Patent ID: 7573222

Claim:
A motor control apparatus for controlling an operation of an electric motor, comprising: a motor driver that provides electrical power to the motor; an operational temperature estimator that estimates an estimated temperature of the electric motor; and an operational controller that controls the motor driver for operation of the electric motor, wherein the operation controller prohibits the motor driver from providing the electrical power to the electric motor when the estimated temperature is within a motor restart prohibition range when the electric motor is stopped, wherein the operational controller allows the motor driver to continue to provide the electrical power to the electric motor when the estimated temperature is within the motor restart prohibition range until completion of a set operation of the electric motor when the electric motor is performing the set operation that has a predetermined completion condition, and wherein the operational controller controls the motor driver to forcedly stop a supply of the electrical power to the electric motor when the estimated temperature is within a motor operation prohibition range, wherein the motor operation prohibition range has a higher temperature range relative to the motor restart prohibition range.