Patents by Inventor Ralf Lobenstein

Ralf Lobenstein 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: 20230023908
    Abstract: A circuit assembly for connection to a current source, preferably a 4-20 mA current loop and/or a high-impedance voltage source, preferably a high-impedance voltage source comprising an internal resistance greater than or equal to 100 ohms, includes at least one boost converter with a coil, a diode, in particular a flyback diode, which is connected in series with the coil, an output-side storage capacitor for summing an output voltage, and a switching element for connecting the coil to ground; a circuit part for dynamically controlling the switching element of the boost converter, wherein the circuit part is at least designed to control the switching element of the boost converter in a start-up phase such that the current source directly charges the storage capacitor via the coil until a predefinable reference value is reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2020
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Ralf Lobenstein, Harald Schäuble, Julian Bockstaller
  • Patent number: 11549991
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a state of charge of a battery of a field device wherein the field device includes the battery, a voltage converter and a battery-powered component connected to the voltage converter, is disclosed. The method includes enabling the voltage converter and subsequently operating the voltage converter in duty cycles based on a current flowing from the battery to the voltage converter by repeatedly: disabling the voltage converter when the current exceeds an upper limit and enabling the voltage converter again when the current drops below a lower limit; and at least once determining and providing a state of charge of the battery determined based on a duration of at least one first time interval during which the voltage converter was enabled during one of the duty cycles and a previously determined dependency of the durations on the state of charge of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: Endress+Hauser SE+Co. KG
    Inventors: Ralf Lobenstein, Gautham Karnik
  • Publication number: 20220082628
    Abstract: A method of monitoring a state of charge of a battery of a field device wherein the field device includes the battery, a voltage converter and a battery-powered component connected to the voltage converter, is disclosed. The method includes enabling the voltage converter and subsequently operating the voltage converter in duty cycles based on a current flowing from the battery to the voltage converter by repeatedly: disabling the voltage converter when the current exceeds an upper limit and enabling the voltage converter again when the current drops below a lower limit; and at least once determining and providing a state of charge of the battery determined based on a duration of at least one first time interval during which the voltage converter was enabled during one of the duty cycles and a previously determined dependency of the durations on the state of charge of the battery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Publication date: March 17, 2022
    Inventors: Ralf Lobenstein, Gautham Karnik