Patents by Inventor Drago Strle

Drago Strle 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: 10820091
    Abstract: A method for operating a piezoelectric speaker for generating sound waves in the audible wavelength spectrum and/or in the ultrasonic range includes at least partially charging a piezo actuator of the piezoelectric speaker with electrical energy of an energy unit and then at least partially discharging the piezo actuator. The method also includes determining at least one present electrical piezo actuator voltage of the piezo actuator. A future input voltage for the piezo actuator is compared with the present electrical piezo actuator voltage prior to charging and/or discharging, and a future differential voltage is derived therefrom. Furthermore, an embodiment of the method can include returning a part of the energy needed to charge the piezo actuator to the energy unit during discharging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: USOUND GMBH
    Inventors: Andrea Rusconi Clerici Beltrami, Ferruccio Bottoni, Drago Strle
  • Patent number: 10812905
    Abstract: A device and a method for audio signal processing for a piezoelectric speaker for generating sound waves in the audible wavelength spectrum includes a signal input for a digital audio signal, a digital correction unit for correcting a nonlinearity of the speaker, a digital PWM generator that converts the signal corrected by the correction unit into a pulse-width modulated switch signal, a power stage controllable by the switch signal such that the speaker can be charged with a voltage for deflecting a membrane, and a closed-loop control circuit that feeds the voltage back as a feedback signal, which includes a first signal noise in the audible frequency range. The closed-loop control circuit of the device includes a noise shaping unit in that shifts a noise energy of the first signal noise outside of the audible frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: USOUND GMBH
    Inventors: Andrea Rusconi Clerici Beltrami, Ferruccio Bottoni, Drago Strle
  • Publication number: 20200021914
    Abstract: A device and a method for audio signal processing for a piezoelectric speaker for generating sound waves in the audible wavelength spectrum includes a signal input for a digital audio signal, a digital correction unit for correcting a nonlinearity of the speaker, a digital PWM generator that converts the signal corrected by the correction unit into a pulse-width modulated switch signal, a power stage controllable by the switch signal such that the speaker can be charged with a voltage for deflecting a membrane, and a closed-loop control circuit that feeds the voltage back as a feedback signal, which includes a first signal noise in the audible frequency range. The closed-loop control circuit of the device includes a noise shaping unit in that shifts a noise energy of the first signal noise outside of the audible frequency range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Andrea Rusconi Clerici Beltrami, Ferruccio Bottoni, Drago Strle
  • Publication number: 20190268689
    Abstract: A method for operating a piezoelectric speaker for generating sound waves in the audible wavelength spectrum and/or in the ultrasonic range includes at least partially charging a piezo actuator of the piezoelectric speaker with electrical energy of an energy unit and then at least partially discharging the piezo actuator. The method also includes determining at least one present electrical piezo actuator voltage of the piezo actuator. A future input voltage for the piezo actuator is compared with the present electrical piezo actuator voltage prior to charging and/or discharging, and a future differential voltage is derived therefrom. Furthermore, an embodiment of the method can include returning a part of the energy needed to charge the piezo actuator to the energy unit during discharging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Andrea Rusconi Clerici Beltrami, Ferruccio Bottoni, Drago Strle
  • Patent number: 8042393
    Abstract: An arrangement for measuring a rate of rotation using a vibration sensor, being excited and measured by means of capacitive drive elements, and the rotation of said sensor in an axis, excited by a rotation in another axis by means of the Coriolis force, being measured by means of capacitive measuring elements. Excitation voltages can be supplied to the fixed electrodes of the drive elements, the frequency of said voltages corresponding to the resonance frequency or the subharmonic of the resonance frequency of the vibration sensor. An alternating voltage having a first measuring frequency which is higher than the excitation frequency can be supplied to capacitive elements for measuring the excited vibration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH, SensorDynamics AG
    Inventors: Lothar Gier, Volker Kempe, Drago Strle
  • Publication number: 20100011857
    Abstract: An arrangement for measuring a rate of rotation using a vibration sensor, being excited and measured by means of capacitive drive elements, and the rotation of said sensor in an axis, excited by a rotation in another axis by means of the Coriolis force, being measured by means of capacitive measuring elements. Excitation voltages can be supplied to the fixed electrodes of the drive elements, the frequency of said voltages corresponding to the resonance frequency or the subharmonic of the resonance frequency of the vibration sensor. An alternating voltage having a first measuring frequency which is higher than the excitation frequency can be supplied to capacitive elements for measuring the excited vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Inventors: Lothar Gier, Volker Kempe, Drago Strle