Patents by Inventor Michael Stepputat

Michael Stepputat 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: 11162776
    Abstract: A measuring device includes a movable probe head and an optical position sensing device for determining the spatial position and orientation of the probe head relative to a reference point. The position sensing device includes at least three position determination modules, arranged as a transmission unit or as a receiving unit, at least one position determination module being situated on the probe head, and at least one position determination module being situated at the reference point. A transmission unit has transmission unit marking element(s). A receiving unit includes optoelectronic detector(s) and receiving unit marking element(s), positioned in a defined spatial relationship relative to the optoelectronic detector. Visual contacts exist between at least some of the position determination modules. The position determination module on the probe head and the position determination module at the reference point are connected by at least one uninterrupted chain of visual contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Markus Meißner, Michael Stepputat, Robert Kraus, Manuel Scherer
  • Publication number: 20200348123
    Abstract: A measuring device includes a movable probe head and an optical position sensing device for determining the spatial position and orientation of the probe head relative to a reference point. The position sensing device includes at least three position determination modules, arranged as a transmission unit or as a receiving unit, at least one position determination module being situated on the probe head, and at least one position determination module being situated at the reference point. A transmission unit has transmission unit marking element(s). A receiving unit includes optoelectronic detector(s) and receiving unit marking element(s), positioned in a defined spatial relationship relative to the optoelectronic detector. Visual contacts exist between at least some of the position determination modules. The position determination module on the probe head and the position determination module at the reference point are connected by at least one uninterrupted chain of visual contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Applicant: DR. JOHANNES HEIDENHAIN GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang HOLZAPFEL, Markus MEISSNER, Michael STEPPUTAT, Robert KRAUS, Manuel SCHERER
  • Patent number: 10031311
    Abstract: The invention relates to a holding apparatus for an optical measurement device. The holding apparatus has two holding units for two preferably telecentric optics units of the measurement device. Each holding unit has a first bearing device and a second bearing device. The two bearing devices are arranged at a distance from one another in the direction of an optical axis of the optics unit. A three-point bearing by three bearing elements for the associated optics unit is provided on each bearing device. At least two of the bearing elements can be positioned along a relevant adjustment axis. The adjustment axes extend substantially at right angles to the relevant optical axis. The optics unit can thus be displaced in a plane spanned by the adjustment axes and can be inclined or tilted on account of the two bearing devices distanced from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Carl Mahr Holding GmbH
    Inventors: Markus Lotz, Lars Heiser, Michael Stepputat
  • Publication number: 20160306133
    Abstract: The invention relates to a holding apparatus for an optical measurement device. The holding apparatus has two holding units for two preferably telecentric optics units of the measurement device. Each holding unit has a first bearing device and a second bearing device. The two bearing devices are arranged at a distance from one another in the direction of an optical axis of the optics unit. A three-point bearing by three bearing elements for the associated optics unit is provided on each bearing device. At least two of the bearing elements can be positioned along a relevant adjustment axis. The adjustment axes extend substantially at right angles to the relevant optical axis. The optics unit can thus be displaced in a plane spanned by the adjustment axes and can be inclined or tilted on account of the two bearing devices distanced from one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Markus Lotz, Lars Heiser, Michael Stepputat
  • Patent number: 8537340
    Abstract: An optical distance-measuring device includes a light source, and an interferometer unit having a measuring retroreflector, stationary reference retroreflector, beam-splitter element, beam-recombiner unit, and detection unit. The beam of rays emitted by the light source swivels about the center of the reference retroreflector. The beam of rays arriving from the light source splits via the beam-splitter element into a measuring beam and reference beam. The measuring beam propagates in the direction of the measuring retroreflector, and the reference beam propagates collinearly with the measuring beam in the direction of the reference retroreflector. The measuring beam is reflected back by the measuring retroreflector and the reference beam is reflected back by the reference retroreflector in the direction of the beam-recombiner unit, the measuring beam traveling symmetrically relative to the reference retroreflector prior to and after reflection at the measuring retroreflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Michael Stepputat, Gerhard Vogt, Florian Garczarek
