Patents by Inventor Gerhard Schmidt

Gerhard Schmidt 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: 20150056788
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first surface, a contact electrode arranged on the first surface, and a passivation layer on the first surface adjacent the contact electrode. The passivation layer includes a layer stack with an amorphous semi-insulating layer on the first surface, a first nitride layer on the amorphous semi-insulating layer, and a second nitride layer on the first nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Josef-Georg Bauer, Carsten Schaeffer, Oliver Humbel, Angelika Koprowski, Sirinpa Monayakul
  • Publication number: 20150014815
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method for forming a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body including a diode-structure with a pn-junction, and an edge-termination structure arranged in a peripheral area of the semiconductor body. The edge-termination structure includes an insulating region partially arranged in the semiconductor body adjacent the pn-junction and a semi-insulating region arranged on the insulating region and spaced apart from the semiconductor body. The semi-insulating region forms a resistor connected in parallel with the diode-structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Daniel Schloegl
  • Publication number: 20150001719
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body, having an active zone and a high voltage peripheral zone laterally adjacent to each other, the high voltage peripheral zone laterally surrounding the active zone. The device further includes a metallization layer on a front surface of the semiconductor body and connected to the active zone, a first barrier layer, comprising a high-melting metal or a high-melting alloy, between the active zone and the metallization layer, and a second barrier layer covering at least a part of the peripheral zone, the second barrier layer comprising an amorphous semi-isolating material. The first barrier layer and the second barrier layer partially overlap and form an overlap zone. The overlap zone extends over an entire circumference of the active zone. A method for producing such a power semiconductor device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Matthias Müller, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Daniel Schlögl
  • Patent number: 8884378
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method for forming a semiconductor device are provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region spaced apart from each other. A first metallization is in contact with the first semiconductor region. A second metallization is in contact with the second semiconductor region. An insulating region extends between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region. A semi-insulating region having a resistivity of about 103 Ohm cm to about 1014 Ohm cm is arranged on the insulating region and forms a resistor between the first metallization and the second metallization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Daniel Schloegl
  • Patent number: 8884342
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first surface, a contact electrode arranged on the first surface, and a passivation layer on the first surface adjacent the contact electrode. The passivation layer includes a layer stack with an amorphous semi-insulating layer on the first surface, a first nitride layer on the amorphous semi-insulating layer, and a second nitride layer on the first nitride layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Josef-Georg Bauer, Carsten Schaeffer, Oliver Humbel, Angelika Koprowski, Sirinpa Monayakul
  • Patent number: 8845225
    Abstract: A fastening arrangement for a wall-supported and floor-supported element of an interior fitting on the side wall of a rail vehicle is provided. A C-section rail is arranged on the side wall for receiving sliding blocks to which the element is releasably screwed. The element is provided with a shaped part which at least partially encompasses the C-section rail and extends in the longitudinal direction of the C-section rail. The shaped part is supported on at least both of its ends on the outside of the C-section rail for absorbing vertical loads and moments, and, for absorbing the longitudinal and transverse forces acting on the shaped part, the shaped part is connected to at least one sliding block which is arranged between both ends of the shaped part in the C-section rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Klaus Stoll
  • Patent number: 8849656
    Abstract: A system enhances speech by detecting a speaker's utterance through a first microphone positioned a first distance from a source of interference. A second microphone may detect the speaker's utterance at a different position. A monitoring device may estimate the power level of a first microphone signal. A synthesizer may synthesize part of the first microphone signal by processing the second microphone signal. The synthesis may occur when power level is below a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Mohamed Krini
  • Patent number: 8809949
    Abstract: Disclosed is a semiconductor component, including: a drift zone arranged between a first and a second connection zone; a channel control layer of an amorphous semi-insulating material arranged adjacent to the drift zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20140217562
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an active device region disposed in the semiconductor substrate, an edge termination region spaced laterally outward from the active device region in the semiconductor substrate, and first and second trenches. The first trench is disposed in the edge termination region and has an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall and a bottom, the inner sidewall being spaced closer to the active device region than the outer sidewall. The second trench is spaced laterally outward from the first trench in the edge termination region, and extends further into the semiconductor substrate than the first trench and has a sidewall which outwardly faces the outer sidewall of the first trench and is doped opposite as the inner sidewall and bottom of the first trench.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8787560
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for determining a set of filter coefficients for an acoustic echo compensator in a beamformer arrangement. The acoustic echo compensator compensates for echoes within the beamformed signal. A plurality of sets of filter coefficients for the acoustic echo compensator is provided. Each set of filter coefficients corresponds to one of a predetermined number of steering directions of the beamformer arrangement. The predetermined number of steering directions is equal to or greater than the number of microphones in the microphone array. For a current steering direction, a current set of filter coefficients for the acoustic echo compensator is determined based on the provided sets of filter coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Markus Buck, Gerhard Schmidt, Tobias Wolff
