Controlling fan motors using capacitive sensing
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorSehat Sutardja
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor having a rotor, the rotor including a first metal plate having a first size and a second metal plate having a second size arranged on a first surface associated with the rotor. The first metal plate and the second metal plate are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined distance from an axis of rotation of the rotor. The first surface rotates perpendicularly about the axis in response to the rotor being rotated about the axis. A stator includes a third metal plate arranged on a second surface associated with the stator. The third metal plate is arranged on the second surface at the predetermined distance from the axis. The second surface is parallel to the first surface and faces the first surface.
Claims10
A motor comprising:
- a rotor including (i) a first metal plate having a first size and (ii) a second metal plate having a second size, wherein each of the first metal plate and the second metal plate is arranged on a first surface associated with the rotor,
- wherein the first metal plate and the second metal plate are arranged adjacent to each other at a predetermined distance from an axis of rotation of the rotor, and
- wherein the first surface rotates along a plane perpendicular to the axis about the axis in response to the rotor being rotated about the axis;
- and
- a stator including a third metal plate arranged on a second surface associated with the stator, wherein the third metal plate is arranged on the second surface at the predetermined distance from the axis, and wherein the second surface is parallel to the first surface and faces the first surface.
A system comprising:
- a motor including
- (i) a first metal plate and a second metal plate, wherein each of the first metal plate and the second metal plate is arranged on a first surface associated with a rotor of the motor, and wherein the first surface rotates along a plane perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the rotor about the axis in response to the rotor being rotated about the axis;
- and
- (ii) a third metal plate arranged on a second surface associated with a stator of the motor;
- and
- a capacitance sensing module configured to sense, in response to the rotor being rotated, (i) a first capacitance in response to the first metal plate aligning with the third metal plate and (ii) a second capacitance in response to the second metal plate aligning with the third metal plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.