# US 7,746,022 B2 · Stepping motor controller and stepping motor control program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,746,022 B2 - Document ID: US7746022B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/872,951 - Filed: 2007-10-16 - Published: 2008-07-10 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2006-12-01 - Assignees: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Yoshiki Katayama; Satoshi Ogata - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7746022B2 ## CPC - H02P 8/36: Protection against faults, e.g. against overheating or step-out; Indicating faults - H02P: CONTROL OR REGULATION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRIC GENERATORS OR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC CONVERTERS; CONTROLLING TRANSFORMERS, REACTORS OR CHOKE COILS ## Abstract A stepping motor controller for controlling a stepping motor which drives a load, including: a load drive state detection section which detects a driving state of the load; and a control section which controls the stepping motor, when a detection result of the load drive state detection section is beyond a prescribed range, so as to maintain a driving speed of the load, and when the detection result of the load drive state detection section is within the prescribed range, so as to control the driving state of the load based on a control pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A stepping motor controller for controlling a stepping motor which drives a load, comprising: a load drive state detection section structured to detect a driving state of the load driven by the stepping motor; and a control section structured to monitor whether a speed fluctuation of the load detected by the load drive state detection section is within a prescribed range or beyond the prescribed range, wherein the prescribed range is predetermined such that the stepping motor is not put into the step-out state and the driving state can be controlled stably when the speed fluctuation of the load is within the prescribed range, and control the stepping motor, when a detection result of the load drive state detection section is beyond a prescribed range, so as to maintain a driving speed of the load, and when the detection result of the load drive state detection section is within the prescribed range, so as to control the driving state of the load based on a control pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The stepping motor controller of claim 1, wherein in cases where the detection result of the load drive state detection section is beyond the prescribed range and the driving speed of the load has been maintained to generate a variance, the control section controls the stepping motor to recover the variance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The stepping motor controller of claim 1, wherein the load is driven via a transmission section, which transmits a drive by the stepping motor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The stepping motor controller of claim 2, wherein the load is driven via a transmission section, which transmits a drive by the stepping motor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The stepping motor controller of claim 4, wherein the transmission section comprises a plurality of connection sections which are connected with each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The stepping motor controller of claim 3, wherein the transmission section comprises a plurality of connection sections which are connected with each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The stepping motor controller of claim 1, wherein the stepping motor controller controls a forward rotation and a reverse rotation of the stepping motor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The stepping motor controller of claim 2, wherein the stepping motor controller controls a forward rotation and a reverse rotation of the stepping motor. ### Claim 9 A stepping motor control method for controlling a stepping motor which drives a load, comprising: detecting a driving state of the load driven by the stepping motor; monitoring whether a speed fluctuation of the load is within a prescribed range or beyond the prescribed range, wherein the prescribed range is predetermined such that the stepping motor is not put into the step-out state and the driving state can be controlled stably when the speed fluctuation of the load is within the prescribed range; and controlling the stepping motor, when a detection result of the driving state of the load is beyond a prescribed range, so as to maintain a driving speed of the load, and when the detection result of the driving state of the load is within the prescribed range, so as to control the driving state of the load based on a control pattern. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The stepping motor control method of claim 9, further comprising a step of controlling the stepping motor to recover the variance, in cases where the detection result of the load drive state detection section is beyond the prescribed range, and the driving speed of the load has been maintained to generate a variance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The stepping motor control method of claim 9, wherein the load is driven via a transmission section, which transmits a drive by the stepping motor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The stepping motor control method of claim 10, wherein the load is driven via a transmission section, which transmits a drive by the stepping motor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The stepping motor control method of claim 11, wherein the transmission section comprises a plurality of connection sections which are connected with each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The stepping motor control method of claim 12, wherein the transmission section comprises a plurality of connection sections which are connected with each other. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The stepping motor control method of claim 9, further comprising a step of controlling a forward rotation and a reverse rotation of the stepping motor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The stepping motor control method of claim 10, further comprising a step of controlling a forward rotation and a reverse rotation of the stepping motor. ### Claim 17 A computer readable medium stored thereon a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of: detecting a driving state of the load driven by the stepping motor; monitoring whether a speed fluctuation of the load is within a prescribed range or beyond the prescribed range, wherein the prescribed range is predetermined such that the stepping motor is not put into the step-out state and the driving state can be controlled stably when the speed fluctuation of the load is within the prescribed range; and controlling the stepping motor, when a detection result of the driving state of the load is beyond a prescribed range, so as to maintain a driving speed of the load, and when the detection result of the driving state of the load is within the prescribed range, so as to control the driving state of the load based on a control pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising the step of controlling the stepping motor to recover the variance, in cases where the detection result of the load drive state detection section is beyond the prescribed range, and the driving speed of the load has been maintained to generate a variance.