Patents by Inventor Christian Holz

Christian Holz 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).

  • Publication number: 20240152212
    Abstract: The present invention relates to wearable device (1) adapted to detect contacts of fingers (F) on a surface (S), and to identify the responsible finger. It comprises move sensors adapted to collect the vibrations resulting from the contact of the fingers on a surface. It comprises a memory comprising reference vibration profiles (T), corresponding to the impact of at least one finger (F) of a user (U) to a surface (S). A computing unit (32) is configured allows to identify the finger responsible for the impact sensed by the move sensors (10, 10a, 10b). The invention further relates to a manufacturing process of such a device and to a method of sensing the contact of a finger on a surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: ETH Zürich
    Inventors: Christian Holz, Manuel Meier, Paul Streli, Andreas Fender
  • Publication number: 20240075643
    Abstract: A pipe cutting device includes a cutting element, a counter-holder, and a C-shaped working head. The counter-holder is formed by the working head and the cutting element protrudes into a C-opening. The working head merges into a foot part and the cutting element is accommodated in a displacement part. The displacement part is movably arranged with the cutting element in an offset part and/or the counter-holder has rollers, and each two rollers are mounted in pairs on a rocker part. A further pipe cutting device has an offset part and a counter-holder which are formed on a C-shaped working head, wherein the working head merges into a foot part which can also be used as a handle area, and the offset part can be offset relative to the foot part in order to change an opening width of the working head. In addition, the offset part has a cutting element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: March 7, 2024
    Applicant: KNIPEX-Werk C. Gustav Putsch KG
    Inventors: Andreas HEINSOHN, Christian HOLZ
  • Patent number: 11847261
    Abstract: A computer device is provided that includes a display device, and a sensor system configured to be mounted adjacent to a user's head and to measure an electrical potential near one or more electrodes of the sensor system. The computer device further includes a processor configured to present a periodic motion-based visual stimulus having a changing motion that is frequency-modulated for a target frequency or code-modulated for a target code, detect changes in the electrical potential via the one or more electrodes, identify a corresponding visual evoked potential feature in the detected changes in electrical potential that corresponds to the periodic motion-based visual stimulus, and recognize a user input to the computing device based on identifying the corresponding visual evoked potential feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew D. Wilson, Hakim Si Mohammed, Christian Holz, Adrian Kuo Ching Lee, Ivan Jelev Tashev, Hannes Gamper, Edward Bryan Cutrell, David Emerson Johnston, Dimitra Emmanouilidou, Mihai R. Jalobeanu
  • Patent number: 11750603
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for improving interactions with and between computers in an authentication system supported by or configured with personal computing devices, servers and/or platforms. The systems interact to identify and retrieve data across platforms, which data can be used to improve the quality of data used in processing interactions between or among processors in such systems. The disclosed systems and methods enable users to access web-based resources on a first device by authenticating themselves on a second device. A user can provide identifying information to a web-based resource on a first device, and as a result, the user receives a message at his/her already registered second device. The user then authenticates himself/herself on the second device by reusing the means of authentication that exist on the user's second device, which results in the user being granted entry to the web-based resource on the first device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventor: Christian Holz
  • Publication number: 20230263403
    Abstract: A sensor device is described herein. The sensor device includes a multi-dimensional optical sensor and processing circuitry, wherein the multi-dimensional optical sensor generates images and the processing circuitry is configured to output data that is indicative of hemodynamics of a user based upon the images. The sensor device is non-invasive, and is able to be incorporated into wearable devices, thereby allowing for continuous output of the data that is indicative of the hemodynamics of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: August 24, 2023
    Inventors: Christian HOLZ, Eyal OFEK, Michael J. SINCLAIR
  • Patent number: 11672429
    Abstract: A sensor device is described herein. The sensor device includes a multi-dimensional optical sensor and processing circuitry, wherein the multi-dimensional optical sensor generates images and the processing circuitry is configured to output data that is indicative of hemodynamics of a user based upon the images. The sensor device is non-invasive, and is able to be incorporated into wearable devices, thereby allowing for continuous output of the data that is indicative of the hemodynamics of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christian Holz, Eyal Ofek, Michael J. Sinclair
  • Patent number: 11580704
    Abstract: Various embodiments are provided herein for tracking a user's physical environment, to facilitate on-the-fly blending of a virtual environment with detected aspects of the physical environment. Embodiments can be employed to facilitate virtual roaming by compositing virtual representations of detected physical objects into virtual environments. A computing device coupled to a HMD can select portions of a depth map generated based on the user's physical environment, to generate virtual objects that correspond to the selected portions. The computing device can composite the generated virtual objects into an existing virtual environment, such that the user can traverse the virtual environment while remaining aware of their physical environment. Among other things, the computing device can employ various blending techniques for compositing, and further provide image pass-through techniques for selective viewing of the physical environment while remaining fully-immersed in virtual reality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew D. Wilson, Christian Holz, Eyal Ofek, Jeremy Hartmann