  • Patent number: 8759935
    Abstract: A power semiconductor device includes an active device region disposed in a semiconductor substrate, an edge termination region disposed in the semiconductor substrate between the active device region and a lateral edge of the semiconductor substrate and a trench disposed in the edge termination region which extends from a first surface of the semiconductor substrate toward a second opposing surface of the semiconductor substrate. The trench has an inner sidewall, an outer sidewall and a bottom. The inner sidewall is spaced further from the lateral edge of the semiconductor substrate than the outer sidewall, and an upper portion of the outer sidewall is doped opposite as the inner sidewall and bottom of the trench to increase the blocking voltage capacity. Other structures can be provided which yield a high blocking voltage capacity such as a second trench or a region of chalcogen dopant atoms disposed in the edge termination region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8757068
    Abstract: A device connects a table for groups of seats arranged transversely with respect to the direction of travel to the side wall of a vehicle with an upright supporting structure disposed below the table top in the vicinity of the side wall and the lower end is fastened to the side wall and the upper end is fastened to the table top. The supporting structure for the table top is stable and reduces the risk of injury to passengers during collisions without any loss in comfort. The supporting structure has two flexurally rigid posts arranged upright at a distance from each other in the longitudinal direction and have buckling points spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the posts and have defined buckling axes which, when a force acting on the table is exceeded, permit an elastic yielding of the table in the direction of the force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20140167143
    Abstract: A semiconductor body has a first side, second side, lateral edge, active area, edge termination between the active area and the lateral edge, and drift region of a first conductivity type. The edge termination includes a step formed in the semiconductor body between the first side and the lateral edge. The step includes a lateral surface extending up to the first side and a bottom surface extending up to the lateral edge. A first doping zone of a second conductivity type is formed in the semiconductor body along the lateral surface of the step and forms a pn-junction with the drift region. A second doping zone of the first conductivity type is formed in the semiconductor body at least along a part of the bottom surface of the step and extends up to the lateral edge, wherein the second doping zone is in contact with the drift region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8748317
    Abstract: A dielectric layer is deposited on a working surface of a substrate, wherein the dielectric layer contains or consists of a dielectric polymer. The dielectric layer is partially cured. A portion of the partially cured dielectric layer is removed using a chemical mechanical polishing process. Then the curing of remnant portions of the partially cured dielectric layer is continued to form a dielectric structure. The partially cured dielectric layer shows high removal rates during chemical mechanical polishing. With remnant portions of the dielectric layer provided in cavities, high volume insulating structures can be provided in an efficient manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Daniel Schloegl, Marcella Johanna Hartl, Philipp Sebastian Koch, Roland Strasser
  • Patent number: 8735981
    Abstract: Disclosed is a transistor component having a control structure with a channel control layer of an amorphous semiconductor insulating material extending in a current flow direction along a channel zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8710615
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate and an amorphous semi-insulating layer on the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventor: Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8705753
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for processing sound signals in a vehicle multimedia system. A sound signal is recorded by a microphone. A voice signal component resulting from reproducing a voice signal and an audio signal component resulting from reproducing an audio signal are compensated in the recorded sound signal. The invention further relates to a system for processing sound signals and a vehicle multimedia system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Haulick, Viola Hoff, Gerhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 8675890
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for localizing a sound source, in particular, a human speaker, comprising detecting sound generated by the sound source by means of a microphone array comprising more than two microphones and obtaining microphone signals, one for each of the microphones, selecting from the microphone signals a pair of microphone signals for a predetermined frequency range based on the distance of the microphones to each other and estimating the angle of the inci-dence of the sound on the microphone array based on the selected pair of micro-phone signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Tobias Wolff, Markus Buck, Olga González Valbuena, Günther Wirsching
  • Publication number: 20140061733
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body with a first surface, a contact electrode arranged on the first surface, and a passivation layer on the first surface adjacent the contact electrode. The passivation layer includes a layer stack with an amorphous semi-insulating layer on the first surface, a first nitride layer on the amorphous semi-insulating layer, and a second nitride layer on the first nitride layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Applicant: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Schmidt, Josef-Georg Bauer, Carsten Schaeffer, Oliver Humbel, Angelika Koprowski, Sirinpa Monayakul
  • Patent number: 8666736
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for signal processing comprising the steps of providing a set of prototype spectral envelopes, providing a set of reference noise prototypes, wherein the reference noise prototypes are obtained from at least a sub-set of the provided set of prototype spectral envelopes, detecting a verbal utterance by at least one microphone to obtain a microphone signal, processing the microphone signal for noise reduction based on the provided reference noise prototypes to obtain an enhanced signal and encoding the enhanced signal based on the provided prototype spectral envelopes to obtain an encoded enhanced signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Haulick, Mohamed Krini, Shreyas Paranjpe, Gerhard Schmidt