  • Patent number: 8477317
    Abstract: A position measuring arrangement that includes a retroreflector, a light source generating a lightbeam and a scanning unit that generates a partially-divergent lightbeam. The scanning unit includes a scanning mirror mounted so it is deflected in a reproducible manner so that a grid-like scanning of a two-dimensional spatial area by the partially-divergent lightbeam takes place over a plurality of scanning tracks. The position measuring arrangement including an interferometric distance measuring unit that includes a beam splitter element that splits the lightbeam generated by the light source so that split lightbeams pass through a reference arm and a measuring arm at least once in each direction. The interferometric distance measuring unit includes an opto-electronic detector unit, through which a detection of distance-dependent signals from superimposed lightbeams from the reference arm and the measuring arm takes place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH
    Inventors: Florian Schindler, Robert Kraus, Joel Heersink, Michael Stepputat
  • Publication number: 20120002188
    Abstract: An optical distance-measuring device includes a light source and an interferometer unit having a measuring retroreflector, a stationary reference retroreflector, a beam-splitter element, a beam-recombiner unit and a detection unit. The beam of rays emitted by the light source is able to swivel about the center of the reference retroreflector. The beam of rays arriving from the light source is split via the beam-splitter element into at least one measuring beam of rays and one reference beam of rays. The at least one measuring beam of rays propagates in the direction of the measuring retroreflector, and the reference beam of rays propagates collinearly with respect to the measuring beam of rays in the direction of the reference retroreflector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Inventors: Wolfgang Holzapfel, Michael Stepputat, Gerhard Vogt, Florian Garczarek
  • Publication number: 20110026041
    Abstract: A position measuring arrangement that includes a retroreflector, a light source generating a lightbeam and a scanning unit that receives the lightbeam and generates a partially-divergent lightbeam. The scanning unit includes a scanning mirror that is mounted so it can be deflected in a reproducible manner around two different rotating axes that cross each other in a center of the scanning mirror so that a grid-like scanning of a two-dimensional spatial area by the partially-divergent lightbeam, in relation to which the retroreflector is arranged, takes place over a plurality of scanning tracks. The position measuring arrangement further including an interferometric distance measuring unit that includes a beam splitter element that splits the lightbeam generated by the light source in such a way that split lightbeams pass through a reference arm and a measuring arm at least once in each direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Inventors: Florian Schindler, Robert Kraus, Joel Heersink, Michael Stepputat
  • Patent number: 7372563
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for carrying out emission spectroscopy, in particular laser emission spectroscopy. According to said method, a pulsed laser beam is automatically focussed on a workpiece to generate a laser-induced plasma, the radiation emitted from the plasma is detected and an elemental analysis is performed using the captured radiation spectrum. The invention is characterised in that a laser beam impingement is carried out with a variable pulse interval ?T, that prior to the plasma generation, additional geometric parameters P1, P2 . . . PN of a potential measurement location on the workpiece surface, in addition to the distance d of the autofocus lens from said workpiece surface are determined and in that an elemental analysis is only performed for the potential measurement locations, at which at least one of the additional geometric parameters lies within a predefined tolerance range [T1 . . . T2].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Michael Stepputat, Reinhard Noll
  • Publication number: 20060092415
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for carrying out emission spectroscopy, in particular laser emission spectroscopy. According to said method, a pulsed laser beam is automatically focussed on a workpiece to generate a laser-induced plasma, the radiation emitted from the plasma is detected and an elemental analysis is performed using the captured radiation spectrum. The invention is characterised in that a laser beam impingement is carried out with a variable pulse interval ?T, that prior to the plasma generation, additional geometric parameters P 1, P 2 . . . PN of a potential measurement location on the workpiece surface, in addition to the distance d of the autofocus lens from said workpiece surface are determined and in that an elemental analysis is only performed for the potential measurement locations, at which at least one of the additional geometric parameters lies within a predefined tolerance range [T1 . . . T2].
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Applicant: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Michael Stepputat, Reinhard Noll