Systems and methods for selecting and wirelessly programming a motor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9794347-B2
Application number	US-201615337888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Apr 11, 2014
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

A system for wirelessly programming and diagnosing a motor includes a server computer system, a portable electronic device, and a wireless communication device. The server computer system stores motor operating parameters and other motor data that can be accessed by the portable electronic device over a wireless communication network for identifying a suitable replacement motor for an unserviceable motor. The server computer system also generates motor programming instructions for programming the replacement motor to emulate the unserviceable motor. The portable electronic device wirelessly transmits the motor programming instructions to the wireless communication device for storing the motor programming instructions on a memory of a controller of the replacement motor so that the replacement motor will emulate the unserviceable motor.

First claim

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. A motor programming system for programming a motor, the system comprising:
a server computer system including a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing identification information for a number of original motors thereon; and
a wireless communication device configured to be connected to an original motor, the wireless communication device comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive and transmit signals,
a communication controller configured to direct signals between a controller of the original motor and other electronic devices, and
a communication connector configured to connect the wireless communication device to the controller of the original motor via an interface box of the original motor for carrying signals therebetween, the communication connector including at least two different types of connector ends for connecting to at least two different types of motor connection points; and

a program stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium, the program being configured to identify a motor type of the original motor and to generate a replacement motor recommendation based on the original motor type.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the program is further configured to instruct the server computer system to transmit the replacement motor recommendation over a wireless communication network so that a technician can retrieve an appropriate replacement motor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the program is further configured to generate motor programming instructions.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the program is further configured to transmit the motor programming instructions over a wireless communication network.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to send the motor programming instructions to a memory of a controller of the replacement motor so that the replacement motor will emulate performance characteristics of the original motor.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to receive motor programming instructions from a mobile motor servicing application of a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device being one of the other electronic devices.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to store the motor programming instructions received from the mobile motor servicing application on a memory of a controller of the replacement motor so that the replacement motor will operate according to the motor programming instructions.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device further comprises a power source configured to provide power to the wireless communication device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication connector includes a 16-pin connection end for connecting to a 16-pin connection point on the interface box of the original motor.

10. A motor programming system for programming a motor, the system comprising:
a server computer system including a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing identification information for a number of original motors thereon and a web-based portal configured to be accessed by portable electronic devices over a wireless communication network;
a wireless communication device configured to be connected to an original motor, the wireless communication device comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive and transmit signals,
a communication controller configured to direct signals between a controller of the original motor and one of the portable electronic devices, and
a communication connector configured to connect the wireless communication device to the controller of the original motor via an interface box of the original motor for carrying signals therebetween, the communication connector including at least two different types of connector ends for connecting to at least two different types of motor connection points; and

a program stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium and configured to identify a motor type of the original motor, to generate a replacement motor recommendation based on the original motor type, and to instruct the server computer system to transmit the replacement motor recommendation to said one of the portable electronic devices over the wireless communication network so that a technician can retrieve an appropriate replacement motor.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the identification information includes at least one of motor rating, motor horsepower, model number, and manufacturer.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to transmit motor operation history data of the original motor.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is further configured to communicate with the other electronic devices via Bluetooth wireless technology.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to communicate with the other electronic devices via a 3G, 4G, or 5G mobile communication network.

Assignees

• Nidec Motor Corp

Inventors

• Bomkamp Randy L
• Schroer Scott M
• Schock Christopher D
• Peterson Gregory A

Classifications

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/12 Primary

  specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks · CPC title

• H04B1/38

  Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving · CPC title

• H04L67/34

  involving the movement of software or configuration parameters  (network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416) · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title