Patents by Inventor Michael Zahm

Michael Zahm 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: 7542750
    Abstract: This invention provides a diversity system with identification and evaluation of antenna properties. The application also provides a method for selecting an external receiving broadcast diversity antenna. The invention makes a selection of one of the diversity antennas as efficient as possible and is able to adapt the solution found to a variety of practical situations that may arise regarding diversity reception in a vehicle. This may be accomplished by the antenna characteristics being detected and antenna selection made based on the antenna characteristics. Thus, the best reception signal will be automatically selected by the mobile broadcast receiver without human intervention or prolonged waiting time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Zahm
  • Patent number: 7539469
    Abstract: A receiver may receive and process broadcasting signals in digital and analog forms. The receiver may include an amplifying input stage, a digital signal processing stage and an analog signal processing stage. The input stage may receive a broadcast signal. The digital signal processing stage may process a received broadcast signal and output a first quality information signal. The analog signal processing stage may process a received analog broadcast signal and outputs a second quality information signal. An evaluation unit may evaluate at least one of the first and second quality information signals and output a control signal to the amplifying input stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Achim Ratzel, Stefan Köhler
  • Patent number: 7457598
    Abstract: A signal amplifier system is provided for a mobile or portable broadcast receiver. The signal amplifier system includes an operational circuitry, a signal generator and a voltage supply. The signal generator receives a field strength signal that indicates a field strength of at least one broadcast signal. The signal generator outputs a supply voltage control signal based on the field strength signal. The voltage supply provides one of a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage to the operational circuitry in accordance with the supply voltage control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2008
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Stefan Köhler
  • Publication number: 20070222899
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a tuner stage, a selective filter stage connected to the tuner stage, and a intermediate-frequency stage connected to the selective filter stage. A field-strength-detection stage is also provided, which generates a field strength signal proportional to the field strength of the received signal. The selective filter stage includes a transfer function that is modifiable by a control signal derived from the field strength signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Erich Geiger
  • Patent number: 7136114
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a tuner stage, a selective filter stage connected to the tuner stage, and a intermediate-frequency stage connected to the selective filter stage. A field-strength-detection stage is also provided, which generates a field strength signal proportional to the field strength of the received signal. The selective filter stage includes a transfer function that is modifiable by a control signal derived from the field strength signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2006
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Erich Geiger
  • Publication number: 20060154629
    Abstract: A receiver may receive and process broadcasting signals in digital and analog forms. The receiver may include an amplifying input stage, a digital signal processing stage and an analog signal processing stage. The input stage may receive a broadcast signal. The digital signal processing stage may process a received broadcast signal and output a first quality information signal. The analog signal processing stage may process a received analog broadcast signal and outputs a second quality information signal. An evaluation unit may evaluate at least one of the first and second quality information signals and output a control signal to the amplifying input stage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Achim Ratzel, Stefan Kohler
  • Patent number: 7034898
    Abstract: The receiving device contains at least two television channel selection devices to convert high-frequency signals into intermediate-frequency signals, at least two video demodulation devices to convert the intermediate-frequency signals into picture signals, at least two audio demodulation devices to convert the intermediate-frequency signals into audio signals, and one intermediate-frequency switching device to switch the audio- and video-demodulation devices to the television channel selection devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2006
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Stefan Koehler, Erich A. Geiger, Hermann Link
  • Publication number: 20060025097
    Abstract: This invention provides a diversity system with identification and evaluation of antenna properties. The application also provides a method for selecting an external receiving broadcast diversity antenna. The invention makes a selection of one of the diversity antennas as efficient as possible and is able to adapt the solution found to a variety of practical situations that may arise regarding diversity reception in a vehicle. This may be accomplished by the antenna characteristics being detected and antenna selection made based on the antenna characteristics. Thus, the best reception signal will be automatically selected by the mobile broadcast receiver without human intervention or prolonged waiting time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2005
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventor: Michael Zahm
  • Publication number: 20050227656
    Abstract: A signal amplifier system is provided for a mobile or portable broadcast receiver. The signal amplifier system includes an operational circuitry, a signal generator and a voltage supply. The signal generator receives a field strength signal that indicates a field strength of at least one broadcast signal. The signal generator outputs a supply voltage control signal based on the field strength signal. The voltage supply provides one of a first supply voltage and a second supply voltage to the operational circuitry in accordance with the supply voltage control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Publication date: October 13, 2005
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Stefan Kohler
  • Publication number: 20020118313
    Abstract: A television receiver includes a tuner stage, a selective filter stage connected to the tuner stage, and a intermediate-frequency stage connected to the selective filter stage. A field-strength-detection stage is also provided, which generates a field strength signal proportional to the field strength of the received signal. The selective filter stage includes a transfer function that is modifiable by a control signal derived from the field strength signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Inventors: Michael Zahm, Erich Geiger
  • Patent number: 5173768
    Abstract: A system for adaptively separating luminance and chrominance components of a color television signal includes a chrominance comb filter comprising a delay network with dual delay elements for providing a combed chrominance component, a bandpass filter for providing a bandpassed chrominance component, and a subtraction circuit. The subtraction circuit subtracts either the combed chrominance component or the bandpassed chrominance component from the television signal to produce a separated luminance component as a function of the phase of signals obtained from the delay network. Illustratively, the subtracter subtracts the bandpassed chrominance component from the television signal in the presence of color transitions in the vertical direction, and in the presence of 180.degree. color transitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1992
    Assignee: Deutsche Thomson-Brandt GmbH
    Inventors: Helmut Sowig, Michael Zahm