Patents Represented by Attorney W. F. Fasse
  • Patent number: 8342022
    Abstract: A micromechanical rotational rate sensor includes a substrate, at least one base element suspended by at least one spring element on the substrate, an excitation device and a read-out arrangement. The base element includes at least one seismic or inertial mass. The spring element is movable perpendicularly to the motion direction of the base element so that apex or deflection points of the spring element will move perpendicularly to the excitation direction while the base element is thereby not excited to move perpendicularly to the excitation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Schmid, Stefan Guenthner
  • Patent number: 8339141
    Abstract: A voltage pulse is transmitted into a test object, and returned reflection pulses are evaluated to determine the location of a fault in the test object. The return signal includes a reflection from the fault and undesired interfering reflection pulses, which are removed or compensated-out from the return signal to produce a corrected pulse diagram. A circuit arrangement for this includes a bi-directional coupler, a separation filter, a measured signal detection circuit with two input channels, a memory storing a database, a computer processor, and a measured signal evaluation unit. A method in this regard includes a first step of measuring the input impedance of the test object, and a second step of measuring the return signal pulses, transforming the return signal to the frequency domain, compensating the frequency domain data to remove interference, transforming the data back to the time domain, and representing or evaluating the pulse diagram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Hagenuk KMT Kabelmesstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Patrick Gray, Hubert Schlapp
  • Patent number: 8336379
    Abstract: For compensating unbalance of vehicle wheels, adhesive weight elements (8) are positioned and pressed onto a determined compensation surface (17) on a wheel (7) using a balancing head (1) and a program-controlled handling device (9). The adhesive weight elements (8) in the form of an endless weight strand (5) are fed by a feed device (2) arranged on the balancing head (1) to a following roll-on roller (3) that presses the beginning of the endless weight strand (5) onto the beginning of the compensation surface (17) and thereafter rolls along thereon. A length cut-off device (4) is provided in or before the roll-on roller (3) and cuts-off the endless weight strand (5) of the adhesive weight elements (8) in a determined length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Schenck RoTec GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Rogalla, Dieter Thelen
  • Patent number: 8327716
    Abstract: An optical strain gage incorporates an optical waveguide or fiber that includes a sensing section with a fiber Bragg grating, which serves for detecting a strain in a strainable member on which the strain gage is mounted. At locations displaced away from the fiber Bragg grating section, on both sides thereof, the optical waveguide is covered by two fastening elements, which secure the optical waveguide in a force-transmitting manner on the strainable member or a bottom support. Between the two fastening elements, a relatively soft elastic fixing material surrounds the optical waveguide and fixes the fiber Bragg grating section on the strainable member or bottom support in a form-fitting and force-isolating manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Kreuzer, Tobias Kipp, Thomas Kleckers
  • Patent number: 8319676
    Abstract: A method and a device are for converting a digital input signal to an analog output signal, for example in vehicle safety systems. In the method, a first and a second pulse-width modulated signal is used for generating a first and a second analog intermediate signal. The second intermediate signal is converted to a third intermediate signal, wherein this conversion is controlled by a third pulse-width modulated signal. A fourth analog intermediate signal is generated from the third intermediate signal. The analog output signal is then generated from the first intermediate signal and the fourth intermediate signal. The first, second and/or third pulse-width modulated signal is preferably but not necessarily derived from the same digital input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Conti Temic microelectronic GmbH
    Inventors: Joachim Brocke, Paul Schnebli
  • Patent number: 8310662
    Abstract: A method for detecting misalignment of a vehicle headlight using a camera system is specified. For this purpose, the headlight is in a predefined position and the camera system is arranged on or in the vehicle and is oriented in such a manner that the light distribution pattern of the headlight in front of the motor vehicle is detected. With a predefined headlight position, an actual light distribution pattern of the headlight is recorded using the camera system and is compared with a desired light distribution pattern for the predefined headlight position. If the actual light distribution pattern differs from the desired light distribution pattern, misalignment of the headlight is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Wilfried Mehr, Thomas Fechner, Stefan Heinrich
  • Patent number: 8302748
    Abstract: A multi-axis spring damping element includes two spring damping cushion members received between caps on a bolt shaft, and an axial adjustment mechanism at a free end of the bolt shaft. The other end of the bolt shaft is connected to a support structure, and a load to be supported in a vibration-damped manner is carried by intermediate caps between the two spring damping cushion members. A plurality of such spring damping elements forms a spring damping system, for example for supporting a payload-carrying pallet on a load platform of a spacecraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Astrium GmbH
    Inventors: Ingo Retat, Kiyoumars Abdoly, Horst Koehler, Wolfgang Tritsch
  • Patent number: 8291615
    Abstract: An inner sole structure for a sports shoe includes an upper sheet, a lower sheet below the upper sheet, and a wavy corrugated sheet interposed between the upper and lower sheets. The wavy corrugated sheet has at least two downwardly convex protrusions that form voids between the wavy corrugated sheet and the lower sheet, and that are in sliding contact with an upper surface of the lower sheet. The downwardly convex protrusions of the wavy corrugated sheet slide longitudinally along the lower sheet member when they are subjected to compressive deformation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Kenjiro Kita, Kazuhiko Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8274562