  • Publication number: 20220396106
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device, which can be mounted on the rear end of a motor vehicle body, for coupling a trailer or a load carrier unit, comprising a holding arm, which at a first end is fixedly connected to the motor vehicle body during operation and which, at a second end, is configured to support a coupling element, wherein the holding arm is provided with a sensor arrangement with at least three deformation sensors, and wherein the at least three deformation sensors deliver sensor values, on the basis of which at least one force component is determined by means of an evaluation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: ACPS Automotive GmbH
    Inventor: Christian HOLZ
  • Publication number: 20220365599
    Abstract: A computer device is provided that includes a display device, and a sensor system configured to be mounted adjacent to a user's head and to measure an electrical potential near one or more electrodes of the sensor system. The computer device further includes a processor configured to present a periodic motion-based visual stimulus having a changing motion that is frequency-modulated for a target frequency or code-modulated for a target code, detect changes in the electrical potential via the one or more electrodes, identify a corresponding visual evoked potential feature in the detected changes in electrical potential that corresponds to the periodic motion-based visual stimulus, and recognize a user input to the computing device based on identifying the corresponding visual evoked potential feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew D. WILSON, Hakim SI MOHAMMED, Christian HOLZ, Adrian Kuo Ching LEE, Ivan Jelev TASHEV, Hannes GAMPER, Edward Bryan CUTRELL, David Emerson JOHNSTON, Dimitra EMMANOUILIDOU, Mihai R. JALOBEANU
  • Patent number: 11497367
    Abstract: A floor processing device has a floor processing element, a detection device for detecting a surface parameter of the floor surface, and a data processing device. The data processing device has a data memory, which stores a recommended use belonging to a surface parameter of the floor surface for using a specific floor processing element. The data processing device retrieves the recommended use from the data memory and transmits it to a user via an interface. The data processing device compares the size of a first surface area that has a first surface parameter with the size of the remaining surface areas of the environment, which have a surface parameter that deviates from the first surface parameter, and retrieves the recommended use from the data memory corresponding to the surface parameter that corresponds to the largest surface portion from the entirety of the surface areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Holz
  • Patent number: 11484170
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a system consisting of a first floor treatment apparatus that is exclusively guided manually within an environment by a user and a second floor treatment apparatus that is exclusively operated automatically, wherein the second floor treatment apparatus is designed for orienting and localizing itself within an environment. The first floor treatment apparatus is designed for detecting a movement path of the first floor treatment apparatus during a movement of the first floor treatment apparatus that is manually guided by a user, as well as for transmitting information on the detected movement path to the second floor treatment apparatus by means of wireless communication. The second floor treatment apparatus is designed for receiving the information and for autonomously traveling along the movement path within the environment based on the received information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: VORWERK & CO. INTERHOLDING GMBH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Arnold, Thomas Buening, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas Van Teeffelen, Uwe Kemker, Georg Hackert
  • Patent number: 11460859
    Abstract: A system has a first floor processing device guided manually by a user within an environment, a second, exclusively automatically operated floor processing device, and a computing device. The first floor processing device has a detection device for detecting a parameter of the environment and/or a surface to be processed, and the second floor processing device has a navigation device for navigating and self-localizing in the environment. In order to enable an optimal floor processing of the environment with as little assistance by the user as possible, the computing device is set up, based on the parameter detected by the detection device of the first floor processing device, to determine whether a specific partial surface area of the surface to be processed is suitable for floor processing by the second floor processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Arnold, Thomas Buening, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas Van Teeffelen, Uwe Kemker, Georg Hackert
  • Patent number: 11409361
    Abstract: A computer device is provided that includes a display device, and a sensor system configured to be mounted adjacent to a user's head and to measure an electrical potential near one or more electrodes of the sensor system. The computer device further includes a processor configured to present a periodic motion-based visual stimulus having a changing motion that is frequency-modulated for a target frequency or code-modulated for a target code, detect changes in the electrical potential via the one or more electrodes, identify a corresponding visual evoked potential feature in the detected changes in electrical potential that corresponds to the periodic motion-based visual stimulus, and recognize a user input to the computing device based on identifying the corresponding visual evoked potential feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew D. Wilson, Hakim Si Mohammed, Christian Holz, Adrian Kuo Ching Lee, Ivan Jelev Tashev, Hannes Gamper, Edward Bryan Cutrell, David Emerson Johnston, Dimitra Emmanouilidou, Mihai R. Jalobeanu
  • Patent number: 11397437
