# US 11,444,564 B2 · Actuator control device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,444,564 B2 - Document ID: US11444564B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/046,549 - Filed: 2018-08-24 - Published: 2021-02-04 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-10 - Assignees: SMC Corporation - Applicants: Smc Corporation - Inventors: Atsushi Fujiwara; Eiji Iijima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444564B2 ## CPC - H02K 7/00: Arrangements for handling mechanical energy structurally associated with dynamo-electric machines, e.g. structural association with mechanical driving motors or auxiliary dynamo-electric machines - H02P 29/00: Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors (arrangements for starting electric motors H02P1/00; arrangements for stopping or slowing electric motors H02P3/00; control of motors that can be connected to two or more different electric power supplies H02P4/00; regulating or controlling the speed or torque of two or more electric motors H02P5/00; vector control H02P21/00) - G01R 31/66: Testing of connections, e.g. of plugs or non-disconnectable joints (testing for incorrect line connections G01R31/55) - H02J 1/06: Two-wire DC power distribution systems - H02K 11/38: Control circuits or drive circuits associated with geared commutator motors of the worm-and-wheel type - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract An actuator control device having a plurality of controller units connected to actuators, supplies electrical power to the plurality of actuators via the plurality of controller units. A connection confirmation unit confirms a connection state of the plurality of controller units, and a determination unit determines, based on a confirmation result of the connection confirmation unit, whether or not the connection state is in an allowable connection state in which supply of electrical power to the plurality of controller units is allowable. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An actuator control device having a plurality of controller units connected to actuators, the controller units being configured to control the actuators that are connected thereto, wherein the actuator control device supplies electrical power to the plurality of actuators via the plurality of controller units, the actuator control device further comprising: a connection confirmation unit configured to confirm a connection state of the plurality of controller units; and a determination unit configured to determine, based on a confirmation result of the connection confirmation unit, whether or not the connection state is in an allowable connection state in which supply of electrical power to the plurality of controller units is allowable, wherein: the connection confirmation unit confirms a number of the plurality of controller units, and a number of the plurality of actuators that are connected to the plurality of controller units, and outputs each of the confirmed numbers as connection information to the determination unit; and the determination unit determines whether or not each of the numbers indicated by the input connection information is less than or equal to a maximum allowable number. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The actuator control device according to claim 1, wherein: the connection confirmation unit obtains an expected total power consumption, which is a sum of expected power consumptions of the plurality of controller units and the plurality of actuators corresponding to the respective numbers, and outputs the obtained expected total power consumption as the connection information to the determination unit; and the determination unit determines whether the expected total power consumption indicated by the input connection information is less than or equal to a maximum allowable power. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The actuator control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a power consumption confirmation unit configured to confirm a total actual power consumption, which is a sum of actual power consumptions of the plurality of controller units and the plurality of actuators connected to the plurality of controller units, and to output a confirmation result of the total actual power consumption to the determination unit; wherein the determination unit determines whether or not the total actual power consumption indicated by the input confirmation result is less than or equal to a maximum allowable power. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The actuator control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit including at least the connection confirmation unit and the determination unit, the control unit being configured to control the plurality of controller units; wherein the plurality of controller units are consecutively disposed and connected in one direction; and at least one from among a power supply unit configured to supply electrical power to the plurality of actuators via the plurality of controller units, an input/output unit equipped with the control unit and configured to perform input and output of signals to and from an exterior and the plurality of controller units, and an input/output and power supply unit configured to serve dually as the power supply unit and the input/output unit, is connected to the plurality of controller units that are consecutively disposed and connected in the one direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The actuator control device according to claim 4, wherein: the input/output and power supply unit or the input/output unit is connected to an upstream side controller unit in a connecting direction from among the plurality of controller units; and the connected input/output and power supply unit or the connected input/output unit is an upper level unit configured to input and output signals to and from the plurality of controller units. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The actuator control device according to claim 5, wherein: the power supply unit or the input/output and power supply unit is interposed between each of an arbitrary number of controller units from within the plurality of controller unit; one block is constituted by the arbitrary number of the controller units; the interposed power supply unit or the interposed input/output and power supply unit supplies electrical power to the block that is connected on a downstream side in the connecting direction; and in a case that the upper level unit is the input/output and power supply unit, electrical power is supplied to the block that is connected on the downstream side, whereas, in a case that the upper level unit is the input/output unit, the power supply unit or the input/output and power supply unit is interposed between the input/output unit and the block that is connected on the downstream side, and electrical power is supplied from the interposed power supply unit or the interposed input/output and power supply unit to the block that is connected on the downstream side. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The actuator control device according to claim 6, wherein the interposed input/output and power supply unit is configured to input and output signals to and from the block that is connected on the downstream side. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The actuator control device according to claim 6, wherein the power supply unit or the input/output and power supply unit comprises a switching unit configured to turn on and off supply of electrical power with respect to the block connected on the downstream side.