    Abstract: A camera for identifying soiling on a protective screen, such as a vehicle windscreen, is focused on a scene through the protective screen and can be used to identify soiling and for other applications, e.g. to identify driving lanes and/or objects in the scene. Soiling is identified merely by evaluating successively recorded image frames, and artificial reference frames or reference objects are not required. A prerequisite is that the relative speed vrel between the camera and at least one recorded object in the scene is not equal to zero and its trajectory in the image is predicted. By comparing the relevant image frame sections, possible soiling on subregions of the protective screen is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Walter, Matthias Zobel
  • Patent number: 8272094
    Abstract: A floor care disk for a floor care machine such as a floor polishing machine includes a floor care pad mounted on a drive plate. The drive plate includes a stiff disk element and tongue-like tabs connected flexibly to a radially outer portion or rim of the disk element, and extending radially inwardly toward a radially inner portion or hub of the disk element. The radially inner free ends of the tongue-like tabs are free to flexibly deflect away from the plane of the disk element. The pad is mounted on the tabs and on the radially outer portion of the disk element. During rotational operation of the floor care disk, due to the arising centrifugal force acting on the center of mass of the rotating pad and tongue-like tabs, the pad and the tongue-like tabs are flexibly deflected away from the disk element and toward the floor surface, thereby deflecting the pad into osculating contact with the floor surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Stein & Co. GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Stein, Bernd Falkenstein
  • Patent number: 8270676
    Abstract: A method for the automatic light control for a motor vehicle with a camera sensor for monitoring the environment in front of the motor vehicle is presented. With the camera sensor, an image sequence of the motor vehicle environment in front of the motor vehicle is recorded. The lane of the own motor vehicle is estimated from the image data. At least one evaluation window along the lane is set in the image, so that preceding and oncoming motor vehicles are recorded. Points of light in the image sequence are pursued (tracked). On the basis of the image data, the lights of other motor vehicles are detected, and the front headlights are controlled in such a manner that the drivers of other motor vehicles are not blinded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Heinrich, Thomas Fechner, Carlos Almeida, Dieter Kroekel
  • Patent number: 8254632
    Abstract: A method for detecting front headlights and tail lights of a motor vehicle uses a color camera sensor that has a plurality of red pixels, i.e. image points which are only sensitive in the red spectral range, and a plurality of pixels of other colors. In a first evaluation stage, only the intensity of the red pixels in the image is analyzed in order to select relevant points of light in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Heinrich, Reinhard Schuler
  • Patent number: 8219299
    Abstract: A method for regulating the velocity of a motor vehicle in a complex traffic situation is presented. The motor vehicle is equipped with a sensor system for recording the environment. In order to regulate the velocity, an at least partially covered object and/or at least one object on an adjacent lane is viewed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Robert Thiel
  • Patent number: 8218009
    Abstract: A method for detecting and categorizing points of light for a motor vehicle with a camera sensor directed towards the motor vehicle environment is presented. Here, at least one first category for passive, illumined reflectors and at least one second category for self-radiating, moving lights, in particular motor vehicle lights, is provided. For this purpose, the time progression of the intensity of a point of light is analysed. On the basis of the intensity fluctuation, points of light are categorized as motor vehicle lights or as reflectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: ADC Automotive Distance Control Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Heinrich, Thomas Fechner, Carlos Almeida
  • Patent number: 8215031
    Abstract: A sole structure 1 for a shoe comprises an upper sheet portion 2 disposed on the upper side of the sole structure, and a plurality of curved sheet portions 3 (31-35) that are provided on the lower surface of the upper sheet portion 2, that have downwardly convexedly curved portions 31-35, respectively, and that are disposed side by side and partially overlapped with each other in the longitudinal direction. Each of the curved sheet portions 31-35 has a first end A (A1-A5) and a second end B (B1-B5) on the opposite sides of each of the downwardly convexedly curved portions 31-35. The first end A of the curved sheet portion 3 is located on the front side of the sole structure 1 and fixed to the lower surface of the upper sheet portion 2. The second end B of the curved sheet portion 3 is located on the rear side of the sole structure 1 and fixed to the external surface of the adjacent curved sheet portion 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Mizuno Corporation
    Inventors: Takaya Kimura, Koji Ito, Natsuki Sato
  • Patent number: 8210055
    Abstract: A strain gage rosette for internal stress measurement on workpieces according to the bore hole method has at least three pairs of diametrically opposed measuring grids all at an equal radial spacing and in different directions radially about a centering mark. The two measuring grids of each diametrically opposed pair are circuit-connected or coupled with one another such that the measurement signals thereof are averaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Hottinger Baldwin Messtechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Sebastian Klein, Thomas Kleckers
  • Patent number: D662794
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Inventor: Florian Enghard
  • Patent number: D663038
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Inventor: Florian Enghard
  • Patent number: D664392
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Inventor: Florian Enghard
  • Patent number: D674110
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: DORNIER-LTF GmbH
    Inventors: Hubert Becher, Manuel Renz