Patents by Inventor Bernd Steegmann

Bernd Steegmann 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: 9045110
    Abstract: A portable identification transmitter for a passive access system of a motor vehicle includes an electrical buffer store which is coupled to an LF circuit assembly in order to charge the electrical buffer store via an energy draw from electromagnetic fields coupled in via LF antennas. Also included is an electronic switching device which can decouple a battery from a microcontroller of the passive access system. The microcontroller and the LF circuit assembly are coupled to the buffer store so that when the buffer store is charged beyond a specified charging level, the open electronic switching device can be activated to couple the battery to the microcomputer via the microcontroller while energy is supplied to the microcontroller from the buffer store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: HUF HUELSBECK & FUERST GMBH & CO.
    Inventors: Bernd Steegmann, Boris Ziller
  • Publication number: 20150008263
    Abstract: A portable identification transmitter for a passive access system of a motor vehicle includes an electrical buffer store which is coupled to an LF circuit assembly in order to charge the electrical buffer store via an energy draw from electromagnetic fields coupled in via LF antennas. Also included is an electronic switching device which can decouple a battery from a microcontroller of the passive access system. The microcontroller and the LF circuit assembly are coupled to the buffer store so that when the buffer store is charged beyond a specified charging level, the open electronic switching device can be activated to couple the battery to the microcomputer via the microcontroller while energy is supplied to the microcontroller from the buffer store.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2013
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: HUF HUELSBECK & FUERST GMBH & CO.
    Inventors: Bernd Steegmann, Boris Ziller
  • Publication number: 20100052849
    Abstract: The invention relates to a switching device (1) for the keyless activation or deactivation of a consumer, especially an engine or the like in a vehicle, and/or for unlocking or locking a functionally essential component of a vehicle. Said device comprises at least one switching element (3), arranged inside a housing (2), which can be actuated by an actuation element (4), thereby generating at least one switching signal for the control unit (10). The aim of the invention is to provide a switching device which consists of only few components and which is incorporated into a keyless security system in a simple manner. For this purpose, an electrode (5) is provided on the housing (2) and is connected to the control unit (10). Said electrode (5) transmits data to a mobile ID transmitter (13) and the electrode (5) allows data being transmitted to a mobile ID transmitter (13) via a capacitative coupling (32, 34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: HUF HULSBECK & FURST GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: Bernd Steegmann, Ulrich Muller
  • Patent number: 7446645
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for operating electrical or electromechanical devices (10) in a vehicle, whereby a sensor (40) is used, operating on proximity or contact. According to the invention, the device can distinguish whether operation of the sensor (40) is actually carried out by a human hand, or by erroneous objects, whereby, in an initial adjustment phase, the device records at least one set of data for each signal and stores the same in a memory, which occur at at least some defined timepoints during the signal time course of the corresponding sensor (40). A set of operationally-typical valid data and/or a set of error-typical invalid data is thus obtained. During the subsequent operational phase for the device, an actual data set of analogue signals for the corresponding sensor (40) is recorded during the time course at the same defined timepoints as for the adjustment phase. Said actual data set is compared by a controller with at least one of the stored data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Huf Hülsbeck & Fürst GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Bernd Steegmann, Martin Witte
  • Publication number: 20070247275
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for operating electrical or electromechanical devices (10) in a vehicle, whereby a sensor (40) is used, operating on proximity or contact. According to the invention, the device can distinguish whether operation of the sensor (40) is actually carried out by a human hand, or by erroneous objects, whereby, in an initial adjustment phase, the device records at least one set of data for each signal and stores the same in a memory, which occur at least some defined timepoints during the signal time course of the corresponding sensor (40). A set of operationally-typical valid data and/or a set of error-typical invalid data is thus obtained. During the subsequent operational phase for the device, an actual data set of analogue signals for the corresponding sensor (40) is recorded during the time course at the same defined timepoints as for the adjustment phase. Said actual data set is compared by a controller with at least one of the stored data sets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Publication date: October 25, 2007
    Inventors: Bernd Steegmann, Martin Witte
  • Patent number: 7205777
    Abstract: A capacitive proximity switch for detecting the change in the capacitance relative to a setpoint capacitance by the approach or retreat of an object in the sensitive area of a proximity switch, especially for use in the door handle of a motor vehicle, provides reliable error detection and error suppression at a fundamentally high sensitivity of the capacitive proximity switch by utilizing an evaluation unit that evaluates a measured value of the change in capacitance over time and depending on the time behavior of the measured value activates changes the operating threshold from a first threshold (which can be caused by a false object coming into or out of the sensitive area of the proximity switch) to a higher second threshold which can be reached only at a relatively greater change in capacitance caused by a target object coming into or out of the sensitive area of the proximity switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignees: i f m electronic GmbH, Huf Huelsbeck & Fuerst GmbH & Co., KG
    Inventors: Joerg Schulz, Gerhard Heilig, Heidrun Richter, Bernd Steegmann, Martin Witte, Gianni Uselli
  • Publication number: 20050068712
    Abstract: A capacitive proximity switch for detecting the change in the capacitance relative to a setpoint capacitance by the approach or retreat of an object in the sensitive area of a proximity switch, especially for use in the door handle of a motor vehicle, provides reliable error detection and error suppression at a fundamentally high sensitivity of the capacitive proximity switch by utilizing an evaluation unit that evaluates a measured value of the change in capacitance over time and depending on the time behavior of the measured value activates changes the operating threshold from a first threshold (which can be caused by a false object coming into or out of the sensitive area of the proximity switch) to a higher second threshold which can be reached only at a relatively greater change in capacitance caused by a target object coming into or out of the sensitive area of the proximity switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Publication date: March 31, 2005
    Applicants: i f m Electronic gmbh, Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co., KG
    Inventors: Joerg Schulz, Gerhard Heilig, Heidrun Richter, Bernd Steegmann, Martin Witte, Gianni Uselli