Patents by Inventor Alain Fontanet

Alain Fontanet has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9835475
    Abstract: An inductive sensor for measuring the position of a shaft of a vehicle in a first direction (X) and a second direction (Y), from a target mounted on the shaft. The sensor (20) includes a printed circuit board (21) including at least one first receiving coil (23), at least one second receiving coil (24) and at least one transmitting coil (22) surrounding the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil. The first receiving coil and the second receiving coil each include a plurality of N portions (23A, 23B, 23C, 24A, 24B, 24C) that are electrically connected to one another and are disposed side by side on the printed circuit in the second direction, each portion extending on the printed circuit in the first direction in such a way as to determine the position of the target both in the first direction and in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Olivier Gerardiere, Alain Fontanet
  • Publication number: 20170336192
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear inductive sensor having, on the one hand, a fixed part of transformer type with a primary circuit and at least two secondary circuits, the primary circuit being flowed through by a high-frequency alternating current capable of inducing an electrical voltage in each of the at least two secondary circuits and, on the other hand, a moving part with a target intended to be fixed on a mechanical component executing a movement in rotation about an axis, which the inductive sensor measures angularly. The target is a metal spiral carried by a circular face of a ring having a central recess, the ring being intended to be fixed on the component while being concentric therewith, the spiral projecting axially from the ring while making at least one revolution around and moving away from the recess.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 23, 2017
    Inventors: Andreas MOSER, Alain FONTANET, Simon-Didier VENZAL
  • Patent number: 9671477
    Abstract: An inductive sensor (100) for a motor vehicle, includes: a field coil (101) designed to form an electromagnetic field, a coil (103) for measuring a magnetic field and designed to provide an output signal representative of the position of a metal target (102) in the magnetic field formed by the field coil (101), and at least two electric circuits (111) connected simultaneously in parallel to the terminals of the field coil (101), each electric circuit (111) including an inverter element (112) and a capacitive element (113), and forming, together with the field coil (101) an electric oscillator (110) designed to form an AC voltage at the terminals of the field coil (10) via electric resonance, the electric oscillators (110) being of the same resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Bertrand Vaysse, Alain Fontanet, Jeremie Blanc, Jean-Louis Roux
  • Patent number: 9652916
    Abstract: A device (D?) for detecting the presence of a user includes: an electrode (12?), electrode control elements (13), and a low frequency antenna (11). The electrode (12?) is formed by a plurality of structural units (MA . . . MI), each structural unit (MA . . . MI) including: a conductive segment (A . . . I) defined by dimensions (Lx, lx, ex) and electrically connected at least to a conductive connection (CXY) defined by a position of connection with respect to the conductive segment (A . . . I). The structural units (MA . . . MI) are electrically interconnected by the conductive connections (CXY). At least two consecutive structural units (MA . . . MI) differ by: the dimensions (Lx, lx, ex) of the conductive segment (A . . . I) and/or the position of the conductive connection (CXY).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Alain Fontanet, Xavier Hourne, Cyril Robin
  • Publication number: 20160146637
    Abstract: An inductive sensor for measuring the position of a shaft of a vehicle in a first direction (X) and a second direction (Y), from a target mounted on the shaft. The sensor (20) includes a printed circuit board (21) including at least one first receiving coil (23), at least one second receiving coil (24) and at least one transmitting coil (22) surrounding the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil. The first receiving coil and the second receiving coil each include a plurality of N portions (23A, 23B, 23C, 24A, 24B, 24C) that are electrically connected to one another and are disposed side by side on the printed circuit in the second direction, each portion extending on the printed circuit in the first direction in such a way as to determine the position of the target both in the first direction and in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Publication date: May 26, 2016
    Inventors: Olivier GERARDIERE, Alain FONTANET
  • Patent number: 9322636
    Abstract: An inductive sensor includes a primary winding, two secondary windings and a moveable target, the primary winding being centered about a central axis and carrying a high-frequency alternating current which can induce a voltage in secondary windings, the secondary windings also being centered about the central axis and made up of a number k of substantially identical loops, which are successively crossed and arranged opposite the primary winding. In this case, the target is made up of a part having p=1 angular sector with an angular opening. The opening of the angular sector of the target is less than that of a loop of secondary winding with a deviation calculated such as to eliminate the fourth harmonic of the linearity deviation Fourier decomposition, between the measured angular value and real angular value for the position of the target over the measurement course.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventor: Alain Fontanet
  • Patent number: 9228823
    Abstract: This inductive position sensor includes: a primary winding, and at least two secondary windings (4, 6) each constituted by several turns (8) produced on two layers of a printed circuit board. A secondary winding has turns (8) each having substantially the same shape, aligned in a direction referred to as longitudinal, each time with an offset between them. The turns (8) each have a first globally concave part (12) disposed on one layer of the printed circuit board and a second globally concave part (14) disposed on the other layer of the printed circuit board, the first part of a turn is connected to the second part of the same turn by a first via (36a) passing through the printed circuit board, the first part of a turn is connected to the second part of an adjacent turn by a second via (36b) passing through the printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Alain Fontanet, Jean-Louis Roux, Olivier Gerardiere