    Abstract: A system with a first floor processing device and a second floor processing device that is designed to orient and localize itself within an environment based on an area map. The first floor processing device is set up to detect a movement path during a movement by the first floor processing device and transmit information about the detected movement path to the second floor processing device. The second floor processing device has a control and evaluation unit that is set up to analyze the received information and, based upon the movement path detected by the first floor processing device and/or a partial area of the environment not traversed by the movement path, enter a no-go area into the area map which the second floor processing device is not allowed to traverse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Arnold, Thomas Buening, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas Van Teeffelen, Uwe Kemker, Georg Hackert
  • Patent number: 11379054
    Abstract: A virtual reality system is described herein. The virtual reality system includes a cane controller and a computing system. The cane controller comprises a rod, a sensor, and a brake mechanism, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a signal that is indicative of position, direction of movement, and velocity of the rod, and wherein the brake mechanism is configured to apply a force to the rod. The computing system receives the signal, computes a position, direction of movement, and velocity of a virtual rod in a virtual space, and outputs a control signal to the brake mechanism based upon such computation. The brake mechanism applies the force to the rod in a direction and with a magnitude indicated in the control signal, thereby preventing the user from causing the virtual rod to penetrate a virtual barrier in the virtual space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Edward Cutrell, Christian Holz, Hrvoje Benko, Michael J. Sinclair, Meredith June Morris, Yuhang Zhao, Cynthia Lynn Bennett
  • Patent number: 11357372
    Abstract: A vacuumed material collection station for receiving vacuumed material from a vacuum cleaning apparatus includes a vacuumed material collection container and an interface for connecting the vacuum cleaning apparatus to the vacuumed material collection station. The vacuumed material collection station comprises a receptacle space for receiving a filter chamber of a vacuum cleaning apparatus connected to the vacuumed material collection station and a feed device for feeding the filter chamber into the receptacle space. The receptacle space is designed for completely encompassing the filter chamber and/or at the most not encompassing a chamber side facing the interface with the vacuum cleaning apparatus. The receptacle space forms a partial volume within the housing of the vacuumed material collection station, and the feed device is designed for removing the filter chamber from the vacuum cleaning apparatus and displacing the filter chamber into the receptacle space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Buening, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas Van Teeffelen, Georg Hackert
  • Patent number: 11357373
    Abstract: A suction material collecting station for regenerating a filter chamber of a suction cleaner has an interface for connecting to the suction cleaner, a suction material collection container, a fan for generating a negative pressure in the suction material collection container, and an electric motor for driving the fan so that suction material contained in the filter chamber may be conveyed into the suction material collection container. The suction material collecting station has a control and evaluation unit that calculates a surroundings disturbance parameter and controls the operation of the electric motor automatically, depending on the surroundings disturbance parameter and a device parameter of the suction cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Buening, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas Van Teeffelen, Georg Hackert
  • Patent number: 11322948
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system with a household appliance, a charging station and a plurality of battery units. A control of the system is configured so that a battery unit connected to the charging station can be charged in dependence on a discharge of a battery unit which is connected to the household appliance for operating the household appliance to perform a use operation. The present disclosure further concerns a household appliance and a charging station. It is thereby made possible to perform particularly long use operations with only two battery units or at least a reduced number of battery units without an interruption for charging a battery, and at the same time to achieve the longest possible service life of the battery units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Arnold, Thomas Büning, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas van Teeffelen, Georg Hackert
  • Publication number: 20220100278
    Abstract: The present concepts relate to haptic controllers. In one example the haptic controller can include first and second capstans rotationally secured to a base and an energy storage mechanism connected between the first and second capstans. The example haptic controller can also include a user engagement assembly secured to the first capstan and a controller configured to control rotational forces imparted on the user engagement assembly by controlling rotational friction experienced by the first and second capstans.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Jack SINCLAIR, Mar GONZALEZ FRANCO, Christian HOLZ, Eyal OFEK
  • Patent number: 11287833
    Abstract: A floor processing device automatically moves within an environment, with a driving attachment, a floor processing unit, an obstacle detection unit, a control unit and a detection unit for detecting device parameters and/or environment parameters control unit is set up to determine an error of the floor processing device based upon the detected parameters that prevents the floor processing device from moving and/or the floor processing device from processing a surface to be processed in such a way that the floor processing device is unable to automatically extricate itself from the error situation. The control unite is set up to analyze the parameters detected by the detection unit with respect to recurring patterns that have a repeatedly encountered combination of an error and at least one chronologically preceding environment and/or device parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Vorwerk & Co. Interholding GmbH
    Inventors: Hans-Peter Arnold, Thomas Buening, Benjamin Fleczok, Robert Frielinghaus, Martin Helmich, Lorenz Hillen, Christian Holz, Gerhard Isenberg, Andrej Mosebach, Roman Ortmann, Kevin Schmitz, Fabian Vitz, Niklas Van Teeffelen, Uwe Kemker