard input codes which are input to a standard keyboard controller. The key codes generated are displayed to a user on an LED display. A microphone on the headset connects to voice control circuitry of the interface which allows input selections to be made through voice commands. A user locates the desired keyboard input by observing the LED display and selects the input with a vocal command. RAM memory storage of keyboard inputs allows the system to appear as a manual keyboard from the perspective of the keyboard controller.

Hands-free hardware keyboard

A hand-held device for controlling cursor movement on a data terminal having a display. An internal orientation sensor provides an electrical signal that is related to the orientation of the device without it being adjacent to any fixed surface. The orientation sensor includes a hollow spherical housing having at least one LED and one phototransistor mounted opposingly in the inner wall, along an axis extending through the center point of the housing. The housing is half-filled with a transparent liquid having a specified viscosity and index of refraction and half-filled with air. A light beam emitted from the LED is refracted upon passing through the boundary between the air and the liquid. As the orientation sensor rotates with respect to the vertical axis, the changing refraction angle of the light beam causes the phototransistor to detect changing intensities of light, which are representative of the angle of rotation.

Computer input device using orientation sensor

A device for controlling a cursor on a data terminal display screen. The device is in the form of a headset and includes an orientation sensor which provides an electrical signal related to the orientation of the device without it being adjacent to any fixed surface. The orientation sensor includes a hollow spherical housing having at least one light source/detector pair mounted opposingly in the inner wall, along an axis extending through the center point of the housing. The housing is half-filled with a transparent liquid having a specified viscosity and index of refraction and half-filled with air. Light beams emitted from the sources are refracted upon passing through the boundary between the air and the liquid. As the orientation sensor rotates with respect to the vertical axis, the changing refraction angle of the light beam causes the detector to sense changing intensities of light, which are representative of the angle of rotation. Multiple light source/detector pairs spaced within the spherical housing allow measurement of direction and magnitude of angular change. Integral with the input device is a speaker independent voice control circuit which recognizes short isolated command words ending in voiced or fricative sounds for controlling display functions.

Computer input device using an orientation sensor

A device for controlling a cursor on a data terminal display screen. The device is in the form of a headset and includes an orientation sensor which provides an electrical signal related to the orientation of the device without it being adjacent to any fixed surface. The orientation sensor includes a hollow spherical housing having at least one light source/detector pair mounted opposingly in the inner wall, along an axis extending through the center point of the housing. The housing is half-filled with a transparent liquid having a specified viscosity and index of refraction and half-filled with air. Light beams emitted from the sources are refracted upon passing through the boundary between the air and the liquid. As the orientation sensor rotates with respect to the vertical axis, the changing refraction angle of the light beam causes the detector to sense changing intensities of light, which are representative of the angle of rotation. Multiple light source/detector pairs spaced within the spherical housing allow measurement of direction and magnitude of angular change. Integral with the input device is a speaker independent voice control circuit which recognized short isolated command words ending in voiced or fricative sounds for controlling display functions.

An electrographic system comprises a graphics surface assembly having a graphics surface integrally coupled to a memory device which contains calibration data designated for the graphics surface. During manufacturing, the memory device is mounted onto an interface board which is attached to the graphics surface through a flex cable. A calibration procedure is performed on the graphics surface whereby calibration data is generated and stored in the memory device. The memory device, loaded with the calibration data, is thereafter linked to its associated graphics surface.

Graphics surface assembly with calibrating memory device

A device for controlling a cursor on a data terminal display screen. The device is in the form of a headset and includes an orientation sensor which provides an electrical signal related to the orientation of the device without it being adjacent to any fixed surface. The orientation sensor includes a hollow spherical housing having at least one light source/detector pair mounted opposingly in the inner wall, along an axis extending through the center point of the housing. The housing is half-filled with a transparent liquid having a specified viscosity and index of refraction and half-filled with air. Light beams emitted from the sources are refracted upon passsing through the boundary between the air and the liquid. As the orientation sensor rotates with respect to the vertical axis, the changing refraction angle of the light beam causes the detector to sense changing intensities of light, which are representative of the angle of rotation. Multiple light source/detector pairs spaced within the spherical housing allow measurement of direction and magnitude of angular change. Integral with the input device is a speaker independent voice control circuit which recognizes short isolated command words ending in voiced or fricative sounds for controlling display functions.

A cursor positioning device for a computer system having a projection display monitor including a screen. A light pointer in the form of an elongated housing is positioned with its tip at a selected location on the screen. A light sensor detects the raster scan trace and transmits a timed electrical signal to an interface, which determines the coordinates of the selected location for use by a computer in controlling the position of the cursor on the projection screen.

Growing community of inventors

Billerica, MA, United States of America

Donald E Drumm