Patents by Inventor Heidrun Richter

Heidrun Richter 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).

  • Capacitive proximity switch
    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
  • Capacitive proximity switch
    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