  • Patent number: 9121728
    Abstract: A device for measuring the position of a target includes a track, which includes a primary winding (513) supplied with an alternating current at high frequency, and a plurality of secondary windings (511, 512). The device measures the position of the leading edge (510) of the target (500) in a so-called longitudinal direction (5000) between a first position and a second position between which the target (500) completely covers the track (550). Surprisingly, this configuration enables a very significant increase in the useful measurement length of such a track (550).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignees: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
    Inventors: Bertrand Vaysse, Jérémie Blanc, Alain Fontanet, Jean-Louis Roux
  • Publication number: 20150054617
    Abstract: A device (D?) for detecting the presence of a user includes: an electrode (12?), electrode control elements (13), and a low frequency antenna (11). The electrode (12?) is formed by a plurality of structural units (MA . . . MI), each structural unit (MA . . . MI) including: a conductive segment (A . . . I) defined by dimensions (Lx, lx, ex) and electrically connected at least to a conductive connection (CXY) defined by a position of connection with respect to the conductive segment (A . . . I). The structural units (MA . . . MI) are electrically interconnected by the conductive connections (CXY). At least two consecutive structural units (MA . . . MI) differ by: the dimensions (Lx, lx, ex) of the conductive segment (A . . . I) and/or the position of the conductive connection (CXY).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicants: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GmbH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventors: Alain FONTANET, Xavier HOURNE, Cyril ROBIN
  • Publication number: 20140225600
    Abstract: This inductive position sensor includes: a primary winding, and at least two secondary windings (4, 6) each constituted by several turns (8) produced on two layers of a printed circuit board. A secondary winding has turns (8) each having substantially the same shape, aligned in a direction referred to as longitudinal, each time with an offset between them. The turns (8) each have a first globally concave part (12) disposed on one layer of the printed circuit board and a second globally concave part (14) disposed on the other layer of the printed circuit board, the first part of a turn is connected to the second part of the same turn by a first via (36a) passing through the printed circuit board, the first part of a turn is connected to the second part of an adjacent turn by a second via (36b) passing through the printed circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicants: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GmbH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventors: Alain FONTANET, Jean-Louis ROUX, Olivier GERARDIERE
  • Publication number: 20140167788
    Abstract: An inductive sensor includes a primary winding, two secondary windings and a moveable target, the primary winding being centered about a central axis and carrying a high-frequency alternating current which can induce a voltage in secondary windings, the secondary windings also being centered about the central axis and made up of a number k of substantially identical loops, which are successively crossed and arranged opposite the primary winding. In this case, the target is made up of a part having p=1 angular sector with an angular opening. The opening of the angular sector of the target is less than that of a loop of secondary winding with a deviation calculated such as to eliminate the fourth harmonic of the linearity deviation Fourier decomposition, between the measured angular value and real angular value for the position of the target over the measurement course.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicants: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GmbH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventor: Alain FONTANET
  • Publication number: 20140139217
    Abstract: An inductive sensor (100) for a motor vehicle, includes: a field coil (101) designed to form an electromagnetic field, a coil (103) for measuring a magnetic field and designed to provide an output signal representative of the position of a metal target (102) in the magnetic field formed by the field coil (101), and at least two electric circuits (111) connected simultaneously in parallel to the terminals of the field coil (101), each electric circuit (111) including an inverter element (112) and a capacitive element (113), and forming, together with the field coil (101) an electric oscillator (110) designed to form an AC voltage at the terminals of the field coil (10) via electric resonance, the electric oscillators (110) being of the same resonance frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicants: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GmbH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventors: Bertrand VAYSSE, Alain FONTANET, Jeremie BLANC, Jean-Louis ROUX
  • Publication number: 20120223701
    Abstract: A device for measuring the position of a target includes a track, which includes a primary winding (513) supplied with an alternating current at high frequency, and a plurality of secondary windings (511, 512). The device measures the position of the leading edge (510) of the target (500) in a so-called longitudinal direction (5000) between a first position and a second position between which the target (500) completely covers the track (550). Surprisingly, this configuration enables a very significant increase in the useful measurement length of such a track (550).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Applicants: CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH, CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE FRANCE
    Inventors: Bertrand Vaysse, Jérémie Blanc, Alain Fontanet, Jean-Louis Roux